Cover Story
Finding Paradise
Local musician Jesse Sprinkle has been going on humanitarian trips to Africa since 2008. But last year he realized that his unique skill set as a musician and producer could allow him to help the millions of orphans in Uganda in a very different way. By teaching these children about music, he and his musical…
Daily Choices: What to do on Wednesday, March 20
Lecture: The truth may be stranger than fiction, but trying to mix the truth into fiction is an even stranger predicament – and a rather difficult one. Anthony Giardina – a playwright, former University of Rochester professor, and author of several novels,
In Pittsford, Corby wins reelection
Pittsford Mayor Bob Corby will serve another term as mayor, after a resounding victory in today’s elections. Corby, a registered Republican who ran on the Democratic, Conservative, and Pittsford Village United lines, received 341 votes. His challenger, Republican Trip Pierson, received 120 votes. Lili Lanphear and Stacey Freed — Corby’s running mates on the Democratic…
ARTS: Geva announces 2013-14 season
Geva Theatre Center announced its 2013-14 season on Tuesday night. The 41st season will include several world premieres and critically acclaimed dramas, and many shows with links to Rochester or Geva itself. Although the full summer 2013 season has yet to be announced, Geva Artistic Director Mark Cuddy closed his presentation by unveiling one of…
Cost of War
AFGHANISTAN TOTALS — 2,189 US servicemen and servicewomen and 1,081 Coalition servicemen and servicewomen have been killed in Afghanistan from the beginning of the war and occupation to March 18. Statistics for Afghan civilian casualties are not available. American casualties from March 7 to 13: — Tech. Sgt. Larry D. Bunn, 43, Bossier City, La.…
COMIDA approves I-Square benefits
During its meeting this afternoon, the Monroe County Industrial Development Agency approved tax exemptions for Irondequoit’s I-Square project and for the potential new owners of the Monroe County Sports Centre. COMIDA approved a “custom abatement package” for the $9.9 million I-Square mixed use project, according to a press release from County Executive Maggie Brooks’ office.…
Concert Update: Jazz Fest adds Peter Frampton and Robert Cray
The Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival today announced another headliner for its 2013 edition. Guitar Circus featuring Peter Frampton and Robert Cray will take place Friday, June 28, at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, Gibbs Street. Tickets to the 7:30 p.m. show will cost $70-$125 (plus service charges) and will go on sale Friday, March…
Zoning Board to hear request to waive design standards for College Town
The City of Rochester’s Zoning Board will hear an application this week to waive certain design standards for Mount Hope College Town, a University of Rochester-initiated project which will be built on 16 acres on the west side of Mount Hope between Elmwood Avenue and Crittenden Boulevard. | The major concerns associated with the application…
Teachers may take over some schools in Rochester
Rochester schools Superintendent Bolgen Vargas has asked the Rochester Teachers Association to present plans for schools to be run by teachers instead of central office administration and principals. Any proposals for teacher-led schools would be part of the administration’s new contract negotiations, which have just started, RTA President Adam Urbanski told about 200 teachers…
Lawmakers may have minimum wage deal
Statewide media organizations are reporting that state legislative leaders — what we New Yorkers used to call the “three men in a room” but now because of the power-sharing agreement in the Senate is actually the “four men in a room” — have reached an agreement to raise the minimum wage. A Bloomberg News article…
Daily Choices: What to do on Tuesday, March 19
ART/MUSIC: Abilene Bar & Lounge (153 Liberty Pole Way) will host another in its Artisan Craft and Music Night series tonight, 6 p.m., this time featuring Jeff Sherner. Local artists will be display and sell their works both upstairs and down, and there will be drink specials and BBQ. Admission is free. For more info,…
