Drawing: Ira Glass at the Troy Music Hall
Watch out for this guy -- he has powerful anecdotes.
Drawing's closed! Winner's been emailed!
The Ira Glass will be at the Troy Music Hall May 22. Blurbage for the event:
n Reinventing Radio, Ira will return to the Hall to once again talk about how they put together This American Life: what makes a compelling story and where they find these amazing tales. He mixes stories from the show, live onstage, recreating the sound of the show. And he plays funny and memorable moments from the show and talks about what was behind their creation.
We have a pair of tickets for the event and we're giving them away. To enter the drawing, please answer this question in the comments:
What's one of your favorite Capital Region stories?
We're just looking for a sentence or two about it. And you can interpret "story" pretty much however you want. Maybe it's a book. Maybe it's a historical story. Maybe it's that time you scored a free pizza somewhere.
We'll draw one winner at random. That person will get the pair of tickets.
"Reinventing Radio: An Evening with Ira Glass" is Sunday, May 22 at 3 pm. Tickets are $35 and up.
Important: All comments must be submitted by 11:59 pm on Tuesday, May 10, 2016 to be entered in the drawing. You must answer the question to be part of the drawing. (Normal commenting guidelines apply.) One entry per person, please. You must enter a valid email address (that you check regularly) with your comment. The winner will be notified via email by noon on Wednesday and must respond by noon on Thursday, May 12.
Troy Music Hall advertises on AOA.
photo: Jesse Michener
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Comments
Mike Tyson was apparently going to buy a huge house in Guilderland back in the early '90s. Although he didn't, we would also call it the Tyson house.
... said Chris on May 9, 2016 at 11:41 AM | link
One of my favorite Albany stories is about that time the entire South End smelled of molasses. Granted, it was no 1968 molasses spill, but it was still quite a talker.
... said Rob on May 9, 2016 at 11:47 AM | link
I saw William Kennedy read from "Changó’s Beads and Two-Tone" and it was a great Albany story, with details about downtown that were evocative and recognizable
... said Amy G on May 9, 2016 at 11:50 AM | link
Meeting my husband (almost 20 years ago!).
... said Morgan on May 9, 2016 at 12:05 PM | link
Running the JCC 5k, unfamiliar with Albany, and discovering this is where I want to live!
... said Shawn on May 9, 2016 at 12:17 PM | link
The story of ADK hermit Noah John Rondeau.
... said spencer on May 9, 2016 at 12:44 PM | link
The story of David McCullough finding a treasure trove of historical documents on the Brooklyn Bridge stored away in a closet at RPI.
... said Fisher on May 9, 2016 at 12:49 PM | link
The story of how Hoffman's Playland was saved from destruction by Huck Finn's Warehouse.
... said RC on May 9, 2016 at 1:25 PM | link
Found $200 on lark st near my old place and used that money to buy an entire mash potato pie and beer for my impromptu house party!
... said centersquared on May 9, 2016 at 1:29 PM | link
The night a friend with keys to the Egg's inner-workings brought me up through some ventwork to, essentially, stand on (/in) its roof!
... said Sarah on May 9, 2016 at 1:34 PM | link
This American Life did an awesome story on Steve Raucci (ep. 419 Petty Tyrant).
... said EC on May 9, 2016 at 1:37 PM | link
The Ten Broeck Mansion finding a walled up wine cellar in the 1970s, I believe the largest wine cellar "find" in US history, the sale of which raised $100000 and helped to maintain the mansion as it stands today.
... said Aaron on May 9, 2016 at 2:23 PM | link
At one point Albany County didn't have a western border, meaning the county went on indefinitely for some time.
... said Rob on May 9, 2016 at 2:26 PM | link
An Albany classic - Rockefeller dead in bed with his 29 year old mistress.
... said Tess Lecuyer on May 9, 2016 at 2:41 PM | link
When Mason and Sheehan left PYX 106 for WQBK and the whole capital-land radio world imploded. Then they went back.
... said Harold on May 9, 2016 at 3:14 PM | link
Convincing my parents to stop and pick up a life size wooden butler on Madison ave on my 15th birthday. Still have the butler at 29.
... said Kaira on May 9, 2016 at 3:15 PM | link
That time when I was looking for a teaching job and my neighbor took me to meet Polly Noonan because he said she might be able to help.
... said Silvia Lilly on May 9, 2016 at 3:31 PM | link
I left the Capital Region in the early 1990's for college. Despite making a life for myself all the way across the country on the west coast, I returned to Albany 5 years later just in time to spend what would be the last 6 months of my mother's life.
... said Jamie on May 9, 2016 at 4:38 PM | link
Just heard Steve Barnes' story from the Moth about the assault at Stuyvesant Plaza and it was pretty entertaining, though unfortunately at Steve's expense.
... said theshakes on May 9, 2016 at 4:44 PM | link
The rise and fall of Shelly Silver.
... said jason on May 9, 2016 at 4:59 PM | link
William Kennedy's classic: Ironweed.
... said Rick on May 9, 2016 at 5:10 PM | link
stories from my neighbors about the neighborhood, many involving infidelity and murder!
... said Megan m on May 9, 2016 at 5:58 PM | link
I'm not sure why, but I find it amusing that David Cassidy was arrested in Schodack by an officer named Tom Jones.
