Capital Region this week: Forbidden, Secondhand Serenade and more

A thrash bill and a sing-along night back to back under North Pearl Street, Sweeping Promises in Troy, and a Sunday-afternoon set in Amsterdam.

The basement under 93 North Pearl Street is doing a lot of the heavy lifting this weekend. Empire Underground, the lower-level room at Empire Live, hosts two very different sold-on-the-door crowds on consecutive nights: a West Coast thrash package on Saturday and a Sunday sing-along on the 8th. Add a Sub Pop band in Troy, a Thursday-night Isbell show and an afternoon set in Amsterdam, and the back half of the week is full.

Start with Forbidden at Empire Underground on Saturday, Nov. 7, doors-to-close metal with Heathen and Void on the bill and a 7 p.m. start. It's a stop on the band's Chaos By Design U.S. tour, which runs through Nov. 22 in Los Angeles. One thing to know before you go: bassist Matt Camacho and drummer Chris Kontos are sitting out this fall's run for personal reasons, with Avery Thurman of Blind Illusion stepping in on bass. With Heathen on the same bill, it's a strong night for anyone who came up on Bay Area thrash. Tickets via Ticketmaster.

The room itself is a big part of why Albany gets shows like this. Empire Live opened downtown as a two-level club, a 1,000-capacity general-admission floor at street level and a smaller basement space, Empire Underground, with its own entrance. The Downtown Albany BID marked its first anniversary with a ribbon cutting in August 2022, billing it as the first premier club downtown in 30 years. At around 350 capacity, the Underground is where touring metal, punk and emo bands land when they're too big for a bar and too small for the Palace.

The week, night by night:

Thu, Nov. 5 — Jason Isbell at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, 7 p.m. The week's marquee songwriter night, in a 1,253-capacity hall. Tickets

Fri, Nov. 6 — Dweezil Zappa at Palace Theatre, 8 p.m. Rock on the biggest stage of the week in Albany. Tickets via Ticketmaster

Fri, Nov. 6 — Blue October with Danny Malone at Hart Theatre at The Egg, 8 p.m. A seated, close-up night in The Egg's larger room. Tickets

Sat, Nov. 7 — Forbidden with Heathen and Void at Empire Underground, 7 p.m. See above. Tickets via Ticketmaster

Sat, Nov. 7 — Nick Corredor at The Local Center for Arts and Culture, Saugerties, 8 p.m. A 200-capacity room for the drive down the Thruway. Tickets via DICE

Sun, Nov. 8 — T.V. Doctors at Second Act Spirits, Amsterdam, 1 p.m. An afternoon set at the distillery, home before dark. Info

Sun, Nov. 8 — Secondhand Serenade at Empire Underground, 7 p.m. Back to the basement for the sing-along. Tickets run $33.80–$121.65. Tickets via Ticketmaster

Sun, Nov. 8 — Sweeping Promises at No Fun, Troy, 7 p.m. The post-punk duo are touring You Say I Romanticize, their Sub Pop album out since Aug. 14, and Troy comes just before two Brooklyn nights on Nov. 10 and 11. In a 210-capacity room, this is the one to catch up close. Tickets via Eventbrite

Two nights, one basement, two completely different crowds.

Sunday is the real test of stamina: Amsterdam at lunchtime, then a choice between North Pearl Street and River Street at 7. Whichever way you go, it's a weekend that makes a case for staying local.

Sources: FORBIDDEN Bassist MATT CAMACHO And Drummer CHRIS KONTOS To Sit Out Fall 2026 U.S. Tour; Temporary Replacements Announced (Blabbermouth) (blabbermouth.net); Heathen events (Live Nation) (livenation.com); Empire Live and Empire Underground to open on Pearl Street in Albany (NYS Music) (nysmusic.com); Entertainment destination celebrates one year anniversary with ribbon cutting ceremony (Downtown Albany BID) (downtownalbany.org); Empire Live celebrates one year in Downtown with ribbon cutting (Downtown Albany BID) (downtownalbany.org); Sweeping Promises announce mammoth fall 2026 North American tour (Sub Pop) (subpop.com); Sweeping Promises announce new album, You Say I Romanticize (Treble) (treblezine.com); Forbidden at Empire Underground (JamBase) (jambase.com)