Some of you know AlbanyAlive.com has a MySpacePage and a FacebookGroup. Some of you don’t. Either way, if you are apart of online social communities, we invite you to add us! It’s a great way for you to stay informed and a great way to keep us informed. Feel free to invite us to your events or send us suggestions. We want to hear from you!

Also, be sure to check out the “ShareThis” link we have added all over our website. It is a new way to share AlbanyAlive.com photos, events, and news via social networks or e-mail. Simply click on the “ShareThis” link and a menu will pop up allowing you to instantly post and send links to friends and family. It will save you a lot of time notifying others. Here is what the menu looks like:

If you see something you like, be it: photos, events, or news, please help us get the word out there and “ShareIt” with others. Feel free to link to us from your blog, your personal page, or your company website. If you are interested in getting you, your band, or your business on AlbanyAlive.com, be sure to contact us.

Thank you!

This week may seem a bit slow with no Alive at Five Concert Series or Pearl Street Live block party, but don’t worry, Albany still has your Friday night covered!

Come join the city of Albany at the Empire State Plaza on Friday,
July 4th to help celebrate Independence Day!

The Albany 4th of July Festival and Fireworks Show starts at 2PM and runs straight through to 10PM. There will be food, drinks, live entertainment, and of course FIREWORKS!

This event is free and open to the general public.

We highly recommend you get there early to avoid traffic and parking issues.

Albany Alive would like to wish you a happy and safe 4th of July celebration!Please don’t drink and drive!Take the time to arrange a dedicated ride home, or call a cab. We have made a list of local cab numbers to help you have a safe holiday! Put them in your cell phone now, so you don’t have to remember later.

• Yellow Cab, 518-434-2222
• Capitaland Taxi, 518-426-1405
• Buzzy’s Taxi, 518-433-8888
• Tri City Taxi, 518-453-8888
• Eagle Taxi, 518-365-1209
• Duffy’s Taxi, 518-433-8400
• Green & White Taxi, 518-455-8888
• City Cab, 518-465-5555

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

Once again we’re back! We hope everyone had a great and safe Fourth of July! The fireworks at the Empire Plaza were great as usual, but this Thursday comes in with a bang that will bring out the brightest and hottest stars!

Alive at Five returns with American Idol Night featuring Bo Bice! Nicknamed “Bogart” as a newborn by his grandmother, Bo Bice performed solo and in rock groups such as Purge, Blue Sued Nickel, and his pre-Idol band SugarMoney. Being the oldest contestant to have progressed the farthest in the American Idol competition, along with Constantine Maroulis, his early performance of The Allman Brothers Band’s “Whipping Post” drew raves from the judges and established him as one of the favorites in the competition. In the end, he became the runner-up to the mega star Carrie Underwood. Now Bo Bice is making his way to the Riverfront in Downtown Albany!

Opening for Bo Bice is Albany’s very own SIRSY!! This is not your part-time garage band, playing over 250 shows per year, SIRSY has shared the stage with: Maroon5, Lifehouse, Collective Soul, Blues Traveler, Cheap Trick, Vertical Horizon, Fuel, and many more. With an arsenal of well-crafted, ear catching, lyrically smart and musically sound songs filled with hooks and levels of meaning, SIRSY brings a fiery, sultry, and soulful indie pop that rocks!

ALERT: FREE CONCERT!!! NO COVER!!! ALERT: FREE CONCERT!!! NO COVER!!!

Still able to party? Well Pearl Street Live brings you a REAL PARTY with Vivid a band with infinite energy and incomparable talent! With their ability to play Top 40 party music from the ’60s to today, Vivid is completely separated from all other “cover bands.” Playing hits from The Beatles to Bon Jovi, Fall Out Boy to Cheap Trick, this band has a knack for playing what the audience craves. So come hungry to party!!! +21 to enter with proper I.D. Drink and food specials so that you don’t walk around thirsty and hungry.

Now that you have seen the brightest stars rocking out and entertaining you, it’s time to see the hottest models that the Northeast has to provide! This week at Envy Lounge are the FINALS for the Miss Caribbean Tan Model Search 2008. The hottest and best looking models from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire all are coming to compete for a $1,000 GRAND PRIZE and a Caribbean Tan Model Contract!

THIS WILL BE THE ONE OF THE BRIGHTEST AND HOTTEST WEEKS OF THE SUMMER!