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 5: Scent of a drag queen
Another hilarious episode with great challenges. This season is really on a roll; I can’t think of an episode yet that didn’t deliver. And this week’s was arguably the most entertaining yet. We got hot shirtless guys with bulging packages and drag queens acting the fool (some intentionally, some not), plus some salty guest judges…
Concert Review: Fox Sisters, 5Head, Minds Wide Open
Out of the oblivion of Memphis low-fi rockers’ The Oblivions emerged The Reigning Sound, a raw and low-down outfit full of Muscle Shoals muscle and stacks of Stax. The band rocked unpretentiously and unparalleled. Nobody did it better. Nobody, that is, until the advent of Rochester’s The Fox Sisters. This band of brothers is a…
Week Ahead: Your say on the city budget, Pittsford elections, I-Square tax deal, eastside Dems endorse
This week, the City of Rochester will conduct the first of four public forums to gather input on next year’s budget. The 2013 to 2014 budget has a gap of about $28 million. At the meeting, Mayor Tom Richards will describe the city’s fiscal situation and share some proposed cutbacks. Your job is to tell…
Daily Choices: What to do on Monday, March 18
FILM: The Little Theatre (240 East Ave.) and WXXI will host a screening of “180 Days: A Year Inside An American High School” tonight at 7 p.m. Admission is free. For more info, call 258-0200 or visit wxxi.org/events. MUSIC: Catch live jazz with The King’s Swingers tonight at 6:30 p.m. at Green Lantern Inn (1…
SXSW 2013: Day 5: Wild musicians used revive
In what both feels like a week that has flown by, but also managed to squeeze every last drop out of and packed a mini-lifetime into each day, I’ve reached the end of my first SXSW. It was a blast, and I already know I want to return next year, hopefully a little wiser (pack…
Daily Choices: What to do on Saturday and Sunday, March 16-17
SPECIAL EVENT: The St. Patrick’s Day Parade takes place Saturday, March 16, at 12:30 p.m. The route follows East Avenue to Main Street, stopping at Plymouth. The event is free, and please enjoy the festivities safely. For more information, call 234-5167 or visit rochesterparade.com. For more St. Patrick’s Day festivities, search “St. Patrick’s Day” at…
SXSW 2013: Day 4: Game Boys, cellos, and ancient cities
First up for today was Buffalo’s own Lemuria (Upstate New York, represent!). I feel like I’ve been trying for years to get into this band, mostly because I really really dig its name (It was in “Golden Sun!”) and yet I’ve never quite been able to make the jump. I wanted to give the group…
Rochester Arts News: Bulletins from RPO, High Falls Festival, Rochester Fringe
The High Falls Film Festival announced an additional film in its 2013 festival line-up. The documentary “Pretty Brutal” will make its American premiere on Friday, April 19, 9:30 p.m. at Cinema Theater. The film follows skaters Pieces of Hate, Kid Vile, and NakiKronik as they make their way in New Zealand’s first roller derby league.…
Update on the local election scene
Since it’s bound to be a crazy year in local politics, given that all five at-large seats on City Council are up, as is the mayor’s office, I thought I should let you know from time to time where we stand. So far, we have only one firm candidate for mayor: incumbent Democrat Tom Richards.…
Vargas delivers final version of plan for schools overhaul
Rochester schools Superintendent Bolgen Vargas presented school board members with an updated version of his plan to renovate 38 schools over the next 11 years at a special meeting last night. Nine of the buildings are already in the first phase of construction of the $1.2 billion project, the largest of its kind in the…
SXSW 2013: Day 3: Wolves playing violins
Looking at my schedule this morning, I knew I had a few panels to hit, but thought that my music schedule would be a little lighter, but as the great Dr. Ian Malcom once said, life…or music, tends to find a way.
