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 (who knows), to Dyngus Day, to beer, to boldly going, to dance, to kid stuff, to hoops, to music...

Weather

Here's the paraphrased forecast for this week:

Monday: Clouds then sun, mid 40s.

Tuesday: Probably rain (maybe snow), mid 40s.

Wednesday: Rain, maybe thunderstorms. Upper 50s.

Thursday: Sunny, low 40s.

Friday: Clouds, maybe rain. Mid 40s.

Who knows.

Passover

Passover, the Jewish holiday commemorating the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, continues through Saturday.

Dyngus Day

Dyngus Day is a traditional day-after-Easter celebration in many Eastern European cultures, as well as cities here in the United States (such as Buffalo) with large populations of people who hail from those cultures. A few local celebrations Monday:

+ The Albany Polish Community Center on Washington Ave Extension has its annual festival with kids activities, music, and traditional Polish food. Monday noon-6 pm -- $5 admission

+ The Hill at Muza in Troy has its annual celebration, with live music, Eastern European beer, and Polish food. Monday noon-10 pm -- $3 cover

Albany Craft Beer Week

Monday-Saturday: It's Albany Craft Beer Week, with events each night at venues around the area. The cap to the week is the Albany Craft Beer Festival at the Washington Ave Armory on Saturday.

William Shatner

Wednesday: William Shatner will be Proctors for an on-stage conversation following a screening of The Wrath of Khan. He'll be talking with Amy Biancolli from the Times Union. Wednesday 7:30 pm -- $35.50 and up

Stage

Southern Haunt
Monday: The UAlbany Performing Arts Center has a reading of the new play Southern Haunt. "Written by resident playwright Kathryn Walat, this spooky-sexy Southern gothic play set in Savannah is presented as a work-in-progress staged reading by professional actors which will be followed by a Q&A with the playwright and director." Monday 7:30 pm -- free

RUBBERBANDance Group
Tuesday: The UAlbany Performing Arts Center is hosting a performance by the RUBBERBANDance Group. "RUBBERBANDance Group merges the fresh pulse of street dancing with the acute aesthetics of contemporary dance." Tuesday 7:30 pm -- $15 / $10 students ($5 higher for each at the door)

Carmen
Tuesday: Proctors is showing a filmed Royal Opera performance of Carmen. Tuesday 2 pm and 6:30 pm -- $15

A Meditation on Tongues
Thursday: EMPAC has a production of Ni'Ja Whitson's A Meditation on Tongues, a "live-dance adaptation of filmmaker and activist Marlon T. Riggs' 1989 film Tongues Untied, a groundbreaking portrait of Black, gay identity." Thursday 7 pm -- $18 / $6 students

Arts and sciences

Charles Frazier
Monday: Charles Frazier -- who won the National Book Award for Cold Mountain -- will be at the Northshire Bookstore in Saratoga Springs to talk about his new book, Varina. "Her marriage prospects limited, teenage Varina Howell agrees to wed the much-older widower Jefferson Davis, with whom she expects the secure life of a Mississippi landowner. Davis instead pursues a career in politics and is eventually appointed president of the Confederacy, placing Varina at the white-hot center of one of the darkest moments in American history--culpable regardless of her intentions." Monday 6 pm -- $5 (tickets required and available online)

The American Obsession with Apocalypse
Monday: Betsy Hartmann, professor emerita of development studies at Hampshire College, will be at Skidmore for a talk titled "The American Obsession with Apocalypse: Puritan Legacies, Nuclear War and the Dangers of Doomsday Environmentalism." Monday 6 pm, Davis Auditorium -- free

Kinetic sculpture
Tuesday: Sculptor Arthur Ganson will be at Skidmore for a talk about his work making kinetic, Rube Golberg-esque sculptures. Tuesday 6 pm, Filene Recital Hall -- free

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

Startup Tech Valley
Wednesday: The Startup Tech Valley series will be at Schenectady County Community College for another night of short presentations from startups. Wednesday 5:30 pm -- free (registration required)

Stuff for kids

A lot of kids have this week off from school and there some special break-week activities around the area. Among them:

State Museum
Tuesday-Saturday: The State Museum has a whole week of daytime talks, hands-on activities, and other events.

Palace Family Fun Day: Beauty and the Beast
Wednesday: The Palace will be screening the Disney's animated Beauty and the Beast, with pre-film activities. Wednesday 1 pm (pre-film activities start at noon) -- $5

Illustration Workshop with Dahl Taylor
Friday: The Albany Institute has a hands-on illustration workshop for kids with artist Dahl Taylor, the illustrator of the American Girl Addy stories. Friday 12:30 pm -- $12

Hoops

Thursday: The Albany Patroons face the Kentucky Thoroughbreds at the Washington Ave Armory. (The two teams also play Friday night.) Thursday 7:05 pm -- $10 and up

Music

Monday: L.A. Salami at Caffe Lena
"UK-based storyteller, poet, philosopher and singer-songwriter known for creating magnetic post-modern blues." With: Cat Clyde. 7 pm -- $18

Monday: Between The Buried and Me + The Dear Hunter at Upstate Concert Hall
Metal. With: Leprous. 7 pm -- $25 ahead / $28 day of

Wednesday: Fozzy at Upstate Concert Hall
Metal. With: Through Fire, Joyous Wolf, Dark Sky Choir, Between Now and Forever. 6:30 pm -- $17 ahead / $20 day of

Wednesday: Hamell on Trial at The Low Beat
Back for another residency in April. 7 pm

Thursday: Buckethead at Upstate Concert Hall
Guitarist. 8 pm -- $20 ahead / $25 day of

Thursday: Funk Night at Parish Public House
Including members of Turkuaz, Kung Fu, Eric Krasno Band, and Wurliday. 9 pm -- $10 ahead / $15 at door

Thursday: Emma Larson at Caffe Lena
Singer/songwriter. 7 pm -- $10

Thursday: United States Air Force Band & Singing Sergeants at Proctors
"The Concert Band will perform a wide variety of music ranging from classical transcriptions and original works to solo features." 8 pm -- free

Friday: Cady Huffman at Proctors
Tony winner in a cabaret performance called "Tomboy Showgirl." 7:30 pm -- $40 and up

Friday: John Primer at The Linda
Blues. With: Jimy Graham. 8 pm -- $22

Friday: Front Business / Hospital Corners / Chief at The Low Beat
Funk / dream pop / new band. Benefit for Mike McGrath. 8 pm

Friday: Driftwood at The Hollow
Americana. With: Bear Grass. 8 pm -- $12

Friday: Don White at Caffe Lena
"Storyteller-comedian-author-troubadour-folk singer-songwriter." 8 pm -- $20

Saturday: Wolf Alice at The Hollow
Alt rock. 9 pm -- $18 ahead / $20 day of

Saturday: Bettye Lavette at Helsinki Hudson
Soul singer/songwriter. 9 pm -- $35 and up

Saturday: Daughtry at The Palace
Rock. With: Sinclair. 8 pm -- $34.75 and up

Saturday: Sixties Spectacular at Proctors
Headlined by Jay and the Americans. 7 pm -- $39.75 and up

Saturday: Heard at Caffe Lena
World jazz. Album release show. 8 pm -- $22

Saturday: Let's Be Great at The Low Beat
CEO Squad / Glenn Kelly / Zuni / Elevated. 8 pm

Sunday: Amy Helm at The Hollow
The first of a three-night residency on Sundays there. 7 pm -- $16

Sunday: Joan Shelley at Caffe Lena
Singer/songwriter. 7 pm -- $22

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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!

Northshire Bookstore advertises on AOA.

screengrab from The Wrath of Khan / Paramount