Cover Story
Bassnectar: a spaz of madness
Bassnectar may not be a household name, but for underground electronic fans, he’s a musical maelstrom. He’s a painter whose canvas is musical waves and ambient beats. He’s half metal, half underground-style aficionado, collector, and librarian, and all electronic-music guru. And when that bass drops, watch out. The fans lap it up.
Brooks says broad support makes bike-ped projects attractive
Elected officials are finding it easier and easier to get behind active transportation initiatives. As she spoke to the audience at yesterday’s Genesee-Finger Lakes Active Transportation Summit, Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks ticked off the reasons why, including economic and community health benefits. PHOTO BY JEREMY MOULE This is what parking looks like at an…
Daily Choices: What to do on Wednesday, May 1
Theater: Catch a staging of “The Glass Menagerie” tonight, 8 p.m., at Todd Theatre at the University of Rochester’s River Campus. Tickets are $10-$15 and the show continues through May 4. For more information, visit rochester.edu/theatre.
Blumenauer talks up investment in bike-pedestrian infrastructure
When it comes to bike-oriented cities, Portland, Oregon, is the community that usually comes to mind. And rightfully so: citywide, cyclists make 6 percent of all vehicular trips. That sounds small, but it’s not. In the Rochester region, that number was about 1.1 percent in 2011, according to a survey by the Genesee Transportation Council.…
Local drone protesters arrested
This is a corrected version of this blog. More than 30 members of the Upstate Coalition to Ground the Drones and End the Wars were arrested this week after participating in a protest outside the Hancock Air National Guard Base near Syracuse. Some of the US military’s killer drones are operated and flown to targets…
Rocking the cradle in Syria
After drawing a line in the sand warning Syrian President Bashar Assad not to use chemical weapons, President Obama is now in a precarious place. The unimaginable may have happened. Detailed accounts of Assad’s use of the weapons are not clear, but several reports of Assad’s army using chemical weapons began to surface last week.…
“Doctor Who” Season 7: “Journey to the Center of the TARDIS”
Confession: I’m not sure what the hell happened in this weekend’s episode. The time and space woo-woo going on was to be expected for an episode that centered on the TARDIS, I guess, but I’m still not certain on how the whole problem worked itself out. I keep waiting for a smarter version of me…
Concert Review: AFR, Raining Blood at Montage
Dreams don’t come true. I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but if you want it to happen, make it a goal and just do it. It’s all about hard work and focus, pal. Dreams come to those who sleep. Let me explain what I do, and what prompted this rant. As a…
“Game of Thrones” Season 3, Episode 5: Hot Tub Time Machine
Although last week’s episode was awesome, I bemoaned its almost total lack of sexy times. This episode made up for it with not one but two hot-tub scenes, at least two cases of Grade-A man ass, and some equal-opportunity nudity for the lady lovers. It also set up plotlines for the next chunk of the…
Week Ahead: RCSD budget, College Town groundbreaking, active transportation summit, food truck in Henrietta?
This is an updated version. The Rochester school board will meet at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 2, for a final review of Superintendent Bolgen Vargas’s proposed budget for the 2013 to 2014 school year. This could be the last opportunity for board members to listen to parents, teachers, and students about the impact of…
Daily Choices: What to do on Monday, April 29
Theater: The Regional Writers Showcase, featuring “Memories of a Revolution” by Jessie Atkin, will take place tonight at 6 p.m. at Geva Theatre Center (75 Woodbury Blvd.). Admission is free, but reservations are required. For more info, call 232-4382 or visit gevatheatre.org.
Daily Choices: What to do on Saturday, April 27 and Sunday, April 28
Special event: Brighton High School (1150 Winton Rd. South, Brighton) will host World T’ai Chi & Qigong Day 2013 on Saturday, April 27, at 10 a.m.
