Cover Story
A matter of trust
(One of a series of articles on the challenge of creating strong police-community relationships in Rochester.) Law enforcement agencies around the country have touted their community policing efforts for at least 30 years. But does it work? Are cities any safer when police walk their beats, go to neighborhood meetings, empanel advisory boards, and help…
City Council wades into police oversight
City Council agreed in a meeting last week that improvements to the Civilian Review Board are needed, and Council wants those changes in place by July 1, 2018. “The Civilian Review Board in its current state lacks community trust, and the Council knows that this is a problem,” Council President Loretta Scott said in a…
Rochester Reads announces 2018 selection
Writers & Books today announced “The Distance Between Us” by award-winning novelist Reyna Grande as the selection for the 2018 Rochester Reads program. Grande will be in Rochester March 28 to March 30, 2018, to participate in readings, book signings, and other appearances at various locations in Rochester and the surrounding region. Through her 2012…
For the hometeam
Fairport native Nick Greco will be back in Rochester to premiere “The 60 Yard Line,” a charmingly goofy indie comedy that tells the story of Ben “Zagger” Zagowski (Ryan Churchill, also the film’s writer), a diehard Green Bay Packers fan who, with the support of his Chicago Bears-loving best friend (played by Greco), purchases a…
Fringe Street Beat gives dancers a platform
The East Main Street end of Gibbs was packed and buzzing with energy on Saturday as almost 200 people gathered for Fringe Street Beat. The Rochester Fringe Festival brought back the all-styles dance competition for its second year, drawing in teams from the region and as far as Montreal to compete for a $1,500 cash…
Becca reviews ‘Out of Sync’ and ‘Antigone’
Before Charles Miller commenced his multimedia performance piece, “Out of Sync: Abstractions,” at the Little Theatre on Saturday night, he told the gathered audience that the soundscapes were all prior compositions, while the accompanying visualizations projected on the big screen would be improvisational. Miller created the visual stream by cutting acetate into strips and applying…
Kathy reviews ‘Really Rosie’ and ‘Merged V’
There truly is something for everyone at Fringe. And that includes kids. Friday evening, I stepped into what felt like a storybook come-to-life in “Really Rosie.” The production at Blackfriars Theatre combines music by the incomparable Carole King with lyrics by Maurice Sendak (of “Where the Wild Things Are” fame) and an energetic young cast.…
Becca reviews ‘The Tell-Tale Heart,’ ‘Childhood/The Lottery,’ and ‘Anatomy of a Black Man’
Masquer’s Drama Club/Dangerous Signs’s creative retelling of Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” at The Little kicked off my Friday night. This team does an amazing job — Fringe 2016 was my first time seeing the group, when it presented “Hands Full of Shakespeare.” Through spoken word voice-over, ASL, dance, and pantomime, the tale is…
Becca talks Farm to Fringe offerings
New to the Rochester Fringe this year is a Farm to Fringe mini series. Fringe partnered with local farms, vineyards, and distilleries — including Hurd Orchards, Schutts Apple Mill, and Finger Lakes Distilling — to put together a series of seasonal events that celebrate the fruits of the harvest. The first event took place on Saturday,…
Film review: ‘Columbus’
Marking an astonishingly assured debut by Korean-American writer and director Kogonada, “Columbus” is a quiet, contemplative, and deeply moving story about the friendship between two lonely strangers, struck up over the several days they spend walking and talking through the small city of Columbus, Indiana. A 30-something book translator, Jin (John Cho), has come to…
Classical review: RPO’s 2017-18 season opener
If you’re going to open a symphony orchestra season, you may as well open it with a dazzling flourish or two. Richard Strauss’s tone poem, “Don Juan,” begins with one of the greatest opening salvoes in the orchestral repertoire, a hurtling rocket of strings and brass. When Ward Stare and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra leaped…
Fringe review: John Mulaney at Kodak Hall
John Mulaney, Fringe’s 2017 comedy headliner, has many notable accomplishments, one of those being the fact he co-created “Saturday Night Live’s” eccentric and brilliant Stefon character with Bill Hader. And really, Fringe sounds like Stefon describing Rochester’s hottest new festival. “It has everything: A summer igloo, complimentary heckling, giant floating eye orbs, and sperm kites…
Becca reviews ‘Nevermore! In Motion’ and ‘Memento Anima’
After a few nights filled with many shows that reflected important social and political topics, my Thursday was a bit of artistic escapism — with morbid undertones. First up was “Nevermore! In Motion,” a unique retelling of the works of Edgar Allen Poe performed by MCC’s On The Edge Drama Troupe at SOTA. The performance,…
