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 (very July), to movies, to the ballet, to authors, to the stage, to history, to the Track, to music...

Weather

Here's the paraphrased forecast for this week:

Monday: Sunny, hot. Maybe thunderstorms in the afternoon. Low 90s.

Tuesday: Probably some rain, maybe thunderstorms. Low 80s.

Wednesday: Sunny and 82.

Thursday: Sunny and 84.

Friday: Sunny and 88.

Very July.

Movies

Bites Camera Action
Monday: The Bites Camera Action outdoor movie series in downtown Albany will be showing The Goonies. The movie will be on the big video screens outside the TU Center. South Pearl will be closed from Beaver to Hudson starting at 6:30 pm. And Youth FX films will be screened at 7 pm. Monday 7:30 pm -- free

Summer in the City: Coco
Tuesday: The Palace's Summer in the City series of free kid-friendly screenings will be screening the most recent Beauty and the Beast. Tuesday activities at noon / movie at 1 pm -- free

NYC Ballet

Tuesday-Saturday: The New York City Ballet opens its annual summer residence at SPAC. It starts off with two nights of an all-Balanchine program, then later in the week has Romeo + Juliet and 21st Century choreographers. And the ballet gala is Saturday, honoring Jerome Robbins and Leonard Bernstein. Tuesday-Saturday various times and prices

Summer Writers Institute

The NYS Summer Writers Institute continues its schedule of open-to-the-public readings by authors at Skidmore. This week's schedule:
+ Monday: Frank Bidart (National Book Award: Desire, Metaphysical Dog) and Novelist Garth Greenwell (What Belongs to You)
+ Tuesday: Novelist Mary Gaitskill (The Mare, Veronica) and Poet Peg Boyers (To Forget Venice, Hard Bread, Honey With Tobacco)
+ Wednesday: Novelist Rick Moody (The Ice Storm, Hotels of North America) and poet Carl Dennis (Pulitzer Prize: Practical Gods, Unknown Friends, Ranking The Wishes)
+ Thursday: Paul Auster (Brooklyn Follies, Moon Palace) and novelist-memoirist Siri Hustvedt (The Shaking Woman, What I Loved)
+ Friday: Poet Robert Pinsky (The Want Bone, Gulf Music) and Novelist Adam Braver (Misfit, 1963, Crows Over The Wheatfield)

The events are in Palamountain Hall at Skidmore. Monday-Friday 8 pm -- free

Stage

Ring of Fire
Tuesday-Sunday: Capital Repertory Theatre continues its production of the Johnny Cash musical Ring of Fire. (It was in previews this past weekend.) Tuesday-Sunday various times -- $25 and up

WTF
Tuesday-Sunday: The Williamstown Theatre Festival continues this week with Artney Jackson by James Anthony Tyler. And on Friday the music Lempicka -- starring Carmen Cusack and Eden Espinosa -- has its world premiere. Tuesday-Sunday various times -- various prices

Park Playhouse
Tuesday-Saturday: The Park Playhouse's first production of the summer season in Washington Park is Damn Yankees. Tuesday-Saturday 8 pm -- lawn seats free / reserved seats $14 and up

Arts and sciences

Stories
Monday: The Front Parlor storytelling series is at The Olde English in Albany. This month's theme: "Foreigners." Monday 7:30 pm

Writing flash
Monday: The Arts Center of the Capital Region has a four-session class starting up called "Writing Flash" that's taught by Olivia Dunn. "In this class, we will look at the shortest forms of writing, the micro-essay, flash fiction, or prose poetry. Writing flash can be a way to condense our experiences and ideas down to their most explicit core or their most delightful truth. We can only become better writers as we zoom in, learning to pay attention to each syllable and breath in our writing. By the end of the course, you'll have a series of flashes ready to send out for publication." Mondays 7 pm -- $125

Lincoln Park walking tour
Wednesday: Historic Albany Foundation's "Walkabout Wednesday" series will be at Lincoln Park for a tour of the park and adjacent neighborhood. "Before Lincoln Park became a park, it was full of breweries and brick factories, manicured country estates, and a notorious squatter's community. The Beaver Kill once ran through its steep ravine, cascading over the Buttermilk Falls. In 1890 the city purchased the area and began the slow process of transforming it into one of Albany's great outdoor spaces. The park includes a landscape designed by noted architect Charles Downing Lay, a stellar WPA-era bathhouse, and layer upon layer of Albany history." Wednesday 5:30 pm -- $10

Swimming

Here's a big list of public pools and spray pads around the Capital Region now open for the season.