Daily Choices: What to do on Friday, March 15
Film: New films opening in wide release today include “The Call” and “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone.” Pittsford Cinema will open “Barbara,” and the Little Theatre will open “Lore” and “Speak.” The Dryden Theatre screen “East of Eden,” “Il Posto,” “The Last Time I Saw Monaco,” “Misery,” and “The Sound of Music.” For more information on…
“American Idol” 2013: Top 10 Results
The first results show of the main competition was actually surprisingly interesting. The format has been tweaked significantly, meaning that there’s more actual content in the result reveals. It just felt like more was going on throughout the whole show. Plus, Nikki Minaj actually bothered to show up on time. In the recap of Wednesday…
School 16 will re-open, after all
Residents of the 19th Ward Community Association fighting to save School 16 in the Rochester school district scored a victory tonight as Superintendent Bolgen Vargas announced that the school would be renovated and re-opened. Numerous maintenance issues with the school forced its closure last year. Since that time, Vargas has insisted that the school is…
Future of School 16 surveyed
Tonight, Rochester schools Superintendent Bolgen Vargas will tell members of the school board which district buildings, including schools, he wants included in the second phase of the long-term project to overhaul and modernize the RCSD’s infrastructure. The meeting is at 5:30 p.m. at the district’s central office, 131 West Broad Street. I’ll be curious to…
Concert Review: The Old 97’s at the Tralf
The Old 97’s put on a killer show last night at the Tralf Music Hall in Buffalo Wednesday night. Over its long career — 20 years in the saddle — this band has maintained a casual elegance amidst its beautiful songs. After an exuberant set by openers The O’s (banjo and guitar, mostly), The Old…
SXSW 2013: Day 2: Tenacious D, Ghost Ghirls, Piñata Protest
Wednesday at South by Southwest, for all intents and purposes, was all about the D. After a late start to the morning, some brunch at a food-truck gathering, and a refresher nap at the convention center, it was time to cross off my bucket list a band I’ve been waiting what seems like eons to…
Hemlock-Canadice meeting is tonight
Just a reminder: tonight is the Department of Environmental Conservation’s public information session on its draft plan for managing the Hemlock-Canadice State Forest. The session starts at 6:30 p.m. and will be held at the Springwater Fire Hall, 8145 South Main Street, Springwater. DEC representatives will give a presentation at 7 p.m. and a comment…
Daily Choices: What to do on Thursday, March 14
Comedy/Music: We love mash-ups. Whether it’s chocolate and peanut butter or Jay-Z and The Beatles, the end result is usually more wonderful than weird. Blanket Fort Festival is a mash-up of sorts. This event combines an evening of music and comedy under a massive blanket fort held indoors at The Yards collaborative art space on…
“American Idol” 2013: Top 10 Performances (Prior Idol Week)
Nikki Minaj was absent for the start of the first live performance show. I cannot ever remember a judge not being present during a live performance round. Apparently she was stuck in traffic. Are you kidding me? If I was Nigel I would be positively shitting myself with fury if the only judge people even…
Rochester Broadway Theatre League announces 2013-14 season
Still riding high on last week’s blockbuster run of “The Book of Mormon,” the Rochester Broadway Theatre League announced its 2013-14 season Wednesday night. The big news is that the subscription series has been increased to six shows from five. The line-up includes a new production of a modern musical classic, several new musicals, a…
Praising attendance, appealing suspensions
Rochester schools Superintendent Bolgen Vargas has adopted another strategy to address the problem of chronic truancy in the district: recognizing students who are models of good attendance. Vargas and Mayor Tom Richards personally visited the homes of four district families, chosen because those students and their siblings had exceptional attendance records in schools where attendance…
FILM: “Amazing Spider-Man 2” scenes to be filmed in Rochester
This morning Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that productionof the upcoming film “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” will take place entirely in NewYork State – and that some sequences will be filmed in Rochester. The pressrelease, which appears below, says that locations in the Rochester area will bescouted on Friday. Additionally, a piece posted on the Wall…
State releases IDA data
The state Authorities Budget Office says that between 2008 and 2011, the Monroe County Industrial Development Agency awarded approximately $114 million in tax exemptions to businesses. The exemptions covered county property taxes, local sales tax, state sales tax, and mortgage recording taxes. But COMIDA’s total isn’t particularly high when compared to other Upstate metro IDA’s.…
SXSW 2013: Day 1: Four Girls, Two Fiddles
After battling immense dietary death (my food challenge days are behind me apparently) I rallied to the first actual day of SXSW. The morning consisted of randomly running into a few smalls groups and stumbling upon a steam punk bar (Metal and Lace…who knew?), before stopping in to see Deadmau5 and Richie Hawtin host a…
