Townie: OPA, Town Hall, and Live Music
Experience community this week at Foothills, the Oak, The Gatehouse, Red Shed, Bushel, Ommegang, B Side, the Lost Bookshop, and elsewhere
Editor’s Letter
I recently started rehearsals for “SpongeBob The Musical” at Orpheus Theatre’s space in the Southside Mall and have left each session lighter and in a better mood than when I entered the former Rue 21.
There’s something magical about working with people from different backgrounds on a creative project. We get to leave anything we’ve been carrying from the day (ungraded college essays, laundry, unread emails, egos) outside and work together on something fun to be shared with the community.
This week offers a range of ways to experience community. Otsego Pride Alliance is having a meeting for anyone interested in learning more about the group or working on its wildly popular PrideFest. Share your opinions and learn more about the proposed RSS Project at 24 Market St. at a town hall hosted by City administrators.
Shared experiences is another delightful way to feel a sense of community. This week offers lots of options:
🎭 Two contemporary theater productions: “Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier,” a parody musical tailored for those 18 and older at Foothills, and “God of Carnage,” the 2008 Best New Play Tony Award winner, presented by Tri-Town Theater at Sidney High School.
🎤Performances by some of the Oneonta area’s best musicians and performers at some of our most active venues, including the B Side, Oak, Gatehouse, Bushel, Red Shed, and Ommegang.
Read on for even more ways to be an active part of our community this week.
Warmly,
Cassandra
Cassandra Miller is the editor of Townie, a publication of Culture Rally Communications. Connect with her at: 💌 townieny@gmail.com
Film: ‘Pollock’
Wednesday, Feb. 20, 7 p.m. | Cooperstown Town Hall
The Film Society of Cooperstown will present a screening of the 2000 biopic “Pollock” starring Best Actor winner Ed Harris as troubled American painter Jackson Pollock and Best Supporting Actress winner Marcia Gay Harden as Pollock’s wife, abstract impressionist Lee Krasner.
Talk: ‘Investigative Journalism and Democracy’
Thursday, Feb. 22, 4 p.m. | Anderson Center at Hartwick College, Oneonta
New York Times Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Mark McIntire (Hartwick College ‘85) will cover the importance of investigative journalism in maintaining a strong democracy and draw from his investigations on issues such as the hidden financial incentives behind police traffic stops, covert Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election, and obtaining and reporting on Donald Trump’s tax returns during the 2020 presidential campaign.
The Viking Cider Release
Thursday, Feb. 22, 3 to 9 p.m. | Awestruck Ciders, Sidney
Inspired by the Finnish ales, Awestruck Cider says its newest release, The Viking, “tastes like drinking a gin and tonic while standing, cloaked in fur, in the heart of a mighty spruce forest.” Awestruck has offered The Viking in the past and due to its popularity, the cidery is reintroducing it this season.
Omme-HEY, a Brewery Ommegang Valentine’s Drag Show
Friday, Feb. 23, 6 p.m. | Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown
We unexpectedly have a thriving drag scene in Oneonta thanks to local performers like drag star Lilly Bola, who is hosting a Valentine’s-themed show at Brewery Ommegang featuring local favorites Natalie Taylor, Bloody Valentine, and Jahyra Joelle; and Albany baddie Stella Progress. $10 cash entry. Doors are at 6 p.m. and the show is at 7 p.m. The event is 18+. Attendees are encouraged to bring cash to tip performers.
Live Music with The Paper Prince
Friday, Feb. 23, 6 p.m. | Red Shed Ale House, Cherry Valley
The Paper Prince is a folk singer-songwriter. According to the event page: “Shaped by a barren, working-class environment with brutal winters, his music stretches the bounds of genre, pushing folk to the point of fracture and reflecting the heartbreaking wistfulness of his surroundings.” If his music is half as poetic as the description of his music, attendees are in for a treat.
Otsego Pride Alliance Community Meeting
Friday, Feb. 23, 7 p.m. | Unitarian Universalist Society, 12 Ford Ave., Oneonta
Otsego Pride Alliance (OPA) routinely creates high-quality, thoughtful events that make everyone feel welcome. The group is hosting an open meeting for community members to get to know OPA and/or contribute to planning Pridefest or other groups. Popcorn provided. Masks required.
‘Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier’
Friday, Feb. 23, and Saturday, Feb. 24, 7 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 25, 3 p.m. | Foothills PAC, Oneonta
“Twisted” is a parody musical of “Aladdin” told from Ja’far’s perspective. In this story, Aladdin is a womanizing young thief, the Sultan is a deluded puppet, the Genie a pop-culture-obsessed idiot, and Ja’far is the only hope to save the Magic Kingdom from invasion by the neighboring country of Pix’zar. This production is stacked with some of the area’s top talent and directed by Foothills Board Member and independent theater maker Allie Tabor-Church. The show is NOT suitable for kids. 18+ is strongly recommended. “Twisted” has two weekends of performances, Feb. 23 to 25 and March 1 to 3. Tickets are $20 ($15 for college students).
