Cover Story
Man made
If the term “craft fair” brings up imagery of all things sweet, delicate, and pretty, with hair clips, jewelry, knittery, and journals, think again. While it may be true that the local-focusing craft markets have been mini-femme fests, lately there has been an increase in male artists mixed in with the gals. The following article…
SPECIAL EVENT: City Newspaper’s 2013 Best Busker Contest
UPDATE 5/3/13 with the names of the winners and a link to a photo gallery from the event. Thank you to the hundreds of people who came out to City’s 4th Annual Best Busker Contest May 2 in Rochester’s East End! We are proud to announce the winners of the 2013 contest: Third Place, winner…
Governor proposes new anti-bribery laws
This afternoon, Governor Andrew Cuomo unveiled the Public Trust Act, a legislative package that would “establish a new class of public corruption crimes and expand the current definitions of public corruption offenses,” according to a press release. In some cases, the legislation would bring state statutes in line with federal laws. That would be the…
Teachers warn of the end of public education
It seems like at least once a month, a long-time teacher’s retirement or resignation a letter gets picked up by national media. The letters thank students, parents, and colleagues, but they typically end on a sobering note about the state of our public education system and the demise of the teaching profession. The Washington Post…
Daily Choices: What to do on Tuesday, April 9
Film: You’ve heard about hunger in third world countries and places far, far away from the comforts of your home, but what about the 49 million people in America who go hungry every day? Learn about this overlooked issue with “A Place at the Table,” a documentary playing at the Little Theatre (240 East Ave.)…
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 5: Veteran affairs
With just five queens remaining it was time for the annual makeover challenge. This time the task was to turn gay veterans of the United States military into drag queens for a day. These vets ranged from fairly young to of-a-certain-age, from stick-figure twinks to bears. It may have been the most mixed bag of…
Cuomo bats leadership ball back to legislators
The New York Post published an article this morning speculating that Governor Andrew Cuomo and his staff want to push Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver out of his leadership post. It also says that Assembly Majority Leader Joe Morelle could be installed in Silver’s place. According to the Post, Cuomo planned to use last week’s arrests…
Concert Review: Meat Puppets, Heavenly Chillbillies, This Life, Bogs Visionary Orchestra
In an attempt to see Methanol’s extension project, The Atomic Swamis, I stumbled upon Buffalo bar-room heavyweights The Heavenly Chillbillies instead. I landed at Sticky Lips Juke Joint on Friday as the band was plowing through Dave Alvin’s tribute to Hank I in “Long White Cadillac.” So naturally I warmed to these guys in a…
Week Ahead: Mayor’s Ball, RCSD budget hearing, RPO court battle continues
The State Supreme Court will hear arguments in a lawsuit against the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. Attorney Eileen Buholtz is suing to invalidate the RPO board’s annual meeting, which was held on January 23, including the results of board member elections. Buholtz ran for a board seat as a write-in candidate, and in her lawsuit she…
Daily Choices: What to do on Monday, April 8
Art: Richard Margolis’ new photography exhibition “Spirit of the River,” which opened at this month’s First Friday, continues at Black Radish Studio (274 N. Goodman St.) through May 19. The exhibition is free. Visit blackradishstudio.com for more info and shows.
