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Best of Rochester 2012
It really has been quite a race. Once again we broke our previous voting records in both the primary and final ballots for the Readers Poll, and some of the contests came down to the slimmest of margins. Check out the results of the readers’ poll, our critics’ picks, and some of the funny answers…
Daily Choices: What to do on Wednesday, October 24
SPECIAL EVENT: The circus is in town! The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & BaileyCircus present the exciting new show Fully Charged at Blue Cross Arena (1 War Memorial Square) through this Sunday, October 28. Catch the show today at 7 p.m. Tickets are $12-$25; to purchase or for more information, call 1-800-745-3000, or visit ringling.com,…
No appeal for Marriage Equality Law
The New York State Court of Appeals, the highest court in the state, issued a statement today essentially denying New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms the ability to appeal the Marriage Equality Act. The law permits same-sex couples in New York to marry. “With the court’s decision, same-sex couples no longer have to worry that their…
Rochester police struggle with shootings, homicides
If you feel like the City of Rochester has been a more violent place this year, you’re right. Though still down from historical highs, homicides and especially shootings have taken an aggressive upswing in 2012. Rochester Police Chief James Sheppard held a press conference this morning to review third -quarter crime statistics. The news isn’t…
Education commission hears local problems and solutions
Governor Cuomo’s New NY Education Reform Commission ended its statewide listening tour of school district officials, politicians, and community leaders in Rochester yesterday. The commission is charged with gathering information about what is and isn’t working to boost student achievement, and then making recommendations for improvement to Cuomo. The commission panel, which included state Education…
US should use caution when aiding rebel groups
The United States has a long history of aiding coups against unfriendly regimes, only to watch the the rebel groups it aided become unfriendly. And the new regimes often have gone on to commit human rights abuses of their own. In some cases, the goal was to stop the spread of Communism. That was an…
“RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” Episode 1: Pair shaped
A regular season of “Drag Race” is a ridiculous reality-TV spectacle like no other, so an “All Stars” season has the potential to be…pretty much the gayest thing ever. A dozen of our favorite queens (well, at least 11 of our favorite queens) are back for another chance at the “Drag Race” title and $100,000.…
Jazz Fest 2013: Club Passes on sale Friday, October 26
The Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival today announced that Club Passes for the 2013 edition of the festival will go on sale Friday, October 26. The passes will sell for a “holiday price” of $174 (plus $6 service charge) until midnight on December 31; as of January 1 the cost will increase to $194 (plus…
Week ahead: education meetings, crime stat review, and anti-fracking proposal discussion
Members of the 25-person New NY Education Reform Commission are in Rochester today to hear recommendations for improving student achievement from educators, advocates, and community members. The commission was created by Governor Cuomo to gather information on issues of particular concern to school districts and communities throughout the state: teacher evaluations, budget limitations, and graduation…
Daily Choices: What to do on Monday, October 22
COMEDY: The 5th Annual SIS Laugh Out Loud Comedy Event will be held tonight, 5:30 p.m., at Geva Theatre Center (75 Woodbury Blvd.), and features top national comics, complimentary food tastings, live entertainment, and a silent auction to provide financial support for individuals battling breast cancer. Tickets are $40. For more info, call 232-4382 or…
“The Walking Dead” Season 3, Episode 2
Well oh golly gee, when did Rick (Andrew Lincoln)’s balls drop? My main complaint this season is probably going to be that we don’t know exactly when they dropped (given the show skipped over a few months and even more character development), but in an episode much stronger than the premiere, we really came face-to-face…
Daily Choices: What to do on Saturday and Sunday, October 20-21
SPECIAL EVENT: The 2nd annual Buccaneers’ Ball will take place Saturday starting at 6 p.m. at Rochester Airport Marriott Hotel (1890 Ridge Road West). The 21+ event features casino-style gambling, grazing stations, music, dancing, prizes for best costumes, and raffles and auction items. The cost to attend is $65; for tickets and more info, call…
Clinton stumps for Slaughter, Hochul
Former President Bill Clinton says the country needs cooperation and not conflict to get back on track. In an appearance at the Main Street Armory this afternoon, Clinton told the crowd of about 2,000 people why they should vote for either Kathy Hochul or Louise Slaughter, incumbent Democrats facing tough re-election contests for their House…
Truth takes an election holiday