East End garage needs millions in repairs, quickly
The East End garage needs millions of dollars in repairs or it will have to be shut down within two to three years, said Laura Miller, the City of Rochester’s new parking director, at a City Council work session yesterday. The garage needs approximately $5 million in high-priority maintenance, Miller said, including repairs to the…
Daily Choices: What to do on Friday, April 26
Film: New films opening in wide release today include “The Big Wedding,” “King’s Faith,” and “Pain & Gain.” Films screening at The Little Theatre are “Chronicle of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising,” “The Company You Keep” (also at Pittsford Cinema), “Disconnect.” “The Invisible War,” “The Island President,” “Overboard,” and “Starbuck.”
NOTA opposes apartment plan for University Ave.
The neighborhood association for the Neighborhood of the Arts has released the results of a survey conducted on a proposed apartment building on University Avenue. NOTA has also come out against the Morgan Management proposal, but says in the survey report that the association would be open to working with Morgan to find a more…
Music Interview: China Crisis
New wave pop and its underground counterparts from the 1970s and 80s have attained vintage status by now, but their influence remains, decades later, in today’s indie cutting edge. The UK’s China Crisis is of this original vintage period, infusing the mood and effect of the new wave aesthetic with a post-punk lyrical sensibility.
“American Idol” 2013: Results (Top 4 to…Top 4)
So, OK. There was no blog of Wednesday night’s Top 4 performance episode because my machine did not tape a single second of it. I don’t know. So, sorry for that. But here’s the thing: if I was going to miss a week, this was the week to miss. Because anyone paying attention to the…
‘Spider-Man’ forces changes to city bus routes
Regional Transit Service will change bus routes during the filming of the Amazing Spider-Man 2 in Rochester from April 30 through May 9. RTS buses will bypass all stops and service on Main Street between Chestnut Street and Plymouth Avenue. Bus transfer points at the intersections of Main Street and Clinton Avenue and Main Street…
Commission sides with politicians on Indian Point power replacement plan
The state Public Service Commission appears to agree with upstate elected officials who say that the ratepayers they represent shouldn’t bear costs associated with closing the Indian Point nuclear plant. At issue is a plan submitted by Consolidated Edison and the New York Power Authority to replace the power generated by Indian Point, if the…
Daily Choices: What to do on Thursday, April 25
Lecture: The Archaeological Institute of America will hold a lecture titled “Agatha Christie, Archaeology, and Alzheimer’s” tonight, 7:30 p.m., at the Memorial Art Gallery (500 University Ave.).
Breathe easier, Rochester
Each year, the American Lung Association ranks the air quality of the country’s largest metro areas. And this year’s State of the Air report has good news for Monroe County. The Lung Association gave the county high marks on its air quality. The county received an A grade for ground level ozone, and a B…
Neighbors rally to save School 10
Parents, residents, and members of several southwest city neighborhoods are waiting to hear schools Superintendent Bolgen Vargas’s latest recommendation to the school board regarding Schools 10 and 1. They held a rally last night at School 10, also known as Dr. Walter Cooper Academy, to protest Vargas’s proposal to close the school. Vargas proposed combining…
Urban Action 4/24
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.) Nonviolent solutions to Israel-Palestine conflict The Rochester Mennonite Fellowship will present “Refusing to Be Enemies: Palestinian and Israeli Nonviolent Resistance to the Israeli Occupation,” at 7 p.m. on Monday, April 29. Author Maxine…
Violence on the mind
The manhunt following the tragedy in Boston ended Friday night better than it might have. Now we want answers. Why did these two young men – one of them little more than a boy, really – want to do this? Was the target of their hatred the marathon? Boston? The United States? Did they get…
ART REVIEW: “It Came From the Vault”
I was still noticing previously overlooked works and nuances within works on my third visit to the Memorial Art Gallery’s current exhibit, “It Came from the Vault: Rarely Seen Works from MAG’s Collection.” I recently spoke with MAG Director of Exhibitions Marie Via about how more than 200 objects included in the show were selected…
