Cover Story
Garth Fagan and his company reach a milestone
This year marks Garth Fagan Dance’s 45th birthday and Fagan’s 75th. What’s next for the company?
Paris, Day 8: States step up to the climate challenge
Nuvo reporter Lauren Kastner is in Paris for the historic climate change talks and is sending daily dispatches. CITY is running a selection of them. While all eyes are on commitments that nations are making to address climate change at the high-stakes talks in Paris, cities and sub-national groups globally are also leading where countries…
Week Ahead: For the week of Monday, December 7
Bob Duffy, CEO of the Rochester Business Alliance, will speak at the Irondequoit Chamber of Commerce’s final luncheon of the year on Tuesday, December 8. Duffy is the former mayor of Rochester and he was New York’s lieutenant governor from 2011 to 2014. The luncheon will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at…
The honest fierceness of Meredith Graves
The Perfect Pussy vocalist talks music, guns, body image, international politics, and food.
The City Seen: December 5
Last Saturday, City visited the Oxford Gallery during its annual Holiday Exhibit which showcases work that best represents the gallery. Work varied from sculptures to still life, etchings, and mixed media from more then a dozen artists such as Kristine Bouyoucos, Jacquie Germanow, and Ryan Schroeder. Some of the gallery’s colored walls provided the perfect…
Dispatches from Paris: Day 5
Nuvo reporter Lauren Kastner is in Paris for the historic climate change talks and is sending daily dispatches. City is running a selection of them. Time to talk about climate policy. I told myself I wasn’t going to discuss the wonky fine print of the negotiating text, but I promise this one is important and…
![[UPDATED] Telephone poll asks about Barnhart, Warren](https://i0.wp.com/www.roccitymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/warren-lovely08_sidebar-e1755044049857.webp?resize=201%2C201&ssl=1)
[UPDATED] Telephone poll asks about Barnhart, Warren
The poll also asks if the recent TV ads changed your opinion of Mayor Lovely Warren.
Rally to support refugees cancelled
A rally organized by the Islamic Center of Rochester and several area faith groups that was planned for today at 3:30 p.m. in front of the Federal Building downtown has been cancelled. The rally was intended to protest against Islamophobia and the anti-Muslim refugee backlash.
Artists transform Lyric Theatre space
A group of regional artists will temporarily transform the former Sunday school space located in the back of what is now Lyric Theatre.
Mercury in the Great Lakes? Blame China
China, it turns out, is responsible for a lot of the mercury that’s deposited into the Great Lakes. That little fact was an aside in a press release I received today from the International Joint Commission, an organization that advises the US and Canadian governments on matters relating to shared water bodies. A 2011 report…
GOP passes foolish bill to kill carbon-reduction plan
The House of Representatives has passed a pair of resolutions meant to scuttle an Obama administration carbon emissions reduction plan, and intended to undermine international climate treaty negotiations under way in Paris. The Republican members of the Rochester and Finger Lakes region House delegation should be ashamed of their votes. (The roll for the first…
So long NCLB, sort of
The No Child Left Behind Act, former President George W. Bush’s signature domestic policy, was ambitious and in some respects, well-intended legislation. NCLB was supposed to help create equity in the nation’s K-12 public education system by making educators more accountable for the federal dollars they received. But the law has all but sunk under…
Eunsuh Choi’s captivating glass sculpture
It’s not every day that you’re invited to hold and even squeeze an expensive glass artwork. This is the first thing that happened when I recently met with Korean-born sculptor Eunsuh Choi to discuss the ideas behind her current work, which is on view at Nazareth College’s Arts Center Gallery. “It looks fragile, but the…
