Pint Sized and NO FUN : A Tale of 3 Cities with Entrepreneur August Rosa | |
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Having been to several shows at August Rosa's most recent venue, (including Hand Habits, Tiawan based Mong Tong, the Algonquin Pow Wow Medicine Singers with Yonatan Gat, and then there was that cool ass DAEDELUS show) it always impresses me the incredible variety of all types of music that can be experienced there. I was aware of his Albany and Saratoga PINT SIZED craft beer based locations and have tippled a drink or two in Albany specifically. What really excites me though, is the visceral music programming and developing community based around NO FUN.
"My favorite places to play / see shows are more DIY in nature… be it a basement or an art space. I wanted No Fun to not have a shred of corporate feel and vibe, like you were at a show at your friends house while at the same time functioning professionally as a legitimate licensed business."
August Rosa : Musician, Owner and Founder at No Fun (Troy) and Pint Sized (Saratoga | Albany)
Corey Aldrich : Senior ACE! Contributor
Image: Patrick Dodson (with edits)
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Write This Way : A Conversation
w/ SONG CITY's Scott Womer
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About two years ago, I started seeing and hearing about something called Song City. The branding was tight, it felt like something important was happening. Eventually, I realized that it was in fact a local phenom. These shows, in an upstairs room over a bar / restaurant called the RUCK have a very organic feel. Played in a round, musicians all interacting with and feeding off one another, the vibe is very intimate. I caught up with Scott Womer to find out more about the overall program mission and direction, and to get a peek under the covers to see what makes this series tick.
"If artists are truly going to make money through their art, they need to be performing shows often and being paid well. They also need to be selling merch and physical copies of their music. There is a greater need than ever for the public to support the local artists, beyond streaming their music."
Scott Womer : Songwriter, Founder and Director at SONG CITY
Corey Aldrich : ACE! Senior Contributor
Image: Kiki Vassilakis (with edits)
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FREE TICKETS : Make it a Double Please!
w/ the Troy Music Hall and
Friends of Chamber Music
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FIRST UP: The Troy Music Hall is bringing on the funny with Ophira Eisenberg, a standup comedian, writer, and host of the comedy podcast Parenting Is A Joke with iHeart and Pretty Good Friends.
WHAT: Comedian Ophira Eisnberg w/ special guest Shaun Eli
WHEN: Friday, April 5 at 8pm
WHERE: The Troy Music Hall | 30 2nd Street | Troy, New York
Order the FREE tickets by using offer code: ACE at checkout. Click on box below.
Ophira hosted NPR’s Ask Me Another where she interviewed and played silly games with hundreds of celebrities including Sir Patrick Harris, Rosie Perez, Yo-Yo Ma, Awkwafina, Roxanne Gay, Nick Kroll, Chelsea Handler, and more. She’s appeared multiple times on CBS’s The Late Late Show, Sherri! with Sherri Sheppard, Comedy Central, HBO, The New York Festival, and is regular on The Moth Radio Hour. Her memoir, Screw Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy was optioned for a TV series, and her recent comedy special Plant- Based Jokes is streaming on YouTube. She is a regular at The Comedy Cellar and other New York clubs, and her solo show Leaving A Mark: A Comedy About Scars made its Off-Broadway review to rave reviews and won the Women in the Arts & Media Award for Solo Show Scripts.
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NEXT UP: Friends of Chamber Music is back with another great performance, this time at The LINDA with Chicago based GRAMMY Award winning percussion ensemble Third Coast Percussion!
What: Third Coast Percussion - Perspectives Concert
When: Saturday, April 27 at
Where: WAMC's The Linda | 339 Central Avenue | Albany, New York
Order the FREE tickets by using offer code: ACETCP1 at checkout. Click on box below.
NOTE: While the tickets are FREE there is a $1 processing fee per ticket.
Third Coast Percussion is a GRAMMY Award-winning Chicago-based percussion quartet and GRAMMY-nominated composer collective. For over fifteen years, the ensemble has created exciting and unexpected performances that constantly redefine the classical music experience. The ensemble has been praised for “commandingly elegant” (New York Times) performances, the “rare power” (Washington Post) of their recordings, and “an inspirational sense of fun and curiosity” (Minnesota Star-Tribune). Third Coast Percussion maintains a busy tour schedule, with past performances in 39 of the 50 states and Washington, DC, plus international tour dates across 4 continents.