Thinking it might be too tough to find a parking spot? Want to be looked at as one of the brightest and hotest of the night? Contact Premiere Transportation Group, gather up some friends and take a night out on the town in style! Premiere Transporation Group has a large variety of vehicles including: limousines, sedans, vans, and coaches! Tell them AlbanyAlive.com sent you and get an extra hour of service free with a purchase of 3 hours! Buy 3 hours, get 1 free!

Alive @ 5 Presents Zydeco Night!

Have you ever wanted to go to Louisiana, but didn’t want to deal with the heat it brings? Prices for airline tickets and gas have risen too high where you cannot travel and escape? Well Alive @ 5 at the Riverfront Park in Downtown Albany has your answer and that is with the sounds of American roots or folk music called Zydeco. Evolved during the late 1800’s, this fast-tempo music integrates Hip-Hop, R&B, Soul, Reggae, Blues, Two-Steps, Rock and Roll, Brass Band, Ska, Waltzes, and Shuffles that brings color and style of south Louisiana.

This Thursday night you can experience this southern style of music with Terrance Simmien. For more than two decades, this Grammy Award winning artist has become a highly respected, internationally recognized touring and recording artist and Cultural Ambassador for his state. Being influenced by all of the great music that has defined our country’s musical legacy, including music from Bob Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel, Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, and with Zydeco pioneers like Chenier, Delafose, Chavis, Ardoin, and Fontenot, Terrance Simien remains a pivotal part of Zydeco music history. He became a critical part of the “renaissance” of a music genre that was in jeopardy of dying off. Incorporating diverse music styles he creates a hypnotic blend of Zydeco-roots-New Orleans funk-reggae flavored-Afro-Caribbean-world music that will force you out of your seat and onto the dance floor. Terrance Simien has shared studio and stage with Robert Palmer, Stevie Wonder, Los Lobos, Keith Richards, Art Neville, the Meters, Alan Toussaint, Paul Simon and Dave Matthews Band to name a few. His eclectic fusion of Zydeco takes you on a multicultural musical tour of the world.

Opening up for Terrance Simien is Captain Squeeze and The Zydeco Moshers. Being close followers of Terrance Simmien, they are proud to congratulate Terrance Simmien and the Zydeco Experience for being the first-ever Cajun/Zydeco Grammy. The sounds of Captain Squeeze and The Zydeco Moshers was born from the basement of the least likely of places, the basement of a Cathedral Mardi Gras Party. The sound was spearheaded by a decades-former Polka Accordion player gone Jazz keyboardist and was inspired by an introduction to Zydeco by CJ Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band. Ten years later, averaging about seventy shows a year, having performed for thousands of people across the Northeast United States and with a 4th album in the works, Captain Squeeze and the Zydeco Moshers are a musical force to be reckoned with.

Alive at Five is a FREE Concert and so is the Block Party on Pearl Street!! That’s right FREE!! There’s no need to spend money for great entertainment, but if you do, Pearl Street comes alive with specials from every direction. Food, Drinks, and Giveaways all summer long!!

Jillian’s of Albany, Envy, and Pearl Lounge brings you a free concert until midnight. This week The Square Pegs will be bringing you a lineup so wild, so crazy, it will make you rock out and dance all night long!! One of the Capital Regions best entertainers, The Square Pegs mix together multiple music genres such as Hip-Hop, R&B, Soul, Reggae, Rock and Roll and a stage performance that you will never forget. Of course at the Block Party there will be Food and Drink Specials, plus all of Pearl Street will offer different events that will make you stay out late and have a great time.

If you really want to make it a special night, contact Premiere Transportation Group, gather up some friends and take a night out on the town in style! Premiere Transporation Group has a large variety of vehicles including: limousines, sedans, vans, and coaches! Tell them AlbanyAlive.com sent you and get your fourth hour of service free! Buy 3 hours, get 1 free!

See you out this Thursday!

This Thursday, at the Albany Riverfront Park in Downtown Albany, comes alive with WAR!  The City of Albany would like to honor the Veterans on this special night.  After thirty years of pushing the harmonic envelope, the band’s twenty-fourth album release can be expected sometime in the not too distant future.  “Why Can’t We Be Friends“, “Low Rider” and many other classics can be found among War’s fantastic resume filled with groove, color and passion. War’s career skyrocketed in the early 70’s as their exhilarating sound spoke to millions of Americans about the troubled times of Vietnam, Watergate and tensions of the inner cities.  Fusing rock, Latin rhythms, funk, blues, jazz and soul into a distinctive sound all their own, these multi platinum performers can still deliver to fans more than 30 years after their first appearance in Los Angeles.

