3

Claiming friendship with Coheed and Cambria can get you far these days. But can it get you signed to the most serious metal label on the planet? Despite the fact that they are friends with Coheed, and were signed by Metal Blade, 3 weren’t signed because of star fucking or name dropping. They got their break because of their Smashing Pumpkins-meets-Iron Maiden-in-a-fist-fight-with-T.Rex style of epic prog-rock. In fact, 3 got themselves signed to Universal way back in 1994, after a rousing performance at the 25th-anniversary edition of Woodstock, only to later be dropped.

If anything, at this point 3’s relationship with Coheed and Cambria may be dragging them down, as 3’s drummer Josh Eppard left the group to play skins for Coheed. Give some love to 3, Woodstock’s hometown heroes, and make sure to show up in time to say hello to Albany’s rock-radio hopefuls Idols Never Die; one day they may be billed: “As seen on tour with 3!”

3 and Idols Never Die will be at Red Square (388 Broadway, Albany) tonight (Thursday, May 25) at 8 PM. Tickets are $8. Call 432-8584 for more information.

Dr. Dolittle

You can stop covering your eyes. This isn’t the Eddie Murphy fart-joke vehicle from a few years back. Instead, Proctor’s presents an adaptation of the musical film, starring song-and-dance dynamo Tommy Tune. Set in 19th-century England, the story is a courtroom drama, more or less, in which Dolittle (Tune) is wrongly accused of a murder and has to rely on the tales (pun unavoidable) of his animal friends—whom, of course, he can speak to—to set the story straight. The original film, although a box-office flop, did produce a number of memorable songs, including the Oscar-winning “Talk to the Animals.” (Go on; try getting it out of your head now.) This production was adapted for the stage by Leslie Bricusse, who wrote the 1967 film; it was retooled by Tune after its original theatrical run failed. So, fans young and old can expect a fun-packed show that’s true to the original film, but with dancing.

Dr. Dolittle opens at 8 PM this Wednesday (May 31) at Proctor’s Theatre (432 State St., Schenectady). The show continues at 2 and 8 PM on Thursday, June 1, and Saturday, June 3; plus shows at 8 PM on Friday, June 2, and 2 and 7 PM on Sunday, June 4. Tickets range from $19.75 to $59.75. To purchase tickets, or for more information, call 346-6204 or visit www.proctors.org.

Schenectady Symphony Orchestra

Everyone wants to go home. That’s what the Schenectady Symphony Orchestra will finally do tonight, when they return to the stage of Proctor’s Theatre for the first time since the venue underwent major renovations.

The SSO is planning an appropriate celebration. First, they’ll perform Beethoven’s Consecration of the House to mark their return. Then, they’ll present Henri Vieuxtemps’ Violin Concerto No. 2 (if you’ve never heard anything by the Belgian composer, think Paganini), featuring violinist Madalyn Parnas (pictured). Finally, they will present Brahms’ grand Symphony No. 1.

If you think that the one year and three months the SSO had to wait to perform again at Proctors was a long time, Brahms spent 14 years writing this symphony. (Chalk it up to post-Beethoven stress syndrome.)

The Schenectady Symphony Orchestra will perform tonight (Thursday, May 25) at 7:30 PM at Proctor’s Theatre (432 State St., Schenectady). Tickets are $22, $12 students, and free to children ages 13 and under. For more information, call the SSO at 372-2500 or visit www.schenectadysymphony.org. For tickets, call the Proctor’s box office at 346-6204.