Cover Story
Earth Day feature: Painting a picture of a planet in peril
Artists make the environment their work
Feldman says no to increasing armed UR officers
Addressing what has been a controversial issue concerning public safety on the University of Rochester campus’s various sites, President Richard Feldman has decided that armed Department of Public Safety “supervisors” will have unrestricted access to all parts of the UR’s campuses. But in a written statement released today, Feldman has decided against adding an armed…
Food Truck Rodeo season is here
The Food Truck Rodeo at the Rochester Public Market is on the last Wednesday of every month, from April through September.
COMEDY | Jerry Seinfeld
Jerry Seinfeld has made a comedic career of turning the mundane into the hilarious, carefully weaving social commentary into stories about relatable, little things. From his self-named iconic 90’s show about nothing, to the acclaimed web series “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee,” Seinfeld’s pioneering comedic style and distinctive voice have been influencing popular comedy for…
INDIE ROCK | Bad Suns
Lifelong friends and musicians, vocalist Christo Bowman and bassist Gavin Bennett formed Bad Suns in 2012. After adding drummer Miles Morris and guitarist Ray Libby through the Los Angeles music scene, the band submitted to a local radio station and quickly found itself touring with The 1975. Now signed to Epitaph Records, Bad Suns is…
SPECIAL EVENT | Clothing Swap Pop-up
There’s loads of ways to get involved in environmental activism, including participating in the zero-waste and buy-nothing movements. But that doesn’t mean you can’t acquire new-to-you items. Supplement your existing wardrobe and find new homes for things you no longer wear at a clothing swap pop-up event this week at The Yards. Impact Earth and…
KIDS-FILM | Rochester International Children’s Film Fest
Whether you’re young or young at heart, the Rochester International Children’s Film Festival presents a range of films that are sure to delight all ages. Thirteen shorts showcase kindness, friendship, humor, and other gentle themes appropriate for children and families, or anyone that needs to see a bit of light right about now. Stop motion,…
ART-LECTURE | ‘Frederick Douglass and Public Art Today’
There’s been a lot of buzz surrounding the legacy of Frederick Douglass in the past year, as 2018 was the bicentennial of his birth, and Rochester’s cultural sector engaged in the Re-Energizing the Legacy of Frederick Douglass project. Part of that group’s work included installing 13 Douglass statues, created by Olivia Kim, at different sites…
ART | ‘Whose Woods These Are’
Image City Photography Gallery’s current exhibit, “Whose Woods These Are,” is a collection of photographs by David Bleich. Some of his images capture the haunting and dramatic temperate rain forest of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. The rest of the images capture urban sights, in sharp contrast to the untouched, lush green of the…
Feedback 4/17
We welcome your comments. Send them to feedback@rochester-citynews.com. with your name, daytime telephone number for verification, and city, town, or village. Comments of fewer than 500 words have a greater chance of being published, and we do edit selections for publication. We don’t publish comments sent to other media. Farmworkers deserve good work conditions Republican…
Urban Action 4/17
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.) Designing livable spaces The Community Design Center of Rochester will present a talk by Ashleigh Walton on Wednesday, April 24, as part of its Reshaping Rochester speaker series. Walton is an architect and…
DOT plans Lake Avenue project
The state Department of Transportation is preparing to redo Lake Avenue between Lyell Avenue and Flower City Parkway, and pedestrians stand to benefit at least somewhat from the work. The DOT expects to begin milling and resurfacing the pothole-plagued street in a few months. Lake Avenue has been, at its best, a somewhat hostile roadway…
RCSD officials wrestle with budget priorities
Preparing the budget for the coming year has always been a mammoth undertaking for the Rochester City School District, but this year it’s particularly challenging. Most school budgets are designed to implement policies, support strategic goals, and address problems. But in the city school district’s case, there are far more problems to fix than there…
