Cover Story
Fine-tuning the delivery
While orchestras around the country are struggling to reach new audiences, the RPO’s new, young music director has a few ideas.
![[UPDATED] The Ferguson warning](https://i0.wp.com/www.roccitymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/public_safety2_police.webp?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1)
[UPDATED] The Ferguson warning
As if we needed one, the news out of Ferguson, Missouri, is yet another reminder of the divide between black and white Americans, one that is having serious consequences.
No AFL-CIO endorsement for Cuomo
Governor Andrew Cuomo got a bit of bad news out of yesterday’s AFL-CIO COPE convention: the union umbrella group’s political action committee didn’t give the sitting governor its endorsement. (The list of the endorsements it did make is available here.) But the AFL-CIO didn’t endorse any of Cuomo’s challengers, either. While it’s unlikely that the…
Film Review: “Mood Indigo”
French filmmaker Michel Gondry has built a reputation around his inventively handmade, DIY visual aesthetic. Gondry’s films burst with fanciful imagery, imperfectly crafted out of tinfoil and cardboard, and it’s tempting to dismiss his films as frivolous exercises in quirkiness. But that would be to ignore the real sense of sorrow lurking at the center…
WEEK AHEAD: Hearing on Eastman Business Park permit
The State Department of Environmental Conservation will hold a public hearing on its plan to renew a hazardous waste permit for Eastman Business Park at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, August 19, at Eastman’s Theater on the Ridge. The permit covers storage tanks and the incineration of sludge from the business park’s wastewater treatment plant. It…
“True Blood” Season 7, Episode 9: “Love is to Die”
The wake for “True Blood” – which is really what the second half of this season has felt like – continued with more characters making their peace and accepting their fates. It’s certainly not the most exciting way to wrap up a show – there is no Big Bad, no real threat left to menace…
Film Review: “The Giver”
After a visit to the new Soviet Union in 1919, the great muckraking journalist Lincoln Steffens famously remarked, “I have seen the future and it works.” In Hollywood, for many years they have seen the future and … it sucks. Dystopia now replaces any possibility of happiness in the brave new world that we’d like…
Schumer wants polluter tax reinstated to boost Superfund program
The former Diaz Chemical site in the Village of Holley is something of a poster child for state and federal Superfund programs. Back in 2002, the plant accidentally released a 75-gallon steam cloud laced with chemicals, including some so potent that, even as they spread through the air and dissipated over the village, they wrecked…
Historic West Main church to be demolished
Marvin Maye, the Rochester developer who has been trying for months to get permission to demolish a church at 660-668 West Main Street, received the go-ahead today from city’s Zoning Board. Maye, who owns the property, has faced strong resistance to demolishing the church, which is on the city’s list of historic places. Opponents have…
French grocer celebrates imperfect food
About a month ago, a French grocery store started an ad campaign trying to convince consumers to buy imperfect fruits and vegetables. The whole campaign is geared at addressing a major food waste problem. Too often, imperfect produce is tossed out by grocers, since the public doesn’t buy it. And it’s part of a much…
THEATER | “Kill Shakespeare”
“Kill Shakespeare” pits Shakespearean good guys (and a gal) — Hamlet, Juliet, Othello, Falstaff, Romeo, and Puck — against a formidable trio of Shakespearean bad guys — Richard III, Lady Macbeth, and Iago — in the search for a reclusive wizard named William Shakespeare. The original 2010 graphic novel has been adapted into a stage…
Upcoming events
Important events taking place both on- and off-campus
ROCK | Doyle
Known widely for his days with horror punk pioneers The Misfits, guitarist Doyle — full stage name Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein — could very well be the most violent guitar player of all time. He gets his heavy, crunchy, kick-in-your-face tone by playing his handmade guitar, “Annihilator,” through a bass amp, and down stroking like…
“Lewis Hine”
Twentieth-century photographer Lewis Hine focused largely on labor, with two equally important aims: envisioning and advocating for social change, and celebrating the progress humankind makes when individuals work well together. Recently returned from a three-year, international tour, and currently on view at George Eastman House, is an exhibit of Hine’s photographic prints and materials drawn…
