Cover Story
A good death
Medical aid in dying is slowly gaining acceptance
Four companies vie for Rochester bike-share contract
The City of Rochester, in response to a FOIL request, has released the names of the four organizations interested in running a bike-share program. They are: BCycle (w/ Spectra), Shared Mobility Inc. (w/ Social Bicycles), Shift Transit (w/ PBSC Urban Solutions), and Zagster. The organizations in parenthesis are the subcontractors, according to the city. The…
Film review: “Nuts”
In Milford, Kansas, in 1918, Dr. John R. Brinkley came up with the novel (insane) idea that he might be able to cure impotence by transplanting goat testicles into the bodies of humans. Shockingly, Brinkley’s experimental surgery actually caught on, earning him widespread admiration and the approval of luminaries such as Buster Keaton, William Jennings…
Artist spotlight: Danny Cocuzza
Danny Cocuzza is one of those driven young talents who nimbly pluck fruit from different realms of creativity. At 24, the Hilton native is known for his skillful, irreverent illustrations, which often set the tone as show fliers for local bands. At this particular moment in time, you can peep his witty, finely rendered brush-and-ink…
Latinos rally for Black Lives
About 30 activists from Latinos Unidos protested yesterday outside of the Hall of Justice building in solidarity, they said, with Building Leadership and Community Knowledge, a local activist group, and the broader Black Lives Matter movement. “Latinos are very much in support of B.L.A.C.K. and Black Lives Matter,” activist Rosemary Rivera said. “We are in…
Film review: “Eat That Question”
With a background in classical music, a yen for the absurd, and a desire to disrupt the status quo, rock musician Frank Zappa was a true iconoclast. The bandleader and activist now gets the documentary treatment in Thorsten Schütte’s “Eat That Question: Frank Zappa in His Own Words.” Spanning both Zappa’s solo career and his…
THEATER | “Endangered Features”
In a city known for its film preservation, “Endangered Features,” a one-man play appearing at MuCCC, seems a perfect fit. The play is a coming-of-age story about a young man whose love for film turns him into an accidental archivist. After falling in love with escapist cinema as a young child, the young man goes…
FESTIVAL | Puerto Rican Fest
The Rochester Puerto Rican Festival, now in its 47th edition, this year celebrates the theme of cultural evolution. The three-day event will host live music, food, cultural events, guests, and more, all related to the celebration of Puerto Rican culture and heritage. Bachata Heightz, George Lamond, Ismael Miranda, La Banda Gorda, Charlie Aponte, and J…
ART | Pat Pauly
Pat Rauly, who started her art career in quilting, creates her works with bits, fragments, and pieces, and figuring out how they work together, slowly builds a complete design. This is the theme of her coming exhibition at Nu Movement studio, which features pieces of her internationally recognized fiber art. A curator, former exhibition designer,…
ART | “On the Side”
Rochester Contemporary Art Center is partnering with the Rochester Advertising Federation to display “On the Side,” fine artwork created by some of the RAF members. The exhibit will open on Thursday, August 4, at 6 p.m., and features more than 100 pieces of art from some of Rochester’s well-known designers, photographers, and graphic artists. The…
FESTIVAL | Park Ave Summer Art Festival
The Park Ave Summer Art Festival is back for its 40th year, and will bring out more than 300 artists, vendors, and exhibitors from around the United States and Canada to line Park Avenue. Some of the vendors will showcase homemade jewelry, home and outdoors decorations — from wall hangings, engraved stones, and paintings to…
FESTIVAL | A.B.O.V.E. Afrikan American Festival
The 9th annual A.B.O.V.E. Afrikan American Festival will fill Highland Bowl Park with a day of music, dance, activities, and education. A.B.O.V.E. is an organization that focuses on building pride and self-esteem among Rochester’s black community. There will be live performances from Jamall Youngblood featuring Northeast Flow, a group that plays Funk, R&B, Blues, and…
Label 7 has impressive dishes, especially for vegetarians
I wasn’t sure what I was expecting going into Label 7. I had heard different perspectives on the food over the years, but I hadn’t been in to try it myself. Right off the bat, I was happy to see that one of the beer taps was reserved for Lock 32 Brewing, a Pittsford brewery…
ROCK | Friday in America
This band jams but doesn’t bore us waiting for the chorus. It’s front man Fran Broderick’s distinct voice that helps the band hold its edge as it delves into multiple vintage and contemporary studies to get your ass in gear. As I’ve said in the past, Friday in America alludes to its roots, and never…