Rochester housing activists push reforms with Tenant Spring
Unlike San Francisco and New York City, Rochester has a reputation for having housing that’s affordable – and it does, for people with a good income. But for many, many Rochesterians, housing isn’t affordable at all. About 65 percent of the city’s households are renters, not homeowners. And a recent report from the Fiscal Policy…
ACOUSTIC | Preston Reed
Put a guitar in the hands of Preston Reed and get ready to be amazed. No traditional chords, strums or finger picking here — just an astounding sonic display of melody, harmony, and percussion that is as exciting to watch as it is to hear. While others (notably Stanley Jordan) have tapped their way to…
FOLK | Tough Old Bird
From Fillmore, New York in Allegany County, Tough Old Bird is a folk project painting impressionistic tones of pastoral scenes. The duo — brothers Matthew and Nathan Corrigan — is robustly reflective in its songwriting, however gentle it is in its performances. Sonically, there is an appreciation of classic folk artists like Pete Seeger and…
PROGRESSIVE REGGAE | Black Castle
With steadfast willpower, Ithaca-based Black Castle honors Jamaican, Euro-electronic, and Eastern, spiritual soundscapes just the same. This refreshing alchemy results in what is contemporary reggae’s equivalent to modern jazz. Black Castle’s worldly, wise, and progressive disposition evokes mid-2000s groups like Asian Dub Foundation and Groove Armada. Reggae-wise, next-of-kin are artists like Matisyahu, Midnite, and Burning…
JAZZ | Homeless Jazz Trio
A workshop of uninhibited self-expression through music, Homeless Jazz Trio is a project revolving around friendship. It’s formed by members of Claude Bennington’s Fever Dream- drummer Gary Lamaar, bassist Ryder Eaton, and pianist Phil Lewalle; sometimes adding cameos from talented musicians like trumpeter Brandon Choi. Performing standards, originals, and improvisations, the group encourages listeners to…
JAZZ | Afro-Cuban All-Stars
Ever since “Buena Vista Social Club” thrilled moviegoers two decades ago, Afro-Cuban music has enjoyed a world-wide revival. Rochester is about to get a potent shot of musical adrenaline when the Afro-Cuban All-Stars take the stage at Kodak Hall on Saturday. The band was organized by musical director Juan de Marcos González, the arranger of…
Election 2020: Preparing for the Dems’ big show
Age, experience, charisma, issues: Heading into the next presidential election period, Democrats have a lot to think about.
Album review: ‘EP’
The Dirty Pennies ‘EP’ Self-released thedirtypennies.com Looking for a guitar hero? Look no further than The Dirty Pennies, a Rochester trio which, on its new “EP,” serves up the songs like cuts of lo-fi beef. It’s slick, but it’s not showy. It’s primal rock ‘n’ roll with just the right amount of blues to keep…
Eating green at the Tavern
Toasted Bear Tavern offers hit-the-spot greasy pub fare, but has added some healthy vegan options courtesy Kitchen Verde owner Sarah Goodenough.
Film preview: One Take Film Festival
The 2019 iteration of OTFF includes documentaries about conflict refugees, the Satanic Temple, the even more infamous Steve Bannon, and Toni Morrison.
Album review: ‘Take Me as I Am: The Muscle Shoals Sessions’
Meg Williams ‘Take Me as I Am: The Muscle Shoals Sessions’ Nola Blue Records megwilliamsmusic.com Nazareth College alumnus and Nashville singer-songwriter Meg Williams is a sweet goddess on the outside and a talented, blues-rock beast on the inside, celebrating her third full-length release since 2014. Williams brings the edge in her new, self-affirming album, "Take…
Theater review: ‘The Royale’
Based on a true story and set in 1905, the plot follows Jay “The Sport” Jackson, a black boxer who wants to become the heavyweight champion of the world, and challenges the current titleholder — a white man — to come out of retirement for the fight of the decade.
Songwriting icon Chip Taylor plays Abilene
Chip Taylor is a mellow cat. He’s so cool, sheep count him. Artists like Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, Dusty Springfield, Eddie Arnold, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, and Jimi Hendrix have had his words in their mouths.