Watching the 2012 presidential election unfold, Jack Nicholson’s great scene as Colonial Nathan Jessep in the film “A Few Good Men” comes to mind. “You can’t handle the truth,” Jessep snarls when he’s pressed about the murder of a young cadet. Something has happened to truth in this election. Is truth’s troubling absence due to…
Brooks, Slaughter debate: No knockouts
Maggie Brooks and Louise Slaughter came out swinging tonight in their first debate. The candidates for the 25th Congressional District, incumbent Democrat Slaughter and Republican Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks, squared-off in the WXXI studio. The one-hour debate, which was moderated by 13WHAM’s Sean Carroll, followed a somewhat schizophrenic format. The candidates fielded questions from…
Concert Review: RPO’s Mahler, Grieg, Nakamatsu
The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, led by Musical Director Arild Remmereit, spared no expense last night to pack the stage of Kodak Hall to perform Mahler’s Fifth Symphony. By my count there were 26 violins, nine violas, eight cellos, eight bass, harp, seven French horns, four trumpets, three trombones, one tuba, six oboes, three clarinets, four…
Daily Choices: What to do on Friday, October 19
COMEDY: Geva Comedy Improv will present two nights of "Halloweenprov," starting tonight with "Campfire Improv" at 8:30 p.m., and continuing Saturday with a "Monster Mash" double feature at 8:30 p.m. The shows take place at Geva Theatre Center (75 Woodbury Blvd.) and tickets are $10. For more information, call 232-4382 or visit gevacomedyimprov.org. MUSIC: I’m…
DOMA ruled unconstitutional
A second federal appeals court has struck down the Defense of Marriage Act as unconstitutional, according to the New York Times. The 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals issued the ruling Thursday. The three-judge panel said the law violates equal protection. The issue is expected to go to the Supreme Court.
Vargas emphasizes early childhood education
The Rochester school district has become a “remedial district,” Superintendent Bolgen Vargas said today at an early morning meeting with parents and students. The term is used by educators to describe a teaching atmosphere that emphasizes helping students catch up to as close to grade level as possible. The way to change the district, he…
Exodus To Jazz goes on semi-hiatus
Citing low turnout for earlier shows in the season, promoter Jose DaCosta announced today that the Exodus to Jazz series is going on a semi-hiatus while the schedule is reconsidered. That means that the E.J. Strickland and Rene Marie concerts, originally scheduled for Saturday, October 27, and Thursday, November 15, respectively, are being postponed due…
South Park Season 16, Episode 11
I’ve never been to Hawaii, so perhaps my falling out with this episode just comes from not being a native and just not understanding.
Energy conservation ignored in debate
Early in Tuesday’s presidential debate, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney got off on a tangent that wanted to be a discussion of energy policy. Instead, it was a mess. Arguments were mangled and facts were pushed over into a corner somewhere. As they tried to out-coal and out-natural gas one another, neither candidate was particularly…
Daily Choices: What to do on Thursday, October 18
DANCE: Rochester City Ballet will hold an open rehearsal of its upcoming "Nutcracker" performance tonight, 6:30-8 p.m., at the company’s studios at 1326 University Avenue. The event is free to attend, but seating is limited. RSVP by calling 461-5850. Visit rochestercityballet.com/in-studio-series.php. MUSIC: Want to get a chance to check out several of the hottest up-and-coming…
“American Horror Story: Asylum” Season 2, Episode 1
If you aren’t a rabid follower of all things “American Horror Story,” the premier of season two may have left you a little confused. Any questions you still have burning from season one? Well, you’re going to have to deal with them, as for better or for worse, season two is a fresh start for…
Debate #2, part 2: Romney’s affirmative-action fib
Well, well, well…. Remember the debate segment last night where Romney bragged about seeking out qualified women to serve in his administration when he became governor? Not true, says our sister alt-weekly, the Boston Phoenix. When Romney was asked last night what he would do to help women achieve pay equity, Romney adopted a tactic…
Concert Review: Twins of Evil Tour w/Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson
The Main Street Armory loomed ominous beneath a moonless sky Tuesday night as thousands lined up for the benediction within. It was like a scene out of a movie, as the soulless shuffled shoulder to shoulder past the bible beaters, buskers, and street-meat purveyors to the Twins of Evil circus inside, led by Rob Zombie…
“Face Off” Season 3: Borg this way
Well, THAT was a bummer. Last night’s “Face Off,” in which we went from five contestants to four, felt more like a slump to the finish line than a race to the finale. Burnout is to be expected at this stage of the competition, but it’s really starting to affect several of the competitors, and…
Debate #2: Just how smart is the average voter?
