People & Places You Should Know: MoJo's Cafe & Gallery

Happy Thursday, Capital Region! Today, we’re raising a glass to MoJo’s Cafe & Gallery, which has blossomed into a dynamic creative hub in downtown Troy in its first year. Plus, get ready for the lovely spring weekend ahead with our Top 5 Weekend Picks & more! 🌷👨‍🌾 

—Phat X. Chiem & Karley Sullivan

Good MoJo: Troy’s music joint also makes a mean mocha ☕️ 🎸 

When musicians Niek and Alana Velvis packed up their Denver recording studio and landed in the Capital District, they didn’t exactly plan on opening a cafe and gallery. Until they walked into the old Superior Merchandise space on Fourth Street in Troy.

“We saw the potential for a venue right away,” Niek tells us in a recent chat. “Music was always the focus. Once we added the idea of serving coffee in the morning and art on the walls—it just felt right.”

This month, MoJo’s Cafe & Gallery marks its first year in business. If you’ve stepped into the space, you know it’s more than just a spot to grab a cold brew—although customers rave about their drink specials like the “Mojoccino” and roasted matcha latte.

It’s an intimate, 40ish seat hangout where creativity flows freely—from acoustic sets and poetry nights to burlesque shows and drink-and-draw sessions. It’s this eclectic mix of events that initially caught our attention.

“You should be able to look at our calendar and find at least one thing that speaks to you,” Niek says. “Some of our favorite shows are when people come in and say, ‘Can we do this?’ And we say, ‘Yes! Let’s figure it out.’”

The husband-and-wife duo met in Denver’s music scene—she’s a classically trained percussionist, and he’s a bassist and guitarist. Before settling in Troy, the couple explored other options, but they kept circling back to the Capital Region—drawn by family ties and the energy they felt every time they played gigs at the Twisted Fiddler or the Troy Farmers Market.

“The Troy scene was welcoming from the start,” Niek says. “It felt like a place we could grow something.”

For their anniversary party on May 16, MoJo’s is inviting Natalie Cressman and Ian Faquini—the same jazz duo who played their first ticketed show last year. “That was a big deal for us,” Niek says. “They trusted us as a brand-new venue. And now they’re back.”

Expect more creative programming, a revamped courtyard during the warm months, and expanded evening hours now that MoJo’s is serving beer, wine & cider.

The deets: MoJo’s 1st Birthday Bash 🎉 🎂 
 📍 147 Fourth St, Troy
🗓️ Friday, May 16. Doors open at 6p. $40 + fees.
 🎵 Featuring: Natalie Cressman & Ian Faquini + Joseph Biss
🎁 Mention The 518 Newsletter and get 10% off any MoJo’s merch!

💰️ Seems like Albany really is getting that $400 million that the governor promised. The cash infusion will fund a massive revitalization effort aimed at reversing years of economic decline, suburban flight, and inner-city violence. “I love this community and I believe deeply…in its future,” Gov. Hochul said. Same, guvnor, same 👏 [Times Union]

🎸 Albany’s Alive at Five summer concert series announced its lineup this week. Highlights include Lupe Fiasco, Boys Like Girls, and Middle Aged Dad Jam Band. The series is returning to its original location at Tricentennial Park to help revitalize downtown and support local businesses still recovering from the pandemic. Queensrÿche with Gozer kick off the summer on June 5. [WAMC]

🦎 On Tuesday, the vacant Fownes Brothers Glove Factory in Gloversville went up in flames, and arson is suspected. Unfortunately, the fire also consumed Adirondack Exotics next door and killed all of the pets inside, including frogs, geckos, spiders, scorpions and a parrot. The blaze is reigniting concerns over the city’s abandoned buildings. [CBS 6]

A word from our sponsor

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Get $10 off tix with promo code: THE518 🙌 

⭐️ First Friday Albany returns this week with popup art shows happening in and around downtown. Participating venues include Albany Institute of History & Art, City Hall, Larkin Hi-Fi, Lark Hall & The Eleven, Nine Pin Cider, Albany Barn, Albany Center Gallery, Elks Lodge, and much more! See the full schedule of events here. Free.

