Notes from around town

 More changes at WROW (Magic 590 AM/100.5 FM).

The station has discontinued, at least for now, The Class Reunion Hour, which ran from 9-10 am as the last hour of Magic in The Morning Monday-Friday. As of January 23, WROW is doing a promotion where they're playing 10 songs in a row between 8:45-9:30. No idea whether this is just a temporary thing, or if The Class Reunion Hour, which got its start at WGY-AM (810 AM) when they still had music, will return. And it probably will.

The Saturday talk show block has long been decimated. Local businessman Greg Aidala, who ran an unsuccessful campaign for Mayor of Albany in 2021, had launched a weekly show last spring, but with little to no promotion behind it, Aidala was quietly let go over the summer. The Herzog Law Firm, which has had a weekly show discussing estate planning and retirement for years, had the show reduced to 30 minutes on January 14. Magic in The Morning Saturday host John Gabriel is the current moderator, and after the show ends, Gabriel is back to playing music until The Cruise Ship, from Madison Wealth Managers, airs at 10 am, so Gabriel is now on the air from 5-8 and 8:30-10, even getting in some bonus time at 11 am, while also doing afternoon drive (2-7 pm) Monday-Friday. We'll review The Cruise Ship another time.

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The Albany Times-Union is reporting that the Smashburger restaurant chain has abruptly closed its 3 locations in the 518 (Colonie, Schenectady, and Saratoga), but while the locations are still on the website, the shops were closed last month without explanation. One likely will be coming soon.

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Local comics fans have a new place to hang out.

Newbury Comics opened a ways back at Crossgates Mall, with more of an emphasis on Japanese manga than on the usual fare from American publishers.

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It was inevitable.

Calypso, a West Indian eatery occupying the former Troy Kitchen space on Congress Street, was the site of a shooting early Sunday morning. 

Police responded to a report of shots fired during an after-hours party. Police are still investigating. One victim was taken to the hospital.

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A while back, we told you about how The Daily Grind was closing its Troy location and remaining open in Albany.

Bard & Baker, a gamers' cafe, if you will, in Troy, is doing the opposite, closing its Albany location and expanding operations in its Troy home in the former home of The Record at 501 Broadway. They've experimented with live entertainment recently, and the response may be such that this could continue. Stay tuned.