Saratoga Race Course

Friday is opening day of the 40-day season at the Saratoga Race Course. There will be horse racing every day (except for Tuesdays) through Labor Day. And Travers Day this year is August 25.

Free summer concert series

Free summer concert season continues...

Rockin' on the River
The Rockin' on the River series in Troy's Riverfront Park has Gabriel Sanchez Presents The Prince Experience, with The Age. Wednesday 5 pm -- free admission

Lunchtime at the Plaza
Wednesday: The Lunchtime at the Plaza series of lunchtime shows (thus the name) at the ESP has The Swingin' Palms. Wednesday at noon -- free

At The Plaza
Wednesday: The At The Plaza series of events at the ESP has Toots and the Maytals in concert, with Vicgtory. Wednesday 5:30 pm -- free

Alive at Five
Thursday: The Alive at Five series at Jennings Landing in Albany has reggae band Third World, with Mixed Roots. Thursday 5 pm -- free admission

Upbeat on the Roof
Thursday: The Upbeat on the Roof series at the Tang Museum on the Skidmore campus has Wurliday. Thursday 7 pm -- free

Freedom Park
+ Wednesday: The concert series in Scotia's Freedom Park has the Screaming Orphans. Wednesday 7 pm -- free
+ Saturday: The Back40 Band. Friday 6:30 pm -- free
+ Sunday: Uncle Brothers. Sunday 7 pm -- free

Harbor Jam
Saturday: The Harbor Jam series at Mohawk Harbor has Reelin' in the Years, a Steely Dan tribute. Saturday 6 pm -- free

Music Haven
Sunday: The Music Haven series in Schenectady's Central Park has Pascuala Ilabaca, with Taina Asili y la Banda Rebelde. 7 pm -- free

Music

Monday: Bear Grass + Neighborhood of Make Believe + Adam Remnant at The Low Beat
Bear Grass has a new album coming out soon. 7:30 pm

Monday: Molly Tuttle at Caffe Lena
Bluegrass. 7 pm -- $28

Wednesday: Letdown, Gold Route, One For The Braves, Brain Habits
Punk. 7:30 pm -- $7

Thursday-Sunday: Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival
"A Who's Who of Bluegrass in the Catskill Mountains." days passes are $85

Thursday: Your Name Lives Showcase at The Low Beat
Hip hop showcase, featuring Bez Aloha and many others. 7:30 pm

Thursday: Gaelynn Lea at The Linda
Folk singer/violinist. Winner of the 2016 NPR Tiny Desk contest. 8 pm -- $12

Thursday: The Patty Griffin show at Helsinki Hudson is sold out.

Friday: Tab Benoit at Cohoes Music Hall
Blues guitarist/singer. 8 pm -- $29.50 and up

Friday: BSO: All-Mozart Program with Emanuel Ax at Tanglewood
Classic pianist playing with the BSO. 8 pm -- $12 and up

Friday: Kinky Friedman at Caffe Lena
Satirical country. 8 pm -- $40

Friday: Samm Bones + Henry's Rifle at Pauly's
"Dark Americana" + punk blues country. 8:30 pm -- $7

Saturday-Sunday: JD McPherson at The Hangar (Sunday)
Rockabilly/blues. 8 pm -- $25

Saturday: Bang on a Can All-Stars: Julie Wolfe's Anthracite Fields at MASS MoCA
"[A]n examination of the coal-mining industry so musically and socially provocative that it netted the 2015 Pulitzer." 8 pm -- $12 ahead / $22 day of

Saturday: Summer UnderCover Show 4 at The Low Beat
"Local bands covering ANY bands from outside of the United States!" 8 pm -- $10

Sunday: Charlie Puth at SPAC
Pop singer/songwriter. With: Hailee Steinfeld. 7:30 pm -- $25 and up

Sunday: Kingston Trio at Caffe Lena
Iconic folk group. 3 pm and 7 pm -- $60
____

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!

Live Nation advertises on AOA. And AOA is a media sponsor of At The Plaza.