Silent movies, zines, book fairs and bloobs.

Thanks to everyone who took me up on my offer to act as Community Concierge last week! I did my very best to use what I’ve learned from scouring local media every week to help readers connect to kickball, book clubs, intensive amateur cooking classes, progressive political activism and good ol’ sing alongs. You folks are an interesting group.

It continues to be a challenge to find people, clubs and organizations who are into the thing you’re into. The newsletter does what it can to gather these together, but this format only captures one weekly chunk at a time*. It also only allows Amy-to-everybody communication, not conversation.

We’re going to try something new for a couple weeks. I’m going to gird my loins, clench my butt, and:

1. Move “Something to Love” product features to Instagram where they can do more to promote local producers,

2. Replace it with “Community Confidential,” which will highlight opportunities, projects, and other ways to connect with locals beyond one-time events, and

3. Open up the comments section on the website so that you can ask, answer and share without needing to go through me.**

In this inaugural segment, I encourage you to give it a go. Ask for guidance, make a recommendation, share an opportunity. If it goes well we can build a community platform together?

Here goes…something.

Spruceton Inn is accepting applications for their Artists Residency.

Red Owl Collective is hiring a part time weekend position.

Big Towel is hiring sauna hosts.

Alex is looking for newbie golf, kickball or other outdoorsy group activities. Know any?

The Parlour is a new coffee and cocktail bar looking to display local art.

Jill is looking for weekly card games AND a cooking club for ambitous amateurs who want to improve their technique. Could this be you?

Citizens are organizing to remove Flock cameras in Kingston.

Thursday, August 6

Over Your Dead Body: Drive-In Screening at Four Brothers Drive-In in Amenia — Boondocks Film Society screens the SXSW audience-award action-comedy under the stars, with an in-person Q&A with director Jorma Taccone, film-inspired food specials and movie-themed cocktails during pre-film happy hour.

Craft Rave at Albany Barn in Albany — Albany Public Library and Albany Barn team up for a night that's equal parts crafting circle and dance party -- bring a project or start one from supplies on hand, glow sticks strongly encouraged. Adults only, space is limited.

Hudson Film Festival in Hudson — Hudson's biggest weekend of independent film -- four days, 25 films, local filmmakers, and parties to cap every night. Full schedule at hudsonfilmfestival.org but I’m really stoked about the Kisses, Crimes and Cults short film collection on Saturday.

Modern Silent Shorts at Bannerman Castle in Beacon — A boat ride from Beacon drops you at the ruins of Bannerman Castle for a night of dialogue-free shorts -- new dramas, comedies, and horror -- projected against the crumbling arsenal walls, with a castle tour and concessions built into the round trip. Mr. Gunks took me on a night tour of Bannerman many years ago. Go just for the boat ride.

Mending Night at CoWork Kingston in Kingston — Bring whatever's ripped, missing a button, or otherwise needs love -- Engather's mending circle supplies sewing machines, scrap fabric, and company for the fix-it work. Free.

Bushel Happy Hour at Putt Putt Van Winkle in Bovina — Grab a mini golf scorecard and a beer at Putt Putt Van Winkle's Thursday happy hour, where every tip behind the bar gets donated straight to Bushel Collective's work supporting experimental, collectively-run spaces in the Catskills.

Friday, August 7

Vintage Night Market at Industrial Arts Brewing Company in Beacon — 84 Retro Vintage Market throws its first Night Market -- 20+ vendors, free entry, and DJ Pete Pop spinning 45s all night under the disco ball.

Women Who Brunch: August Coffee Meetup at Gardiner Bakehouse in Gardiner — A no-pressure coffee hour for women looking to make friends in the Hudson Valley -- pull up a chair for an hour of conversation over sourdough pastries and espresso.

Red Owl Collective 3rd Birthday Party in Kingston — Red Owl Collective marks three years in Kingston's midtown arts district with birthday treats, drinks, music, and an anniversary sale up to 40% off select vintage and antique booths across the 10,000-square-foot warehouse.

Saturday, August 8

Catskills Book Festival at West Kill Brewing in West Kill — Interviews and readings, a book sale, chain stitching for that WNYC tote bag you still have, flash tattoos (WHAT), pizza and beer!! Meet some hot country nerds!

Chaseholm Farm 2nd Annual Watermelon Crawl in Pine Plains — Chaseholm's second annual Watermelon Crawl brings line dancing and country swing lessons. Did you learn to line dance at Unicorn Bar? Time to shine!!

Harambee's African American Festival at Kingston Point Beach in Kingston — Harambee Kingston's free African American Festival takes over Kingston Point Beach for the day. Live music, DJ sets, a children's village, and food trucks. Harambee is doing some of the best historical preservation and education anywhere in the Hudson Valley. Get to know ‘em and get your groove on.

Sustainability Salon at Ten Mile Table in Wassaic — Progressive Hedonist moderates a chat with four New York producers -- Dutchess Hill Wines, Heartsby True Cider, Dewey's Wines, and Metal House Cider -- over $12 glass pours. Free to attend, education included.

