By Patrick ~ 30th June 2014
In keeping with the seven stages of grief, most Albany alt-rockers have reached the end — acceptance. Valentine’s Music Hall and Beer Joint as they know it isn’t coming back and they’ve moved on to The Low Beat. The brick building on New Scotland Avenue that once rattled with their favorite shows will come tumbling down. They’ll never stand over the same urinal trough again.
But for some the memories can live on with little pieces of Valentine’s scrounged up before the doors were locked.
“What’s the one super iconic thing that nobody will want?” Chris Jordan recalled asking himself. “I wanted the trough.”
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By Patrick ~ 26th April 2014
Chicago-based power poppers Richard Album and the Singles stopped by Pauly’s Hotel to play a bill alongside Rick Spataro’s new one-man band The Firs and Careers, a combination of Stephen Stanley’s songwriting and Meg Duffy’s shredding skills.
More photos after the jump.
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By Patrick ~ 6th April 2014
When most people turn 36 years old they’re home watching the kids. But the occasion of WCDB’s anniversary always promises to put on a raucous show in Albany even as the years pass by. Last night brought together not only current radio station students and alumni, but also two local establishments fighting to be known as Albany’s next hip neighborhood — The Low Beat, Howard Glassman’s new joint since Valentine’s closed, and old mainstay Pauly’s Hotel next door. The sold out show featured locals Secret Release and Slowshine, and touring acts Tweens, Pleasure Leftists, Cosmonauts, and Cloud Nothings. Cincinnati trash poppers Tweens had the most people dancing during their feel-good set at Pauley’s. (Listen to their debut album streaming now on Pitchfork) Unless you count the shoulder-to-shoulder flailing around during Cloud Nothings loud and unruly Low Beat set as dancing. They continue their tour with punk outfit Pleasure Leftists in Canada this week. WCDB lives another year, but does college radio ever really need to grow up?
More photos after the jump:
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By Patrick ~ 2nd April 2014
Fuzz Records, located at 209 Lark Street, will become a specialty beverage shop this spring. Owner Josh Cotrona is teaming up with August Rosa to bring craft beer, specialty coffee and tea, as well as sodas and other beverage merchandise to the shop location — which will be called Brew. We interviewed the duo to find out more about the new venture:
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By Patrick ~ 10th February 2014
Two photos show the difference between Valentine’s upstairs. From B3nson Family Funsgiving in November, to a closed and dismantled Valentine’s today. Scroll left and right and let the tears flow.
