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The evolution of Earth Day
The event ain’t what it used to be, but that’s not a bad thing
Minimum wage push continues
New York’s Fight for $15 carries on. Earlier this month, the State Legislature passed a budget that included a phased-in boost in the state’s minimum wage. Downstate, the wage will increase to $15 an hour by 2021. But in Upstate, the wage will reach $12.50 an hour by 2021, and then will increase to $15…
Casino idea greeted with caution
Downtown casinos are complex projects that tend to stir up strong emotions on both sides, for and against. Attach the Seneca Nation of Indians to any potential project and the discussion gets very heated very fast. News broke last week that developer Robert Morgan is working with the Seneca Nation to put together a proposal…
Week ahead: Events for the week of Monday, April 18
The Sierra Club’s annual environmental forum is this week.
A troupe of touring Trumps
UPDATE: The free art exhibit “Trumpmania” has been extended through Friday, April 29, at the Art Museum of Rochester. AMoR’s hours are 5 to 10 p.m., Wednesday through Friday. A traveling exhibit featuring artwork inspired by Donald Trump and his presidential campaign will be presented for one night only at the Art Museum of Rochester…
Concert review: Yuja Wang with the RPO
Pianist Yuja Wang on Thursday and Saturday broke into Bartok and helped the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra reach new heights.
Cruz keeps it short, focused during Rochester stop
Texas Senator Ted Cruz isn’t polling well with New York Republicans. And he got the cold shoulder at the New York GOP’s annual gala last night. But he does have supporters in the Empire State. About 1,000 attended a rally for the GOP presidential contender at Monroe Community College tonight; Cruz doesn’t have a Secret…
Seeley picked to lead Irondequoit
Dave Seeley will serve as the Town of Irondequoit’s interim supervisor. The Irondequoit Town Board selected Seeley for the job during its meeting last night and will officially appoint him to the position during a special meeting at 6 p.m. on Monday, April 18, at Irondequoit Town Hall, 1280 Titus Avenue. Seeley, a Democrat, has…
Theater review: RBTL presents “Matilda”
Roald Dahl never shied away from the darker aspects of life, even in his many books for children. From “The Witches” and “The BFG” to “George’s Marvellous Medicine,” truly terrible things happen to the young protagonists of his stories; his books provide a very real sense of danger that most entertainment for children seems to…
Warren wants a voice in city schools
Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren said in her State of the City address tonight that she has asked the state education commissioner and the Board of Regents to let her have a role in the plans for improving struggling city schools. The Rochester school district has a number of low-performing schools that could end up in…
ALBUM REVIEW: “Long Playing Lo-Fidelity”
Hawker M. James “Long Playing Lo-Fidelity” Self-released hawkermjames.bandcamp.com Before we dive into this week’s record, allow me to clear up any misconceptions about my fascination with and affection for the mighty lo-fi. Despite what you may have heard, lo-fi is not a lack of quality, but rather it’s an added quality, a veneer. Some shun…
Feedback 4/13
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. Eastman report…
Urban Action 4/13
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. All are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. ACT to release community report card ACT Rochester will issue its 5th annual report card at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, April 26. The organization uses data analysis to increase the public’s understanding on…
Workshop aims to stem violence
People tend to deal with conflict either by avoiding it or fighting. But neither is productive, says Shannon Richmond, a volunteer with the Alternatives to Violence Project, and both approaches can lead to violence. Everyone has the capacity for violence, she says, but they also have the ability to learn techniques that resolve conflict and…
As Evi Turkish leaves an impressive mark
I like to highlight the fact that although Rochester isn’t a city the size of New York or Chicago, the dining scene has a fantastic selection of cultures to explore. A Evi Turkish Cuisine is part of a limited group of Turkish options, but it makes its mark with a family atmosphere and some standout…
ART | ArtAwake
The annual ArtAwake festival will be held on Saturday April 16, from 2 p.m. to midnight at The Metropolitan (former Chase Tower, 195 East Main Street). This year’s event features more than 120 pieces of art from 80 regional artists, including college students and professional artists. Musical entertainment from a variety of genres will be…
DANCE | “Evolution”
This year marks the 35th anniversary of Borinquen Dance Theatre, which provides holistic dance programs for youth, many from economically challenged families. Artistic Director Nydia Padilla-Rodriguez, an original member of Garth Fagan’s Bottom of the Bucket dance company, founded BDT in 1981 and began teaching dance classes at Hochstein School of Music and Dance in…
LECTURE | David Peterson
Ever wonder how the realistic yet fictional languages in your favorite films and shows are created? Linguist and author David Peterson, who is best known for creating the Dothraki and Valyrian languages for HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” will explain on Wednesday, April 13, at the University of Rochester. Peterson’s lecture, “New Media Linguistics: Developing Languages…
