The Education of Shelby Knox

What happens when official policy meets objective reality? If you’re talking about contemporary U.S. foreign policy, the answer is “nothing.” If, however, you’re talking about sex education—or the lack thereof—in one high school in Lubbock, Texas, and one incredibly forthright teenager, the answer is “radicalization.”

Shelby Knox (pictured, with her parents) is the teenager, an evangelical Christian who, though resolutely celibate herself, slowly comes to realize that real sex education, not simply abstinence lectures, is what her fellow teens need. After all, Lubbock has teen pregnancy and sexually-transmitted-disease rates well above the national average. Knox’s transformation, however, causes tension with her co-religionists and within her family.

Education, as the snake in the Garden of Eden would tell you, has its costs.

The Education of Shelby Knox will screened Sunday (Oct. 9) at 5 PM at Time & Space Limited (434 Columbia St., Hudson). Admission is free. There will be a post-screening discussion with the Rev. Leif Erickson, the Rev. Arvin Sharp and activist Joetta Moore. (Which brings up a point: Shouldn’t activists be able to register somewhere for an official title? Maybe something like “Actv.”? Discuss.) For more information about the film and the event, call 822-8448.

Jerseyband

Don’t judge a book by its cover: Despite Jerseyband’s being fronted by four horn players, they’re more metal than you’ll ever be. (That wasn’t a pun.) Neither an average jazz group, nor a run-of-the-mill metal outfit, the seven-piece Jerseyband have stumbled onto a style all their own—they call it “lungcore.” With all our combined editorial experience here at Metroland, we would be hard-pressed to come up with a more accurate description. Imagine a head-on collision of the tour buses carrying Dillinger Escape Plan and the Count Basie Orchestra. That sound—the skronk and squeal made at the instant when metal intertwines with metal—is the essence of the Jerseyband experience, a melange of detuned electric guitars, crashing drums, and a seemingly traditional jazz-ensemble frontline. It’s totally rad, and totally loud. Bring earplugs. You’ll thank us later.

Jerseyband will return to the Albany area for the first time in quite a while for a show this Saturday (Oct. 8) at Red Square (388 Broadway, Albany). The long-dormant Bone Oil will open, and Paper Legs will perform ambient music before the show and between sets. Tickets for the 8 PM performance are $8. For more information, call the club at 432-8584.

Syncopation

Beginning tomorrow (Friday), Capital Repertory Theatre presents Syncopation, a story of a love across cultures, set in 1911 Manhattan. Shy Anna Bianchi has dreams beyond the life laid out for her by her traditional Italian family, a life hinged on an arranged marriage to a wealthy but “inflexible” suitor. Henry, a Jewish meat packer, dreams of becoming a successful ballroom dancer. When Anna responds to Henry’s ad for a dance partner, worlds collide. Will these two be able realize their dreams? Well, will they?

Syncopation plays at Capital Repertory Theatre (111 N. Broadway, Albany) beginning tomorrow (Friday, Oct. 7) and running through Oct. 30. For tickets or more information, call 445-7469.