The trailer for “Song Sung Blue,” director Craig Brewer’s Oscar-nominated biographical drama about a Neil Diamond tribute act, sets up a familiar arc. While looking for glory, musicians Mike and Claire — played by Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson — find each other. And when the glory arrives, so do the struggles: alcoholism, addiction and, […]
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
Gladys Knight and Mikaela Davis among summer festival performer announcements
Despite a fresh snowfall, festival season is just a few months away. This week, two of the city’s cornerstone summer celebrations have revealed some 2026 headliners. The Rochester Lilac Festival will fill Highland Park with homegrown and touring acts beginning May 8 and running through May 17. Each night has free live music, with local acts […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Vision of Sound returns for four days of eclectic local music and dance
The Rochester City Ballet, a krumping university professor and ensemble musicians will gather this weekend for a unique festival. Vision of Sound, which pairs local composers and choreographers to perform new work together, returns for four shows of eclectic music and dance February 19-22. The shows will be staged at four local schools, including SUNY Brockport, Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, […]
Posted inMusic
Taye Diggs and The Skycoasters to be inducted into Rochester Music Hall of Fame
Long before he was demanding last year’s rent from his bohemian friends, Taye Diggs grew up in Rochester and attended School of the Arts. Since then, the actor, singer and Broadway star has gone on to much success and acclaim, including performances in the stage and film versions of “Rent” and “Chicago.” Later this year, […]
Posted inMusic
REVIEW | ‘Are We There Yet’ by Katy Martin
Though goals and results drive modern society, it’s only after struggle and pain that we learn the journey is the destination. Local singer-songwriter Katy Martin’s latest solo album, “Are We There Yet,” captures this wisdom in eight indie folk songs that play with bright, twee sounds while tackling an ever-present heaviness. Martin, half of the […]
Posted inMusic
REVIEW | ‘Montréal’ by The Thriffs
Until recently, Rochester band The Thriffs went by a more typical tag: The Thrifts. But due to the existence of another band of the same name, this moody yet energetic quartet modified its name. The change-up suits the music, a rare blend of insular post-punk infused with blasts of extroverted personality. On The Thriffs’ debut […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Local arts organizations lost federal funding in 2025. What’s next?
Out of the many uses for the letterpress machines at Flower City Arts Center, this year has seen a rise in protest posters. The Trump administration’s myriad executive orders, immigration crackdowns and weaponization of the Department of Justice have galvanized artists and other community members to push back. Executive director Kristin Rapp said the machines […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Macaulay Culkin, the original meme, embraces his ‘Home Alone’ roots
Few people can lay claim to being a meme before the term reached widespread usage. After all, what did a meme in 1990 even look like? The answer is Macaulay Culkin. As a nine-year-old boy, he effectively conquered the world when the unusual yet heartwarming holiday film “Home Alone” reached major global commercial success. There […]
Posted inMusic
REVIEW | ‘Happy Dreamy’ by Painless Painless
The Rochester band channels decades of indie rock on two laid-back EPs.
Posted inMusic
REVIEW | ‘Flight Manifest’ by Einstein’s Dreams
‘Environmental indie-folk’ gets imbued with the power of flight.
Posted inMusic
Laraaji transforms Asbury First church into an ambient wonderland
Writing about music is like dancing about architecture, as the saying occasionally attributed to visionary artist Brian Eno goes. But what about a performance that centers the venue itself almost as much as the sounds? That’s half the fun of the concert series called Ambient Church. The shows blend live audio with highly ornate lighting […]
Posted inCulture
As sober-friendly and non-alcoholic options expand, a new kind of Third Place emerges
If bootleggers famously cooked up speakeasy hooch in tubs, where might non-alcoholic cocktails be mixed a century later? Shelley Elkovich and her husband, Jeff, found a former vanilla extract factory on Rochester’s northwest side this year for their business, For Bitter For Worse. It helps that the building has possible ties to Prohibition-era booze. “It […]