Many city teachers not up to par, says new report
Student behavior and disciplinary issues are not the main reasons so many Rochester public schools are failing; ineffective teachers and problems with developing the curriculum are. And only 30 percent of poorly performing schools are functioning well enough to make the improvements they need to make. Those were some of the conclusions that a group…
SOUL | Clairy Browne & The Bangin’ Rackettes
There are not enough exclamation points to express my excitement about this Clairy Browne & The Bangin’ Rackettes show. This Australian nine-piece group — four gals, five guys — is reminiscent of performers like Amy Winehouse, but has its own signature groove that incorporates elements of swing and R&B. Lead singer Clairy Browne is a knock…
Feedback 8/13
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…
ROCK | The Presidents of the USA
Back in the 1990’s, when America had the world by the nuts, Seattle-based band The Presidents of the USA rode a wave of popularity. Sure, bands like Nirvana could eat these guys for breakfast, but who released albums on Election Day or performed at Mount Rushmore? The Presidents of the USA climbed to the top of the…
Making connections in Pittsford
The stretch of East Avenue between the Brighton town line and the Village of Pittsford is thick with houses. St. John Fisher and Nazareth colleges are within the corridor, too, which is located in the Town of Pittsford. And it’s common to see people walking or jogging in that area of East. But since no…
BLUES | Peter D. Harper
Bringing the more traditional music from an artist’s birthplace to a larger audience is often a challenging task for musicians, to put it mildly. Infusions of a country’s more native sounds are frequently dismissed by critics and audiences alike as a cheap gimmick or simply disrespectful to the music’s roots altogether. Thankfully, Peter D. Harper’s…
Have gun? Don’t travel
Navigating New York State’s maze of gun laws is a punishing exercise; permit privileges vary by county and even in a “full carry” county such as Monroe, there are exceptions. New York City is a different ballgame altogether. Diane Watkins, a teacher in the Rochester school district and former candidate for City Council, got caught…
ROCK | KONGOS
KONGOS released its debut album, “Lunatic,” in 2012 and made a pretty significant splash in South Africa, the band’s homeland, but waited until October 2013 to release it in the U.S. Americans were quick to catch on, and now virtually every alt-rock radio station has the tracks “I’m Only Joking” or “Come with Me Now”…
Urban Action 8/13
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.) Algal blooms discussion The Finger Lakes Institute at Hobart and William Smith Colleges will host a discussion on blue-green algae from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, August 21. The alga was…
IRISH TRADITIONAL | Fullset
The six members of Fullset are quickly becoming rising stars in traditional Irish folk. Incorporating guitar, Uilleann pipes, button accordion, fiddle, Bodhrán, and flute, Fullset handles the traditional range — from emotional vocal ballads to energetic, racing instrumentals — with skill. Still there’s youth and excitement among the members and it’s seen in their music.…
Gannett’s future – and us
One of the big national news stories last week had a deep local angle, and big implications for Rochester: The Democrat and Chronicle’s parent, the Gannett Company – founded here, and in the long-ago past, headquartered here – plans to split into two parts. One will contain its newspapers and their websites, the other its…
Ed Roland
Collective Soul is a rock ‘n’ roll constant in the hallowed electric church. It’s a mondo-hit-making machine that bypasses the pop vacuum with credible rock, hooks, and substance. This year marks 20 years of career highs and lows and a string of undeniable hits for the Atlanta-based outfit. And as a warm up for the…
CHOW HOUND: Meet and eat
The story of Sabra Grill (2600 Elmwood Avenue) reads like a word problem from a standardized test. Question: Your mom has a culinary degree, your dad is a contractor, and you own an event planning business, what type of business should you all open together? Answer: A restaurant, obviously. Noy Cohen Botier, along with her…
ALBUM REVIEW: “Desperate Times, Desperate Measures”
