Weekend Update: Princeton Hosts Some Impressive Artists -- and Some Making Their First Impressions

Princeton, NJ – We’ve got a lot to consider this weekend – a world premiere play (Empire Records) opening at McCarter, bands at Hinds Plaza Friday night and Sunday afternoon, two arts openings at the Arts Council on Saturday afternoon, a 5K race and 1-mile fun run at the Battlefield Park Sunday morning, and an author’s talk Sunday afternoon at the Public Library about a biographical novel about Oriana Fallaci, a provocative Italian journalist of the 1950s and 1960s. Tea and cookies will be served.

That’s quite a line-up, even without the tea and cookies.

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So what do we highlight in this introduction? How about none of the above. Instead let’s take note an informal reception for an art opening at Small World Coffee at 254 Nassau Street Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m.

The artists, both from Princeton, are new to us: Samantha Renda, a sophomore at Stevens Institute of Technology, whose acrylic paintings are often inspired by mostly by landscapes and animals; and Aiden Pesnell, a photographer whose camera technique allows viewers to focus on a center point while the rest of the scene spins around it.

The best part is told by the Small World press announcement: “Aiden is 9 years old and this will be his first show at Small World. More of Aiden’s work is available on his website ."

The website is to the point: “Hi, I'm Aiden, age 9. I love snapping pictures from unique perspectives.”

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More of Samantha Renda’s work can be found on Instagram .

In case you or someone you know is driving into town this weekend, here’s a link to downtown parking sites . It’s not easy to decipher, but it’s worth checking out.

Friday, September 6

3:30 to 4:30 p.m.: Art opening, Small World Coffee Nassau, 254 Nassau Street. Princeton-based artists Aiden Pesnell, 9 years old, and college student Samantha Renda.

5 to 8 p.m.: Music at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road, Terhuneorchards.com. Music by the Laundrymen.

6 to 9 p.m.: Live Music on the Patio, the Nassau Inn, Palmer Square, nassauinn.com. Jack Landis.

6:30 to 9 p.m.: Concert: B.K. Rivers and Loose Bricks, Hinds Plaza, Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Classic and contemporary rock songs performed by local bands B.K. Rivers and Loose Bricks. Bring a chair.

B.K. Rivers is known for contemporary and classic rock with a blues and country flair. This concert will include songs from their albums "Shake It" and "Just Not My Day" as well as covers of popular acts such as Bruce Springsteen, America, Grand Funk Railroad and Neil Young. The band includes Bobby Kochis (vocals, rhythm guitar), Ed Hermann (lead guitar), Laura Manfredi (bass), and David Ross (drums).

Loose Bricks is a classic rock band covering favorite songs by Journey, Grand Funk Railroad, the Beatles, Boston, the Doobie Brothers, among others. The band is made up of David Lorenzetti (lead vocals), Michael Seidel (lead guitar), David Ross (drums), Rich Volk (rhythm guitar), Nick Romanenko (bass), and Judy Seidel (vocals and rhythm).

In the event of rain, the concert will be canceled.

7 p.m.: Artists’ talk and reception, “Release the Shame,” Lewis Center for the Arts, CoLab, Lewis Arts Complex, Princeton University. arts.princeton.edu. Visually impaired artist and choreographer Christopher “Unpezverde” Núñez and neurodivergent artist Branden Wallace explore the complex concept of “shame” and how it converges with themes such as sexuality, fear, learning processes, immigration, and productivity in the lives of disabled people. Through September 12.

7:30 p.m.: Empire Records: The Musical, McCarter Theatre, 91 University Place, mccarter.org, 609-258-2787. World premiere of the musical version of the 1990s cult film classic. Through Sunday, October 6. Empire Records tells the story of a band of idealist misfits fighting to save their beloved record store from a corporate takeover. With tactics ranging from desperate to dangerous, the team comes together during a visit by over the hill pop star Rex Manning to discover the true value of friendship, love, and music—all in one extraordinary, unforgettable day.

8 p.m.: Princeton Folk Dance, Suzanne Patterson Center, 45 Stockton Street. www.princetonfolkdance.org. Lesson followed by open dancing. No partner necessary. (No dances on June28 and July 5 due to floor resurfacing.)

