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Epicurious Tales
There’s a world of diversity in the Rochester food scene. CITY learned more about seven restaurateurs who are telling stories of their culture through food.
Race for Democratic party leader gets weird
Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren does not want Ken Warner to lead the Monroe County Democratic Committee. She even outlined her opposition in a letter to some party members this week. (Current party chair Joe Morelle is stepping down in September.) Warner, who is retiring as executive director of the local construction and building trades group…
Teacher report cards show performance discrepancies, but why?
The New York State Department of Education has released the final versions of its professional evaluations for teachers and principals throughout the state for the 2012-2013 school year. And for the first time, parents can contact their school district and find out how their child’s teacher was evaluated. Some parents and school officials are going…
VIDEO: Zephyr Teachout campaigns in Rochester
Zephyr Teachout, the Fordham University Law professor who’s challenging Governor Andrew Cuomo in a Democratic primary later this month, made a campaign stop this morning at Village Gate plaza in Rochester. Teachout stuck to the main themes of her campaign: Cuomo supports too many tax breaks for banks, corporations, and the wealthy, she said. And…
Climate change panel issues blunt warning on carbon emissions
Over the past few months, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has issued a series of reports containing stern warnings about global warming. The panel’s scientists have clearly stated that climate change is here, it’s creating a long list of harms and risks, and governments need to act on greenhouse gas emissions to avert the…
FILM | Audrey Hepburn Film Series
In run-up to Geva Theatre Center’s production of “Wait Until Dark” — which runs September 9 through October 5 — The Little is hosting a four-week Audrey Hepburn film series. The series began August 20 with “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” and continues Wednesday, August 27, with “Wait Until Dark” — in which Hepburn plays a recently…
AMERICANA | Michael Corwin
Michael Corwin adds a lot of welcome grit to his music. The singer-songwriter sits squarely in the country-folk wheelhouse — though he occasionally ventures outside, like the rockabilly boogie “Error of my Ways” — but there’s a lot of unique edge and darkness to his music. It’s a reminder of the grizzled old folk singers…
Primaries unlikely to ease tensions for Democrats
The 29th Legislative District in Northeast Rochester may be the epicenter of this year’s primary elections. The district has more Democratic primaries than any other part of Monroe County. Primary elections will be held on Tuesday, September 9. There’s a three-way City Court contest between William Gargan, Michael Lopez, and Leticia Astacio in the 29th.…
POP | The Griswolds
Australian indie pop band, The Griswolds, finally released its debut LP. It seems like forever ago that the band’s track “Mississippi” was on heavy rotation on college radio stations — really, it was just last summer, so maybe I’m impatient. Just last Monday, The Griswolds released “Be Impressive,” 11 tracks of sugary pop rock and…
SPECIAL EVENT | Cars & Coffee
On Saturday, August 30, car lovers can unite for Cars & Coffee, a summer monthly gathering hosted by Rochester Auto Museum, East Coast Hot Rod, and Franks Garage. Owners and admirers can come out to the Rochester Auto Museum and Franks Garage to take a look at hotrods, muscle cars, classics, customs, and everything else…
Found the dream
Fitz and The Tantrums has found the key, the magic words, to reaching everyone. The band came out swinging in late 2010 with its debut full-length, “Pickin’ Up the Pieces.” The album was an instant party album, overflowing with neo-soul and retro Motown. It was not only a massive crowd pleaser — especially the huge…
Teachout’s emerging voice
Zephyr Teachout has emerged as a voice for disenchanted Democrats. She’s coming at Cuomo from the left and isn’t shy about calling the governor out on his shortcomings.
ALBUM REVIEW: “Between You And Me”
Miche Fambro “Between You And Me” Self-released Michefambro.bandcamp.com Miche Fambro’s transition from 1980’s New Waver to modern-day troubadour is inspirational for any musician facing the tyranny of the clock. Fambro’s interests have veered toward acoustic jazz in recent years, which has highlighted his skilled guitar work and smooth voice. The singer-songwriter hasn’t recorded a CD…
SPECIAL EVENT | Hops Picking Party
In the mid-19th century, when it was discovered that hops balanced the flavor of beer and kept it fresh longer, it became New York State’s main cash crop. Harvest time was pleasant time for pickers, singing songs as they picked by hand. On September 1, the Genesee Country Museum will open their fields for visitors to pick…
ALBUM REVIEW: “Black Light / Black Death”
Andy Smash “Black Light / Black Death” Self-released Andysmash.bandcamp.com Andy Smash traces his lineage to French settlers in colonial New York, citing it as a musical influence — along with his days in seminary and a photo of his grandfather playing a banjo in the 1930’s. Smash’s five-song EP, “Black Light / Black Death,” uses the Velvet…
To protest corruption: Teachout for governor
On September 9, registered Democrats in New York have an important primary election, choosing the party’s candidate for governor. Three Democrats are on the ballot: Governor Andrew Cuomo; Zephyr Teachout, a constitutional law professor at Fordham Law School; and Randy Credico, a comedian and “perennial candidate” (his words) who isn’t campaigning seriously. Cuomo is expected…
“Sin City: A Dame to Kill For”
Nearly 10 years after the release of “Sin City,” Robert Rodriguez’s ultra-stylish adaptation of Frank Miller’s hard-boiled, neo-noir graphic novel series, the director returns to the rain-slick streets and darkened alleyways of Basin City. But something has clearly been lost in the intervening years. The original “Sin City” (one of the best films of 2005)…
THEATER | Sankofa Evenings of Theater & Jazz
The 7th annual Sankofa Evenings of Theatre & Jazz will be held at MuCCC (42 Atlantic Avenue) Thursday, August 28, through Saturday, August 30, showcasing Rochester playwrights, actors, and directors. The two-act drama, “Talk,” by C. Kirkland Rivers, examines the impact Charlie and his long-kept secret have on the lives of people close to him.…
“Land Ho!”
