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 (not bad), to stories, to authors, to film, to comedy, to basketball, to all sorts of music...

Weather

Here's the paraphrased forecast for this week:

Monday: Sun, mid 50s.

Tuesday: Cloudy, maybe rain. Low 50s.

Wednesday: Some sun and mid 50s.

Thursday: Sunny and mid 50s.

Friday: Sun, upper 50s.

Not bad at all.

Words

Front Parlor
Tuesday: The Front Parlor storytelling series is back at The Hangar in Troy. This month's theme: "I Wouldn't Have Believed It If I Hadn't Seen It." Tuesday 7:30 pm

Nitty Gritty
Tuesday: The Nitty Gritty poetry slam series is back at The Low Beat. Tuesday 7 pm

Arts and sciences

Charles Baxter and Joseph Lasdun
Tuesday: Fiction writers Charles Baxter and Joseph Lasdun will be at UAlbany as part of the NYS Writers Institute visiting writers series. Baxter will be reading from his newest short story collection, and Lasdun will read from his recently released novel. Tuesday 8 pm, campus center, uptown campus -- free

Science Cafe
Wednesday: The State Museum's Science Cafe returns, this time at The Hollow. Senior historian and curator of political and military history Aaron Noble will be talking about New York's role in World War I. Wednesday 6 pm -- free (food and drink not included)

Tracy Kidder
Thursday: Journalist Tracy Kidder will be at Schenectady High School for a talk. He has a new book out this fall called A Truck Full of Money, which is about Paul English, the founder of multiple software companies." Kidder casts a fresh, critical, and often humorous eye on the way new ideas and new money are reshaping our culture and the world, often frivolous and yet vital to the functioning of virtually aspect of modern society." The talk part of a series for the Friends of the Schenectady County Public Library's 50th Anniversary. (The event is first-come, first-seat.) Thursday 7 pm (doors at 6:30 pm) -- free

Rock, Roll, and Press
Thursday: The Albany Institute has a design-your-own-album-cover night in honor of the Rock & Roll Icons exhibit. "Join us in the Art Studio as we use an antique letterpress machine as well as a combination of collage and drawing techniques to create personalized album cover designs." Thursday 5:30 pm -- $10 (RSVP by Wednesday)

Film

The Force Awakens
Tuesday: The Cohoes Music Hall is showing The Force Awakens. You or your kids might dig seeing it in the old theater (be sure to check out the ceiling). 7 pm -- $5

Broadway Through A Keyhole
Thursday: The Murder, Morals and Music series at The Madison is screening Broadway Through A Keyhole, a 1930 musical written by Walter Winchell. Thursday 7 pm -- $10

Blue Velvet
Thursday: It Came From Schenectady has a 30th anniversary screening of David Lynch's Blue Velvet at Proctors. Thursday 7 pm -- $9

Hoops

Wednesday: The UAlbany men's basketball team has its home opener against SUNY Oneonta at SEFCU Arena. 8 pm -- $15 and up

Martin Lawrence

Thursday: Comedian Martin Lawrence will be at the TU Center for a stand-up show. 8 pm -- $48 and up

The Aluminum Show

Thursday: A touring production called The Aluminum Show will be at Proctors. "This new and unique show brings the material, the music and the artists together on stage in a magical, mystery-filled creation combining visual theater, dance, and humor into an exciting, multi-sensory experience, the likes of which audiences have never before seen." (We get the impression it's kind of like Blue Man Group but with ductwork.) 7:30 pm -- $20 and up

Music

Monday: Festival of Praise at The Palace
Gospel show headlined by Fred Hammond. 7 pm -- $48 and up

Tuesday: CRX at The Hollow
Rock, Nick Valensi from The Strokes. 9 pm -- $15 ahead / $18 at door

Tuesday: Asking Alexandria at Upstate Concert Hall
Metalcore. With: Born of Osiris, I See Stars, After the Burial, Upon a Burning Body, Bad Omens. 6 pm -- $25 ahead / $28 day of