9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.: DJ at the Ivy Inn, 248 Nassau Street, ivyinnprinceton.com. DJ TY.

Saturday, September 7

9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: West Windsor Farmers Market, Vaughn Drive parking lot, Princeton Junction train station. Fresh produce and more. Wwcfm.org.

10 a.m.: Princeton Canal Walkers, Turning Basin Park, Alexander Road. Three-mile walk on the tow- path, weather permitting. Register by e-mailing canalwalkers@googlegroups.com for notices of weather-related cancellations.

11 a.m. to Noon: Gratitude Yoga at Herrontown Woods, 452 Herrontown Road, www.herrontownwoods.org/events. Donation-based yoga on the grounds next to Veblen House, with Gemma Farrell. Open to all levels of yoga practice.

Noon to 2 p.m.: Music on the Palmer Square Green, Palmersquare.com. Kindred Spirit performs.

1:30 to 4:30 p.m.: Music at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road, Terhuneorchards.com. Chris P performs.

2 p.m.: Outdoor Sculpture Tour: Residential Colleges Neighborhood, Princeton University Art Museum, artmuseum.princeton.edu. Meet at Ai Wei-Wei’s Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads on University Place. Art Museum guide leads walking tour of the campus collections.

3 to 5 p.m.: Gallery opening, As Above, So Below, Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street, www. artscouncilofprinceton.org. Paintings by Douglas Florian that play with movement against stasis, symmetry against asymmetry, and density against expansiveness, in confined organic spaces that reference cosmology, typography, cartography, calligraphy, textile design, and illuminated manuscripts. They also exhibit variations within a restricted format and are sequential in form and feeling. On view through September 28.

3 to 5 p.m.: Gallery opening, Intersecting Identities, Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street, www. artscouncilofprinceton.org. Exhibit features works by Isabel Nazario, Julio Nazario, and Rodríguez Calero. The three work from a consciousness of their Puerto Rican heritage, using it to interrogate issues of immigration, cultural crossover, violence, and place. The three represent the strong presence and impact of New Jersey’s Latinx cultural community. On view through September 28.

4 to 6 p.m.: History/Nature Hike at Institute Woods, Historical Society of Princeton, Princeton Battlefield parking lot, 500 Mercer Street, www.princetonhistory.org. Hike through the Institute Woods to explore bits of history, hear stories about the Woods’ origin and the ways IAS mathematicians, physicists, and other members have engaged with it. Stops will highlight the history of early Stony Brook, the Battle of Princeton, the Old Trolley trail, the establishment of the Institute for Advanced Study, and Founders Rock. Special stop at the Swinging Bridge, then hike over to the observation decks at the adjacent Rogers Wildlife Refuge. Register .

7 p.m.: Music at Small World Coffee, 14 Witherspoon Street. www.smallworldcoffee.com. McMillan & Co. performs.

7 to 11:30 p.m.: Central Jersey Dance Society, Suzanne Patterson Center, 45 Stockton Street, 609-945-1883. www.centraljerseydance.org. West Coast Swing lesson followed by open dancing to a playlist of California Mix, East Coast Swing, West Coast Swing, Hustle, and Latin dance music. No partner needed.

7:30 p.m.: Empire Records: The Musical, McCarter Theatre, 91 University Place, mccarter.org, 609-258-2787. World premiere of the musical version of the 1990s cult film classic. Through Sunday, October 6. Empire Records tells the story of a band of idealist misfits fighting to save their beloved record store from a corporate takeover. With tactics ranging from desperate to dangerous, the team comes together during a visit by over the hill pop star Rex Manning to discover the true value of friendship, love, and music—all in one extraordinary, unforgettable day.

9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.: DJ at the Ivy Inn, 248 Nassau Street, ivyinnprinceton.com. DJ Fatha Ramzee.

Sunday, September 8

8:30 a.m.: 5K Race and 1 mile fun run/walk, RevNJ Race Series, Princeton Battlefield State Park, 500 Mercer Road. www.revnj.org. Part of series of 5K races and fun runs at Revolutionary War battlefields and other historic sites in advance of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. Post-race Battlefield tour available from Princeton Battlefield Society. Register.

