Gavin DeGraw

The 26-year-old singer-songwriter has been a popular constant on the Manhattan club scene for a while, but since releasing his 2003 debut for J Records, Chariot (which recently went platinum), Gavin DeGraw—or more specifically, his single “I Don’t Wanna Be”—has been all over the Top 40 charts and overplayed on a multitude of radio stations. DeGraw, who was born and raised in the Catskills, has been roadtesting some of the 60 new songs that he’s written for his sophomore album during this fall’s tour. Among the new titles, apparently, are “Sometimes You Need a Couple Drinks to Fall in Love” and “Medicate the Kids,” so it seems the artist will address all sorts of issues with his new release. We’ll find out soon enough: Rumor has it that DeGraw’s new album is expected out next year.

At the end of September, DeGraw had to cancel a date due to exhaustion caused by his demanding touring schedule, but we’re hoping he’ll simply be good and melancholy for his Clifton Park performance. Gavin DeGraw will perform at Northern Lights (1208 Route 146, Clifton Park) tonight (Thursday, Oct. 27) at 7 PM. Tickets are $25. For more information, call the club at 371-0012.

The Illusion

You might think that a 17th-century French comedy wouldn’t be particularly interesting, or fun. Well, the general consensus is that you would be wrong.

Playwright Tony Kushner (Angels in America) authored this adaptation of Pierre Corneille’s L’Illusion Comique, which is making its regional debut at Stageworks/Hudson beginning Wednesday (Nov. 2). The story concerns a man who goes to a sorcerer to find out what happened to the son he banished 15 years before. The sorcerer conjures up images of the son’s adventures, episodes that reveal unexpected (and very funny) truths about both father and son. As The New York Times wrote, The Illusion is “a wise and merry piece of magic that captures the soul of Corneille’s play and the imagination of its audiences.”

The Illusion, directed by Laura Margolis, opens Wednesday (Nov. 2) and continues through Nov. 20 at Stageworks/Hudson (41A Cross St., Hudson). Shows are Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 PM, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sunday matinees at 2 PM. (There’s a special Saturday matinee at 3 PM on Nov. 19.) For tickets and information, call 822-9667.

Tang Museum Fifth Anniversary

Big things were expected when Skidmore College opened the Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery five years ago. The Tang delivered, with internationally renowned artists like Kara Walker and Lee Boroson (pictured: Outer Limit, 2005) and innovative multimedia programming. This weekend, the Tang marks its anniversary with a symposium, reception and a family day.

The symposium, Art as Public Space, begins Saturday with coffee at 9 AM, and continues into the afternoon. There will be discussions with artists Kathy Butterly, Nina Katchadourian and Martin Kersels, Nayland Blake and Julia Jacquette, and Mel Ziegler; the final roundtable will include all of the aforementioned, plus the Tang’s Ian Berry. Museum admission is free, as usual, but preregistration—and $10—is needed for the symposium.

The reception is Saturday evening at 7 PM, and will feature a performance by sound artist Pamela Z.

Family day (Sunday) begins at 12:30 PM with “pumpkin carving as an art.” There’s a come-as-your-favorite artist or artwork contest at 2 PM, music at 4 PM, hourly gallery tours and refreshments all day long.

The Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery (Skidmore College, 815 N. Broadway, Saratoga Springs) celebrates its fifth anniversary this Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 29-30). For more info, call 580-8080.