The opening band Alive at 5 is Solid Smoke. 

Alive at Five sponsors for this week are Q103 and Albany Stratton VA Medical Center.

THE FREE NIGHT OF LIVE CONCERT SERIES CONTINUES ON PEARL STREET AT THE BLOCK PARTY!

Jillian’s of Albany, Envy Lounge, and Pearl Restaurant present The Refrigerators!

Combining top shelf musicianship, intricate arrangements and an incredible stage show, the 10-piece band known as The Refrigerators have become one of the premiere party bands in the Capital District of New York. Since their inception almost 10 years ago, the band has rocked literally thousands and thousands of fans throughout the Northeast!

If you really want to make it a special night, contact Premiere Transportation Group, gather up some friends and take a night out on the town in style! Premiere Transportation Group has a large variety of vehicles including: limousines, sedans, vans, and coaches! Tell them AlbanyAlive.com sent you and get your fourth hour of service free! Buy 3 hours, get 1 free!

See you out this Thursday! 

The Alive at Five Local Latin Night has been cancelled due to severe thunderstorm warnings, reports of nickel size hail, and winds exceeding 60 miles an hour. Please notify friends and family!

If you have information on hail size, damaging winds, or see trees down, please notify the national weather service by e-mail at: alb.stormreport@noaa.gov 

Have a safe trip home and we will see you out next week at Alive at Five! Next week is Alive at Five fireworks night! Keep your fingers crossed for good weather and a great close to the concert series! 

You’ve experienced the summer heat, rocked out to the oldies, now it is time to relax before the weekend and enjoy the great sounds at Alive at Five: Singer Songwriter Night.

This week you will be listening to the music by Joan Osborne, and American singer songwriter. She is best known for her song “One of Us“, “Right Hand Man“, “St. Teresa” and has worked with members of The Greatful Dead. A songwriter that covers rock, folk, country rock, and blues, her vocals and guitar talents brought you great albums such as Relish (1995) and will be ready to bring you a night of great music that is just what the Capital District and Downtown Albany is looking for.

Opening up for Singer Songwriter Night is Sean Rowe. Noted as a singer with a grainy, coarse and yet full voice of a blues singer, he brings together a genre bending funk-jazz mixture, being able to mimic a 3-piece band.

And of course, the music just doesn’t stop at the Riverfront Park! Pearl Street comes alive with a Huge Free Block Party with Ten Year Vamp rocking out throughout the night!This FREE Block Party is put on by Pearl Lounge, Envy Lounge, and Jillian’s of Albany with Coors Light sponsoring the beer tent to bring you great music and awesome drink specials. ALL YOU NEED IS PROPER I.D.!

Once the music starts to come to an end, the night is just starting to heat up Caribbean style. Envy Lounge, Finlandia, and AlbanyAlive.com bring to you one of the best model searches in the nation! You will get to see the best looking models in the northeast competing for the Miss Caribbean Tan Model Search 2008 where first place wins a $1,000 Grand Prize! Finlandia will be having great vodka specials to make the night more elegant and AlbanyAlive.com will be there taking pictures so all can remember one of the greatest nights in Downtown Albany!Some come on down and relax at Alive at Five, then make your way up to Pearl Street for a rockin’ Block Party and the hottest model competition.

If you really want to make it a special night, contact Premiere Transportation Group, gather up some friends and take a night out on the town in style! Premiere Transporation Group has a large variety of vehicles including: limousines, sedans, vans, and coaches! Tell them AlbanyAlive.com sent you and get your fourth hour of service free! Buy 3 hours, get 1 free!See you out later today!

A reminder that tonight is the final Alive at Five free summer concert series in downtown Albany at Riverfront Park. Tonight’s theme is Irish Night, featuring The Prodigals and opening band Brother. It is also the night of FREE FIREWORKS!

Following the fireworks, head up to Pearl Street for the free block party, Pearl Street Live. The Audiostars will be hitting the stage tonight!

We also want to invite everyone to Savannah’s from 8pm-11pm to hear Mud Bug Uprising. It is their first Albany appearance.

See you out tonight!

PEOPLE OF THE CAPITAL DISTRICT COME SHAKE THAT GROOVE THING!