Frank reviews Loop Painting and Matt Griffo
Seth Faergolzia is a madman; the kind of sub-genius I like to truck with. Discipline. In their literature, the Fringe higher-ups talk of disciplines in classifying and categorizing performances. Faergolzia’s Loop Painting technically had two and yet no discipline at all. It was a full-blown free for all. Faergolzia entered Gregorian chant-inspired, vowel-heavy moans and…
VOTE NOW: Best of Rochester 2017 Final Ballot
The Best of Rochester 2017 final ballot is now closed. Look out for the results on stands and online Wednesday, October 25
CLASSICAL | RPO Season Opener
Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Music Director Ward Stare enjoys getting the season off to a brilliant start, and no doubt the orchestra’s audiences do, too. Brilliance is on the agenda for the 2017-18 season opener. The guest soloist is Israeli pianist Inon Barnatan (the first artist-in-association with the New York Philharmonic) performing in the Grieg Piano…
Kathy reviews Murder Mystery at the Central Library and ‘Bushwhacked’
Part of the fun of the Fringe is not only seeing shows, but becoming immersed in them. Both Murder Mystery at the Central Library and “Bushwhacked: Crystal Magic Wonder Cabinet Palace Tent” fit that bill. Walking into the library on South Avenue, I quickly noticed the beautiful old building was adorned with crime scene tape, fingerprints,…
BLUES | Benny Turner
From the Chittlin’ Circuit to the Far East, blues bassist Benny Turner has spent the last 60 years circling the globe as a sideman. Now, we’re not talking just any sideman to just anybody, we’re talking about playing with Freddy King, who incidentally was Turner’s brother. Turner played with King until the guitarist’s death in…
INDIE ROCK | Palehound
Boston-based Palehound is quintessential indie rock, centered around front woman Ellen Kempner’s gentle voice and unobtrusive guitar approach. The sound is soft and warm, broken up only when Kempner stretches her vocal chords all the way to falsetto land. It’s thoughtful and inviting, though a little introverted and shy. It’s endearing, nonetheless, with beautiful subtleties…
Feedback 9/20
We welcome your comments. Email them to themail@rochester-citynews.com. Those 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. Caring about race and poverty Regarding Urban Journal’s “How Racist Is Rochester?” and the related questions of…
HIP-HOP | Maxo Kream
Rapper and record producer Maxo Kream carries the torch for hip-hop artists out of southeast Texas. The 27-year-old originally gained recognition by releasing a remix of Kendrick Lamar’s “Rigamortis,” and since 2012, has dropped four mixtapes of his own. In his solo work — he’s become the most recognized member of his rap group, Kream…
Urban Action 9/20
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.) Making peace a priority Genesee Valley Citizens for Peace will hold an International Peace Day Celebration on Thursday, September 21. The event is family-friendly, with music, games, and other activities; Kevin Martin, president…
CLASSICAL | ‘Joys and Litanies’
The latest chapter in the long-time, mutually fruitful relationship between Rochester composers and Rochester musicians will unfold, Sunday evening, when First Muse presents its opening concert of the season. “Joys and Litanies: A Local Perspective” spotlights chamber music written during the past 20 years by three of Rochester’s most talented composers, performed by nine talented…
Police training program challenged
More than a dozen local activists concerned about police use of force gathered at the Rochester Police Locust Club on Monday to protest plans to have officers participate in a controversial training program. The Locust Club is paying for training by the Force Science Institute. At Monday’s protest, activist Jazper Titus said training should instead…
KIDS | Drag Story Hour
When you really think about it, children and drag queens are an obvious fit: they both use their imaginations to express themselves creatively, love playing dress-up, and have a natural affinity for bright, shiny objects. Now, Blackfriars Theatre is partnering with The Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley to finally bring these two groups together…
It’s Penfield vs. Allen Creek
Allen Creek is hardly raging river. It’s a tranquil stream that meanders gently and peacefully through a few Monroe County towns – Henrietta, Pittsford, Brighton – before merging with Irondequoit Creek in Penfield. But when its levels are high and a heavy rainstorm hits, the creek flows with enough force to eat at its banks,…
Adam reviews ‘Spy in the House of Men’ and ‘The Bicycle Men’
The touching “Spy in the House of Men,” is a one-woman show by performer Penny Sterling about her personal journey toward living her life openly and authentically as a transgender woman. Aside from some brief music transitions and the occasional prop, Sterling herself is the front and center of the hour-long monologue, broken up into…
After a resounding win, it’s Warren’s party
