Cover Story
The people’s pitch: Cricket and Rochester
Nurtured by immigrants from India and the Caribbean, cricket is one of the city’s oldest sporting traditions. Current cricketers are hoping some of their children will follow their lead.
POP PUNK | Onesie
Based in Brooklyn, Onesie is the creative brainchild of singer-guitarist Ben Haberland and his gang of buddies. Backed by bassist Zack Fanelli, drummer Lee Madaus, and guitarist-keyboardist Andrew Nelson, Haberland and his crew lash out with alternative grunge-pop that’ll get you head-bangin’. The band is currently touring behind the recent June release of its sophomore…
The scooters are coming, eventually
To some of their harshest critics, electric scooters are nuisance death machines that send scores of people to the hospital and pile up in parks when people aren’t using them. They have a nasty reputation to shake, and the scorn directed at them could delay the launch of a scooter sharing system in Rochester. In…
Album review: ‘All Good’
Benny Beyond ‘All Good’ Self-released bennybeyond.bandcamp.com Ben Kruger has been grinding in Rochester for years, a prolific contributor to local music and arts community. As emcee Benny Beyond, his hip-hop debut “All Good” comes correct with his brand of altruistic philosophy. A year and half in the making, the album takes on the attitude of…
RCSD grad rates climb
The Rochester City School District’s 2018-2019 graduation rate is 58 percent. Though it is still low, it’s an increase of approximately 4.5 percentage points over last year, continuing the rate’s upward trajectory. But an even larger jump at East Upper and Lower School has exceeded some district officials’ expectations. East’s graduation rate for its first…
THEATER | Sankofa Theatre Festival
This week MuCCC will once again be home to the annual Sankofa Theatre Festival, which is celebrating its 12th year. Produced by MMB Theatre 1 Project, the festival spotlights the original works of emerging and established African American playwrights and has grown from a one-day event to a multi-week schedule of readings, 10-minute plays, and…
POP | Daryl Hall & John Oates
Known for several No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits such as “Rich Girl” and “Private Eyes,” Daryl Hall and John Oates are still the top-selling duo in music history. The two officially joined forces in 1972, and since then have released dozens of studio, live, and compilation albums. Kick and jive along to upbeat dance…
Album review: ‘Timensions’
Catatac ‘Timensions’ Self-released soundcloud.com/catatacmusic Local singer-guitarist Peter Sapia and production master Tim O-Rourke worked in similar musical circles before joining forces in 2017 under the moniker Catatac. Raised in the 80’s before the days of the Internet, O-Rourke and Sapia use their contrasting blend of organic and synthetic backgrounds to create imaginative soundscapes of what…
FOLK | Steve Katz
If you appreciate great pop music from the 1960’s and 1970’s, you know the work of guitarist-songwriter Steve Katz. After studying with Dave Van Ronk and Reverend Gary Davis, he became a key player in two major groups: The Blues Project, for which he wrote “Steve’s Song,” and Blood, Sweat & Tears (he penned “Sometimes…
LITERATURE | ‘Reading for RAICES’
This Saturday, August 17, Bloom: Rochester Poetry Project will host a ‘Reading for RAICES’ benefit event at The Avenue Blackbox Theatre. RACIES (Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education) is a nonprofit organization that provides free and low-cost legal services to immigrant children, families, and refugees in Central and South Texas. The event’s organizers aim to…
SPECIAL EVENT | Blackfriars Theatre celebrates 70 years
To commemorate 70 years of creating art in Rochester, Blackfriars Theatre will host a party in the parking lot of its East Main Street venue this week. The free event will be family-friendly and feature local food trucks and vendors, live music, lawn games, prizes, a vendor bazaar featuring the work of local artists, children’s…
SPECIAL EVENT | FLX Fermentation Festival
In an effort to celebrate the excellence of regional fermentation and educate more people on the topic, the Rochester Museum & Science Center will host the first-ever FLX Fermentation Festival this weekend at the Cumming Nature Center in Naples. Attendees can choose from hands-on workshops, demonstrations, and lectures during the three-day event, and “fermentation revivalist”…
FESTIVAL | Puerto Rican Festival
Rochester celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Puerto Rican Festival this weekend, and this year’s theme is fittingly “Our 50 –– Nuestro 50.” Each year, the Puerto Rican Festival organization hosts the family-friendly gathering, sharing food, music, and dance performances. This year’s headliners are N’klabe and Grupo Mania (Friday), Las BomPleneras, Alex Bueno, and RKM…
