Picks Of The Week
Published: 11/29/17
Publication: Times Union
Friday
Investigative reporter Azmat Khan visited the sites of nearly 150 U.S.-led airstrikes in northern Iraq and interviewed hundreds of survivors, their family members, local officials and others about the damage caused by the bombings. Khan, who was in Iraq from April 2016 to June 2017, found that these so-called precision bombings killed far more civilians than previously reported. After nearly two years of research, her New York Times Magazine story, “The Uncounted,” was published Nov. 16. The award-winning reporter, who has filed stories for PBS’ “Frontline,” BuzzFeed and Al-Jazeera, will talk about those experiences and her reporting in Afghanistan, Pakistan and other conflict zones when she comes to town this week. 7 p.m. Friday. $10. The Sanctuary for Independent Media, 3361 Sixth Ave., Troy. 518-272-2390; https://www.mediasanctuary.org
Friday
If you’re into groove-heavy, jam band tunes a la Rusted Root, Leftover Salmon or Railroad Earth, chances are you’d be into Donna the Buffalo. The Finger Lakes-area band has been doing its thing for nearly 30 years, playing a fun, swirling mix of Cajun, zydeco, bluegrass, folk and Americana-style rock that their fans (who call themselves the Herd) can’t get enough of. The five-piece group kicks off a string of winter dates with a show this week at Cohoes Music Hall.
8 p.m. Friday. $27-$32. Cohoes Music Hall, 58 Remsen St., Cohoes. 518-465-4663; http://www.palacealbany.org
Saturday
Americana guitarist David Rawlings and folk icon Gillian Welch are a team in every sense of the word. They write and perform together, each willing to back the other on tour, as Welch is doing on Rawlings’ current trek, which brings them to Albany this week. Rawlings and Welch, who aren’t married but are a couple, also run a record label together (Acony Records), and recorded together on Rawlings’ latest album, “Poor David’s Almanack.” Musicians Willie Watson, Paul Kowert and Brittany Haas, who also worked on the record, will join Rawlings and Welch this week at The Egg. 8 p.m. Saturday. $36. The Egg, Empire State Plaza, Albany. 518-473-1845;http://www.theegg.org
Thursday
Singer Alsarah used music to help her cope after her parents fled Sudan to avoid being killed as dissidents in the 1989 coup by Omar al-Bashir. She and her family eventually ended up in Boston, and Alsarah moved to Brooklyn in 2004, after graduating college with a degree in ethnomusicology. She formed Alsarah & the Nubatones with her sister, Nahid, in 2010. The East African retro-pop group caught on quickly; Guardian Magazine dubbed Alsarah “the new star of Nubian pop in 2013. For her U.S. shows, Alsarah told Guardian Magazine that she sees the concerts as “partly educational” and tries to provide information about her music before she plays. 7:30 p.m. Thursday. $25. Proctors, 432 State St., Schenectady. 518-346-6204; http://www.proctors.org
Saturday
A new take on “The Nutcracker Suite” is always a reason to rejoice, and choreographer Adam Weinert’s revision will draw in a whole new audience: fans of Washington Irving. Weinert’s “Rip the Nut,” a mashup of “The Nutcracker” and “Rip van Winkle,” premieres Saturday as part of Hudson’s 21st annual Winter Walk. Inspired by the Hudson Valley as well as the two classic works, the 25-minute holiday-themed piece runs on a continuous loop throughout the evening at historic Hudson Hall; each iteration features live narration and performances by community arts groups. The New York City native (whose “Monument” was shown at Jacob’s Pillow last year) will be joined on stage by renowned dancers Logan Kruger, Brett Perry, Davon Rainey and Royal Ballet veteran Emma Sandall, now a Hudson resident. Ongoing between 5 and 8 p.m. Saturday. Hudson Hall, 327 Warren St., Hudson. Free, as part of Hudson’s Winter Walk. 518-822-1438
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