Nasty Habit “Desperate Times, Desperate Measures” Self-released Nastyhabitkills.com Nasty Habit surprises with “Desperate Times, Desperate Measures,” the band’s second release. Its five fantastic songs of classic hard-rock/metal positively rocks, soars, and boogies. The band’s earlier breakneck abandon was cool to hear — and watch — but if it escalated any further, chances are there was…
Rochester through the long lens
Many photographers can’t resist the allure of abandoned buildings and vacant houses. Shooting images of peeling wallpaper and weathered door frames appeals to beginning and seasoned photographers alike. But City of Rochester photographer Ira Srole says he found it sobering. Srole used to accompany city building inspectors to photograph every room in a house or…
Hine’s modern subjects
A large part of Lewis Hine’s photographic focus was dedicated to being a witness to and voice for the voiceless. It would be easy to view the Hine exhibit with a sense of satisfied finality about horrific labor conditions and human rights violations, but as described by Renán Salgado, Human Trafficking Specialist with the Worker…
Student Survival Guide 2014
CITY’s annual student guide to Rochester
THEATER | You Oughta be in Shakespeare
Shakespeare can be intimidating. Master actors train for years to handle his famous works. But now, a performance of “The True and Tragic Life and Death of Good King Richard III,” a new show based upon Shakespeare’s “Henry VI” and “Richard III” tetralogy of plays, offers even the greenest of thespians a chance to jump…
Adventure time
You finally have a day to yourself and want to get off campus, but you’re left wondering: What is there to do in Rochester? Fear not, as we have assembled a variety of themed day-trips that allow you to discover and experience different aspects of the city — as well as some hidden treasures. What…
EXHIBIT | Oz-some Exhibit
This year marks the 75th anniversary of “The Wizard of Oz,” and the Fairport Historical Museum will honor the classic MGM film with an exhibition of “Oz” themed collectibles. The items on display come from Museum Director Vicki Masters Profitt’s personal collection, which she began in the 1980’s. The exhibit includes toys, bells, ornaments, books,…
Warm reception
As an increasing number of studies are showing, the stress that comes with being a college student can often be a heavy burden. Worries come not only from school work, but the prospect of moving to a new city, meeting new people, and generally continuing to grow as a person. For many LGBTQ youth entering…
SPECIAL EVENT | Lockapalooza
Whitewater paddling is an experience generally reserved for natural rivers and waterways. But just off of the Erie Canal’s Lock 32, Genesee Waterways Center has turned the lock’s runoff into New York’s only man-made whitewater course. To celebrate the location, the GWC will host Lockapalooza, an annual event that offers a day full of paddling.…
What kind of night do you want?
It’s the end of a busy week, and the weekend has finally arrived — it’s time to go out. But with so many options in the Rochester area, it can be difficult to decide exactly where to go. Whether you want to let loose and dance or take some time to relax, there are plenty…
THEATER | A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream Dinner in the Woods
William Shakespeare’s seminal 16th century comedy, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” follows a group of lovers and actors as their lives are toyed with by fairies and sprites. Albeit plenty fantastical on its own, Penfield Recreation is channeling the play’s whimsy with A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream Dinner in the Woods. A fundraiser benefiting the Penfield Recreation’s…
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[Inter]national students
Transitioning from high school to college was a unique challenge for Rochester Institute of Technology student Logan Herrick. Herrick, who came from the small Seneca community of Salamanca, New York — a city with a population of less than 6,000 people — found herself missing the connections she had at home. She lacked the common…
SPORTS | Hangover Hockey
One of the reasons street hockey has endured as such an enjoyable sport is its pick-up-and-play, laissez-faire attitude toward what is traditionally a highly competitive game. Hangover Hockey’s 21 and older, 3-on-3 street hockey tournament, which successfully capitalizes on street hockey’s all-in-good-fun spirit, is poised to be one of the season’s biggest sports draws. Teams…
Important faces
Rochester is rich with history and there are a numerous important figures, past and present, every young Rochesterian should know.