JAM | The Chris Robinson Brotherhood
I’ve seen the Black Crowes three times over the years, and I’ve seen its two founding brothers, Chris and Rich Robinson, once each on their own. When together, fronting the Crowes, these two were rock music’s salvation, the much-needed boot in the ass. Separately they proved to be not as dangerous. Am I bummed the…
JAZZ | Mike Melito Trio
Mike Melito is a ubiquitous presence on the Rochester music scene. He’s the drummer at the Jazz Festival’s jam sessions and the first-call drummer when stars come to town. He’s played with Benny Golson, James Moody, Barry Harris, Chris Potter, Eric Alexander, and many more. Celebrating a superb new album, he’ll be joined at the…
SYMPHONIC ROCK | Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration with Warren Haynes
The Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration is like a Deadhead sticker on a Cadillac. This concert is going to blend the seemingly incompatible: the tie-dyed music of the Jerry Garcia Band and the Grateful Dead with a 40-piece orchestra. Grammy-winning singer and guitarist Warren Haynes (pictured) is the maestro of the outfit bringing this excellent…
THRASH METAL | Ghoul
Don’t overthink Ghoul — well, take the band’s vicious musicianship seriously, but just enjoy the band’s gruesome lowbrow personas, backstory, and show for the crooked spectacle it is. Not a lot is known about the masked members of the Creepsylvania by way of Oakland band except that their names are Cremator, Digestor, Dissector, and Fermentor…
Feedback 8/3
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. Rethink Midtown…
ROOTS ROCK | Miss Tess and Thomas Bryan Eaton
Miss Tess and Thomas Bryan Eaton have a long history together. Eaton has been a steady member and co-producer of Tess’s band, The Talkbacks, and Tess is always on call when Eaton needs some backup on his solo work or with his own group, Hobson’s Choice. The two have a wonderful musical chemistry that shines…
Urban Action 8/3
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. All are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. Penfield seeking input on new district The Penfield Town Board invites written public comments regarding the potential impact of a new 360-acre Mixed Use Zoning District along Route 250. The area is currently…
Significant Other works with a mighty pedigree
It’s readily apparent from the minute you slide Significant Other’s CD, “House Of Cards,” into the player that this is a significantly tight outfit. The band’s slick layering and cooperation leaves its beloved bluesy influences augmented to the point of being more than just the bar band its members claim it to be. This sweet…
Great Lakes contain flame retardants
An international commission says that the governments of Canada and the US can do more to keep toxic flame retardants out of the Great Lakes. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers have been found in significant levels in all of the Great Lakes. Lake Erie has the highest levels, with Lake Ontario coming in second, according to the…
Progression of photography fascinates at Eastman Museum
With “Sight Reading,” the current exhibit in George Eastman Museum’s Project Gallery, curator in charge Lisa Hostetler reminds museum-goers of the importance of the institution’s vast and educational photographic artifacts. There are few flashy, attention-snatching pieces in the show, so a studied patience is required, but viewers are rewarded for their discipline with a more…
Week Ahead: Events for the week of Monday, August 8
Genesee Valley Citizens for Peace will hold its annual Hiroshima-Nagasaki candlelight vigil at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, August 8. The vigil is a public statement of peace and the importance of nuclear disarmament on the 71st anniversary of the US bombing of Japan with atomic weapons. The vigil will be held in the Avon traffic…
Focused Investment gets mixed grades
The City of Rochester got the results of a review of its high-profile neighborhood revitalization effort.
Electing a president of a divided nation
For the country to succeed, for American democracy to succeed, it will take all of us, not just a bare majority of voters.
Film review: “Tickled”
In the wildly entertaining documentary “Tickled,” what begins as a light-hearted look into a ridiculous pastime slowly transforms into something strange and altogether disturbing. New Zealand-based pop culture reporter David Farrier has made a career out of fluffy stories focusing on “the weird and bizarre side of life.” The film’s introduction includes brief clips from…