FESTIVAL | Flour City Brewers Fest
Flour City Brewers Fest celebrates its 25th anniversary this weekend with its annual event, hosted by Rohrbach Brewing Company. Bringing together both local and New York State-wide brewers, the festival features more than 70 craft breweries as well as wineries, cideries, distilleries, and even kombucha makers. In addition to several new breweries, the event will…
FESTIVAL | Clarissa Street Reunion
This Saturday, Clarissa Street Reunion will hold its 24th annual event. Clarissa Street has a rich, musical history: Once referred to as Rochester’s “Broadway,” Clarissa Street was a thriving commercial corridor of the historic Corn Hill neighborhood. After two years on Adams Street, the reunion returns to traditional roots this weekend, taking over a portion…
FILM | ‘Rushmore’
The Little Theater will continue its “Party Like it’s 1999” series this week with a screening of Wes Anderson’s nostalgic film “Rushmore.” The series is inspired by Brian Raftery’s book, “Best. Movie. Year. Ever: How 1999 Blew Up the Big Screen.” Perhaps best known for its famous line, “I saved Latin — what did you…
Feedback 8/14
We welcome your comments. Send them to feedback@rochester-citynews.com with your name, your daytime telephone number for verification, and your city, town or village. Comments of fewer than 500 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. Dems vs…
Urban Action 8/14
This week’s call to action includes the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. Meet county candidates The National Organization of Women-Greater Rochester Chapter will hold “Roc NOW Picnic and Candidate Meet and Greet” on Monday, August 19. The Monroe County candidates who will be attending are:…
FOLK | Maria Gillard Trio
Maria Gillard comes in peace. The songs she carefully writes reach across boundaries and realms, holding the light up to dark truths and finding beauty in the stories we tell. How Gillard manages to capture life’s pain and sorrow, yet stay so delightfully high-spirited is something to behold. Maria brings with her a talented cast…
Local churches receive preservation funds
Four historic churches in the Greater Rochester area are getting help on crucial repairs and restoration work, thanks to grants from the New York Landmarks Conservancy. The recipients: St. Luke and St. Simon Cyrene Episcopal Church and Immanuel Baptist Church in Rochester, First Baptist Church on Batavia, and Christ Episcopal Church in Albion. St. Luke…
WORLD | Paul Cebar Tomorrow Sound
Milwaukee-based songwriter-guitarist and musicologist Paul Cebar reflects his fascination for African, Latin American, and Caribbean styles in his music. Cebar began performing in 1976 and now enjoys the company of his band, Tomorrow Sound, consisting of drummer Reggie Bordeaux, percussionist Mac Perkins, bassist Mike Fredrickson, and keyboardist-saxophonist Bob Jennings. The band delivers an original mix…
New York’s red flag law takes effect soon
In the wake of mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, there’s been renewed discussion about so-called “red flag laws” to keep guns out of the hands of some potential killers. Twelve states and Washington, DC, have already adopted a version of the law, including New York, whose red flag law was approved…
The future of Rochester in a few hundred pages
Part ‘vision,’ part hard realism, ‘Rochester 2034’ reflects changes in the city as well as new interests, hopes, and concerns.
Art preview: ‘What to the Refugee is the 4th of July?’
An upcoming event in the “At the Crossroads” art and community conversation series centers on the concept of applying historic activism to the current struggles of vulnerable groups.
Film preview: ‘Good Boys’
There’s frat house drug deals, death-defying sprints across the highway, and annoyingly knowledgeable kid sisters. It’s an awful lot to handle for middle schoolers already navigating the hormone-addled world of 6th grade.
Chow Hound: Aldaskeller Wine Co. pop-up tasting series
The series’ wine curator Brandon Opalich has been working in the service industry for nearly 20 years in New York and various other states. Now, Opalich wants to introduce wine lovers to an inclusive, laid-back vibe.
Film review: ‘Maiden’
The gripping documentary recounts the story of 24-year-old Tracy Edwards and her dream of leading the first all-female crew to sail the 1989 Whitbread Round the World Race. It offers an inspiring look at an unsung trailblazer in the fight against sexism in the world of sports.