... said Shaun on May 9, 2016 at 7:45 PM | link
In the summer of '94 the small eastern Rensselaer County town of Cherry Plain had what seemed to be a sudden influx of hot girls. Everyone literally knows everyone there. If there was a hot girl in that town you could be sure everyone would have known about it. Sure, there was one hot Town girl, but she was in prison that summer for scrapping. No, something was afoot. Scientologists? Commies? Cherry Plainers didn't know what was going on. Some leggy thing in Prada was seen coming out of the Post Office and getting into a Maserati and the switchboard at the local paper lit up like a Christmas tree. It was as if someone had seen Big Foot. But in heels! They wanted the TV news to send out a chopper with a heat vision camera. Three hot girls were seen buying up all the beer and Visine at the Candy Pantry with a Platinum Amex. One of them said they were looking for "misery" and someone called the Sheriff. Demons? Ritual masses? The population was locked and loaded. It was a tense summer. Eventually though, the hot girls disappeared along with the heat. The Town hot girl came back from prison, but she didn't seem so hot anymore. In a huff, she moved to Tampa. Nobody cared. Years later a historian traced the phenomenon down to the author Caleb Carr, who has a house on Misery Mountain there. His book The Alienist had come out that March and he'd become quite the literary star of the moment. That Town has never been the same.
... said Big 'Vic' Proton on May 9, 2016 at 8:13 PM | link
I love telling my kids that the EMPAC building in Troy was almost Tony Starks headquarters in one the Iron Man movies. When we visit, I throw in a discussion on piles and the challenges of placing a building on a hill.
... said Tired Mom on May 9, 2016 at 9:18 PM | link
There are so many stories, it's hard to choose just one. How about that the D and H building (now SUNY castle) was purposely built to block the view of the Hudson River. At the time, the River was a fetid sewer.
... said Karen on May 9, 2016 at 9:34 PM | link
When I saw Ira Glass at TMH a few years ago and he told a story about how a graphic radio story and a shark bite he'd told made people pass out while driving, and, just hearing basic descriptive details, someone passed out in the theater! Ira felt guilty and nervous and asked if he should even keep going. The room resoundingly said yea keep going!
... said Jenna on May 9, 2016 at 10:18 PM | link
1987. Walking outside on Empire Plaza on a beautiful, sunny, Spring morning. My boyfriend and I were the only ones there. I was thinking of moving up from NYC. All of a sudden, The Temptations started playing on the cement speakers fixed to the Plaza. I remember thinking, the State Capitol is really cool. I moved up shortly after.
... said Sue Adler on May 10, 2016 at 2:26 AM | link
One of my favorite Albany stories is the murder of Legs Diamond at 67 Dove Street.
... said Ron on May 10, 2016 at 8:46 AM | link
On a haunted tour we learned that the gangster "Legs Diamond" had spent some time in downtown Albany hiding out.
... said Amanda Kopet on May 10, 2016 at 8:59 AM | link
The story of me, how I traveled 1200 miles to start my life over, met a man, married, bought a house and totally completely fell in love with the capital region.
... said Kate on May 10, 2016 at 10:36 AM | link
I'm still pretty darn excited about the Mame Faye story.
See --> http://alloveralbany.com/archive/2008/01/29/mame-faye-the-inside-scoop-on-troys-second-most-fa
Hoping to have all of our video / audio interviews transcribed from when we were making the film, so that there is a written record telling some of this forgotten history for Troy's posterity.
... said Annmarie Lanesey on May 10, 2016 at 11:04 AM | link
I was working an summer camp while going to College in Albany. Brought all the other RA's over to the plaza on a gorgeous night after midnight and blew their minds. Always great to hang down there super late.
... said David on May 10, 2016 at 11:08 AM | link
There was a baby squirrel following every person trying to get into our school. After scooping it up and relocating it several times we thought it was gone. The next day a kid came in saying "a squirrel jumped on my lap last night and I wanted to show it to my science teacher." This time the squirrel was taken across town. Props for perseverance though
... said Tooter on May 10, 2016 at 12:42 PM | link
Going to my first concert at the Knickerbocker Arena in 1996 - The Smashing Pumpkins!
... said Moe on May 10, 2016 at 12:51 PM | link
I'm new to the area--moved to South Troy in December. Every time I visit Kennedy's tavern I hear a new favorite story about my neighborhood. Our neighbors have been living on the same couple of blocks for generations and they share with my partner and I anecdotes about the woods, historic ruins, Burden Pond, friends who've passed, troublemakers, gossip, etc.
They serve food at Kennedy's, but frequently we're there when they happen to be celebrating some private event and have prepared big trays of food. Without fail, whoever is hosting the event will at some point come over to introduce themselves and generously demand that we help ourselves to the food.
... said Melissa on May 10, 2016 at 1:08 PM | link
Walking to and hanging out in the Stewarts across from Memorial Hospital as a kid.
... said Liz on May 10, 2016 at 5:23 PM | link
The story of me and my wife (our origin story!) and our friends... =D
... said Andy on May 10, 2016 at 8:38 PM | link
Going to see the Philadelphia Orchestra every summer up at SPAC!
... said CC on May 10, 2016 at 9:17 PM | link
That time the moose wandered around Troy
... said BB on May 10, 2016 at 10:03 PM | link