Cover Story
Parkinson’s, cannabis, and hope
CITY music writer Frank De Blase spent a year pitting medical cannabis against his Parkinson’s disease
Public hearing on Genesee River development
The city will hold a public hearing regarding a plan to redevelop the Genesee River waterfront on Tuesday, May 1, at the Joseph Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Publick Musick explores Mozart’s string quintets
What a difference an instrument can make, if you’re Mozart. He wrote chamber music of all kinds, from violin sonatas to wind serenades, but it’s often conceded that Mozart was at his best when simply adding a second viola (his favorite string instrument) to the customary string quartet: pride of place in his chamber-music output…
NAZ Arts Center announces 2018-19 season
Nazareth College Art Center has announced its 2018-19 season lineup of 19 shows, including one-off performances by award-winning musicians and dance groups, returning favorites, family- and sensory-friendly shows, and a new venue
Cooney to challenge Robach
Former City Hall chief of staff Jeremy Cooney has made his decision: he’s going to run against Republican State Senator Joe Robach. Cooney launched an exploratory committee earlier this month and has been appearing before city Democratic committees in recent weeks. And in a press release today he announced his campaign for the 56th Senate…
LIT | Poetry Reading & Launch
National Poetry Month is about to come to a close, but there’s still time to celebrate. Poets Al Abonado, Ralph Black, and Lytton Smith will read from their work this week at literary-themed bar Nox. The event also serves as a launch party for Black’s newest book, “Bloom and Laceration,” and Smith’s new illustrated chapbook,…
EXHIBIT | ‘Queer Territories’
A new exhibit on view at the University of Rochester’s Rush Rhees Library provides a look into an arcane corner of Rochester’s rich history. Material on display in “Queer Territories: Staking a Claim in US History” documents forums held about transgender issues at the UR in the 1970’s, black lesbian organizing in the 1990’s, and…
DANCE | Sankofa African Drumming and Dance
Sankofa African Drumming and Dance’s annual concert will be presented this week at The College at Brockport. The program, “Ni iranti ologbe baba wa Chuck Davis” (In memory of our father, Chuck Davis), this year honors the legacy of Davis, who died last May. Davis was the founder of the DanceAfrica Festival — held annually…
THEATER | ‘Til Death Do Us Part…You First!’
Downstairs Cabaret Theatre is presenting a three-week run of “Til Death Do Us Part…You First,” an auto-biographical play written and performed by award-winning comedian, actor, playwright, and motivational speaker Peter J. Fogel. The story follows Fogel, who is afflicted by commitment issues. But sensing the encroachment of his own mortality, he decides to revisit and…
Feedback 4/25
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. For our print edition, we select comments from all three sources; those of fewer than 350 words have a greater chance of being published, and we do edit selections for publication in…
Urban Action 4/25
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.) Joining the resistance Dozens of social-justice activism organizations will participate in a Rochester Activism Fair on Saturday, May 5. The fair, organized by Athesia Benjamin, an artist, activist, and teacher at Monroe Community…
Report challenges city school district’s spending
A report from the Children’s Agenda questions whether the district is spending its money in the most effective way. Is it, for example, directing enough resources to the children who most need help?