Three-quarters of the way through last night’s presidential debate, I figured the debate was over — and that Mitt Romney was headed for the White House. I feel a little better about the event this morning; most of the media analysis I’ve read this morning is calling President Obama a clear winner in the debate.…
Clean coal is still just a dream
Just a reminder: there’s no such thing as clean coal. During last night’s presidential debate, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney each reiterated their energy policies. And they both included clean coal as an aspect of their plans. But there’s a catch: clean coal is more theoretical than it is practical. The term clean coal can…
Best of Rochester 2012: Restaurants
Readers’ picks for the best Restaurants of Rochester
DANCE: Brockport Dance/Strasser
All types of dance will be showcased this weekend at SUNY Brockport’s “DANCE/Strasser,” taking place Thursday, October 18-Saturday, October 20, at 7:30 p.m. One performer, Nicole Kaplan, will premiere her MFA thesis entitled “Mapping.” Additionally, Michelle Glynn, recipient of the Bette Bailey Scholarship for Excellence in Dance, choreographed the trio, “The XY Variables,” which will…
MUSIC REVIEW: Boogie disease
So there I was at the Bug Jar Friday night for the first of what I hope will be many Trash Wave Fests, digging on the Clockmen as the band sunk its teeth into some dangerously fast and loud thinking-man’s punk (as I like to call it). This is one mighty trio, softened only by…
Best of Rochester 2012: Shopping
Readers’ picks for the best Shopping of Rochester
SPECIAL EVENT: RIT’s Brick City Homecoming
As RIT celebrates its Brick City Homecoming & Family Weekend, the college and the greater city of Rochester communities will benefit from a host of exciting activities. Actor Alec Baldwin will be featured as the Horton Distinguished Speaker this year, and will speak at 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 20, in the Gordon Field House…
HARD ROCK: Geoff Tate
What makes Queensryche unmistakably Queensryche is Geoff Tate’s soaring, quasi-operatic vocal flight. The music on his second solo outing, “Kings and Thieves,” is not the radical musical departure you might expect. It kind of sounds like Queensryche. Over the course of the band’s 30-plus-year history, Tate’s voice has ridden atop its prog-metal blast and seems…
Best of Rochester 2012: Local Color
Readers’ picks for the best Local Color of Rochester
SPECIAL EVENT: Celebration of the Little
Rochester’s favorite independent theater has cause to celebrate this week. On Tuesday, October 23, The Little Theatre (240 East Ave.) will honor three individuals who have helped the Little in its journey to become the cultural center it is today with its “A Celebration of the Little Theatre” event. Actress, author, and activist Mimi Kennedy…
INDIE ROCK: Quiet Company, Brick + Mortar
You might not know it, but if you spent much time watching MTV, you’ve heard Austin natives Quiet Company, who were featured several times on “The Real World: New Orleans” as well as other “reality” “entertainment” programs, even nabbing a spot on “Last Call with Carson Daly.” Quiet Company has that indie-rock sound well suited…
Best of Rochester 2012: Media
Readers’ picks for the best Media of Rochester
RECREATION: Seasonal Walking Tours
Now that we’re into mid-fall, it’s a great time to get outside and admire nature’s transition into the next season. To get a prime view of the multicolored leaves covering — or abandoning — our local trees, take advantage of The Friends of Mt. Hope Cemetery’s “Fall Foliage Tour” on Saturday, October 20, at noon.…
POP/ROCK: Ryan Cabrera
This young, Dallas-born, pop-rock star picked up a guitar at the age of 16 and has been writing and recording music ever since. His early career was defined by a long string of nights in bars, restaurants, and clubs. Cabrera eventually landed a gig playing acoustic guitar for the band Rubix Groove, which opened for…
Best of Rochester 2012: Nightlife
Readers’ picks for the best Nightlife of Rochester
THEATER: New Shows
Updated on 10/18/12 to correct the price for “Freud’s Last Session.” Several new shows open this weekend in local theaters. From Friday, October 19, through Sunday, October 28, Blackfriars Theatre will host the world premiere of the original musical “Melanie and the Record Man.” While detailing the true story of the making of a folk-rock…
JAZZ: Rob Garcia 4
Aspiring musicians at School of the Arts will have no shortage of role models Friday night when drummer Rob Garcia brings his all-star group to Rochester. Garcia has played with Wynton Marsalis, Woody Allen, Diana Krall, and many others. Pianist John Stetch won the Prix du Jazz at the Montreal International Festival in 1998 and…