“Doctor Who” Season 7: “The Rings of Akhaten”
Allons-y, Alonso! The City Entertainment Blog is going to take a crack at reviewing non-reality shows, starting with “Doctor Who.” Before we jump into this week’s new episode, a bit about your humble blogger. I’m a fairly recent “Who” convert, having devoured almost all of the reboot episodes in the past three months (I missed…
Daily Choices: What to do on Saturday, April 6 and Sunday, April 7
Film: Oscar-nominated filmmaker James Ivory stops by the Dryden Theatre (900 East Ave.) on Saturday to present his 1995 film “Jefferson in Paris.” Ivory, who has earned three Academy Award nominations for Best Director, will introduce “Jefferson in Paris” – which depicts the much-speculated affairs that the pre-presidency Thomas Jefferson had when he lived in…
Theater Review: RBTL’s “Wicked”
Since opening on Broadway in 2003, “Wicked” has had smashing success, breaking box-office records and becoming one of the most beloved modern musicals. It has a large, devoted fanbase and inspires the sort of passion in people so that they are eager to see it time and time again. That at least partially explains why…
O’Brien says upstaters shouldn’t have to pay for Indian Point closing
The powers that be want to close a nuclear plant that provides electricity to downstate, but upstate ratepayers shouldn’t be on the hook for that decision, state Senator Ted O’Brien says. Federal licenses for Indian Point Energy Center’s two operating reactors expire soon: one at the end of September, the other in 2015. And some…
Daily Choices: What to do on Friday, April 5
Festival: What’s your fetish? Whether you’re into biting, stripping, or just the occasional role play, this weekend’s Erotic Arts Festival has only one rule: You’ve gotta do it in public. Today and Saturday, you can get your freak on at the Radisson Riverside Hotel (120 E. Main St.) with super sexy art, workshops,
“American Idol” 2013: Results (Top 7 to Top 6)
The “Rock Week” results episode kicked off with the Top 7 group sing to “Somebody to Love” by Queen. Lot of Queen this week. Some of it was pretty, and once Candice came in at the end she stole the entire song. There were other moments — mostly with Lazaro — where it just wasn’t…
Ontario cleaning up its power plants
New York’s neighbor to the north is about to shut down all of its coal-fired power plants. This year, all of the remaining coal plants in the province of Ontario will be shut down except for one small plant that will be kept as a backup for peak demand periods, says an article in Yale…
Daily Choices: What to do on Thursday, April 4
Dance: See what students at SUNY Brockport’s Department of Dance have been working on at the DANCE/Strasser show, which runs tonight, Friday, and Saturday in the Rose L. Strasser Studio in the campus’ Hartwell Hall (Kenyon Street, Brockport). The show will feature select works from Brockport undergraduate and graduate students, including “Clean This Up and…
“American Idol” 2013: Top 7 Perform (Rock Week)
The theme was rock night, but the actual theme of the show as fashion trends. Seriously, I think the judges spent more time talking about the contestants’ clothes and styling than they did about the singing. That’s an exaggeration, but not by much. Anyway, people we expected to do poorly with this theme did in…
Slaughter: train station construction starts in August
House Representative Louise Slaughter says that construction on a new city Amtrak station will start in August. The intermodal station will also house Greyhound/Trailways, which currently operates south of the station. Provided photo A rendering of the planned city train station’s exterior. Slaughter gave an update on the project’s progress to the media this afternoon.…
Is support for gun control slipping?
Many people thought that after former Congressional representative Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona sustained a near fatal gunshot to the brain, there would be a national response to gun violence. There was some discussion about universal background checks and restrictions on certain types of weapons, but the talks quickly faded. And probably more than any time…
How the mayor’s and City Council races are stacking up, so far
Some of you have asked, so I thought I’d fill you in on how the candidate designation process is playing out for city Democrats. It’s a bit “inside baseball,” but some people like keeping box scores. The committees of the various legislative districts in the City of Rochester have been meeting over the last few…
DINING REVIEW: La Casa Restaurant
UPDATED 4/4/13 to correct the spelling of Lyjha Wilton’s name. La Casa on Alexander Street is certainly the most hotly anticipated Mexican joint in the city; countless fans and aficionados have been waiting eight years for it to finally open. A bit more than eight years ago, Omar Ramos, his wife, Mia Bocanegra, and their…
“G.I. Joe: Retaliation”