CHOW HOUND: Urban renewal
“I’d been looking for a spot in the South Wedge or Park Avenue,” says Shema Sushi chef Su Holmes of her decision to move her popular eatery from the location on West Main Street in Webster that it had occupied since 2007. Shema recently opened the doors to its new home on Alexander Street’s Restaurant…
ART | Slow Art Day
Raise your hand if you spend more than half of your visit to any art opening chatting up friends you bump into, one after another. Now how many of us allow ourselves the luxury of visiting an exhibition after the reception night, and truly spend time with the works? Slow Art Day is a worldwide…
POP/ROCK | China Crisis
UK’s canonical new-wave band China Crisis makes an ultra-rare appearance in the United States. China Crisis is best known stateside for “Arizona Sky” and the melancholy “Wishful Thinking.” The band shares attributes with fellow post-punk Liverpudlians Teardrop Explodes and OMD — namely smart lyrics and a moody, dancey, multi-dimensional synth aesthetic. The band’s genre-busting evolution…
KIDS | Best of the Brick Weekend
As if the National Museum of Play didn’t already offer enough outlets for kids of all ages, the museum debuted its new permanent exhibit, “Game Time!,” in mid-April. This interactive exhibit has more than three centuries worth of American game and puzzle history to see and play. Look for everything from jumbo chess to oversized…
REGGAE | Big Upstate Reggae Festival
Of all the ingredients the fertile, all-encompassing jam-band scene tosses into the cauldron, reggae seems to be the most dominant. Sure, John Brown’s Body surfs the world-beat side of things with its polyrhythmic display, but it’s that wily one-drop that digs the deepest groove. “Future roots,” as the band calls it. Based in Boston and…
RECREATION | Flower City Challenge
Rochester runners, bikers, paddlers, and kayakers: this is what you’ve been training for all year. Unity Health System presents its fourth Flower City Challenge on Saturday, April 27, and Sunday, April 28. This year’s traditional challenges include the SPM River Challenge — a duathlon or paddle triathlon, depending on your stamina and/or preference — starting…
POP/PUNK | All Time Low
Whereas Baltimore’s All Time Low has been known to unabashedly wear its collective influences on its collective sleeve, its latest record, “Don’t Panic,” has smoothed out the seams of all the band’s Frankensteined influences. Instead it arrives at its own jagged take on pop-infused punk. The result is a lot less ironic, and perhaps even…
THEATER | “Measure for Measure”
Some are born great. Some achieve greatness. And some achieve so much greatness that were still celebrating the day they were born after four centuries. Friends, Romans, countrymen: William Shakespeare’s 449th birthday is coming up, and to celebrate the occasion as you like it, the Shakespeare Players are presenting his play “Measure for Measure” at…
HIP-HOP | Insane Clown Posse
Before you dismiss Insane Clown Posse as merely juvenile humor for booger-eating morons drenched in soda pop, check out one of the duo’s more recent videos, “Where’s God?” with the thought-provoking chorus, “Where’s god when shit goes down?” Believe it or not, Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope have been at it for more than…
THEATER | Rainbow Theater Festival
The Rainbow Theater Festival, presented by Bread & Water Theatre, started in early April with a production of “8,” the new play from Dustin Lance Black, Oscar-winning screenwriter of “Milk.” But if you missed you that show — or if it left you wanting more GLBT-themed productions — you can still catch the last two…
BROADWAY | RPO Pops: Sondheim and Bernstein
Early on in his career, lyricist Stephen Sondheim collaborated with then-established composer Leonard Bernstein on one of the most beloved musicals in theater history, “West Side Story.” This weekend the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, led by conductor Jeff Tyzik, will present songs from the aforementioned musical, as well as selections from Bernstein’s “Candide” and choice pieces…
Daily Choices: What to do on Tuesday, April 30
Music: Whereas Baltimore’s All Time Low has been known to unabashedly wear its collective influences on its collective sleeve, its latest record, “Don’t Panic,” has smoothed out the seams of all the band’s Frankensteined influences. Instead it arrives at its own jagged take on pop-infused punk.