Best of Rochester 2012: Photo Credits
Car information, model names, and “thank you’s”
MOVIE REVIEW: “Argo”
The Iranian hostage crisis of 1979-1981, which some readers may remember, did more than inflation, gasoline prices, or Ronald Reagan to sink Jimmy Carter’s presidency. Every night on ABC TV Ted Koppel would solemnly intone the number of days the captured diplomats remained in the hands of the revolutionaries. The incident also spawned Reagan’s infamous…
SHOEGAZE: Ringo Deathstarr
Ringo Deathstarr can’t be pinned down to a single influence. When you listen to the band, you’ll hear them all, ranging from The Smiths to My Bloody Valentine. The resulting sound is an amalgam that puts the Austin, Texas band right in line with the New Wave of shoegaze that’s been en vogue for the…
Best of Rochester 2012: Critics’ Picks
Critics’ picks for some of the best people, places, and things that make Rochester a cool place to live and work.
MOVIE REVIEW: “Seven Psychopaths”
If Quentin Tarantino had decided to become a used-car salesman, or maybe a dentist, someone else would have made “Pulp Fiction” by now. OK; if not exactly “Pulp Fiction,” then at least a funny, twisty, and operatically violent flick about chatty antiheroes going about their bad-guy business while relatively worse guys try to kill them.…
CLASSICAL: RPO w/Jon Nakamatsu
Norwegian composer Edward Grieg composed only one concerto for piano and orchestra, the beloved Piano Concerto in A Minor. Join the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra for a performance of Grieg’s concerto with guest pianist Jon Nakamatsu. Nakamatsu’s virtuosity earned him the gold medal in the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, while his concert performances have spanned…
Best of Rochester 2012: Best Answers
In which our clever – or adorably befuddled – readers take the mic
ART REVIEW: Glass master
You could say Elizabeth Lyons is Rochester art royalty, being that she’s the daughter of artists Nathan and Joan Lyons. But Elizabeth is also a talented, award-winning, collected artist in her own right, and the owner of Elizabeth Lyons Glass as well as More Fire Glass Studios, a 4,000-square-foot glassmaking facility on Rockwood Place. The…
JAZZ: John Nyerges
John Nyerges has no shortage of different roles on the Rochester jazz scene. For the last 18 years he’s been the pianist at Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Pops concerts. He’s played with Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik for more than 20 years. He can also be found on keyboard in the Madeline Forster Band, the Herb Smith…
DINING REVIEW: Pleased to meat you
It’s a chilly Wednesday evening in early October. The sheds at the Rochester Public Market are vacant, a brisk wind chasing bits of paper and leaves around the wide-open space. On the edges of the market, warehouses, brooding ramparts of industrial-grey concrete and steel rolling doors, stand shuttered and dead under the glare of security…
ROCK/JAZZ/SOUL: Todd East Farewell Concert
Kansas City, Kansas City here he comes… Rochester’s very own piano man, Todd East, is heading west to Missouri. East was a founding member of Prime Time Funk and a figure on the music scene for years, and he has played internationally as well, at clubs like The Lionel Hampton Jazz Club in Paris. East…
AIDS and African Americans
Enormous progress has been made in the treatment of HIV/AIDS since the beginning of the pandemic more than 30 years ago. But a cure remains elusive, and some segments of society, particularly the African American community, continue to experience significant rates of infection. National and local experts, researchers, health-care workers, and activists will discuss the…
City moves on land banks
City of Rochester officials are taking steps toward setting up a land bank, a nonprofit entity intended to serve as a tool to address vacant properties. Last year, New York passed legislation authorizing 10 land banks across the state. Earlier this year it signed off on five, including one in Erie County. And earlier this…
ANTIQUE POP: Victor & Penny
Victor & Penny — Jeff Freling and Erin McGrane, respectively — both hail from Kansas City, but for the past 16 years the former lived in Chicago, where he performed regularly with Blue Man Group, Mar Caribe, and other respected acts. McGrane has been active in the KC arts and music scene for years, where…
Jill Stein and the politics of courage
Despite the public’s frequent frustration with the quality of candidates for elected office, third parties have historically had trouble gaining traction. They lack the money and other resources necessary to be competitive.