‘God of Carnage,’ presented by Tri Town Theatre
Friday, Feb. 23, and Saturday, Feb. 24, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 25, 2 p.m. | Sidney High School, Sidney
Our area has several theater companies and independent artists presenting shows ranging from classics like “The Sound of Music'' to more modern offerings, like “Twisted” and Tri-Town Theatre’s production of 2008 Tony and Olivier Award-winning comedy “God of Carnage.” In the play, a playground altercation between 11-year-old boys brings together two sets of Brooklyn parents for a meeting to resolve the matter. At first, diplomatic niceties are observed, but as the meeting progresses, and the rum flows, tensions emerge and the gloves come off, leaving the couples with more than just their liberal principles in tatters. Tickets are $20.
Lantern Light Snow Moon Hike
Saturday, Feb. 24, starting at 2 p.m. | Gilbert Lake State Park, Laurens
Hike around Gilbert Lake during the day or wait until after dark to experience February’s full “snow” moon by lantern light. The park is accepting donations of non-perishable goods, including canned food and self-care items such as toothbrushes, deodorant, and feminine hygiene products. Hot beverages, cookies, and s’mores will be available and there will be fires lit in the Briggs all day. According to the Farmers’ Almanac, February’s full moon got it’s name of “snow moon” in the 1760s, when Captain Jonathan Carver, wrote that the Naudowessie (Dakota) called it the Snow Moon “because more snow commonly falls during this month than any other in the winter.”
Full Snow Moon Train Ride
Saturday, Feb. 24, 6 p.m. | Richfield Springs Scenic Railway, Richfield Springs
Richfield Springs Scenic Railway is offering evening excursions through the cedar forest for passengers to enjoy the full moon in heated train cars. Passengers are invited to bring snacks and beverages, including the adult kind. Tickets are $24 for adults and $12 for children older than 3.
In Conversation: Alex Alberto & Adrian Shirk
Saturday, Feb. 24, 5 p.m. | The Lost Bookshop, Delhi
Catskills authors Alex Alberto and Adrian Shirk will each read from their books, and discuss collectivism, community-building, radical reimaginings of home and family. Alex is a queer and polyamorous storyteller whose writing has been published in Huffington Post, Write or Die Magazine, and elsewhere, and “Entwined: Essays on Polyamory and Creating Home '' is their first book. Adrian is the author of “Heaven is a Place on Earth” (Counterpoint, 2022), a personal odyssey of American utopian experiments, and “And Your Daughters Shall Prophecy” (Counterpoint, 2017), a hybrid-memoir exploring American women prophets and mystics, named an NPR “Best Book” of 2017.
Killdeer Trio
Saturday, Feb. 24, 7 p.m. | Bushel, Delhi
Killdeer Trio is an instrumental band co-led by bassist Evan Jagels, drummer Sebastian Green, and guitarist Wyatt Ambrose. The band name Killdeer Trio comes from the “Killdeer” bird, commonly found in the band members’ native Upstate NY. Their music is deeply influenced by the rural environment in which it was conceived, reflecting both its quiet serenity, and constant invitation to explore the surrounding unknown. Killdeer Trio blends deep grooves, folk-like melodies, searing electric guitar, and free improvisation into a unique sound that rides the line between Modern Jazz, and popular music. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Tickets bushelcollective.org
Pantera Tribute Band Vulgar Display of Power
Saturday, Feb. 24, 10 p.m. | Black Oak Tavern, Oneonta
The Oak is a super fun place to see live music, thanks to an excellent craft beer selection, cozy quarters, and low lighting that make it ideal for dancing–or head banging, which you’ll be able to do this weekend when Pantera tribute band Vulgar Display of Power plays a show. Heavy metal music starts at 10 p.m. $5 cash cover.
Live Museum with Chris Riffle
Sunday, Feb. 25, 6 p.m. | The Gatehouse, Morris
Co-owner of The Gatehouse Chris Riffle will perform at the Morris coffee shop on Sunday for those looking to wind down the weekend with a musician who has shared the stage with Patti Smith, Death Cab for Cutie, Blood Orange, and Joan As Police Woman. Chris will be joined by Evan Jagels on bass and Blake Flemming on drums. And, umm, Chris has been reviewed in major publications, including The New Yorker, which called him "One of the more sophisticated singer-songwriters on the Lower East Side." That he’s a part of our community is pretty fantastic. Suggested donation is $15.
Open Forum: RSS Project at 24 Market St.
Tuesday, Feb. 27, 6 p.m. | Foothills PAC, Oneonta
City officials will host a “town hall” style open discussion about the proposed RSS Project at 24 Market St. for residents to both learn more about the project and voice any opinions. A recent City Council meeting with a packed house showed that this is a hot topic for many in the community. This is a chance to let your voice be heard and get more information and facts.
Writers Kitchen Supper Club
Wednesday, Feb. 28, 7 p.m. | B Side Ballroom, Oneonta
The B Side Ballroom and Supper Club has really been leaning into its name lately with special performances accompanied by multi-course meals. The next supper club features four standout music industry majors and singer-songwriters from SUNY Oneonta: Allie Sandt, Teddy Holly, Lily Soleil, and Andrew Carrington (whose parents own the venue). Unlike recent supper club events that have had a prix fixe menu, the B Side’s full menu will be available for this event. Reservations are required for tables by calling 607-432-2053 or emailing bsideoneonta@gmail.com. $10 suggested donation for the musicians.
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