Continuing the recent trend of major studios handing over the reins of their established action franchises to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (see: the most recent “Fast and the Furious” films and its upcoming sequels),”G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” the follow-up to 2009’s “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra,” allows the former professional wrestler to take over as…
ART: Geva cancels summer show “The Lifeguard”
Geva Theatre Center announced today that it has cancelled its upcoming summer production of “The Lifeguard,” a new one-man show about Ronald Reagan that was set to star Rochester native and Oscar nominee Robert Forster. Geva heavily touted the show at its 2013-14 season announcement a few weeks back. In the official press release, Geva…
Feedback – 04-03-13
On readers’ comments on gun control: When David Shaw writes of the “entitlement society” that “begs for government to keep them safe,” I wonder if he is referring to the families of the Newtown victims; or the families of the Aurora, Colorado, theater tragedy; or the families of the 30 people who are killed by…
DRUM ‘N’ BASS | Jungle Jams Presents: Paul David
DJ Bittle is back, presenting a fresh mix of eight DJs from both here and afar for our electronic pleasure. The highlight of the evening is Paul David, who boasts of bringing the hottest, freshest mixes out there. It better be fresh if he’s bringing it up all the way from Pennsylvania, but given his…
Rochester Lilac Festival announces 2013 schedule
The 115-year-old Lilac Festival announced details of its 2013 edition this morning, including a new official title for the event — the Rochester Lilac Festival. The festival will run May 10-19 in Highland Park. The festival grounds will be open daily 10:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. and admission remains free. Headliners for the festival main stage this…
Cuomo compromises on IDA reform
When Governor Andrew Cuomo proposed a series of reforms for the state’s industrial development agencies, IDA representatives and local elected officials protested. Cuomo essentially wanted to restrict the agencies’ ability to grant exemptions on state sales tax, but local officials said that would rob them of a useful economic development incentive. Well, perhaps predictably, Cuomo’s…
EXPERIMENTAL/METAL | Blizaro
Rochester’s own John Gallo and his band, Orodruin, played an enormous role in the early 2000’s renaissance of traditional doom metal, a genre that owes its murky existence to bands like Black Sabbath and Pentagram. Nowadays, Gallo (guitar, synth/organ, bass, vocals) and fellow Rochesterians Mark Rapone (bass) and Mike Waske (drums) perform under the moniker…
JAZZ | Smoker, Golia, Haynes & Lane
Paul Smoker is among the most innovative and adventurous trumpet players on the scene today. Another top player/composer in progressive jazz, Vinny Golia plays 20 woodwind instruments. An in-demand drummer here and abroad, Phil Haynes has appeared on more than 50 albums. Adam Lane is a wildly eclectic bassist who has played in a variety…
Ren Square buildings likely headed to auction
Monroe County officials are planning to put three buildings up for auction, including two buildings that were once part of the Renaissance Square project. The county plans to sell Gateway Centre, 150 East Main Street; the Edwards building, 34 St. Paul Street; and 37 South Fitzhugh Street. All three were donated to the county by…
Vision of Sound
Vision of Sound is the name of the dance and music concert featuring eclectic regional dancers and musicians, taking place this weekend at Hochstein School of Music and Dance. It is Artistic Director Mark Olivieri’s vision to eventually transform the annual collaboration into an actual company. “We have a core of musicians. We have a…
HIP HOP/RAP | GZA
Update: The following show has been cancelled. Refunds available at point of purchase. Wu-Tang Clan’s lyrical master, GZA — “The Genius” — is considered one of the best lyricists in hip-hop. Amidst a misunderstood and much maligned genre, Wu-Tang emerged out of Staten Island in the early 1990’s. It’s GZA’s unapologetic turn of phrase and…
Remanufacturing: RIT awakens a giant
For much of the last two centuries, Northeastern cities like Rochester saw their local economies and work forces transformed by manufacturing. Rochester, a manufacturing powerhouse on its own, produced and even created items that changed how Americans lived. From buttons to caskets to cameras and copiers, this area’s factories churned out a staggering range of…
ROCK | Meat Puppets
What’s that hackneyed quip about a third time? Well, it applies here. The Meat Puppets have broken up twice in the band’s 30-plus years. Formed in 1980 in Phoenix, Arizona, the band remained quasi-underground on SST Records until it was asked to join Nirvana on stage for its legendary “MTV Unplugged” performance in 1993. Its…
“Yoyo”
One of the most exciting programs at the Dryden Theatre this month is the currently ongoing series focusing on the comedic films of French director, Pierre taix. Having directed only five films and a small number of shorts, the director has remained one of the lesser-known filmmakers of the French New Wave. taix’s films have…
