About andrew

Andrew started Keep Albany Boring in September 2010.

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Red Poppies: A Polish Pantry closing July 1

By on June 14, 2013 in Albany


They announced it on via facebook last night.

Dear Poppies fans, we are writing to inform you that as a result of the change in ownership of the property in which we rent our space, Red Poppies at its current location will be closed beginning July 1st until further notice.

We will keep all of our fans informed about any further plans, whether they be the reopening or permanent closure of the store. Thank you sincerely for your business so far, and we hope to see you at Red Poppies in the coming weeks.

Unfortunate to say the least. I hope FLOW from the Garden is unaffected, or they find a new spot, close by, together.

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Quality events for this weekend vol. 89

By on June 14, 2013 in Things to do

Friday June 14

High of 72, chance of light rain.

Nervosity at Tawasentha Park: Battle of the Bands AIDS Benefit. Tunes for a good cause.

Atlas Genius at The Hollow: Cheap and intimate dancy indie show!

Party Boat, Hand Habits, Soft Powers and Orphan Legs at Baileys: Free awesome show in Saratoga featuring two friends of mine.

Straight Stuntin Like My Daddy: Fathers Day Bash at the PCC: DJ KaySlay and DJ Rob E Rob from G-Unit. Rap rap rap.

Retro-Active 80s Night at Elda’s: Rana holds it down again with the 80s music.

They Accepted The Pleasures of Morning: Screening By Basma Alsharif at Basilica Hudson: A film screening with a Q&A from Alsharif afterward.

Saturday June 15

High of 75. Clear.

River Street Festival: Music, craft vendors AND the farmer’s market.

Notion of Motion Exhibit at miSci: 30 interactive exhibits from the Exploratorium in San Francisco.

2013 Best of SUNY Student Art at the NYS Museum: See what the local students have been cooking up for the past semester.

Kylsea with Maggot Braind at Bogies: Heavy sludgy metal.

Saratoga Brewfest at the Saratoga County Fairgrounds: Beer. Duh.

WHY? and Sarah Jaffe at Valentine’s: Intelligent indie-ish hip-hop. (Burlesque at Midnight downstairs, too.)

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Odd Future to perform at the Upstate Concert Hall, July 18

By on June 10, 2013 in Albany, Music

The Upstate Concert Hall recently announced that big-time rap-guys Odd Future will be playing in late July. Tickets are already on sale and I would seriously recommend getting yours sooner rather than later.

The video above pushed me over the edge with these dudes. Maybe it was them completely dismissing Terry Richardson. Maybe it was just their unrelenting “we do whatever we want” attitude. Either way, I’m pumped to go to this show.

Here’s the event on fbook, and here’s the link to buy a ticket (and subsequently get ripped off by Ticket Master.)

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Cirque at Proctors

By on June 6, 2013 in Gallery, Things to do

Today I stopped by Proctors to check out the preview for their show Cirkopolis by Cirque Éloize which will run August 7 through 24. Proctors has secured a five year deal with Cirque Éloize, a contemporary circus troupe based out of Montreal, to make Schenectady their summer home. During the short preview, the performers went nuts with incredibly technical synchronized routines and tricks, all in the circus vein. If you’ve ever seen any other Cirque show, you generally know what to expect. I’m incredibly thankful to have this show so close to home and I can’t wait to attend.

From the copy:

“Cirkopolis was imagined as a crossroads—between imagination and reality, between individuality and community, between limits and possibilities. The show is driven by the poetic impulse of life, the physical prowess of the circus and the humour, at once serious and light-hearted. Entering Cirkopolis is all about letting go and allowing yourself to be borne aloft by hope,” explained Jeannot Painchaud, creative director of Cirque Éloize and co-director of Cirkopolis.

Read more about the deal on The Business Review and check out Cirkopolis event on the Proctors website.

Hit the photo above for a few extra photos!

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The Albany vs. Armory saga rages on

By on June 5, 2013 in Albany

Jordan Carleo-Evangelist, for the TU:

A state judge has backed the city zoning board’s right to block large dance parties at the Washington Avenue Armory, rejecting the contention that city officials were on a crusade against electronic dance music.

The crux of the city’s argument is that while the 15,000-square-foot venue at Washington Avenue and Lark Street is approved to host concerts as an auditorium, the definition of “auditoria” — while not explicitly stated in city code — implies fixed seating.

In the absence of a clear definition, the BZA turned to the dictionary, which defines it as a venue “in which the audience sits” — not a large, general admission dance floor. Lynch called that move “reasonable.”

Such a huge, pressing issue that teetered on definition out of a dictionary. Why not just draw straws? Or just flat out say “We’re trying to hurt the city”?

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Best place to swim in Albany

By on June 1, 2013 in To do

Surprise surprise, the winner isn’t in Albany. It’s the obvious choice of Grafton Lake State Park. The main beach area is always packed, but walk down the trails a bit and you can find a nice somewhat private area to hang out in. There’s a little rock island you can get to from the trails which is a favorite of mine.

You could also check out Snyders Lake in Wynantskill, Mater Christi Pool on New Scotland, Peerless/Victoria Pool in Saratoga, or the Battenkill in Arlington.

And here is the full directory form the City of Albany.

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The ‘Smallbany’ Documentary is now on YouTube

By on June 1, 2013 in Albany

Glad to see this made available for everyone to check out. Congrats to the team who put this together for the Best Documentary win at the Knick Film Fest!

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