Singer/songwriter Ingrid Michaelson was taken by surprise by the fully packed and excitable crowd at Upstate Concert Hall on Tuesday May 27th. “You hear Clifton Park, you think small quiet town but damn!”, she said with a sly smile in her dark framed glasses. Ingrid Michaelson has been touring in support of her sixth album Lights Out, with fellow musicians and friends from Storyman and Sugar and the Hi Lows. The Storyman was a charming celtic duo that serenaded the crowd with their acoustic harmonies and defined their band name with their intricate story telling.
The first few tunes from Ingrid were upbeat and energetic with a complete band to which she had to compliment the audience on being the only crowd to sing the instrumental parts. The night swayed into a mellow mood with the charming melody of “Unbreakable” followed by a song in which for a few awkward moments Michaelson forgot how it started. Luckily for everyone, one of her front row fans handed her their smart phone with a copy of the song on it. The night progressed with beautiful covers of her infamous solo piano work of “Can’t Help Falling in Love” and Bon Iver’s “Skinny Love”, performed in a trio of feminine grace.
The band came back out to perform some of her more popular hits such as the roundabout chorus from “The Chain” and “Be Ok”. Michaelson notes the next song was a fan favorite but with not wanting to hate the song and never playing it, the musicians put a genre twist on it to keep it fresh and enjoyable for everyone. They began the romantic pop tune of “You & I” but to a polka styling which still received cheers and applause. The show ended with Michaelson’s newest breakup anthem hit, “Girls Chase Boys”. The night felt like a wooden rollercoaster ride of up tempo, catchy pop highs seguing to geeky stories and indie slow ballads. Michaelson will return to the NY area at the end of July to The Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett and Summer Stage in Central Park NYC.
Michaelson dances to her own drum with creative compositions that reflects her emotions that anyone can relate to. Ingrid Michaelson continues to share her songwriting in a quirky manner and wants fans to remember that “Different is always a good thing.”
The venue was originally an urban retail store and a shoe repair shop. After renting out the Yorkstone Pub and turning it into the Bayou Cafe, the owners continued to expand further until the stage was built and the bar looked the way the owner’s had planned. Throughout the 2000’s, the venue quickly became known for cover bands that would bring in throngs of people every weekend, with a line out the door. Eventually, cover bands no longer brought the same crowd every weekend and the scene in downtown Albany began to quickly change. The owners saw an opportunity to change the venue for the better of the community and offer live shows that music enthusiasts would want to see. The long time owners sold the venue to close friends of their family and took over the booking for all acts at what would then on be referred to as “The Hollow.” The name is a nod to the area surrounding the venue which has long been referred to as 
The venue itself is a great spot to catch music locally. The large bar set a few feet from the stage makes it easy not to miss the musical acts while quenching your thirst. All of the Hollow’s bartenders and waitstaff are friendly and personable making it a relaxed environment during happy hour, lunch, dinner or during a live show. The front patio is the perfect place during the warmer months to sit outside with friends even during times where there are no performances. The menu offered at The Hollow gives a wide array of options for whatever your appetite may be, also offering their different pairings of wine and beer for each meal. The bar itself is divided into sections, one section holds the stage and wrap around bar which can get pretty packed during a sold out show, there is a section with some tables and a pool table for those concert goers that want to see the music but not necessarily be within a large crowd of people, as this section can also get pretty packed during a sold out show. The third section is generally only used for dining guests and is rarely full of people during a live show, while a second bar in which you do not have to pay cover for the show to grab a few drinks with friends.