CARLTON FLETCHER: Spectra has rejuvenated local entertainment scene

Stop, hey, what’s that sound? Everybody look what’s going down.

— Buffalo Springfield

A little bit of this and that from here and there … or, as The Who would say, “odds and sods”:

— Isn’t it comforting to know we have politicians in Washington who are doing everything in their power to make sure the oil and coal barrens squeeze every penny out of these polluting natural resources before they kick the bucket? You can listen to the self-serving — and well-paid — politicians who say we have not impacted the Earth’s atmosphere with our pollution all you want, but when southwest Georgia has suddenly become a regular target for killer storms — including a hurricane, for the sake of Pete — and we have “winters” that only occasionally near freezing, well, your denials continue to defy logic. But if your fearless leader(s) says all this rising oceans and extreme weather pattern shifts stuff is just nonsense, well, then we’re all OK.

— I’ll bet Nancy Pelosi is growing madder by the day that this Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez upstart is getting all the hate from the right these days. Surely the California Senator will come up with some form of outlandish proposed legislation to take some of the attention away from the New Yorker whose apparent policy protocol is to say whatever comes to mind to stir up the Fox News crowd. She’s the kind of politician who, if we had the good sense to ignore here, she’d go away, but instead we’ve built her into a symbol of some new plot to take over the country. She has no juice; only what our enmity endows her with.

— Switching from politics — two items too late, but still … It’s always fun to see the hundreds of runners and their families as well as the other folks who come to town for the downtown Street Festival this time of year, and Saturday’s gathering was no exception. Rashelle Beasley at the Convention and Visitors Bureau, her staff and the legion of volunteers who make the Snickers Marathon go are nothing short of amazing. This year’s addition of the Chris Brubeck, Triple Play and Albany Symphony Orchestra performance as a nightcap was refreshing icing on the cake. Those of us who saw the Saturday rehearsal via the new Grace Note initiative implemented by the orchestra may have witnessed the most fun event of the day. Kudos to Joelle Fryman, Claire Fox Hillard and the musicians who make up the symphony.

— I’ve gotten lots of calls and inquiries about the condition of my friend and colleague Terry Lewis as he remains under doctors’ care. I don’t want to intrude on Terry’s and his family’s private lives any more than he would like, but I will say that I’m sure he and his family would appreciate your continued thoughts and prayers.

— The constant complainers who said Spectra would not have an impact on entertainment in the community obviously knew nothing about this company and its history. Spectra successfully manages venues like the Albany Civic Center and the Albany Municipal Auditorium all over the country, and they’ve really perked up the local entertainment scene. But, as any promoter can tell you, no event will be successful without support from the community it’s in. Dismissing the obviously culturally biased complainers who say more urban and hip-hop shows like the ones that “sold out the Albany Civic Center” (a little personal interjection here … that never happened, most such shows were utter failures) are being avoided for “racist” reasons, officials at Spectra have done an exceptional job of plugging in to what this community will support and bringing it here. Need proof? The sold-out Three Dog Night, Travis Tritt and upcoming Rick Springfield concerts at the Municipal Auditorium and the highly successful Monster Trucks event at the Civic Center.

— I’d like to personally thank Ms. Evelyn Jones of Edison who sent me a nice batch of inspirational quotations to use on the weather feature that runs on the front page of The Herald every day. You’re right, Ms. Evelyn, these are some very good ones.

Email Carlton Fletcher at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ABH_Fletcher.