All Over Albany

The week ahead

Here are a few things to keep in mind, look forward to, or keep busy with this week, from the weather (season's changing), to drama, to the civil rights movement, to cooking, to music...

Weather

Here's the paraphrased forecast for this week:

Monday: Sunny, scattered showers. Upper 70s.

Tuesday: Cloudy, showers in the afternoon. Upper 70s.

Wednesday: Some sun, mid 60s.

Thursday: Sunny, low 60s.

Friday: Some sun, low 60s.

Weekend: Some sun, maybe some rain. 60s.

The season's changing.

4000 Miles

Tuesday: Capital Rep's production of 4000 Miles opens. Blurbage:

Seeking solace at the end of his cross-country bike trip, 21-year old Leo arrives unannounced at the Greenwich Village apartment of his 91-year old Jewish grandmother, Vera. Instead, he gets a big life lesson from his former outspoken, activist grandma. Over the course of a single month, these two outsiders infuriate, bewilder, and ultimately change one another forever. Amy Herzog's dramatic comedy received the Obie Award for Best Play, was a finalist for the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and was named #1 Play of the Year by Time Magazine.

The production runs through October 18. Tuesday-Sunday various times - $20 and up

Smackdown

Tuesday: WWE Smackdown will be at the TU Center. 7 pm - $20 and up

Arts and sciences

Ann Beattie and Peg Boyers
Tuesday: The NYS Writers Institute visiting writers series has Ann Beattie, award-winning short story writer and novelist, and Peg Boyers, poet and Salmagundi editor, at UAlbany for a reading. Tuesday 8 pm, performing arts center uptown campus - free

Albany and the 1960s civil rights movement
Tuesday: Saint Rose is hosting a screening of the documentary The Brothers: The Forgotten Struggle for Civil Rights in Albany, along with a talk and discussion about the civil rights movement and Albany in the 1960s. Political scientist Scott Lemieux will be giving a talk titled "Connecting the Struggle for Civil Rights and Racial Justice in Albany to the National Movement and Supreme Court Decisions of the Era." And there will be a conversation featuring two Capital Region members of The Brothers, Earl Thorpe and Persell McDowell, along with Lemieux. Tuesday 7 pm, Lally School (1009 Madison Ave) - free

Albany's oldest buildings
Tuesday: Historic Albany Foundation has organized a pub lecture at the Midtown Tap & Tea Room with architectural historian Walter Wheeler about HAF's oldest building survey, which was completed last year. Tuesday 5:30 pm - reservation required

Public art at the ESP
Wednesday: The Empire State Plaza at 50 series continues with a discussion of the ESP's art collection. Wednesday 6 pm, The Egg - free

Lincoln's funeral train
Thursday: Stuart Lehman, assistant curator at the New York State Capitol, will be at the Albany Institute for a talk about Abraham Lincoln's 1865 funeral train and its stop in Albany. Thursday 6 pm - free

Not on Fire, But Burning
Thursday: Northshire Saratoga will be hosting a book launch party for Greg Hrbeck's new buzzed-about novel Not on Fire, But Burning. Hrbeck, who teaches at Skidmore, will be there for a reading. Thursday 7 pm - free

Film memory
Thursday: EMPAC artist-in-residence Jennifer West will be talking about the "remembered movie" with Los Angeles-based writer and curator Michael Ned Holte. Blurbage: "In a conversation of personal cinematic histories, each will perform memory (and movies) by capturing and reconnecting the places, spaces, and languages born from the movie-going experience." Thursday 7 pm - free

Outcasts United
Friday: Journalist Warren St. John will be at the Sage Albany campus for a talk about his book Outcasts United: An American Town, A Refugee Team, and One Women's Quest to Make a Difference. Friday 7 pm, Kahl Campus Center Gymnasium - free, registration required

Cooking

As the weather cools down, it can be a good time to take a cooking class. A few this week:

Monday: Intermediate Sushi | Different Drummer's
Yasuo and Kathy Saso leading a hands-on class on sushi making beyond the basics: spicy tuna rolls, eel rolls, nigiri, create your own sushi. 6 pm - $65

Monday: Savor Summer Flavors with Pesto | Honest Weight
Workshop led by Lenku Nauta in which "you'll learn ways to preserve fresh herbs in delicious pesto, so you can enjoy them for many months to come." 6 pm - free (registration required)

Tuesday: The Power of Cauliflower | Market Bistro
"Learn fun and innovative recipes using this versatile veggie": pizza with cauliflower crust, cauliflower-goat cheese soufflé, roasted cauliflower with pappardelle and brown mustard cream. 6 pm - $55

Wednesday: Fresh Egg Pasta | Gio Culinary Studio
A hands-on class in which "students will learn to create various pasta shapes, some by hand, and some with the assistance of a pasta machine attachment." 6:15 pm - $60

Wednesday: Taco Tuesday | Spoon & Whisk
Chef Gabe Pollow on making different sorts of tacos: lobster taco with mango salsa, Korean BBQ taco with Napa cabbage, carne asada taco with skirt steak and pico de gallo, banana churro dessert taco. 7 pm - $45

Thursday: Wild "Game Night" | Spoon & Whisk
Chef Dan Spitz on using wild game meats -- "You will be able to create masterpieces at home and order confidently when dining out." Braised rabbit ragout, roasted venison loin, spicy wild boar tacos. 7 pm - $45

Kevin James, Hannibal Buress

Looking ahead to the weekend, two comedy shows Friday that night will be popular:
+ Kevin James will be at the Palace for a stand-up show. 8 pm - $25 and up
+ Hannibal Buress will be at Skidmore for a stand-up show. (He played a sold-out show at The Egg earlier this year.) 8 pm - $20 general public

Music

Wednesday: Wayne "The Train" Hancock at The Hangar
"The King of Juke Joint swing." 8 pm - $20

Thursday: The Cowboy Junkies show at Helsinki Hudson is sold out.

Thursday: Particle at The Hollow
Jam. With: Dr. Fameus. 9:30 pm - $15

Friday: vhvl + Daedelus + Ikonika at EMPAC
"[A] trifecta of dance-music heavyweights..." 9 pm - $18

Friday: Andy McKee at Massry Center
Acoustic guitarist, Youtube star. 7:30 pm - $25 / $15 students

Friday: Circa Waves at Upstate Concert Hall
British indie rock. With: Kimono Dragons. 8 pm - free (21+ show)

Friday: Lydia at The Hollow
Indie rock. With: Seahaven, Turnover, The Technicolors. 8 pm - $15

Saturday: Melissa Etheridge at The Egg
New songs and old hits. 8 pm - $59.50 and up

Saturday: The Wood Brothers at Upstate Concert Hall
Americana and blues. 8 pm - $20 ahead / $23 day of

Saturday: Josh Groban at The Palace
With: Lena Hall. 8 pm - $51 and up

Saturday: Henry Butler at MASS MoCA
"A rollicking blend of jazz, Caribbean, pop, blues, and R&B flows effortlessly from his hands." 8 pm - $18 ahead / $25 day of

To do list

1. October starts on Thursday. We're in the prime of apple season. Don't wait.

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These are a just a few things for this week, not a comprehensive list. Know of something people should be looking forward to this week? Please share!

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photo: Douglas C. Liebig