1/31/11: Today’s Tips: Monday

BURLESQUE: Bing Bamboo Room Burlesque @ Savannah's, Albany. Chase away the winter blues with your host Guy Smiley and A.D. Ward, Lilly Allure, Samra, Marie Ra-Moan, Erick James, Bayshenz, Maxine de la Obscene, Honey Cummins and P.J. Gonzales. 8 & 10pm. $10.

MUSIC: Pony in the Pancake @ Club Helsinki Hudson, Hudson. 8pm. FREE.

POETRY/SPOKEN WORD: Poets Speak Loud and Tom Nattell Tribute and Beret Toss @ McGeary's, Albany. Albany Poets celebrates the sixth anniversary of its open mic, “Poets Speak Loud.” The event will also commemorate Tom Nattell, local poet and community activist, who died the same day the poetry open mic began, January 31, 2005. Tom had been scheduled to be the first featured reader at the new series, but died of cancer that morning. The open mic was held that night and was a celebration of his life, work and performances. (The event kicks off with the annual “beret toss” at the Robert Burns statue in Washington Park in Tom’s memory at 6:30pm.) 7pm. $3 suggested donation.

FILM: “Beautiful Darling” @ Proctors, Schenectady. Proctors' inaugural Q-Fest concludes with a documentary examining the life of Candy Darling. Following the screening, there will be a Q&A with director James Rasin and producer Jeremiah Wright. 7:30pm. $9; students $7.

FILM/DISCUSSION: “Groundhog Day” @ the Arts Center of the Capital Region, Troy. A screening of the 1993 film starring Bill Murray, followed by a discussion led by Dr. Stan Yake. 7pm. $12

READING/DISCUSSION: V.S. Ramachandran @ Recital Hall at UAlbany's Performing Arts Center, Albany. The first event of the New York State Writers Institute features neuroscientist and author of “The Tell-Tale Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Quest for What Makes Us Human.” 4:15pm. FREE.