Cover Story
Mothers of jailed children lean on each other
Greta Anderson came home from church that summer Sunday afternoon, relaxed with a cup of tea in her favorite chair, and talked to a co-worker on the phone. The TV was on, she says, but she wasn’t paying much attention to it until she looked over and saw her son’s face on the screen. She…
Work progressing at MCC’s future home
Crews are six months into construction of Monroe Community College’s future Damon City Campus, which officials expect to open in time for the fall 2017 semester. The project spans four connected buildings, all previously owned by Kodak, which provide a total of 255,000 square feet of space. DiMarco Constructors and LaBella Associates, the contractors on…
North Winton Aldi clears court hurdle
A State Supreme Court ruling (see below) appears to clear the way for an Aldi store at the corner of North Winton and Blossom roads in the North Winton Village neighborhood. The City of Rochester’s Zoning Board approved the store late last year, over the objections of some in the North Winton and Browncroft neighborhoods…
Week Ahead: Port project update, Lilac Fest starts
The Lilac Festival starts on May 6 and runs through May 15 at Highland Park. Music begins daily at 10:30 a.m. (12:30 p.m. on the weekends) and runs through 8:30 p.m. All shows are free to the public. The festival itself runs from 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. daily and also includes the Lilac Parade,…
Conduct discussion in RCSD brings out deep-rooted issues
The Rochester school board has until its June meeting to handle an issue that has been festering for years: how to work with misbehaving students and their parents. Board members have received a draft proposal of a new code of conduct policy that aims to replace punitive approaches to discipline with restorative justice practices. For…
If this tour doesn’t kill you
Writer-director Jeremy Saulnier gives his secret to building the perfect, violent tension in his new film, “Green Room.”
JCC CenterStage announces 2016-17 season
The Jewish Community Center in 1977 held a nationwide search to hire someone to build a community theatre program at its then-new Brighton campus. Over the next nearly 30 years, Founding Artistic Director Herb Katz created CenterStage, a successful program that he would leave in the hands of current Artistic Director Ralph Meranto in 2005.…
Immigration play highlights humanity in border conflict
This weekend, the Rochester Latino Theatre Company will present a production of “Elvira: The Immigration Play” at MuCCC (142 Atlantic Avenue). The play, written by actress and School of the Arts alumna Jessica Carmona, is based on the true story of Elvira Arellano, a Mexican immigrant and activist whose fight to return to the United…
Rochester school district aims for a connected city
Rochester City School District officials say that they hope to provide all students with the high-tech devices they need to do the advanced level of work expected of them. It’s the first tier to a more ambitious plan that Annmarie Lehner, the district’s information technology officer, will present to the school board later today. The…
Fringe 2016 submission deadline is Saturday
The deadline to submit a show proposal for the 2016 Rochester Fringe Festival is Saturday, April 30, at midnight (Eastern Standard Time). The Fringe will take place Thursday, September 15, through Saturday, September 24, in and around downtown Rochester. Those still wanting to submit a show can do so through rochesterfringe.com. Shows are approved and…
Lawmakers call for triclosan ban in personal care products
The next time you’re in a grocery or drug store, pick up a bottle of anti-bacterial hand soap and take a look at the ingredients. Chances are, the soap has triclosan in it. Triclosan is a common antimicrobial chemical used in antibacterial soaps, toothpastes, body washes, cosmetics, and other personal care items. Some health and…
Urban Action 4/27
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. All are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. Church to show climate film The Unitarian Universalist Church of Canandaigua will show the film “Wisdom to Survive: Climate Change, Capitalism and Community” at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 6. The film asks…
King Buffalo sets into the groove
King Buffalo is a sonic trip that promises to use its multi-dimensional appeal to permeate the other senses that most bands leave alone. You can taste it; you can see it. The sound of this Rochester trio is thoughtful and thundering with creative interludes that leave other groups in its genre sounding one-sided, like a…
Debut novel considers problematic heroes
Never let a soul, including your own, tell you it’s too late to achieve a goal. At 84 years old, Rochester-based retired educator and writer Lynn Rosen has published her first novel, “A Man of Genius,” which tackles the concept of corrupt but respected figures, and how we handle our own problematic heroes. Though billed…
ALBUM REVIEW: “The Devil’s Undertow”
Jackson Cavalier and The Fevertones “The Devil’s Undertow” Self-released thefevertones.bandcamp.com There’s a lot of teeter-totter in our language that has been co-opted by God’s people in their all-knowing self-righteousness. Words, incantations, and phrases meant to ask and to answer get twisted into assorted agendas meant to condemn and confuse. On “The Devil’s Undertow,” Jackson Cavalier…
Solid diner fare at low prices make Durf’s a Fairport staple
I’m grateful a friend who worked in the Fairport area introduced me to Durf’s several years ago; I’m not sure I would’ve discovered it on my own. Durf’s is set back from Fairport’s Main Street, amid a small mix of businesses, and not readily visible when passing by. But the restaurant is well worth seeking…
ALBUM REVIEW: “Detroit Lean”
