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 (springy), to restaurants, to all sorts of film, to The Sound of Music, to Lindy West, to startups, to music...

Weather

Here's the paraphrased forecast for this week:

Monday: Sun, upper 50s.

Tuesday: Cloudy, rainy. Mid 40s.

Wednesday: Cloudy, 55.

Thursday: Cloudy, probably some rain. Around 50.

Friday: Repeat.

Springy.

Downtown Albany Restaurant Week

Monday-Friday: Downtown Albany Restaurant Week continues. More than 15 restaurants are offering three-course meals for $20.17. As with any restaurant week, reservations are a good idea.

Film

Roman Holiday
Monday: Proctors is showing the Audrey Hepburn-Gregory Peck classic Roman Holiday in the GE Theater. Monday various times -- $5

Henry Johnson: A Tale of Courage
Tuesday: WMHT has a preview screening of its new documentary Henry Johnson: A Tale of Courage at the State Museum. A discussion will follow the screening. Tuesday 6 pm -- free (RSVP requested)

YouthFX
Tuesday: There's an encore screening of YouthFX's new slate of short films at The Spectrum. The young filmmakers will be there for Q&A after the screening. Tuesday 7 pm -- $10 / $8 students

1984
Tuesday: Three venues around the area -- the Opalka Gallery, Proctors, and The Tang -- will be showing a film version of 1984 as part of a nationwide event.

The date is the day George Orwell's protagonist Winston Smith begins rebelling against his oppressive government by keeping a forbidden diary. Orwell's portrait of a government that manufactures its own facts, demands total obedience, and demonizes foreign enemies has never been timelier. The goal of the screenings is to initiate community conversations about how we live at a time when it seems facts and basic human rights are under attack.

All three sites will include some sort of discussion element or accompanying event for the screening. Tuesday various times

The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
Friday: The NYS Writers Institute will be screening the documentary The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution at UAlbany. The doc's director and producer will both be there for a discussion following the film. Friday 7 pm, downtown campus, Page Hall -- free

Nitty Gritty

Tuesday: The Nitty Gritty Poetry Slam series is back at the Low Beat. 7 pm

Stage

The Sound of Music
Tuesday-Sunday: A touring production of the stage musical The Sound of Music is at Proctors. The Broadway musical features music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein. (And it was from the 1959 musical that the hugely famous film was adapted.) Tuesday-Sunday various times -- $20 and up

ChipandGus
Thursday-Saturday: The comedy ChipandGus returns to Proctors. The actors actually play ping pong during the show. "ChipandGus, is the story of two friends, oddball acquaintances. Set in a rundown game-room of a rundown sports bar in Schenectady, NY, their monthly ping pong game uncovers buried secrets in this moving comedy!" Thursday-Saturday 7:30 pm -- $25

Arts and sciences

Chris Bohjalian
Monday: Best-selling novelist Chris Bohjalian will be at the Sage Troy campus for a talk about his work. There will be audience Q&A and a book signing following the talk. Monday 6:30 pm, Bush Memorial -- free

Sonia Sotomayor
Tuesday: Supreme Court justice Sonia Sotomayor will be at UAlbany for a talk in SEFCU Arena. It's free and open to the public, but you must request a ticket via UAlbany's online ticketing system. (See the link for details.) Tuesday 6:30 pm -- free

Lindy West
Thursday: Author Lindy West will be at Northshire Saratoga talk about her memoir, Shrill. t's an "Off the Shelf" event -- West will be talking with WAMC's Joe Donahue for a segment that will later air on the radio. Thursday 7 pm -- $5 (ticketed in advance)

Startup Tech Valley

Wednesday: The Startup Tech Valley series returns, this time in the GE Theater at Proctors. A handful of local startups will be giving short presentations about what they're working on. Wednesday 6 pm -- free (registration requested)

Music

Tuesday: Anais Mitchell at Caffe Lena
Singer/songwriter. 7 pm -- $30

Tuesday: NE-HI at The Hollow
Garage rock. 9 pm -- $10 ahead / $12 day of

Wednesday: Celtic Woman at The Palace
"[S]howcases the angelic voices of Susan McFadden, Máiréad Carlin, Éabha McMahon and introduces the breathtaking new Celtic violinist Tara McNeill." 7 pm -- $42 and up

Friday: WCDB Anniversary Party at The Low Beat
Palehound, The Parlor, Hospital Corners, Another Michael. 7 pm

Friday: New York Voices at The Egg
"[U]nmatched harmonies and inspired arrangements to jazz, Brazilian, R & B, classical, and pop..." 8 pm -- $34

Friday: The Kurt Baker Combo + Soraia at The Hangar
Rock. 8 pm -- $10

Friday: Primate Fiasco at Putnam Den
"The Primate Fiasco uses instruments that are loud without electricity..." With: Barika. 9:30 pm -- $10

Friday: Sara Kilborne: The Lavender Blues at Helsinki Hudson
"The Lavender Blues brings to life the story of queer music before World War II." 8 pm -- $15

Saturday: Albany Symphony: Beethoven's Ninth at The Palace
Probably the most famous Beethoven symphony. 7:30 pm -- $19 and up

Saturday: Miracle Legion at MASS MoCA
And Lou Barlow is opening. 8 pm -- $18 ahead / $24 day of

Saturday: The Subdudes at The Egg
Blues/folk. 8 pm -- $34

Saturday: Meklit at Sanctuary for Independent Media
"Meklit's music is imbued with poetry and multiplicity, from hybridized sounds of Tizita (haunting and nostalgic music) drawing from her Ethiopian heritage, to jazz, folk songs, hip-hop and art rock." 7 pm -- $15

Saturday: Matuto at The Linda
Roots music festival with: Heavenly Echoes Gospel Singers, The Red Haired Strangers, The Lazy Suns. 8 pm -- $15

Saturday: James McMurtry at Helsinki Hudson
"Award-winning rock singer-songwriter James McMurtry writes literate, politically charged songs with country, folk, Americana, and Texas influences." With: Ray Mason. 9 pm -- $25

Saturday: Frank Wakefield Band at Caffe Lena
"Legendary mandolin player Frank Wakefields shows are famous for the power and raw beauty of his mandolin playing and for his liveliness and humor on stage." 8 pm -- $22

Sunday: Jackson Browne at The Egg
Rock 'n Roll Hall of Famer, performing with Greg Leisz. 8 pm -- $54.40 and up

Sunday: Sonny Ochs 80th Birthday Concert at Proctors
Folk. 4 pm -- $28 ahead / $39 day of

Sunday: Ari Hest at Caffe Lena
Singer/songwriter. 7 pm -- $20
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These are a just a few things for this week, not a comprehensive list. Look for out "Stuff to do this weekend" list for the upcoming weekend on Friday.

Know of something people should be looking forward to this week? Please share!

The Spectrum, Sage, and the Downtown Albany BID advertise on AOA.

photo: Steve Petteway via Wikipedia