9 to 11 a.m.: Friends of the Herrontown Woods, May's Barden Café. Coffee and homemade treats at the Princeton Botanical Art Garden (Barden), 600 Snowden Lane. All ages welcome. www.herrontownwoods.org/events. Weather permitting.

10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.: Herrontown Woods Volunteer Workday, help with trail upkeep, invasive species removal, and planting native flora. Meet at the Princeton Botanical Art Garden (Barden), 600 Snowden Lane. All ages welcome. www.herrontownwoods.org/events .

1 p.m.: Author talk, Anastasia Rubis discusses “ Oriana: A Novel of Oriana Fallaci,” with Laurie Albanese, Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street, princetonlibrary.org. Tea and cookies will be served. Book signing to follow.

From the event description: Anastasia Rubis has written the first biographical novel about Oriana Fallaci, the brilliant and glamorous Italian journalist who blazed a trail for women in the 1960s and '70s with her provocative interviews of world leaders and celebrities, but struggled in her personal life to find love and happiness. Fallaci is placed in the same category as Barbara Walters and Mike Wallace when naming the greatest interviewers of all time and is widely considered as a trailblazer who broke through the glass ceiling of journalism, but the story of her career and her great love is little-known in America — until now.

About the author: Anastasia Rubis’ writing has appeared in the New York Times, Huffington Post, New York Observer, Creative Nonfiction, North American Review, [PANK], Fiction International and Literary Mama. One of her stories, “Girl Falling,” was named a Notable Essay in Best Essays of 2014. Another, “Blue Pools,” was included in the anthology Oh, Baby published by Creative Nonfiction and edited by Lee Gutkind. She co-wrote and co-directed a 13-minute documentary titled Breakfast Lunch Dinner: The Greek Diner Story on YouTube. She earned a BA magna cum laude from Brown University and an MA from Montclair State University, where she taught essay writing. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and daughter and spends summers in Greece, where her parents were born.

Moderator Laurie Lico Albanese has published fiction, poetry, journalism, travel writing, creative nonfiction, and memoir. Her books include "Hester," "Stolen Beauty," "Blue Suburbia: Almost a Memoir," "Lynelle by the Sea," and "The Miracles of Prato," co-written with art historian Laura Morowitz. Albanese lives in Montclair.

1:30 to 4:30 p.m.: Music at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road, Terhuneorchards.com. Mike & Laura perform.

2 p.m.: Empire Records: The Musical, McCarter Theatre, 91 University Place, mccarter.org, 609-258-2787. World premiere of the musical version of the 1990s cult film classic. Through Sunday, October 6. Empire Records tells the story of a band of idealist misfits fighting to save their beloved record store from a corporate takeover. With tactics ranging from desperate to dangerous, the team comes together during a visit by over the hill pop star Rex Manning to discover the true value of friendship, love, and music—all in one extraordinary, unforgettable day.

2 to 4 p.m.: Princeton History Walking Tour, starting in the courtyard of the Princeton Battle Monument, 1 Monument Drive. princetonhistory.org/events/. Learn about historic sites as you walk around downtown Princeton and the University campus. Tickets required.

2 p.m.: Outdoor Sculpture Tour: Main campus, Princeton University Art Museum, artmuseum.princeton.edu. Meet at Nassau Hall. Art Museum guide leads walking tour of the campus collections. Rain or shine, stair free.

4 p.m.: Listen Local, the Rebound, Hinds Plaza, 65 Witherspoon Street, www.princetonlibrary.org. Classic rock songs from a wide range of bands and eras. The Rebound describes itself as “a Princeton-based band formed by a group of close friends with a shared passion for music. We play an eclectic mix of rock songs, from The Beatles and beyond, spanning the 1960s to the modern era.”

Band members include Bob Belloff (lead vocals, guitar), Andrew Wax (lead guitar, vocals), Laura Manfredi (bass, vocals), and Eric Heller( drums). In the event of rain or extreme heat, the concert will move inside to the Community Room.

6 to 7:30 p.m.: Oppenheimer Walking Tour, Historical Society of Princeton, beginning at Princeton Garden Theatre, 160 Nassau Street, Princetonhistory.org. Inspired by the movie Oppenheimer , the tour includes Princeton University and town locations where it was filmed, but not the Institute for Advanced Study. Fully booked.

Monday, September 9

Recycling Day

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