GARAGE ROCK | The Dyes
With the slop and sleaze of The Cramps, the breakneck thrash and trash, bang and twang of anything Dexter Romweber does, or classic Wanda Jackson, The Dyes is an all-thriller killer diller. Hailing from Chi-town (the home of the late, great Hi-Fi), this trio blends all the good stuff into a classic garage rock refrain.…
ART | Krampus Does Hungerford
Sick of St. Nick? Hungerford’s got something a little edgier, focused around Krampus, a character from German folklore who punishes misbehaving children during the Christmas season. Krampus Does Hungerfound is a two-day event that includes a photo booth with a best-caption contest, a Christmas pageant, a “meet and beat” with Krampus, and a chance to…
ROCKABILLY | Wanda Jackson
With her trademark purr and growl, rockabilly legend Wanda Jackson shows no signs of slowing down. With the most excellent Lustre Kings serving as the queen’s backup band, Jackson leans in to belt out classics like “Funnel of Love,” “Fujiyama Mama,” and “Let’s Have a Party” like it was 1959. She recently recorded a sexy-in-the-extreme…
THEATER | “A Gilbert and Sullivan Christmas Carol”
The Off-Monroe Players, Rochester’s only theater company specializing in the works of Gilbert and Sullivan, are presenting “A Gilbert and Sullivan Christmas Carol,” a re-telling of the holiday classic through song and dance, with book by Gayden Wren and music by Arthur Sullivan. Performances began before Thanksgiving and resume this weekend. Performance times are 8…
FOLK | Cliff Eberhardt
In his fifth decade as a folk singer-songwriter, Cliff Eberhardt has hoofed the country and back. With his bluesy growl, honest lyrics, and penchant for melody, surely he’s had nods toward two of his heavy influences: Bruce Springsteen and Shawn Colvin. Like the weathered wood of his acoustic, he’s grown into a wisdom in his…
HOLIDAY | ‘A Christmas Carol’ and ‘Great Russian Nutcracker’
Productions of two classics aim to awaken your holiday spirit. Geva Theatre Center is staging its popular “A Christmas Carol” – with a cast of 34, its largest production. Geva’s elaborate set and costumes take you straight back to Dickens’ England. And at the Auditorium Theatre, the award-winning Moscow Ballet brings the “Great Russian Nutcracker”…
THEATER | Yerma
The University of Rochester’s International Theatre program is presenting Federico Garcia Lorca’s 20th-century Spanish tragedy “Yerma” over the next two weeks. The play, by the important Spanish poet and playwright, focuses on a woman trying to come to terms with her infertility. “Yerma” will be performed at 8 p.m. Thursday, December 3, through Saturday, December…
ROCK | Iron Butterfly
Iron Butterfly brings to mind a question: If, over time, a band replaces all of its musicians, does it remain the same band? The answer is debatable, but I wouldn’t dismiss Iron Butterfly, which does not tour with any original members. Established in 1966, Iron Butterfly reached the stratosphere with “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida,” a swirling vortex of…
SPECIAL | Stories ROC!
Holiday-themed stories by Rochester authors are on tap at “Holidays: Stories of the Best, Worst, and Most Memorable,” from Stories ROC! The group showcases Rochester talent through themed storytelling in front of a live audience. Future themes include “What I Did for Love: Stories of True Love, Loss, and Laughs” on February 6 and “Creating…
The two-man advantage of Buffalo Sex Change
Buffalo Sex Change is a sonic tantrum, a Rochester-based twosome that seeks the under-played, under-heard notes and riffs and re-works them into a garage-rock frenzy. The guitar-and-drums duo’s minimal approach leaves room for maximum energy in the space it leaves open. This is pure, unadulterated, chaotic rock n roll. Emerging from the ashes of Brooklyn’s…
THEATER | “¡Qué Locura!”
