Flashback: January 9, 1997

During some recent (and apparently looong overdue) holiday cleaning, we ran across a copy of The Times Union’s Preview section – from 14 years ago.

So what was going on around Nippertown during the January doldrums of 1997? Plenty:

The Preview cover story was “Stars Rock the Movies,” concerning musicians who were trying their hands at acting. Specifically Madonna in “Evita” and Courtney Love in “The People Vs. Larry Flynt.”

The local music scene was buzzing with CD release parties:
The folk duo Alien Folklife released “Double Vision” at the Eighth Step (in on Willett St. in Albany).
Rockers Pure Dirt unleashed “The Internet Album” with a bash at Bogie’s.
Mandolin master Frank Wakefield celebrated the release of “That Was Now…This Is Then” at the Parting Glass
And singer-songwriter Stephen Clair threw a bash at Valentine’s Music Hall in honor of “Altoona Hotel” with an all-star band that included Alan Okey, Matt Pelletier, Peter Hutchison, Brendan Slater and Wayne Carrington. The opening acts were Sam Whedon and MotherJudge & the Urban Holiness Society.

According to the Billboard charts, Toni Braxton’s “Un-Break My Heart” was the best-selling single of the week, while No Doubt’s “Tragic Kingdom” topped the album chart.

Richard Kalinoski’s “Beast on the Moon,” a tale of mail-order marriage and immigration, opened at Capital Repertory Theatre. (One of the theater’s promotions was “Metroland Slacker Night” in which the price of admission for Generation X-ers was to pay half their age. The advertisement included the tag line: “Even Slackers have culture!”)

The McKrells added bassist John Kribs and percussionist Brian Melick to their line-up.

The big VHS home video releases of the week were “Phenomenon,” “She’s the One” and “Tales from the Crypt: Bordello of Blood.”

Newly announced concerts for the week included the New Edition reunion tour at the Knickerbocker Arena and the Michael Brecker Quintet (featuring Pat Metheny, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette and Joey Caldarazo) at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall.

The films screening at the Spectrum 4 Theatres were “Big Night,” “Breaking the Waves,” “The English Patient,” “Evening Star” and “Ridicule.”

On the nightclub scene, Foxtrot Zulu played at Aiko’s; Ominous Seapods played Mother Earth’s Cafe; the Robert Noah Band at the Lark Tavern; Sonorus and Justified Rebellion at Saratoga Winners; Scott Stockman at Rolls Touring Co.; Ernie Williams & the Wildcats at Rigg’s; the Bluz House Rockers and Plus 24 at Park West; the Heaters at Cassidy’s Irish Pub; Michael Eck at the Back Door Cafe; Urban Gumbo at Big Sky; Mitch Elrod’s Spell Hounds at Bogie’s; the Teresa Broadwell Trio at the Londonderry Cafe; Warzone at QE2; the Chocolate Hippies at the Tinker Street Cafe.