Sequestering the Great Lakes
Before last year, most people probably associated “sequester” with juries. But now the word has a lot of people thinking and talking about federal funding. The sequester is just another term for mandatory, across-the-board federal spending cuts, which were triggered when a deficit reduction committee failed to reach agreement two years ago. At least, that’s…
“Oz the Great and Powerful”
As the new movie “Oz the Great and Powerful” demonstrates, L. Frank Baum’s fantasies about the magical land of Oz remain a source of enchantment for filmmakers and audiences. Dramatic and cinematic adaptations of the stories date back to the early years of the 20th century and continue through the present day, with such works…
Big step forward for local Somalis
Getting a community of people to come together to raise money for a major purchase is challenging under any circumstances. Now consider that the people involved have deep cultural divisions and mistrust fomented by a civil war. The nonprofit Somali Community and Development Association of Rochester has taken a major step forward by purchasing the…
“Dead Man Down”
In “Dead Man Down,” the new thriller that marks the American feature debut of Danish director Niels Arden Oplev (he directed the original “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”), the filmmaker reteams with his former leading lady, Noomi Rapace, who plays another damaged young woman with a yen for revenge. The film, an odd mishmash of…
Report: West Main church can be saved
A new analysis reportedly concludes that the vacant church at 660 West Main Street is structurally sound. The evaluation was commissioned by the Susan B. Anthony Neighborhood Association and funded by the Landmark Society. Dawn Noto, president of the association, would not release the report until city officials have had a chance to review it.…
MUSIC FEATURE: Soviet Dolls
Soviet Dolls is a cool cocktail: two parts rocker, one part young lady who makes YouTube videos. It’s a delicious meld of synthetic pop served over organic rocks. But it’s not the aural wrestling match you’d expect. The synthetics are roughed up nicely by the analogue, and the rock is made more accessible by the…
Pedal empowered
Considerable work has been done in some Rochester communities to encourage people to set aside their cars more often in favor of bikes, the bus, or their own two feet. To date, however, much of the work has focused on infrastructure: curb cuts to make it easier to step on to sidewalks, lockers so cyclists…
ROCK | The Whigs
Hailing from the indie-rock hotbed of Athens, Georgia that’s produced the likes of R.E.M., of Montreal, and Drive-By Truckers, the members of The Whigs have spent their career creating bruising, no-frills rock that would sound equally at home on classic-rock radio as it does on current rock stations. The trio’s fourth album, “Enjoy The Company,”…
THEATER REVIEW: “August: Osage County”
After it debuted in 2007, Tracy Letts’ drama “August: Osage County” won just about every theater award that matters — Tony, Drama Desk, Pulitzer, New York Drama Critics’ Circle, etc. The play itself is extraordinary, even though the subject matter is about as ordinary as you can get. A far-flung extended family is brought back…
Daily Choices: What to do on Wednesday, March 13
ART: Check out “Nature in Art: Selections from the Finger Lakes Chapter of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators,” on view through May 12 at Cummings Nature Center’s Hurst Gallery (6475 Gulick Road, Naples). The gallery is open 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. today, and admission is included in the Nature Center’s fee ($3, $10 per family,…
Schools, neighborhoods,and the future of the city
Every once in a while, the topic of neighborhood schools comes up in Rochester. And while part of this stems from nostalgia, there’s also a fiscal argument. The Rochester school district spends a lot of money busing children to schools outside of their neighborhood. The reason: the district’s “school choice” system, which lets parents choose…
MUSIC/COMEDY | Blanket Fort Festival
We love mash-ups. Whether it’s chocolate and peanut butter or Jay-Z and The Beatles, the end result is usually more wonderful than weird. Blanket Fort Festival is a mash-up of sorts. This event combines an evening of music and comedy under a massive blanket fort held indoors at The Yards collaborative art space on the…
Urban Action 3/13
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.) Talk on slavery Friends and Foundation of the Rochester Public Library will present a book discussion, “Gather at the Table: the Healing Journey of a Daughter of Slavery and a Son of the…
SKA/ROCK | 5Head
I grabbed 5Head bassist, Steve Pizutto by the collar. I got in his face. “I’m tired of the lies, man,” I snarled. “Admit it. The band is getting back together.” Pizutto relented. He saw the murder in my eyes. “OK, OK,” he said. “5HEAD is back.” Last year, this legendary Rochester ska band got together…
Feedback 3/13
We welcome your comments. Send them to themail@rochester-citynews.com, or post them on our website, rochestercitynewspaper.com, our Facebook page, or our Twitter feed, @roccitynews. Comments of fewer than 350 words have a greater chance of being published, and we do edit selections for publication in print. We don’t publish comments sent to other media. Dealing with…
JAZZ | Jimmie Highsmith Jr.