MUSIC PROFILE: Ahura Mazda
With a shiny new project springing from the loins of a fresh perspective, Rochester musician and local enigma Solomon Blaylock is poised to beguile, confound, and entertain once again. Ahura Mazda, Blaylock’s new fab synth-pop collaboration with Craig Marlowe, is a dramatic departure from The Lobster Quadrille. With that band Blaylock presented a brilliant nine-piece…
ART ROCK: Epilogue
Through myriad of lineup changes, the music of Epilogue has emerged as a singularly unique blend of free jazz fusion, minimalism, and avant-garde metal. This “opening-up” of the band’s sonic aesthetic has created a “post-rockish” live platform that lends itself to incomparable and inimitable performances. Michael Aaron Lloyd (percussion), Michael Schuler (bass), RJ Bernfield (guitar),…
Brizard out
After about a year-and-a-half on the job, Jean-Claude Brizard is out as CEO of the Chicago Public School System. | Brizard reportedly said he was becoming a distraction from the mission to help Chicago’s children, reports the Chicago Tribune. Brizard made a similar statement before leaving the Rochester school system, where he was superintendent from…
Urban Action 10/17
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.) Native American horror stories Nazareth College and the Friends of Ganondagan host the lecture “Lost Identity: the Painful Legacy of the Native American Boarding Schools,” at 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 25. Michael…
Daily Choices: What to do on Wednesday, October 17
MUSIC: RingoDeathstarr can’t be pinned down to a single influence. When you listen to the band, you’ll hear them all, ranging from The Smiths to My Bloody Valentine. The resulting sound is an amalgam that puts the Austin, Texas, band right in line with the new wave of shoegaze that’s been en vogue for the…
Feedback 10/17
Mitt Romney as chameleon I’m not sure about Obama, although I’ll vote for him as I did in 2008. What I am sure of is that Romney cannot be trusted. We don’t know what he believes in. The October 9 edition of Frontline on PBS chronicled both Romney and Obama. Romney, as Massachusetts governor, pioneered…
BOOK REVIEW: All the Wrong Questions: “Who Could That Be at This Hour?”
Lemony Snicket, and his, well, representative, Daniel Handler, is probably my favorite modern author. From the gateway drug into black comedy that was his “Series of Unfortunate Events,” to the equally funny-as-it-is-disturbing full on dark comedy onslaught that is “The Basic Eight”…
No handouts; just justice
Monday’s New York Post carried a story with this title: “Broke Cities Beg Gov Dime and Dime Again.” Cute headline. But the Post was talking about us. And it was quite an insult. According to Post writer Fredric Dicker, Rochester, Yonkers, and Syracuse “are ‘close to bankruptcy’ and are looking for a bailout from Gov.…
Daily Choices: What to do on Tuesday, October 23
MUSIC: Dallas-born pop star Ryan Cabrera will be hitting up the Montage Music Hall (50 Chestnut St., themontagemusichall.com) tonight, bringing along Rookie of the Year as support. Doors open up at 6 p.m. so get there early; tickets run $10, unless you want to scrape out for the $25 VIP package. Not sure what it…
THEATER: “Working, a Musical”
With the economy still struggling and a national unemployment rate of nearly 8 percent, work is on the mind of every politician — and voter. So the timing is smart for a revival of “Working,” a musical that first debuted in the 1970’s, based on the book “Working: People Talk About What They Do All…
Best of Rochester 2012: Arts & Entertainment
Readers’ picks for the best Arts & Entertainment of Rochester
KIDS: Barnum & Bailey Circus
The circus as you know it is being revamped. Gone are the days or receiving thrills from a lion jumping through a hoop. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus are bringing big changes to the “greatest show on earth,” running at Blue Cross Arena (1 War Memorial Square) from Wednesday, October 24, through Sunday,…