It may not be a surprise that Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren won the September 5 Democratic primary, but the margin of that win certainly surprised many people. She received more votes than those of her two opponents – County Legislator Jim Sheppard and former television reporter Rachel Barnhart – combined. And while Warren still has…
SPECIAL EVENT | Fringe Street Beat
Closing out the 2017 Keybank Rochester Fringe Festival on Saturday is perhaps one of the Fringe’s fastest-growing events. Street Beat, an afternoon-long dance competition taking place on Gibbs Street, attracts some of the best dancers in the region — look out for groups like TRU ART, a recently formed dance squad that has performed at…
Beer’s best friend
Beer drinkers locally and nationally are experiencing something of a craft brewery renaissance. According to Datafiniti, Rochester now ranks 16th per capita nationally with 3.2 breweries for every 100,000 people. The trend slakes thirsts, but beer lovers often crave food with their brews. Several local breweries recognize that and have put together menus to meet…
ART | Brockport Alumni Exhibit
Not everyone who made art in college makes the practice into their main career, but it doesn’t mean they don’t still create. For example, Trisha Koomen, a former student of The College at Brockport’s Department of Art, is a registered nurse. Her artwork alludes to her medical practice: Koomen’s sculpture “Vessel” is built of glass…
‘Labyrinth’ gives climate change a multi-sensory interpretation
The highly anticipated Sunday night premiere of “Labyrinth” at RMSC’s Strasenburgh Planetarium did not disappoint. Co-created by BIODANCE’s Missy Pfohl Smith and media artist W. Michelle Harris — who together presented the acclaimed “Anomaly” at the same venue in 2013 and 2016 — the multi-sensory show was performed to a full house as part of…
SPECIAL EVENT | Theater of War
Sadly, Sophocles’ “Ajax” holds real, relevant power almost 2,500 years after it was written. During the playwright’s lifetime, the Greeks waged war on six fronts, and the works of Sophocles (who was a general himself), along with Aeschylus and Euripides, reflected the tragedy, horror, and spirit-destroying consequences of warfare. It’s believed these war tragedies were…
Cavalcade is a band that’s not afraid of genre
Cavalcade is an indie rock outfit of little restraint or convention. Come to think of it, that’s the definition of most indie bands, isn’t it? The band commands a big rock dynamic as it calls upon odd time signatures and grooves. That’s why it’s hard to picture them as outcasts or misunderstood musical orphans (again…
THEATER | ‘Hamilton’
Geva Theatre Center on Monday will present a one-night-only reading of “Hamilton.” No, not Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony-winning musical phenomenon, but the biographical play written 100 years ago by West Bloomfield native Mary P. Hamlin and George Arliss. Like its hip-hop-infused successor, “Hamilton” chronicles the life of the influential founding father and first Secretary of the…
Album review: ‘Insistences’
Ocular Panther “Insistences” Self-released ocularpanther.com Ocular Panther’s “Insistences” opens with a tapestry of guitar so melodic that the absent words pop into the listener’s ear like a whisper. It’s like a collaboration with the band. Don’t sweat it; there’s plenty room in the band’s fourth album of instrumental salvos to hum along. Hell, the band…
Album review: ‘Pathways’
Yoko Miwa Trio “Pathways” Ocean Blue Tear Music yokomiwa.com Pianist Yoko Miwa wastes no time letting listeners know that her new album, “Pathways,” is going to be a wild ride. The opening track, Marc Johnson’s “Log O’Rhythm,” has a barrelhouse energy that won’t quit, and the next track, an excellent original, is perpetual motion until…
SOUL | The Rooks
The Rooks playfully describes its sound as if “Frank Ocean and D’Angelo got a little too hyped at a Carly Rae Jepsen concert, so they left to go chill at a dive bar with David Byrne” — whatever that means. With two EPs, a full length to debut soon, and several tours under it, the…
PUNK | The Queers
With thought-provoking album titles like “Love Songs for the Retarded” and songs bearing names as profound as “I Can’t Stop Farting,” New Hampshire’s The Queers are punk rock’s long-reigning court jesters. Once you move beyond the slapstick shock value of the group’s juvenile sloganeering, however, what’s left is some undeniable music. The aforementioned 1993 album…
Lovely Warren’s next challenge: uniting the Monroe Democratic Party
Warren has the potential to be an exceptional leader now, and the people of Greater Rochester badly need one.
Film review: ‘Stronger’
Director David Gordon Green brings the real-life story of Boston Marathon bombing survivor Jeff Bauman to the screen.
Film review: ‘Viceroy’s House’
Dramatizing the 1947 Partition of India, “Viceroy’s House” finds Lord Mountbatten sent to oversee the peaceful transfer of power as the British Empire relinquishes three centuries of control over India.