Living Landscape Series: The Story of the Sky at Spiral House Park in Saugerties — The second installment of Spiral House's Living Landscape Series spends an evening on sky, science, and ecology -- a live raptor program from Ravensbeard Wildlife Center (the people who rescued Rocky from the Rockefeller Christmas Tree!!), a climate scientist on Hudson Valley weather patterns, and a naturalist's deep dive into the flying squirrels living in her own backyard.

Ellenville Blueberry Festival at Canal Street & Liberty Square in Ellenville — 36 years in, downtown Ellenville still shuts down for blueberries -- pies, jams, and fresh pints from 175-plus vendors, a free kids' zone, and a muffin contest for amateurs only.

CPW Photobook and Zine Fair at CPW in Kingston — Three dozen-plus independent publishers and photographers set up in Kingston for a weekend of physical media -- browse and buy zines, catch free panels and workshops, and swing through the Upstate Photography Biennial while you're there.

DJ Harlan at Urban Cowboy Lodge in Big Indian — Harlan Lev's back behind the decks for another all-vinyl night, 7pm.

Frolic at the Farm at Hardeman Orchards in Red Hook — 98.1 KZE's live-music day pulls in Bayou Superjam -- an all-star lineup with members of P-Funk, Umphrey's McGee, and Sturgill Simpson's band -- plus Billy Keane and the Waking Dream and Bluestone Quarry. All ages, kids under 12 free.

Freakout Spot Summer Bash at Tubby's in Kingston — Freakout Rob turned 40 and he WILL NOT BE STOPPED. He says this isn’t his second 40th birthday party but it is, and I caused him to nearly choke to death on a rice cake at Eliza earlier this evening so we can also call it a celebration of life. DJs all day, a tattoo pop-up from Top Rank, record sales, tie-dye, and a $5 ticket that comes with a scratch-off. Doors at 4.

Sunday, August 9

Hunter Foundation Annual Garden Gala in Tannersville — Deer Mountain Inn, Loba, Pantry on Main, and a dozen other Hunter-area kitchens and distilleries pour in for food, drinks, live entertainment, and a silent auction, all benefiting the Hunter Foundation's work across the mountaintop towns.

PK Art Mile at Gallery 40 in Poughkeepsie — Gallery 40's Paola Bari lines up a row of 15-foot U-Haul trucks on Cannon Street and fills each one with pop-up galleries -- painting, sculpture, installation -- from artists including Carl Grauer and Samantha Palmieri, working inside the trucks' narrow bones.

Hot Gays Walk at Madam Brett Park in Beacon — Julie's Girls Club and HVQueerRockHoppers lead a beginner-level, introvert-friendly walk through the park -- free, easy pace, and built for queer folks and allies who want company on the trail without any pressure to perform.

Monday, August 10

Every End Is a Beginning: Devonn Charles Francis at Lil' Deb's Oasis in Hudson — Chef Devonn Charles Francis takes the kitchen for the ongoing farewell dinner series. No tickets, no reservations, basically no information beyond this. But that’s what made them hip as fuck in Hudson so…

Wednesday, August 12

Northern Spy Reading Series: Paul Yoon at Left Bank Ciders in Catskill — The novelist reads from his new book Etna in conversation with Danniel Schoonebeek in the taproom.

Beverage Trivia at Paul Brady Wine in Beacon — Never Better Heather hosts a free beverage-only trivia night -- teams up to six, a bonus merch round, and $50 off your bar tab for the winners. 7pm. IF YOU WANT TO GO PLEASE EMAIL ME, I NEED A TEQUILA RINGER.

Poetry as Protest & Political Action at Reher Center Gallery in Kingston — Ulster County Poet Laureate Mike Jurkovic and poet Cheryl A. Rice lead a free, animated community discussion on resistance, poetry, and politics in our current moment. Bring your questions and a friend.

La Hora del Vermut Aperitivo Hour at Stable Gate Winery in Castleton-on-Hudson — The Dishing's Euro-style aperitivo hour lands at Stable Gate with Viva Empanadas, mini divination readings from House of Jeon, and DJ Tru -- plus a meteor shower overhead if the timing holds.

Y'all listen.  I tried my best this week but it was extra hard to not do some repeats.  

Sally Baby's Silver Dollars are at Opus 40, which is cool except I covered them in March when they played Tempo. John Thayer and Ben Seretan are at The Local in Saugerties. Wrote up John's gig at Avalon in April. Juma Sultan's at Love, Velma, and look, I could write about Velma every single week, but at some point you'd start to wonder if Nick granted me equity in the place. 

Which is how I arrived at Oneida, a band whose entire artistic project is repetition. Loops that keep going past the point where a normal band would stop, and then keep going past the point where you assumed they were making a joke, and then keep going until the repetition stops being a joke and becomes the thing itself. They've been doing it out of Brooklyn since the late nineties. Something like 350 shows. Two hundred thousand miles of touring.  I've seen them a bunch and it's the same but different every time which is kinda comforting.

So: a column with nothing new in it, about a band that made a career out of not needing anything new, at a bar that books four shows a week, written by a guy who does this every seven days whether he's got material or not. The circle is complete. Tubby's, Sunday, with Kinski and Spreaders. Nineteen bucks  Please enjoy.

Buy an extra ticket to something on this list this week and just tell a friend they’re joining you.