Readers' Picks 2010

Spectrum 8 Theatres Photo: Alicia Solsman

Arts & Entertainment

Best Movie Theater

1. Spectrum 8 Theatres

2. Regal Colonie Center

3. Regal Crossgates

Your taste in popcorn and theater staff is right on. We concur.

Best Museum

1. New York State Museum

2. Albany Institute of History & Art

3. Schenectady Museum & Suites-Buche Planetarium

How’re you gonna compete with the set of Sesame Street?

Best Art Gallery

1. Albany Institute of History & Art

2. Upstate Artists Guild

3. Marketplace Gallery

Nice variety here. Short of half a shark in a tank, there’s something for everyone in Albany galleries.

Best Children’s Arts Programming

1. Steamer No. 10 Theatre

2. CAPS

3. The Egg

We’re so glad not to see Disney Channel listed.

Best Local Performing Arts Organization

1. SPAC

2. Capital Repertory Theatre

3. The Egg

You guys are more comfortable with the Northway than we are, apparently.

Best Live Theater Venue

1. Proctors

2. Capital Repertory Theatre

3. The Palace Theatre

We’re wondering, if the Readers’ Poll had come out a week later, if the Governor’s Mansion and/or Capitol would have ranked.

Best Local Visual Artist

1. Samson Contompassis

2. (tie) Tommy Watkins, Val Tran

Well, sure, with a given name like that . . .

Best Local Filmaker

1. Mike Feurstein

2. John Sayles

3. (tie) Ellie Bernstein/ Justin Maine/Sean Cranston

Hollywood on the Hudson.

Best Local Author

1. William Kennedy

2. Vince Zandri

3. James Kunstler/Shane Jones

Who’s this young fella, Kennedy? Keep your eye on him.

Best Local Poet

1. Mary Panza

2. R.M. Englehardt

3. Dan Wilcox

We think we shall never see, such lovely poets as these three.

Best Solo Musician

1. Sean Rowe

2. (tie) Brian Patnaude/Matthew “Carefully” Loiacono

And nice guys, to boot.

Best Live Music Venue

1. Revolution Hall

2. Valentine’s

3. Northern Lights

Yes, live music. That’s a thing.

Best Dance Club/Dance Night

1. Jillians

2. Fuze Box

3. Vapor

Mm-tsss, mm-tss, mm-tss, mm-tsss!

Best Open Mic

1. Tess’ Lark Tavern

2. Muddy Cup

3. Caffe Lena

We do a pretty mean acoustic “Lady Marmalade,” ourselves. But we’ll spare you.

Best Karaoke

1. Oh Bar!

2. Bombers

3. (tie) Bourbon Street, Side Door Café

Curious how you determined this one: generosity of pour? ’Cause we’ve gotta be pretty hammered before beltin’ out “Time of Our Lives.”

Best Local Country Band

1. Back 40 Band

2. Hillbilly Horns

3. Skeeter Creek

And we were certain the Ribald Parisians were going to walk away with this one. Huh.

Best Local R&B/Blues Band

1. Ernie Williams

2. Soul Session

3. (tie) Bent Rail Blues Band, Solid Smoke

Keep at it, youngsters. Ernie only has this one locked up for the next 100 years, or so.

Best Local Jazz Band

1. Brian Patneaude

2. Keith Prey

3. (tie) Adrian Cohen, George Muscatello

America’s classical music performed by classy American guys. Seriously, we’ve seen Adrian in a suit. Rrrrowr!

Best Local Punk Band

1. Society High

2. Stop Having Babies

3. (tie) Nixon’s Spirit/Plastic Jesus, the Blisterz

Albany punx: Anarchy & Assiduity.

Best Local Hip-Hop Artist

1. Origin

2. Sinister

3. Rick Whispers

518, repra’sent! (Sorry, we’ll stop that, now.)

Best Local Rock Band

1. Sirsy

2. Ten Year Vamp

3. The Erotics

Rumor has it that Sirsy’s doing some recording with a string quartet. Think the others will follow suit? Orchestral Erotics would be something to behold.

Best Local Indie-Rock Band

1. Sgt. Dunbar and the Hobo Banned

2. (tie) Phantogram, Railbird

So, some NPR listeners in the house?

Best Local Cover Band

1. Refrigerators

2. Ten Year Vamp

3. Horror Business

If Horror Business covered Ten Year Vamp covering the Refrigerators covering “Brown Eyed Girl,” would it stop time? Just wondering.

Best Local Hardcore Band

1. Last Call

2. Black John Wayne

3. Brick by Brick

The name Black John Wayne cracks us up.

Best Local Metal Band

1. The Viking

2. Black John Wayne

3. In the Casket

Heehee. Black John Wayne. Still funny.

Best Local DJ

1. Ryan Kick

2. DJ K-OZ

3. DJ Trusmastr

If we know one thing about DJing, it’s probably surprising to you all. But we do know this: You got to count your dub plates, before you touch the turntables, ’cause if you run out of big turnes then your sound is done. Yep.

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