Warren supports DOMA repeal
Incumbent Mayor Tom Richards won the endorsement of the city’s 24th Legislative District committee over the weekend on the march to the Democratic primary in September. He defeated challenger Lovely Warren, who is president of City Council, 35 to 9. The 24th LD is centered in the area around Highland Park. | The biggest news…
JJ Lang
We all remember our first time. Some persuading, a little awkward fumbling, bated breath, high expectations, followed by a sense of elation and perhaps an apology. And for once I’m not talking about paradise by the dashboard light. I’m talking about a guitar riff. Rochester musician JJ Lang remembers his first. It was played on…
Urban Action – 04-03-13
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.) Conference takes on sex and violence RIT will host a two-day conference, “Gender, Violence, and Justice in the Age of Globalization,” on Thursday, April 4, and Friday, April 5. Speakers will present their…
GYPSY JAZZ | Stephane Wrembel
Big Apple by way of France’s Stephane Wrembel clearly sits at the foot of the Django throne. But this simply amazing guitarist is more than a mere gypsy acolyte. There are rock demons in his head, demons that don’t necessarily rise up but rather stir the man from within to create music that is both…
And now we wait:marriage and the court
By the end of the day last Wednesday, things looked mildly hopeful for supporters of same-sex marriage. We won’t know until June, though, how the Supreme Court will rule on the two cases it heard last week. Few observers seem to expect that the court will issue a broad, sweeping ruling legalizing same-sex marriage throughout…
CLASSICAL | JACK Quartet
OK, so here’s the deal. You like classical, as in Bach? JACK. You lean toward the wild side with Cage? JACK. You dig string musicians with a top-button-open attitude and some ridiculous technical skills? JACK. And I’m not talking cheese. This is the quartet that proves new music soars to a new level when you…
ART | New Shows Opening
First Friday, which takes place this month on April 5, promises many art-related things to do and see, but the offerings aren’t limited to only that night. Here are just a few exciting events taking place Thursday through Saturday this week. For more, visit our online calendar of events at rochestercitynewspaper.com. The Vignelli Center at…
DANCE | Dance/Strasser and Bharata UTSAV
Dance students have a few advantages over the average academic crowd. They have workshops and rehearsals instead of writing assignments and recitations. They can work out to relieve stress and be doing their work at the same time. They also get to display their final projects to eager and excited audiences — which can’t exactly…
FESTIVAL | Erotic Arts Festival
What’s your fetish? Do you like biting, or stripping, or role play, or simply being tied up every once in a while? No matter what your sexual preference, this weekend’s Rochester Erotic Arts Festival has only one requirement: that you like doing it in public. On Friday, April 5, and Saturday, April 6, at the…
THEATER | Eastman Opera Theatre “Street Scene”
Fans of American musical theater, opera, and drama will enjoy this week’s offering from Eastman Opera Theatre. Composer Kurt Weill blended traditional opera and musical theater in “Street Scene,” which is based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name by Elmer Rice, who wrote the opera’s libretto with iconic poet Langston Hughes. The…
THEATER | “Wicked”
Acclaimed author and artist Gregory Maguire has built his career on the idea that there is always another side to the official story. Maguire has written several books in which he explores the perspectives not considered — those of the supposed antagonists — in many popular stories. His twists on classic tales include “Confessions of…
DUB/HOUSE | DJ Cyberfish
It may be a local night, but DJ Cyberfish is ready to swim up and rage in the cave, bringing a particularly dark dose of dub wub wub to Montage, with a dash of pizzazz. Heavily steeped in the EDM and pretty tightly mixed, his music will leave you wondering where all your time went…
SPECIAL EVENT | James Ivory at the Dryden
It’s been a month since the Dryden Theatre returned from its renovation hiatus, but the theater is still celebrating its grand reopening in style. Oscar-nominated filmmaker and George Eastman Honorary Scholar James Ivory will be the Dryden’s latest guest of honor when he presents his 1995 film, “Jefferson in Paris,” on Saturday, April 6. The…
“The Host”
The millions of fans of Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” novels and the execrable film series based on them should take great pleasure in the release of “The Host,” the new movie adapted from another of her works. Like the jazz musician who said that after hearing Lawrence Welk he’d have to rethink Guy Lombardo, this picture…