If you like your jazz smooth, with an extra helping of funk on the side, Jimmie Highsmith Jr. is the sax player for you. After studying at the Hochstein School of Music and School of the Arts, Highsmith joined the United States Air Force and formed a jazz band to play USO events. Since returning…
CLASSICAL/IRISH | Traditional Irish Music
With any luck o’ the Irish, you’ll find yourself at a classical celebration of the Emerald Isles this weekend. On Friday and Saturday join the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra POPS, Jeff Tyzik, conductor, and John McDermott, tenor, and dancers from the Boland School of Irish Dance. There’ll be lovely Irish ballads, tunes, and music from Riverdance.…
ART | “It Came From the Vault”
The art that you see on the walls and pedestals at museums and galleries tends to only be a percentage of the work in venue’s total collection. As part of the Memorial Art Gallery’s centennial celebration, the art house will present “It Came from the Vault: Rarely Seen Works MAG’s Collection.” This exhibition will feature…
HARD ROCK/METAL | St. Patty’s Massacre
If you think you can handle it, if you think you’re hard enough, this is a four-day, 36-band heavy-music gangbang to satisfy the hard and heavy junkie in all of us. It’s the cream of Rochester heavy rock with sets performed by bands like Vanity Strikes, Burial Harbor, Aggressive Betty, Ghostfeeder, Hate Machine, The Dead…
KIDS | Sesame Street Live: “Elmo Makes Music”
“C” is for cookie, and that’s good enough for the Cookie Monster. But Elmo cares about the entire alphabet, which is why he gets to sing “The Alphabet Song,” and also why he gets his own musical. That would be “Elmo Makes Music,” which will run for six performances this weekend at the Auditorium Theatre…
CHIP ROCK | ROC_CHIP 28
Do you like to rock out to your GameBoy? Then this is the show for you. Buffalo’s Danimal Cannon is in town to show you just what he can do with his portable Nintendo system, and all I can say is it makes me very sad that I can’t play video games featuring this music.…
RECREATION | Evening Waterfalls Walk
I can think of few more romantically titled or just plain refreshing recreational events than “Evening Waterfalls Walk,” which is a hike to be held at Letchworth State Park in Castile on Friday, March 15. Meet at Inspiration Point at 6 p.m., and enjoy a three-hour guided hike among the park’s waterfalls. Forget the burdens…
CLASSICAL | Society for Chamber Music
Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg and his wife spent summers at their lakeside villa at Troldhaugen, where Grieg had a separate composer’s hut. He and his wife devised a system whereby she would hang out a colored cloth, visible to him at the hut, whenever visitors stopped by the villa, so that he could maintain the…
SPECIAL EVENT | St. Patrick’s Day Events
Some people don’t need need any help figuring out how to spend St. Patrick’s Day. It’s a two-step process: get with your friends, then head to a bar. The rest is blacked-out history. The only dilemma is how to handle the morning after. Should you call in sick for work in advance, or try to…
SPECIAL EVENT | Maple Sugaring Weekends
Though we’re still freezing our fingers and snow is lingering on the ground, the song birds have returned and spring flowers are stirring in their beds. Another sure sign that warmer times are ahead is that it’s maple-sugaring season, and the sweetly beloved tree sap is beginning to flow. Take part in local tradition at…
THEATER | “Is Life Worth Living?”
Shakespeare posed the ultimate question of all theater — indeed, of all literature and life itself — when he had Hamlet ponder, “To be or not to be?” But Irish playwright Lennox Robinson came close with the decidedly less eloquent “Is Life Worth Living?,” the title of his classic 1933 play, which will be revived…
CHOW HOUND: Sweet somethings
Get the details on the new bakery in Village Gate, Get Caked. Plus: a new permanent home for popular food cart Lettuce B. Frank, the Edible Book Festival, openings, and closings.
