5/7/10: Today’s Tips: Friday

MUSIC: Mirk & the New Familiars @ Red Square, Albany. Mixing old-school funk and soul with contemporary hip-hop, the New Familiars strut their stuff in support of their brand-spankin new double disc set, “Love/Live (A 2 Pt. Trilogy),” a live recording of their 2009 debut, “Love.” Mirk and the band will be spreading the love, too, not only giving away a copy of the album with every paid admission, but also handing out free t-shirts to the first 100 through the door. 9pm.

MUSIC: Cowboy Junkies @ Revolution Hall, Troy. Margo Timmins and the band have been making marvelous, hypnotic music since their low-budget 1988 album, “The Trinity Sessions” thrust them into the big time. It still sounds glorious. With Lee Harvey Osmond. 7pm. $30.

ARTS WALK: First Friday @ various locations, Albany. Spring has sprung and the monthly arts walk is the perfect prelude to Tulip Fest. Check out the return of Reinhard Straub, the sounds of the Todd Nelson Trio, and lots more. 5-9pm. Free.

MUSIC: Popa Chubby @ the Van Dyck, Schenectady. The big Bronx blues behemoth is back for another round of bruising blues-rock with his new album, “The Fight Is On.” A second show has been added. 7 & 9:30pm. $17.

THEATER: “Our Town” @ Albany Civic Theater, Albany. New York State’s capitol is being transformed into Grover’s Corners with the Albany Civic Theater’s production of Thornton Wilder’s timeless, Pulitzer Prize winning play directed by Carol King. Patrick White takes on the role of Stage Manager. The production runs Friday-Sunday til May 23. 8pm. $15.

MUSIC: The Lost Radio Rounders @ the Jonesville Store, Clifton Park. The acoustic duo of Tom Lindsay and Michael Eck served up an evening of Historic American Music in celebration of the release of their new CD, “Acoustic Roadshow.” 6:30pm. Free.

ART: The Springtime Craft Show @ the Woman’s Club, Albany. In conjunction with Albany’s First Friday arts walk and the Tulip Festival, the annual Woman’s Club Craft Show will solve all of your Mothers Day gift problems. 5-9pm. Free. (Also from 11am-5pm on Saturday.)

MUSIC: Sevendust @ Northern Lights, Clifton Park. The Atlanta headbangers are back with their original line-up and their brand new CD, “Cold Day Memory,” their strongest effort in years. With Saving Abel, Selfish Needy Creatures. 7:30pm. $25.

MUSIC: Blues and Lazers @ Bearsville Theater, Woodstock. Guitarist Scott Tournet (of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals) leads his “other” band into Woodstock. Singer-songwriter Jess Klein opens the show. 9pm. $12.

MUSIC: The Austin Lounge Lizards @ Caffe Lena, Saratoga Springs. They’re proud to call themselves “the most laughable band in show business,” and with a repertoire that includes such songs as “Forty Years Old and I’m Livin’ in My Mom’s Garage,” “Teenage Immigrant Welfare Mothers on Drugs” and “Shallow End of the Gene Pool,” you can see why. 8pm. $24.