THEATER | “An Evening of Original One Acts”
One of Rochester’s long-standing community theater groups, Everyone’s Theatre Company, presents its annual evening of original one-act plays. Local playwrights Donald Anderson and Justin Rielly — founder of the Rochester-based group Aspie Works — penned this year’s six offerings. Plays include “Finger Lakes” by Anderson and “Bottle Karma,” “So Much for Blissful Negotiations,” “Waiting for…
CLASSICAL | Toronto Symphony Orchestra
Rochester’s classical music audiences are accustomed to visits from celebrated international guest conductors and soloists. But an entire orchestra stopping by the Eastman Theatre? That’s a decidedly uncommon occurrence. This Friday, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, led by its music director, Peter Oundjian, will perform works by J.S. Bach and Dmitri Shostakovich — two composers RPO…
THEATER | “Mother Courage and Her Children”
The University of Rochester is putting a contemporary spin on the 1939 Bertolt Brecht-penned play “Mother Courage and Her Children” as part of its International Theatre Program. “Mother Courage” is both a dark comedy and a poignant political drama about a matriarch and wily profiteer who struggles to keep herself and her family alive during…
SINGER-SONGWRITER | Sarah Potenza
When Danny Deutsch opened Rochester’s roots-rock Mecca, Abilene, he should have consulted the third little pig — you know, the one who stymied the big bad wolf by using brick — in preparation for Nashvegas powerhouse singer-songwriter Sarah Potenza. She’s gonna huff and puff and level the joint. This dame is a Howitzer of a…
DANCE | Chamber Ballet
The second season of Chamber Ballet Brockport takes place this week, with a concert offered on Friday, April 15, and Saturday, April 16, at the Rose L. Strasser Studio (Hartwell Hall, Kenyon Street, The College at Brockport). Artistic Director Vanessa Van Wormer and Music Director Andrew Alden have curated a program that features choreography by…
PUNK | Pears
Pears’ new album ,”Green Star,” is over quicker than a frat boy’s first time. The songs are short, sweet, and raunchy, and played at break-neck speed. And you thought Zeke was fast. This New Orleans band sounds like a soundtrack to a bar fight: vicious, fast, and fun. Pears plays with Such Gold, Druse, Hideout,…
Paintings glimpse the divine in the mundane
As we move through life, we learn many of the same lessons everyone else has to learn, but the way those lessons reach us, and why they stick, varies widely from person to person. One of my personal favorite lessons is the power and freedom that comes through individual interpretation, which struck me during Kathy…
JAZZ | Joe Romano Tribute
Over his long career, the great Rochester saxophonist Joe Romano played with Buddy Rich, Woody Herman, Sonny Stitt, Chuck Mangione, and many more. But whenever he was back in town, you could find Romano joining local bands and mentoring local musicians. It’s been eight years since his death, but Romano’s impact on the Upstate scene…
Pianist Yuja Wang reaches a milestone in Rochester
“Incomparable” is not a word to be used carelessly, but it could easily be used to describe the craft of 29-year-old pianist Yuja Wang. Undeniably kinetic, Wang’s performances are unparalleled for their flair, exuberance, and substance. The piano phenom has already accomplished a lot in her young career, having performed rarified gigs at Carnegie Hall…
CLASSICAL | “Asia in Meditation”
The Society for Chamber Music in Rochester’s season-long trip around the world continues this Sunday with a stop in “The Meditative East.” The program contains unusual pieces by a wide selection of past and present Chinese and Japanese composers, including Chen Yi, Toru Takemitsu, and Yoshinao Nakada, The general tone should be meditative, spare, and…
Film preview: The 58th Rochester International Film Festival
The Rochester International Film Festival, now in its 58th year, continues its mission to deliver the best in short films from around the globe. The festival — which has become widely known by its nickname “Movies on a Shoestring,” after the 8mm film stock that was used by most filmmakers in the early days of…
FOLK-ROCK | Ryan Montbleau
Ryan Montbleau’s soul soothes out heavy on a vine. Artfully crafted lyrics sit soulful and honest, while his fingers dance multiple rhythms at once. This unique songwriter and performer has lit up everywhere from intimate rooms to festival stages around the country, logging a lot of miles over the past decade, and easily moving between…
ZYDECO | Mo’ Mojo
Mo’ Mojo is a “Party-Gras” band of the highest order. The Ohio-based band rolls together traditional zydeco, swamp blues, R&B, Americana, and a little New Orleans funk for an infectious groove. Mo’ Mojo just released its fourth album, “We All Got the Same,” and it’s an instantly accessible, rockin’ addition to the band’s impressive world-traveling…
Maybird settles into Danger Mouse’s label
When we first sat down to kibitz with pop giant Maybird in 2014, the band was still vacillating between The Josh Netsky Band, which it was, and Maybird, which it was becoming. The band has since eased into that transition, and has hitched its wagon to some utterly amazing pop music: a gorgeous, psychedelic ebb…
To make a bold stand, vote Bernie
Mary Anna Towler last week reluctantly endorsed Hillary Clinton for New York’s presidential primary. City writers disagree with her endorsement.