Tuesday: The Stray Birds at Caffe Lena at The Parting Glass
Folk. 7 pm -- $22

Wednesday: WGNA Secret Star Acoustic Jam at Proctors
Country show with surprise performers. 7 pm -- $19 and up

Wednesday: Big Head Todd and The Monsters at Troy Music Hall
Joined by Mud Morganfield, Billy Branch and Ronnie Baker Brooks in a blues tribute show to Willie Dixon. 7:30 pm -- $36 and up

Thursday: Girls, Guns, and Glory at The Low Beat
Roots rock. With: Hawbuckees. 7:30 pm -- $6

Friday: 9th Annual B3nson Funsgiving at The Low Beat and Pauly's
Jouska, The Parlor, Another Michael, Hammer Hawk, Slowshine, Hospital Corners, Rechorduroys. 8 pm -- $7

Friday and Saturday: The Magnetic Fields: 50 Song Memoir at MASS MoCA
"Stephin Merritt and band perform two distinct programs of the new songs -- one for every year of his life -- with a seven-person band playing 50 instruments from his eclectic collection." Friday and Saturday 8 pm -- $35 ahead / $45 day of

Friday-Saturday: Beatlemore Skidmania at The Zankel Center
The popular annual Beatles tribute show at Skidmore. Friday 8 pm and Saturday 2 pm -- $10 / $7 seniors / $5 students and children

Friday: HELLYEAH at Upstate Concert Hall
Metal. With: From Ashes To New, Source. 7 pm -- $27 ahead / $30 day of

Friday: The Sabrina Carpenter show at The Hollow is sold out.

Saturday: Dark Star Orchestra at The Palace
Grateful Dead tribute. 8 pm -- $33.50 ahead / $36.50 day of

Saturday: 10,000 Maniacs at Cohoes Music Hall
Now on their 35th year. 7:30 pm -- $32 and up

Saturday: Squirrel Nut Zippers at The Egg
"In the afterlife / You could be headed for the serious strife..." 8 pm -- $34

Saturday: Sierra Hull at The Linda
Bluegrass singer and mandolin player. 8 pm -- $20

Saturday: Crown The Empire at Upstate Concert Hall
Metalcore. With: Bless the Fall, New Years Day, Too Close to Touch, Light Up the Sky. 7 pm -- $18 ahead / $20 day of

Saturday: Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii
Elvis tribute. 7 pm -- $32.50 and up

Saturday: An Evening with Pig Food Records at The Low Beat
Hip hop. 9 pm -- $10

Saturday: Mike & Ruthy at The Madison
Americana. 8 pm -- $20

Saturday: Tragic Sublime: Rensselaer Orchestra Fall Concert at EMPAC
The Rensselaer Orchestra playing works by Mozart, Wagner, and Brahms in the EMPAC concert hall. 2 pm -- free

Saturday: GROOVIN'...A 60s & 70s Musical Journey at Proctors
"[R]e-creating the look and sounds of the most popular artists from the greatest era of Classic Rock History..." 8 pm -- $22 and up

Sunday: Ted Leo at The Low Beat
Punk archduke. With: Ian Sweet. 7 pm -- $13

Sunday: Hot Tuna at The Egg
Blues rock. 7 pm -- $39.50

Sunday: Against The Current at The Hollow
Pop rock. With: CRUISR, Beach Weather. 8 pm -- $15 ahead / $18 at door

Sunday: Caravan of Thieves at Caffe Lena at The Parting Glass
"Inspired by the big band swing era, the Quintette du Hot Club de France, and American folk and Vaudeville..." 7 pm -- $22

To do list

1. Thanksgiving is next week. So get those travel/visiting/cooking plans together if you haven't yet.

2. Rake the leaves.
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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!

Troy Music Hall and The Madison advertise on AOA.

photo: Gabriel Amadeus Cooney