Candlebox, the King’s Royal

We’re pretty sure that every single band that had even a minor alt-rock-radio hit in the 1990s is going to reunite at some point in the next 12 months. Of course, Candlebox had more than a minor hit: Their power ballad “Far Behind” was a bona fide Top 10 single, and the brooding rocker “You” was nearly as popular. They had the last laugh for sure—looked down upon by the music media as a second-rate grunge outfit, the band proved to be successful well beyond most of their peers. Candlebox split in the late ’90s after a series of lineup changes and dwindling commercial success, but they’ve now reunited for a new record (Into the Sun) and tour with three of the four original members.

Joining Candlebox for Friday’s show are the King’s Royal, a fellow Seattle band featuring Candlebox bassist Adam Kury doing double duty, plus drummer Dave Krusen, the guy who played on Pearl Jam’s Ten album. We’ve been dying to know what the royalty checks are like for that one. Anyone care to ask him?

Candlebox, with guests the King’s Royal and Small Town Sleeper, will perform tomorrow (Friday, Sept. 5) at Northern Lights (1208 Route 146, Clifton Park). Tickets for the 7:30 PM show are $18. Purchase tickets at the club’s box office, or by calling 371-0012. Visit northernlightslive.com for more information.

1st Friday’s 2nd Anniversary

This is the very definition of success: Albany’s 1st Friday is celebrating its second anniversary. The brainchild of founder and coordinator Michael Weidrich, 1st Friday has grown from its three founding galleries—Upstate Artists Guild, Amrose Sable Gallery and Romaine Brooks Gallery—to encompass galleries and museums all around the city of Albany. From downtown (Albany Center Galleries on Columbia Street) to way uptown (Opalka Gallery on New Scotland Avenue) and in between, art lovers have 30-plus venues to sample.

There are some special events associated with the celebration. There will be a Celebration Gala from 6 to 11 PM at Trinity Church (211 Lark St., Albany). From 6 to 8:30 PM it’s a free event; from 8:30 to 11 PM a $20 donation will be requested. Cirque de la Nocturne will perform throughout the evening; there will be music, food, a silent auction and nonalcoholic beverages, too.

1st Friday downtown—at Albany Center Gallery, the Albany Heritage Area Visitors Center, the Broadway Arts Center and 518 Broadway—will be held from 11 AM to 2 PM. 1st Friday for the rest of the participating galleries and museums—Albany Institute of History and Art, Visions Gallery, Grand Street Community Arts, etc.—will be held from 5 to 9 PM. Except as noted, all events are free. For more info, visit www.1stfridayalbany.org.

Falling: A Wake

On Dec. 21, 1988, a terrorist bomb exploded on Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 people. Twenty-five-year-old Canadian actor Paul Freeman was on that flight—heading home to announce his engagement to Sarah Aicher, who was sitting beside him. Freeman had been playwright Gary Kirkham’s best friend since their childhood days in Dundas, Ontario. Eighteen years later, Kirkham found himself writing a play about a retired couple who find a body in their yard, and—to his surprise—it was a comedy.

Falling: A Wake takes place on an isolated Canadian farm. After a jet explodes six miles above the unnamed town, Harold and Elise discover the body of a young man, still strapped in his seat, resting in their yard. The stranger effects an extraordinary transformation on his hosts.

The play, “about love and death and moving furniture,” was dubbed Echo magazine’s Favorite Play of the Year. After seeing the Canadian production, TV arts commentator Philip Bast responded, “I laughed in all the right places, for all the right reasons. Then, in the privacy of my car as I drove home, reflecting on the heart of what I’d seen, I found tears welling in my eyes.”

This weekend, the first-rate crew at Stageworks/Hudson is presenting the play’s American Premiere.

Falling: A Wake opens for preview Wednesday (Sept. 10) at 7:30 PM at Stageworks/Hudson (41-A Cross St., Hudson). Opening night is tomorrow (Friday, Sept. 12). Tickets are $16 for preview performances, $22 for weeknights and matinees, and $27 Friday and Saturday evenings. For more info, or to purchase tickets, call 822-9667.