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arts & entertainment
Best Movie Theater 1. Spectrum 8 Theatres 2. Crossgates 18 3. Scotia Cinema We thought you’d say that: Once again, the Spectrum is the ticket for independent-leaning moviegoers, whilst the 18 continues to devour everything in its path (including the Pine Bush). And it’s nice to see Scotia Cinema is still on our readers’ radar. Best Museum 1. New York State Museum 2. Albany Institute of History & Art 3. MASS MoCA Identical to last year. You know what you love. Best Art Gallery 1. Albany Institute of History & Art 2. Clark Art Institute 3. Fulton Street Gallery We love the Albany Institute, we love the Clark, but people, we made a distinction in these last two categories for a reason! Oh well, kudos to Troy’s Fulton Street Gallery for essentially winning this category. Best Local Performing Arts Organization 1. SPAC 2. Capital Rep 3. Tie: NYSTI/WAMC Venerable institutions all. You could throw these four up in the air and have them land in any order, and it would still look right. Best Local Visual Artist 1. Michael Oatman 2. Wes Bennett 3. Tie: Tommy Watkins, Val Tran Lots of artists around here to choose from, but if anyone has been a superstar in the region and beyond in the last couple of years, it’s Oatman. Best Local Filmaker 1. Tennyson Bardwell 2. Penny Lane 3. John Sayles With nearly every showing of Bardwell’s Dorian Blues selling out at the Spectrum, it’s not surprising that the local filmmaker was voted this year’s favorite big-screen auteur. We’re not arguing with the selection, either. Props also to Penny Lane for her powerful Abortion Diaries. As for Sayles—c’mon, he didn’t release a movie this year! Best Local Author 1. William Kennedy 2. Paul Grondahl 3. William Patrick It’s a simple formula: Write one book with “Albany” in the title, and win this category for life. Best Local Poet 1. R.M. Engelhardt 2. Dan Wilcox 3. Tie: Mary Panza, Shannon Lynette After his second win in this category last year, the tireless and black-beret-loving Engelhardt modestly pleaded with the readers to give some props to a few other denizens of the local poetry scene, such as Wilcox and Panza. You kind of listened. Best Solo Musician 1. Ernie Williams 2. Erin Harkes 3. Sean Rowe Age trumps beauty in this race, as octagenarian Williams beats out bluesy upstarts Harkes and Rowe. Your day will come, young ones. Best Live Music Venue 1. Northern Lights 2. Valentines 3. Saratoga Performing Arts Center A tin-roofed concert club in the 12065 edges out a longstanding Albany rock club and freakin’ SPAC. Who woulda thunk it? Best Dance Club/Dance Night 1. Jillian’s 2. Fuze Box ’80s Night 3. Tie: Bayou Café, Skyline We can’t argue with the sheer energy of the block or so of Pearl Street that encompasses Jillian’s, the Bayou and Skyline; and surely that energy spills onto the dance floor. If anything, on a typical Pearl Street night, there are just too many choices, too many hot young people to look at—people who, by the way, probably don’t remember the ’80s, or QE2, the vibe of which No. 2 Fuze Box preserves valiantly every Saturday. Best Open Mic 1. Lark Tavern 2. Rkstar Open Mic at the Moon & River Cafe 3. CaffE Lena This makes three in a row for the Lark’s hump-day happening, but there was stiff competition from both the Moon & River’s Sunday night affair, as well as Caffe Lena’s Thursday-evening stalwart. Best Karaoke 1. Oh Bar 2. Maxie’s 3. Bourbon Street Bar and Grill Honestly, we were surprised not to see more votes for “Paradise by the Dashboard Light,” but you take your karaoke very seriously, and we can respect that. Best Local Country Band 1. Back 40 Band 2. Cold Rolled Steel 3. Kamikaze Hearts The Back 40 Band won this one by a country mile. We’re pretty sure the Hearts made it through on beards alone. Best Local R&B/Blues Band 1. Ernie Williams 2. The Foy Brothers 3. Folding Sky As his Web site proclaims, “Ernie Williams is the blues.” Readers clearly agree, as this is Williams’ bazillionth win in this category. Best Local Jazz Band 1. Brian Patneaude 2. Adrian Cohen Trio 3. Skip Parsons Dixieland Jazz Band The Capital District jazz scene would implode without these cats. They’re all winners in our minds. Best Local Punk Band 1. The Erotics 2. Complicated Shirt 3. Kitty Little Technically, the Erotics are more hard rock than punk, but since we have yet to include that category, here they are. Viva la Erotics! Best Local Hiphop Artist 1. Origin 2. Shyste 3. Badi . . . and ya don’t stop: The area hiphop scene is growing exponentially, as evidenced by the bushels of votes we received for this category. Best Local Rock Band 1. Sirsy 2. Ten Year Vamp 3. Last Call The street teams have spoken: Sirsy is the best rock band once again. Best Local Alternative Band 1. The Velmas 2. Monkey Gone Mad 3. The Mathematicians “Alternative” is right: The three acts chosen here represent radio-friendly rock (Velmas), ska-flavored soul (Monkey Gone Mad) and frenetic synth-pop with labcoats (Mathematicians). Best Local Cover Band 1. Burners UK 2. Vehicle 3. Black Tooth Grin You gotta get your “Brick House” somewhere. The Burners took this one handily. Best Local Tribute Band 1. Believer 2. Deadbeats 3. One Sweet World Ozzy Osbourne beats Jerry Garcia and Dave Matthews. We wouldn’t have it any other way. Best Local DJ 1. DJ Whips 2. DJ Turnstyle 3. Tie: Lady Luck, DJ Element, Back From Japan The illest name always wins. “Turnstyle” probably lost points for being a pun on something we don’t have around here.
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