⭐️ On Saturday, the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market kicks off its 26th outdoor season. Hit up the Planet Vintage Popup Market while you’re at it. And be sure to drop by the Ovenbird Baking booth, where Eliza Hunter will be selling her incredible sourdough loaves. She’s making a permanent move to the Troy market—sorry, Delmar. Free.

⭐️ Hangar on the Hudson kicks off its outdoor music season with The Spring Thing, a festival featuring a range of live performances, from “high-energy organ-infused punk” to thrash metal to classic honky tonk. Put on your dancing (or thrashing) shoes and hop over to Troy for 8 bands on 2 stages. Sat, 3—10p, $20 + fees.

⭐️ The Big Bethlehem Yard Sale on Saturday is your chance to clear your clutter for a good cause. On Sunday, A Big Gay Market makes up for last week’s cancellation (due to high winds), in Washington Park. Both free.

⭐️ Saratoga is gonna be slammin’ this weekend. First, you’ve got Saratoga Comic Con, billed as the largest pop culture event in upstate NY. Then there’s the 2025 Saratoga Margarita & Mimosa Fest 🍾 Not to mention all of the Derby Day parties 🐎 including the fancy folks celebrating Derby Day at Saratoga National. Hey ‘Toga, leave some fun for the rest of us 😅 Prices and times vary, so check the links!

🎟️ MORE NOTABLE EVENTS

Don’t miss these exhibitions currently on view:

• Outcasts: Mary Banning’s World of Mushrooms | NYS Museum

• Art+Design BFA Exhibit | Opalka Gallery

• 2025 MFA Thesis Exhibition | UAlbany Art Museum

• Americans Who Tell the Truth | Albany Institute of History & Art

TONIGHT

Tri-County Literacy Center puts on its 4th annual fundraiser, “Celebrating the Art of Community,” at the Crandall Public Library.

FRIDAY

🍸 The Albany Institute of History & Art goes all out for First Friday with free admission, music by DJ Sam, pop-up cocktails from the Larkin Hi-Fi and a floral design workshop led by Pepper Floral.

🖼️ Russell Sage’s Art+Design BFA exhibit opens at Opalka Gallery during Albany First Friday, 5—7p.

🐍 The Flora Fauna Conference 2025 is where breeders of exotic plants and exotic pets come together.

🥟 For AAPI Heritage Month, Two Little Dumplings & Eggcellent on The Lawn will host a popup at Stuyvesant Plaza.

SATURDAY

🌲 I Love My Park Day with events happening across NYS to celebrate the state’s world-class park system. Click here to find an event near you. Schuyler Mansion and Peebles Island are among the participating state parks.

🦸 The Cohoes Public Library invites you to “Star Wars Day & Free Comic Book Day” with costumed characters and arts & crafts activities.

🏃‍♂️🍺 How can you go wrong with a 5K called Have a Drink on Me? This closed course, USATF-certified race has a great after-party at the SingleCut North Taproom.

🔬 Siena College invites all ages to The Great Siena Expedition—a day of STEM activities, and health & science discoveries. Targeted at middle school kids. The first 300 explorers get a special gift!

SUNDAY

🥁 The Albany Institute of History & Art screens the award-winning documentary, Truth Tellers. Learn more about artist / activist Robert Shetterly, whose wonderfully painted portraits are featured in the 🔥 Americans Who Tell the Truth exhibit.

🍄 The Foraged NY festival kicks off with a foraging walk at Indian Ladder Farms. Exclusively for our subscribers: Get 25% off the May 10th performance with Sean Rowe (does not include the VIP dinner). Use promo code: readthe518foraged

💃 Girls Upstate invites you to Upstate Coffee Party, billed as the Capital Region’s new daytime party (11a-2p).

🏢 The Capital Region Big Climb challenges walkers and runners to take the stairs to the top of the Corning Tower, in a fundraiser for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

🥕 Capital Roots celebrates its 50th anniversary with a spring brunch that’s touted as “the largest brunch in the Capital Region” with hundreds of top restaurants participating. Plus, indulge in bottomless mimosas and bloody Marys.

🏠️ Historic Cherry Hill presents “The World of James Knapp: Black Life in Gilded Age Albany.”

🪕 The East Greenbush Community Library welcomes Midnight Choir, who will deliver a repertoire curated from American roots music, bluegrass, and jazz.

GET YOUR EVENT ON THE LIST 🎸

Weekly deadline: Sundays at 2pm

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