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PLEASE NOTE:
If the code does not work, it means the tickets are already spoken for! Also, if you recently have secured free tickets please allow other folks to get a chance this go round, we like to share the love!
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INSIDE ACE! | CREATING A NEW PATH | |
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Spring is springing! I hope you are are in good spirits as the warm effervescent feeling of creativity and rebirth take hold here in the Capital Region. Ended up with what turns out to be an exploration of a more visceral part of the music scene this month with two fantastic organizations. First up, August Rosa and his mini empire of community based gathering spaces (PINT SIZED!). Specifically, the NO FUN location which may arguably be the hottest rebel music space in the region from a programming and volume based metric (Maybe to be challenged by EMPIRE LIVE!). Followed up by a great series conceived by Scott Womer called Song City which moves beyond performance and into creativity tools and support.
Another double dose of FREE TICKETS this month. Comedy and Chamber Music! Big thanks to The Troy Music Hall and the Friends of Chamber Music for continuing to provide opportunities for folks to try new experiences.
Again this month we have some sad news to report. Two founding members of the Super Dark Collective (Sarah Darby and Gary Ziroli) passed away. Sarah was a personal friend, both incredibly creative spirits and community cornerstones. Sending out big love to the SD community. Also, from Saratoga, Wally Allerdice. I worked closely with Wally when I was doing programming for Universal Preservation Hall. He helped me with expertise, resources and a dependable get it done attitude. (Like when we had to Lull Lift 2000 lbs of plant material into the main hall at UPH through a second floor door opening for one of my Electric City Couture productions!) Sending love and support to the Allerdice family and friends alike, Wally was a role model and inspiration.
You may have noticed my social media feeds have been pretty quiet, working on getting that content back up to par. Juggling many balls over here. Thanks for your patience and understanding.
Finally, have job listings or interesting tid bits to share about the state of our creative economy or the next best thing I don't know about yet? Hit me up!
Corey Aldrich
ACE! : Executive Director
E: hello@upstateace.org | W: upstatecreative.org | SOCIALS: @upstatecreative
| ACE! recently partnered up with NY4CA (New Yorkers for Culture and Arts) to rally the Capital for increased funding for arts and culture in NYS. Great day, good connections and all for a cause dear to us all. Make sure to check out the metric resources on their website, some great stuff. | ACE! Advisory Panel Members Activate! (Lorriane Cox (Union College), Elizabeth Reiss (Arts Center of the Capital Region), Corey Aldrich (ACE!) | |
Capital Region ignite with representation for Union College, ACE!, Arts Center of the Capital Region, Hyperallergic, New York 4 Culture and Art, The Sanctuary for Independent Media and Saratoga Arts.
NOTE: To the two ladies in the middle, I know your from a Schenectady based educational(?) organization but forgot to write it down, my apologies!
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NY4CA Action on the Capital merging downstate and upstate organizations for a common goal, more funding for arts and culture! | |
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REGIONAL & BEYOND :
NEWS / OPPORTUNITY
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Capital Region Job Opportunities | |
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Phinney Design Group : Project Architect III
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WMHT : Various Including: Vice President - Chief Technology Officer, Multimedia Account Executive, Multimedia Journalist and Host
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Youth Climate Career Summit 2024 Job Fair : APRIL 3 - Sponsored by the NYSERDA Capital Region Clean Energy Hub and its partners, this free event can help you launch your career or start a new one in sustainability. The summit is designed for students of all ages and young professionals but is also open to the public.
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Fisher Center at Bard : Various Including Box Office Supervisor, Assistant Orchestra Stage Manager | Production Crew Members for the Summer Season including: Audio Engineer, Cabaret Front of House Supervisor, Development Intern, Dresser, Electrician, Spiegletent Host, Stagehand (Bard Music Fest), Carpenter, Sticher, Wardrobe Supervisor (LUMA Theater), Wardrobe Supervisor (Sosnoff Theater)
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ACE : Upstate Alliance for the Creative Economy
For inquiries, hot tips or requests: hello@upstateace.org
web: upstatecreative.org
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