Now that you have rocked out with the Oldies, New Age, and Country styles, it’s time to pull out polyester suit, make the hair big, and brush up your moves. The Riverfront in Downtown Albany is turning into the largest dance floor when Alive at Five present Disco Night!

This week’s main act is Sister Sledge featuring Kathy Sledge. That’s right, Kathy Sledge returns to make Sister Sledge a full group once again!

Born and raised together in Philadelphia, four sisters of the Sledge family formed the band called Sister Sledge in 1972. All four sisters were lead vocalist, the quartet picked up their unique style from their exposure to the local churches that helped them make a niche of their own in the world of dance and music.

With hits like “We Are Family”, “Mama Never Told Me”, and “Love Don’t You Go Through No Changes On Me”, Sister Sledge hit the top of the UK and US Singles Charts!

Opening up for Sister Sledge are The Tramps. Bringing you the hit song “Disco Inferno”, it was included on the soundtrack to the 1977 film Saturday Night Fever. The track peaked at number eleven in the U.S. during the spring of 1978, becoming the Trammps’ biggest and most-recognized single.

Then keep those dancing shoes on and get ready to get down all night long!

Pearl Street comes alive with the huge Block Party with live music from Soul Session, food vendors, and drinks specials all down the street!! IT DOESN’T COST A THING, IT’S FREE!!! Soul Session, a high energy and spirited ensemble, performs multi-genre soul music with entertaining command and spontaneous originality that emotes supernatural passions from material by Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Bob Marley, Bill Withers, and many others! With Soul Session at the helm, the audience must “strap-in” for a commanding emotional journey.

There is not need to drink and drive. There is no need to fight for a parking spot. Contact Premiere Transportation Group, gather up some friends and take a night out on the town in style! Premiere Transporation Group has a large variety of vehicles including: limousines, sedans, vans, and coaches! Tell them AlbanyAlive.com sent you and get an extra hour of service free with a purchase of 3 hours! Buy 3 hours, get 1 free!

Alive at Five: Irish Night
Featuring: The Prodigals
Opening Band: Brother
FIREWORKS!

The Prodigals are one of the most successful bands to emerge from the East-Coast Irish scene. The band members grew up largely in Ireland. Their original songs blend a funky and anarchic energy that is pure New York with a genuine passion for the traditional music of Ireland. They have played throughout the United States, from Los Angeles and to Maine, as well as abroad in Canada, Germany and Ireland, but they remain firmly rooted in Manhattan. Now they will bring their fiery and fierce sounds to Alive at Five in Downtown Albany at the Riverfront Park.

FIREWORKS ALERT!! There will be fireworks at the end of Alive @ Five!! FIREWORKS ALERT!!

FREE CONCERT!!
Pearl Street Block Party
Featuring: The Audiostars

The Audiostars will continue your Irish Night with a kinetic 4 piece band that delivers know by heart classic songs with an energy and passion that define live music at its very best. Featuring former members of some of the top bands in the Capital District, such as The Burners UK, The Refrigerators, and The Newports, The Audiostars don’t just get the party started, they keep it going strong.

The Summer is NOT over!

Straight from the Bronx, Alex Torres will be leading his 11 piece orchestra tonight down at Riverfront Park for Alive at Five Local Latin Night! Torres and his latin orchestra are recipients of numerous awards including the New England Cultural Arts Preservation Award, The Governor’s Excellence in Arts Award, and Metroland’s Best Of Award for seven consecutive years.

 Opening for Torres and his latin orchestra is Sensemaya, who fuses hot latin dance rhythms with the cool sophistication of jazz improvision. Come hear the timba style of music from Cuba and funky variations of classic salsa.Free concert free block party on Pearl Street afterwards! 

Pearl Street Live features Phillip the Meatbox this week. If you are into local music and you have yet to see these guys, you are missing out! PTM is one of the most energetic performances you will go through! Come find out why the crowd is always packed around their stage, arms in the air, and dancing in the street.

It’s a guarenteed night of free fun in Albany! We will see you out! 

Tired of MySpace music and messy band websites? Us too!You can now listen to music on AlbanyAlive.com!

At first there were Pictures. Then we added an Event Calendar. Now AlbanyAlive presents Local Music!

YOU WILL BE ABLE TO LISTEN TO BANDS, DJ’s, AND OTHER LOCAL MUSICIANS ON ALBANYALIVE.COM!Local Bands, DJ’s, Musicians: Want to be heard but you find it’s hard to get a gig? Want people in the Capital Region to be able to find you, your music, your shows, and your merchandise? Wanting to expand your coverage but don’t know where to start?

