So many shows, so little time…
March’s music calendar came in like a lion last weekend, and it’s still roaring loud and proud. Here are a few suggestions for you this weekend:

FRIDAY, MARCH 12
Altan @ the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Troy
Sam Bush @ The Egg, Albany
Mary McCaslin and Garnet Rogers @ Caffe Lena, Saratoga Springs
Capathia Jenkins & Louis Rosen @ the Eighth Step at Proctors, Schenectady
Carrie Underwood @ the Times Union Center, Albany
The M Shanghai String Band @ the Piggy Bank, Beacon (FREE)
Drew De Four @ the Bayou Cafe, Albany
Pajamazon, Divison Theory, Of the Wild and the Tame @ Valentine’s Music Hall, Albany
Searson @ the Parting Glass, Saratoga Springs
St. James Gate @ the Bread and Jam Cafe, Cohoes

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MUSIC: Grace Potter & the Nocturnals @ MASS MoCA, North Adams, Mass. Ms. Potter’s new album isn’t slated for release til June, but in the meantime, she’s serving up this tribute to Grace Slick. Call it Grace2Grace. 8pm. $22.

MUSIC: The Lee Shaw Trio @ the College of St. Rose’s Massry Center, Albany. Hope you’re ready for some great piano playing tonight. Nippertown’s own queen of piano jazz is in concert, and hopefully she’ll treat us to “Nipper’s Dream,” one of our fave Shaw tunes. See it here. 7:30pm. $10.

MUSIC: Elton John & Billy Joel: Face2Face @ the Times Union Center, Albany. A couple of other piano players arrive in town, too. Finally. 7:30pm. $53.50, $99, $179.

BURLESQUE: Charmed & Dangerous @ Tess’ Lark Tavern, Albany. This bevy of burlesque and cabaret beauties promises that “no bone will be left un-tickled.” 8pm. (Also at 9pm on Friday.)

MUSIC: The Irish Rovers @ the Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield, Mass. “Green alligators and long-necked geese, a humpty-back camel and some chimpanzees…” 7:30pm. $35, $45.

PARTICIPATORY MUSIC: Bandaoke with the Ruddys @ Savannah’s, Albany. Yes, boys & girls, it’s karaoke with a live band, and you’re invited. Knock back a Guinness or two and grab the microphone. Oh, did I mention that you could win $100? 8pm.

MUSIC: Keith Pray @ the Stockade Inn, Schenectady. The big saxman slips into the Electric City for an evening of intimate jazz. 7pm. Free.

LECTURE: Albany 2030 & the 21st Century Restoration Economy @ Touhey Forum, Thelma P. Lalley School of Ed., College of Saint Rose. Storm Cunningham, nationally-recognized expert on revitalization will present case studies from other cities that have successfully revitalized themselves and lessons learned as to how to attract investment to a community like Albany. 7-9pm. Free.

As we announced on Monday, The Egg in Albany has a new batch of concerts heading our way. Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Jakob Dylan brings his all-star band Three Legs (featuring Neko Case, Kelly Hogan, Paul Rigby, Jon Rauhouse, Tom Ray and Barry Mirochnick) on Saturday, April 17. Also coming are Mary Chapin Carpenter (Thursday, June 24), the double-bill of Steve Earle and Hot Tuna (Friday, July 30) and Natalie MacMaster’s Christmas show (Sunday, December 5). Tix for these four shows go on sale to the general public on Friday.

Also at The Egg, “In the Mood,” a big band theatrical swing dance revue featuring the In the Mood Singers and Dancers and the String of Pearls Big Band Orchestra, will be presented twice on Wednesday, April 14 – at 2 & 7pm. And Tim O’Brien and Bryan Sutton with Russ Barenberg arrive on Sunday, October 3. Tix for these shows are currently on sale.

Meanwhile, the show by comedian John Pinette – which was originally scheduled for The Egg on Saturday, April 17 – has been postponed to Saturday, June 26.

Jakob Dylan and Three Legs are also making a tour stop at the Calvin Theater in Northampton, Mass. on Monday, April 19, but the big news out of Northampton is that John Lydon and Public Image Limited will be bringing their U.S. tour to the Pearl Street Ballroom on Sunday, May 16. Yowza!

Down in Woodstock, the Bearsville Theater has a freshly announced batch of shows rollin’ in including Epiphany Project (on Saturday, April 10), Elvis Perkins in Dearland (Tuesday, April 27), Max Creek with the McLovins (Friday, May 14), the absolutely marvelous Jill Sobule with Nina Violet (Saturday May 15) and Dave Mason, who was just at The Egg last week (Saturday, June 5).

The concert calendar at Revolution Hall in Troy continues to fill in with some upcoming highlights that include Celtic faves Gaelic Storm (Thursday, April 15), reggae-rock combo the Easy Star All-Stars (Sunday, April 25, singer-songwriter Jason Reeves (Friday, April 30) and the return of Pete Francis (Friday, May 21).