Grandpa gets his groove back in “Land Ho!” an episodic road trip comedy about aging friends. Mitch (Earl Lynn Nelson) and Colin (Paul Eenhoorn) as they travel through picturesque Iceland. Perpetually horny Mitch, somehow always ready with a pot hookup and an off-color joke, is the instigator of the impromptu trip, hoping it will cheer…
Wild wood
“Everybody has a place that they go to, that they would like to immerse in,” says sculptor Jason Tennant. Though spectacular and moving, our moments in those spaces are fleeting, few, and far between, he says. Tennant finds his solace and his fascination in the woods and fields, in lakes and streams. “My whole life…
Urban Action 8/27
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.) Border crisis is subject of talk The Rochester Committee on Latin America will present a talk by Daniel Reichman, “What’s Causing Honduran Migration to the United States?” at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, September…
Needs no introduction(s)
One of the rules of Hollywood romantic-comedy has always been that “the boy” and “the girl” have got to “meet cute.” This weekend at RAPA, they will, three times over. The occasion is the latest production of Screen Plays: a triple bill of contemporary romantic comedies tied together by a theme. “It’s all about introductions,”…
“Calvary”
In recent years, documented incidents from Irish history have inspired some powerful motion pictures, most notably Stephen Frears’s “Philomena,” which won considerable critical and commercial success in 2013. Revelations about the brutal treatment of children, including sexual abuse, by priests and the virtual imprisonment of unwed mothers in workhouses supervised by nuns, shocked Ireland, damaging…
ROCK | The Mighty Stef
Dublin-based rock quartet The Mighty Stef doesn’t perform Irish music per se, but it appears steeped in Anglo-Celtic literary traditions. At least, that was my impression before it was crushed when frontman Stefan Murphy noted in a phone interview with CITY Newspaper that his lyrics were not inspired by those great books. The Mighty Stef’s…
BLUES | Baby Gramps
Performing for more than 50 years, Seattle-based Baby Gramps has amazed audiences across the world. His unique brand of rags, blues, labor songs, and vaudeville originals have led him to be called “The Salvador Dali of Folk Music.” Playing an antique, resonator steel guitar, he flat and finger picks while “chording” with the back of…
Feedback 8/27
Send comments to themail@rochester-citynews.com, or post them on our website, rochestercitynewspaper.com, our Facebook page, or our Twitter feed, @roccitynews. For our print edition, we select and edit comments from all three sources. Facing the threat from fossil fuels We’ve been reading a lot about “bomb trains” since the Lac-Mégantic disaster, in which much of the…
ROCK | Potty Mouth
Hailing from Northampton, Massachusetts, Potty Mouth is a whirlwind of fuzz and beer-drinking melodies. Everything that has ever made a garage band great is present here, with deep hooks and warm tones that hail those mid-80’s Minnesota rust-belt bands. Like most stellar acts, the formula is simple, but the execution is brilliant. Singer Abby Weems’…
FESTIVAL | Alley Fest
On Sunday, August 31, The Anderson Arts building (250 N. Goodman Street) will host Alley Fest, an afternoon of art, music, and theater. The event will take place 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., featuring a diverse community of artists who will display and demonstrate their crafts, including hot and cold wax painting, hand built ceramic sculpture, a…
INDIE | White Woods
White Woods’ 2013 release “Middle Season” has the feel of an indie gem that you stumbled upon by accident and it became one of your favorite albums. There’s no melt-your-face-off guitar solos or crazy drum fills or base lines, as the Rochester-based band instead relies on melodic playing and changing pace in the middle of…
Pre-k is a high point for Rochester
While student enrollment has been declining in the upper grades in city schools, enrollment in universal pre-k is strong.