GREEK FOLK | Pavlo
Just like Hendrix used to do, burning his guitar in effigy, Greek guitarist Pavlo raffles off the actual guitar he plays at every show. You get to watch him take it for a 90-minute test drive and then, provided you win, you get to take it home and find out just how much practice you…
ROCK | Ike Willis Project
Ike Willis comes from the angular netherworld invented by Frank Zappa. Willis joined Zappa’s band in 1978 and played on what would be his final tour in 1988. Willis still plays Zappa’s music in a handful of bands, like Zappatika, Project/Object, Pojama People, and Ugly Radio Rebellion. With The Ike Willis Project, Willis doesn’t hug…
HIP-HOP | Roxanne Shante
The 1980’s was hip-hop’s first real decade. This was the era when everything started to branch out and blow up. In 1984, Lolita Shante (later adopting Roxanne Shante), a 14-year-old living in the Queensbridge Projects, released a diss record titled “Roxanne’s Revenge” in response to UTFO’s “Roxanne, Roxanne” — it was a way to help…
ROCK | Palm
You wouldn’t guess it by listening to Palm, but the members of this complex prog-rock band taught themselves how to play from scratch while in art school. The bandmates met while attending Bard and took a Devo-esque turn, ditching their pens and paper after graduation for a new art form: rock ‘n’ roll. Singer-guitarists Eve…
CLASSICAL | ‘Baroque and Blues’
Last spring’s Society for Chamber Music in Rochester concert combining Bach and jazz was a hit, and the Society’s final concert of this season is a welcome encore, this time titled “Baroque and Blues.” The “baroque” will include arrangements of sonatas and inventions by Vivaldi, Bach, and Frescobaldi. Last year the jazz came from the…
ROCK | Corey Glover
“Impressive” is an apt description of Corey Glover’s career, which has ranged from acting in the film “Platoon” to fronting the two-time Grammy Award-winning band Living Colour. The smooth voiced singer is on the road for the 20th anniversary of his debut solo album, “Hymns.” Glover will perform a set that includes handpicked covers along with…
CLASSICAL | ‘Mozart String Quintets’
Publick Musick winds up its season this weekend by performing two Mozart string quintets: One in C Major and the other in E-flat Major. It sounds like a modest program, but it’s not. These are two of Mozart’s greatest masterpieces for chamber ensemble, meaning two of his greatest works, period — meaning two of anybody’s…
ROCK | Girls Rock! Concert Series
Girls Rock! Rochester, founded in 2011, is a summer rock camp that uses music to help foster creativity and empowerment in girls and Trans youth. This year, the organization is starting a concert series, showcasing talented members of the Girls Rock! Rochester community, including staff members, board members, and campers. This first concert will feature the…
Breaking rules to help the homeless
James Jackson, aka Kaiser Solzie, wants to use his story to inspire others going through some of the same struggles he has.
ART | ‘Cultivate’
Main Street Arts is celebrating nearly five years in business with a new initiative to represent gallery artists from the Finger Lakes and Western New York region. To mark this new endeavor, MSA is holding an exhibition of work by the first eight artists it will represent, each of which have been show in past…
Album review: ‘Dusty & Dirty Old Demos’
Kraszman “Dusty & Dirty Old Demos” Self-released kraszman.bandcamp.com Kraszman’s new “Dusty & Dirty Old Demos” stars 21 salacious songs in various states of undress. It’s Kraszman and his guitar all by their lonesome in the studio, and minimal spice from other instruments keeps this classified as a solo affair. The argument comes in when deciding…
LECTURE | Gathering of Gardeners
There’s something of interest for every gardening skill level at Cornell Cooperative Extension’s annual Gathering of Gardeners Symposium, which is presented by the Master Gardeners of Monroe County. The all-day event features speakers, an unusual plant sale, and auctions of garden-related items, including plant arrangements, garden art, and a big gas grill donated. Michael Warren…
Album review: ‘Fuzzy Organs’
McFadden’s Parachute “Fuzzy Organs” Self-released facebook.com/mcfaddensparachute I’ve been a big fan of McFadden’s Parachute since it was cranking out cassette releases in the early 90’s. Now as you may not know, McFadden’s Parachute is the nom de twang for one Darren Brennessel, a Rochester-based studio genius who plays everything himself and has done so on…
Yet another report says our poverty rate persists
We’re perfectly willing to address poverty in ways that make us feel good, as long as poverty stays in its place.
Poor People’s Campaign creates new movement against poverty
Last week’s Truth Commission on Poverty was an early, local event of the Poor People’s Campaign, a movement against poverty taking place in cities in 41 states across the country.
‘Nosferatu’ exhibition connects film and mental health at MAG
Filmmaker Javier Téllez and his collaborators wanted to focus on those who are stigmatized and condemned to invisibility.
New bill in Assembly expands access to driver’s licenses
Access to driver’s licenses has been a recent focus for immigrant rights groups in Upstate New York. The state’s farms rely heavily on migrant workers, and it’s often tough to find transportation in rural areas. A bill recently introduced into the New York State Assembly would make it easier for the state’s undocumented residents to…
Groups want a shift in city development
More than 30 neighborhood, community, and activist organizations have formed the Our Land Roc coalition. They’re urging the city to change its approach to development so that it’s more collaborative and gives the public a greater voice.
Salad days: edible flowers
Ring in the beautiful weather with a market salad that includes edible blossoms.
Film preview: Rochester International Film Festival
The RIFF turns 60 this year, and offers 28 films in four programs across three days.