“¡Qué Locura!” is a dual-language comedy exploring the lives of Latino families. The simple message of “family first” remains at the core of this thought-provoking piece, which was written and directed by Ricardo Nieves and Harry Roldan, and is presented by the Puerto Rican Festival. The show runs from Friday, December 4, through Sunday, December…
ALBUM REVIEW: “There Was Never”
Dave Wilson “There Was Never” Zoho Music Media davewilsonmusic.org While it is highly original in terms of the time signature (12/8), it’s not surprising to hear a rendition of George Gershwin’s “Summertime” on saxophonist Dave Wilson’s excellent new album. But I was not expecting to hear an equally imaginative rendition of “Cassidy,” a less likely…
Feedback 12-2
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. Blame Dems…
ALBUM REVIEW: “Energies of Change”
David Gilmore “Energies of Change” Evolutionary Music davidgilmore.net From the first non-traditional chords on David Gilmore’s “Energies of Change,” it’s clear that this is not your run-of-the-mill jazz guitar album. Although it’s only his third CD as a leader, Gilmore has worked his distinctive magic in a variety of settings. Since studying with Joe Lovano,…
Urban Action 12/2
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. All are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. Rally on Friday to support refugees The Islamic Center of Rochester and other mosques and interfaith groups will hold a rally to support Muslim refugees and oppose Islamophobia and the anti-refugee backlash. The…
Rochester school board seeks a foot soldier
The Rochester school board is laying the groundwork for its superintendent search. Adding to the inherent difficulty of the task is the fact that confidence in the board is low and that the hiring process may be viewed as more of a test of the board’s abilities than the skills of the candidates. Some board…
Five coffee drinks that are anything but usual
It’s the time of year when energy is hard to come by. Snow flurries and frigid temps make “Netflix and chill” more tempting than usual. What’s a busy Rochesterian to do? Pick up one of these unique coffee drinks. They’ll jumpstart your brain and keep it buzzing with flavors that give you something to think…
CLASSICAL | OSSIA
OSSIA – Eastman School of Music’s student-led ensemble dedicated to contemporary classical repertoire — is no stranger to interpreting works by living composers. On Friday, OSSIA will present a concert that highlights Japanese composer Jo Kondo, who will be in-residence at Eastman for five days as a Howard Hanson visiting professor. Kondo’s expressive compositional style…
CLASSICAL | Handel’s “Messiah”
Handel wrote the oratorio “Messiah” in 24 days in late 1741, and despite near-constant use since then, it might have been written yesterday. Few, if any, works have been as popular, and none is more closely and affectionately associated with Christmas. For many people, the Christmas season would simply not be the Christmas season without…
CLASSICAL | “A City Sings for the Season”
Christmas at Sibley’s is a beloved memory for many Rochesterians of a certain age (mine, for example). The jam-packed store may be long gone, but the building remains, and holiday music goes on forever. So they will come together this Sunday afternoon when the Rochester Oratorio Society presents “A City Sings for the Season” in…
JAZZ | Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
There’s plenty of holiday music to choose from, but it doesn’t get much better than the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. The program includes new arrangements of “Jingle Bells,” “White Christmas,” and “Sleigh Ride,” and the band will be joined by two stellar vocalists: Denzal Sinclaire and Audrey Shakir. Sinclaire is a National…
ROCK | Andrew W.K.
“Party Hard” might be the most genius of all party anthems. Released in 2001, it swung mightier than, say, Todd Rundgren’s “Bang on the Drum All Day” or even “Rock and Roll All Nite” by Kiss. “Party Hard” felt like a testosterone-fueled motor for raging post-grunge males hooked on bungee jumping. The mega-hit was also…
Film review: “Trumbo”
“Trumbo” documents one principled man’s fight for his ideals, set against one of the most shameful chapters in Hollywood (and America’s) history.
Film review: “The Good Dinosaur”
The year has undoubtedly had its share of ups and downs, but 2015 will go down as a good one in at least one regard: it’s the first time we’ve been lucky enough to get not one, but two Pixar movies. That they’re both original films is doubly impressive, considering that the studio’s scheduled output…
The Paris attacks: should France rain flowers?
Why do Parisians represent humanity more than the Lebanese whose lives were extinguished in suicide attacks the day before?
