Jim James’ entire musical modus operandi might as well be “this dude is in love with his guitar.” That’s something someone might say if their entire exposure to James’ band, My Morning Jacket, was the Southern-rock banger “Mahgeetah” from 2003’s opus, “It Still Moves.” In fairness to this hypothetical plebe, the song is literally called […]
Patrick Hosken
Patrick is CITY's arts and culture reporter. He was formerly the music editor at MTV News and a producer at Buffalo Toronto Public Media.
Posted inMusic
Phoebe Bridgers listening parties coming to Strasenburgh Planetarium
A Grammy-winning singer-songwriter has chosen Rochester’s Strasenburgh Planetarium to help promote her latest album. New music from Phoebe Bridgers can soon be heard as part of a laser show and with special projections in the venue’s dome. The “Lost Weekend Planetarium Experience” kicks off Monday, August 10 and runs through the album’s release on Friday, August 14. The listening parties give fans […]
Posted inCulture
Rochester Ten | John Kucko
Age: 61 Hometown: Binghamton Current residence: Penfield Occupation: Digital content creator During a recent MRI, John Kucko laid inside a tube with a cylinder resting inches above his face. Physically, he remained still for about 30 minutes while the machine captured images of his brain. But mentally, he took a trip to the Adirondacks. “I […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
The artist burning wood to reach ‘Elevated Places’
The walls of ARTISANworks pop with fine-art paintings, kitschy collectibles and even a pinhole camera built from a Tibetan skull. This month, the art-dense venue will also be home to woodworks that channel ancient mythology and wisdom via earthy presentation. “Elevated Places,” a gallery event on August 8 presented by the Rochester Black Arts Council, […]
Posted inMovies
REVIEW | ‘The Odyssey’
“Is Christopher Nolan Catholic?” That’s the first thing I Googled upon exiting “The Odyssey.” As a director, Nolan has built a filmography around tortured men: atomic-bomb patriarch J. Robert Oppenheimer; dream wanderer Dom Cobb in “Inception;” marooned Joseph Cooper in “Interstellar.” But Nolan’s latest protagonist, the Greek hero Odysseus, endures a barrage of suffering so […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
‘Circus in the City’ anchors Rochester Fringe Festival 2026 lineup
There can be no ESL Rochester Fringe Festival without the Spiegeltent, the signature mirrored hall that houses many of its shows. Indeed, the Spiegeltent will return for the fest in September. But this year’s Fringe also brings a slew of outdoor acrobatics, trapeze and aerial arts performances to downtown venues like Parcel 5 and Gibbs […]
Posted inCulture
Local radio show ‘Rainbow Roc’ celebrates 10 years of proud LGBTQ+ advocacy
When Brian Hurlburt applied to host a radio show on low-power community broadcaster WAYO-FM, the station didn’t technically exist yet. This was 2015, and organizers were still laying cables and installing power racks before launching. Hurlburt wanted in. He’d worked in radio before, hosting a show in Batavia, and he dreamed of returning to the […]
Posted inMusic
REVIEW | ‘Ultra Instinct’ by Hirko
Ego is a sticky thing. Brian Wilson famously took acid and wrote a song about letting go of his own, only to be persuaded by Mike Love to tone down the psychedelia. (“I Know There’s an Answer” still goes.) The Rochester rapper Robert Hirko, who uses his last name to release music, has now made […]
Posted inMusic
Eastman School’s 2026-27 concerts include Timothy Long’s Indigenous songbook, Chris Thile, Aoife O’Donovan and more
The Eastman School of Music has announced its concerts for the next school year. The new season includes student performances and a few guest stars. The celebration of America at 250 will be woven throughout the next year of concerts at Eastman in performances by students, faculty and visiting artists. Those concerts include “The North […]
Posted inMusic
RPO names Tonya McBride Robles as new president and CEO
The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra has tapped Tonya McBride Robles to lead the organization as its new president and CEO, beginning August 17. McBride Robles most recently served as vice president of expanded education at the New England Conservatory in Boston and before that, she had been chief operating officer at both the Baltimore and Nashville […]
Posted inCulture
As ‘Antiques Roadshow’ films in Mumford next week, these local shopkeepers are ready
Antiques are the name of the game this week in Mumford, when PBS’s “Antiques Roadshow” rolls into the Genesee Country Village & Museum to film on June 17. The production will host thousands of collectors looking to get their items appraised — and to explore what local spots have to offer. Rick McKay opened McKay’s […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
The Medina Triennial brings ambitious, accessible art to the Erie Canal
Last September, an old canal barge made its way from Rochester 45 miles west to the village of Medina. Community members lugged trees and soil to help the artist Mary Mattingly build a unique garden — a floating one. Mattingly’s project is one of the key pieces of the Medina Triennial, which brings international artists […]