The Van Dyck in Schenectady is pumpin’ up some action as well. New shows on the slate include the sublime Carrie Rodriguez in support of her new album “Love and Circumstance” (Thursday, April 8), a “rock & read” show by Black 47’s Larry Kirwan playing songs and reading from his new novel, “Rockin’ the Bronx” (Friday, April 23) and a solo show by blues behemoth Popa Chubby (Friday, May 7).

Live Nation hasn’t officially announced it yet, but the classic rock double-bill of Chicago and the Doobie Brothers will be rolling into the Saratoga Performing Arts Center on Saturday, July 3, according to the Doobies’ website.

Idina Menzel (singer-Tony Award winning actress-member of the cast of “Glee”) and Doc Severinson (trumpeter-former “Tonight Show” bandleader) will be special guests with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops Orchestra at Tanglewood in Lenox, Mass. on Friday, July 2.

And finally, Proctors in Schenectady has lined up another Golden Oldies Spectacular for Saturday, November 6. Featured performers include Lou “Lightning Strikes” Christie, Charlie Thomas’ Drifters, the Duprees, the Tokens, Jimmy Clanton and the Super Girls Group (featuring original members of the Exciters, the Cookies, the Jaynetts, the Raindrops and the Del Rons).

WARNING:

The following shows are SOLD OUT:
The Disco Biscuits @ The Egg, Thursday, March 18
David Gray @ The Egg, Monday, April 5
Joe Bonamassa @ The Egg, Tuesday, April 20
The Dave Matthews Band @ SPAC, Saturday, June 5
James Taylor & Carole King @ Tanglewood, Saturday, July 3
James Taylor & Carole King @ Tanglewood, Sunday, July 4

There are LAWN TICKETS ONLY left for the following shows:
The Dave Matthews Band @ SPAC, Friday, June 4

MUSIC: That 1 Guy @ Red Square, Albany. 9pm. $12. I don’t even know how to begin to describe this, so just watch this video instead, and maybe you can figure it out:

MUSIC: Sgt. Dunbar & the Hobo Banned, Beware! The Other Head of Science, Rain in Spain @ Valentine’s Music Hall, Albany. It’s fond hometown send-off for Sgt. Dunbar, who are headed back to SXSW in Austin. Their tour is slated to land in 10 states and Washington, DC. And Beware! is riding high on the release of their wild, wild “Big American Godzilla Party” CD. Guaranteed fun. 8pm.

POETRY/PERFORMANCE: Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo @ Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts’ Gallery 51, North Adams, Mass. The two-time National Poetry Slam finalist brings the poems and the passion. 7:30pm. $12.

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MUSIC: Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore @ The Linda, Albany. Cellist Sollee is Abigail Washburn’s longtime accompanist and a member of her Sparrow Quartet. Meanwhile, Moore is a singer-songwriter on the legendary indie label Sub Pop Records. Together, they play songs from their newly released collaboration, “Dear Companion,” an environmentally conscious album about the Appalachian Mountains. The album was produced by My Morning Jacket’s Jim James. 8pm. $16.

MUSIC: Findlay Cockrell @ the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Troy. Nippertown’s most beloved classical pianist pays tribute to Chopin as the Music @ Noon concert series continues. Bring your lunch. Noon. Free.

TALK: Ira Glass @ Skidmore College’s Zankel Music Center, Saratoga Springs. The host and producer of the fascinating NPR radio show, “This American Life,” steps into the spotlight at Skidmore beautiful new performance center. 7pm. UPDATE: Sold out.

MUSIC: The Tossers @ Valentine’s Music Hall, Albany. The Chicago-based band of Celtic punks kicks off the St. Patrick’s Day season with abandon. With Outernational and Honeycreeper. 8pm. $12.

MUSIC: The Alkaline Trio @ Northern Lights, Clifton Park. The seminal, powerhouse, Chicago-bred punk rock trio comes roaring into Nippertown in support of their recently released seventh album, “This Addiction.” With Cursive and the Dear and Departed. 7:30pm. $20.

MUSIC: Ukulele Night @ the Moon & River Cafe, Schenectady. Uke master Ron Gordon leads his monthly workshop-jam-performance. Bring your ukulele (or borrow one from Gordon) and sit in. Or just sit back and listen. The ukulele is the happy instrument. 7pm. Free.

MUSIC: The Bill Frisell Trio @ the Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton, Mass. One of the great guitar masters of our time, Frisell stands at the intersection of jazz and country, embracing both styles with grand passion. He’s recorded with McCoy Tyner and Lucinda Williams, Don Byron and Loudon Wainwright III, Paul Simon and Allen Ginsberg. And his own “Disfarmer” was one of last year’s most sadly overlooked albums. In addition to Frisell, his trio features violist Eyvind Kang and drummer Rudy Royston. 7pm. $28.