SPECIAL EVENTS | Roc the Runway/Peppermint Sewn Seeds Runway Show
Rochester’s got a growing passion for fashion, and you can sample local haute couture at two aesthetically minded showcase events to be held this weekend. On Saturday, April 27, head over to Rochester Institute for Technology’s Vignelli Center for Design Studies (73 Lomb Memorial Drive, Henrietta) for the Peppermint Sewn Seeds debut runway show. Held…
AMERICANA | There Is No Mountain
Portland-based band There Is No Mountain describes itself as “specializing in music that’s fun to play.” The duo is reminiscent of artists like Andrew Bird and Dirty Projectors, both of whom combine a love for folk/Americana music with psychedelic, chamber-pop qualities that set them apart from other, more traditional folk artists. The band was previously…
CLASSICAL PREVIEW: Chamber Opera Festival 2013
If you inevitably associate the word “opera” with the word “grand,” prepare for an eye- and ear-opening couple of weeks from Rochester Lyric Opera. Its Chamber Opera Festival, opening this week and running until May 5, is a kind of operatic tapas bar — bite-sized but tasty offerings that offer something for all tastes. The…
POST-ROCK | Lazlo HoLLyfeld
The term “art rock” originated in the late 60’s when artists like David Bowie and Brian Eno began to expand the conceived limits of rock music. By its very nature, the genre’s scope is immense, so to simply call Lazlo HoLLyfeld an art-rock band would be nearsighted. This Buffalo-based outfit is in the business of…
Feedback 4/24
City should encourage food trucks Other cities throughout the world have figured out ways to be sure that food trucks have become an integral part of their cities. Food trucks offer excellent cuisine in unusual places, and can respond to events throughout the city. I know several food truck owners, and literally end up getting…
COUNTRY/FOLK | Laura Pfleuger
By the time Laura Pfleuger got her first guitar at the age of 15, she had already spent eight years singing in musicals, talent shows, and other low-key venues. But by the end of her senior year in high school she was a seasoned performer with weekly appearances at a local country club and a…
“Oblivion”
Whatever their merits, the devotion of their many fans, and the panegyrics of a whole gaggle of critics, those phenomenally successful semi-literary works known as graphic novels (in my day they were pretty much just comic books) often generate a certain pretension. The writers and illustrators introduce learned allusions, copy established literary patterns, interweave complicated…
2013 Rochester International Film Festival
I’ve always loved the short-film format. I’m impressed and awed by a filmmaker’s ability to tell a complete, self-contained, and satisfying story in a condensed period of time. Feature-length films have the benefit of taking their time, enveloping you in the story they’re setting out to tell. Short films, by necessity, must hook you instantly.…
Hemlock-Canadice plan not clear enough on drilling
The State Department of Environmental Conservation received more than 400 comments on its draft plan to manage the Hemlock-Canadice State Forest. The next step is for officials to respond to those comments. The part of the response that will undoubtedly get the bulk of the public’s attention is what officials say about natural gas and…
Child subsidies stay
Children’s advocates in Monroe County say they were pleasantly surprised to find that the state’s 2013 to 2014 budget contains funding for a local child care subsidy program. The recently passed budget sets aside $1.1 million for the “facilitated enrollment” program, which provides subsidies to working parents earning between 165 percent and 275 percent of…
Turned off to teaching
To say the US public education system is undergoing a major transformation would probably make some educators laugh. Teachers, particularly in urban and rural districts, are coping with an onslaught of criticism and intense scrutiny.
GEH has plan for University Ave.
The George Eastman House, which is fighting a Morgan Management development plan for 933 University Avenue, adjacent to the museum campus, has released an alternative proposal for the property.