AlbanyAlive.com has your answers to all of your questions!

Affordable! High Internet Volumes! Custom Profiles! Broad Range of Demographics!

Clubbers, Dancers, and All People of the Capital Region: Trying to figure out where you want to go, but not sure what the club is playing? Promoters pushing you to see their DJ in action, but you want to hear them first? Musicians wanting to sell you a CD, but you want to listen to it first? Tell them to get their music on AlbanyAlive.com so you have a taste before you bite!

Start here before you go out there! Listen now and buy later! Enjoy listening for free on AlbanyAlive!

Take the AlbanyAlive.com music player for a test drive, click play:

Mud Bug Uprising

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Like Mud Bug Uprising? They play at Savannah’s Nightclub on Thursday August 14th, at 8:00PM.

Are you ready to be heard by thousands of Capital Region fans? Have questions about our music player? Drop us a line on our contact page!

The Super Bowl XLII New York Giants return to the University at Albany for training camp once again this year!!  The Giants are traveling to UAlbany for the thirteenth consecutive summer, matching the longest period in the team’s training camp history. 

UAlbany and the Giants are currently in the second year of an agreement that has kept the National Football League organization’s training camp in the Capital Region. The arrangement also includes the option for a third year in 2009.  In the 12 years that the Giants have trained at UAlbany, the preseason camp has averaged 31,032 fans per summer. The all-time mark of 45,040 was established in 2004. 

The New York Giants will practice 19 days on the UAlbany campus, including 10 double sessions. As has been the routine in previous camps, the Giants will not practice on the days following preseason games. On the day before a preseason game, the team will hold a one-hour jog-thru session.

The Super Bowl XLII Champion New York Giants have announced several special training camp events:

§         Player Autograph Night is scheduled for Monday, July 28 following the camp’s first evening practice.

§         Giants Youth Day is Monday, Aug. 11

§         Giants Albany Idol is Tuesday, Aug. 12

Giants training camp all-session parking passes are available through the University at Albany Athletic Ticket Office.  An all-session parking pass is $15.00, while the daily parking fee is $5.00.  Dutch (Student Gold) Lot is the primary public parking facility. 

For more information, call 518-442-4683 or 518-442-4522.  The 2008 New York Giants training camp schedule can be accessed through www.giants.com or www.ualbanysports.com.

Sharing AlbanyAlive.com news, photos, and event related information just got easier! At the bottom of every page, every post, every calendar event, we have added a little link called “ShareThis.”

Clicking on this link will allow you to instantly add information and photos to your MySpace, Facebook, Del.icio.us, Digg, or other social network. It will even let you e-mail a friend!

 It’s fast, easy, and secure! Try it out!

This is our official invitation for you to share everything AlbanyAlive.com related. Our goal has been, and will always be, to enhance the arts, entertainment, and lifestyle of the NY Capital Region. With your help, we can be bigger, better, and bring you more cool stuff.

Please share our photos, share our news, blog about us, write about us, or even write to us! Join our Albany Alive MySpace or Albany Alive Facebook group!

So the next time you see that photo of you and your friends, or you like what we said about a band, a business, or an event, be sure to share it!

Keeping sending us suggestions! 

Alive Entertainment and AlbanyAlive.com hope each of you had a great summer!  While most of you were probably at home, vacationing, and dreading summer work, AlbanyAlive.com was out and about taking pictures and posting big events!  Take a look and see what went on during the summer around the Capital District.

• Alive @ 5
• Block Party
• Art on Lark
• Bars, Clubs, and Special Events
• And Much Much More!

 As you can already see, AlbanyAlive.com has posted events going on in Downtown Albany.  But that’s not all, soon AlbanyAlive.com be posting your College and University events on our calendar to let you know what is going on with your school and others around.  So what does your school have going on?  Let us know today by contacting us today! 

We also added Local Businesses that offer deals to everyone, no matter what college or university you go to.  So be sure to check them out and keep going back for more that will become a part of the AlbanyAlive.com Community.

 Be sure to add us to your friends on MySpace, join our Group on Facebook and sign up for our mailing list to recieve event specific information and invitations. 

Good luck this year and we will see you out and about! Sincerly, 

Alive Entertainment
AlbanyAlive.com