Phil Palombi “Detroit Lean” Xcappa Records philpalombi.com Phil Palombi is a top New York bassist who has played with Joe Lovano, Michael Brecker, Etta Jones, and many more. He’s also well known for his book of transcriptions of solos by Scott LaFaro. (LaFaro, who died at the age of 25 in a car accident, was…
JAZZ | Spontaneous Duos
The Institute for Creative Music is all about promoting the glory of jazz, so to celebrate International Jazz Day, the IfCM is hosting the third annual Spontaneous Duos. Musicians include some of Rochester’s best players: Doug Stone, saxophone; Mike Kaupa, trumpet; Alexa Tarantino, saxophone (pictured); Chris Teal, drums; Kyle Vock, bass; and many more. In…
FILM | The Nitrate Picture Show
Not every film festival has the potential to kill you — but, well, the Nitrate Picture Show is something special. The dominant motion picture medium from 1895 to 1948, nitrate film is the notoriously combustible format responsible for the type of deadly theater fires seen in films like “Cinema Paradiso” and “Inglourious Basterds” (and yes,…
METAL | Soulfly
Soulfly is exotic, mystic, and so heavy that it makes AC/DC sound like Abba. Founded by former Sepultura frontman Max Cavalera, the quartet incorporates elements of Latin percussion, Brazilian tribal music, and the dark lyrical content that comes with the territory. Soulfy is still touring in support of its latest studio album, “Archangel,” out…
FILM | The Rocky Horror Bowie Show
Western New York’s Hoopla — a troupe of Rocky Horror Picture Show shadow performers from Buffalo and Rochester — will host a tribute mash-up featuring Rocky Horror and David Bowie. Super fans of Rocky Horror and Bowie will assemble at the Cinema Theater for a night of shadow casting and audience participation. On-site prop bags…
INDIE FOLK | Chris Pureka
Chris Pureka intones like troubled troubadour Chris Whitley. Pureka’s music is dark but not without redemption as honesty comingles with mood and tone. The result? Something that can only be described as a beautiful, longing ache. Chris Pureka will perform with Susanna Rose, Beverly Stokes, and Calicoco on Wednesday, April 27, at Bug Jar, 219…
SPECIAL EVENT | Slut Walk Rochester 2016
Slut Walk is an annual, grassroots, international event meant to raise awareness about (and counter) persistent victim blaming regarding sexual harassment, assault, and violence. It originated in Toronto, Canada, in 2011, in response to a statement made by a Toronto police officer that women should avoid dressing like sluts to avoid being victimized. Countless people…
FILM | Best of the Fests
Film lovers this week will get a second chance to see some audience favorites previously screened during three of Rochester’s annual film festivals. The collaborative event, “Best of the Fests” — between the High Falls Film Festival, the Rochester International Jewish Film Festival, and ImageOut LGBT Film Festival — shares each festival’s “best” movies with…
DANCE | Sankofa African Dance and Drum Ensemble
The Sankofa African Dance and Drum Ensemble this week will present its annual series of concerts under the auspices of The College at Brockport’s Department of Dance, with artistic direction by Oluyinka Akinjiola, and musical direction by Khalid Abdul N’Faly Saleem. Saleem will perform live music for the works of guest artists Mohamad Diaby and…
THEATER | “Sneakypete Underhand’s Devious Dealings”
A double-crossing doctor, Sneakypete Underhand, and his sassy sidekick, nurse Heide Bedpann, make a plan to kidnap a Hollywood starlet— but a brave member of the studio crew thwarts them. Script girl Paige Turner is tied to a buzz saw, and Cameron Mann the camera operator must save the day. Produced by The Penfield Players,…
AMERICANA | The Honeycutters
This here is sawdust floor and longneck honky-tonk. North Carolina’s The Honeycutters swings gentle to and fro, with a knockout punch of steel guitar, and a rhythm section that adheres gloriously to the 2/4. This is the country music you’ve been missing. The genre’s purity gets redefined by songbird Amanda Anne Platt. It’s all around…
CONTEMPORARY | Jim Brickman
For beautiful piano melodies and flowing, emotive pop arrangements, American songwriter Jim Brickman is the leading light. The ever-popular pianist will join the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and guest conductor Matthew Kraemer for a “one-night-only” concert on Saturday. With 38 albums to his credit, Brickman has perfected the art of the piano instrumental with crystalline melodies,…
CLASSICAL | Deviant Septet
The cleverly named New York City-based ensemble Deviant Septet will play Kilbourn Hall this Saturday with an exceptional contemporary classical setlist — including “L.E.O.” by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw, a world premiere by Eastman’s own Brad Lubman, and “Catch and Release” by composer-conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen. The eclectic Deviant musicians have also ventured into the…
Feedback 4/27
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. Sanders lost,…
BROADWAY | Bart Shatto
Great White Way and Trans-Siberian Orchestra veteran tenor Bart Shatto appears in a new one-man show, “Bart Shatto: Back to Broadway — Heroes, Villains, and Dreamers,” singing numbers ranging from “Music of the Night” (Phantom of the Opera) to “You Won’t Succeed on Broadway” (Spamalot). In between musical acts, Shatto talks about his journey from…
The state of our city
Rochester’s Anti-Poverty Initiative has gotten the buy-in of many community leaders and residents. But the obstacles are simply massive.
Film review: “Green Room”
With its killer “punk rockers vs. skinheads” premise, writer-director Jeremy Saulnier’s savage indie thriller “Green Room” is a perfect modern midnight movie. As the director himself describes the film, it is a roller coaster. “Green Room” is impeccably crafted, and has enough ideas churning below its murky surface, that calling it merely a genre thrill…
