Cover Story
Intimacy director defines consent on stage
J.C. “Jace” Meyer-Crosby is an intimacy director, working to establish a safe, respectful, and creative environment for scenes that require close physical contact between performers. It’s a relatively new term in the arts world, let alone locally.
Bello calls for county climate plan
Climate change is a big, all-encompassing problem and solving it will require aggressive, global action. But it’s also a local problem. For example, zoning laws and wider roads encourage driving and keep people dependent on cars, most of which are still powered by gas or diesel. And while they won’t solve the global crisis on…
City files appeal on RCSD referendum
The city filed an appeal today seeking to reverse the recent decision by Justice Odorisi, which sided with the district concerning a referendum that calls for a state takeover of the Rochester school district.
Federal watchdog agency to review Plan 2014
The federal government’s congressional watchdog agency is taking a look at a controversial plan that regulates outflows from Lake Ontario into the St. Lawrence Seaway. The General Accounting Office is reviewing Plan 2014, the regulatory plan that went into effect a few years ago. Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand called for the review earlier…
THEATER | ‘Mrs. Warren’s Profession’
The subject of sex work is divisive, and lots of people have a knee-jerk disdain for it that’s rooted in misogyny and control over women’s bodies and labor. George Bernard Shaw’s 1893 play “Mrs. Warren’s Profession” reflects the playwright’s stance that prostitution isn’t caused by moral weakness but systemic failure and economic need, and Shaw…
FILM | Rochester Teen Film Festival
The annual Rochester Teen Film Festival returns to The Little Theatre this week, featuring the work of young urban, suburban, and rural filmmakers from this region and beyond. Finalists for this year’s iteration were selected by a jury, and include films from students at Allendale Columbia, Geneseo, Dake Junior High, Fairport, Penfield, Pittsford Sutherland, Edison…
SPORTS | National Silver Ball Tournament
Genesee Country Village & Museum is host to many exhibits and events that explore the historic culture of our region, and because of its comprehensive 19th-century base ball (that’s the old timey way it’s spelled) program, it also hosts one of the nation’s largest vintage base ball tournaments, the annual National Silver Ball Tournament. The…
RECREATION | Rochester Pride Hockey Scrimmage
Rochester’s Pride Festival might be over for this year, but there are more events and activities in store for the LGBTQ community. Formed in 2018, Rochester Pride Hockey aims to provide Rochester area residents the opportunity to play ice hockey with their peers, in an inclusive environment. Organizers are in the process of forming teams…
SPECIAL EVENT | ‘Not-A-Fest’
The Neighborhood of the Arts Business Association (NOTABA) is hosting an event this weekend it’s calling “Not-A-festival, It’s a Party!” The (several) block party features seven hubs at which visitors can receive deals and discounts at dozens of businesses, and enjoy free entertainment and pop-up art, as well as buskers performing along the streets. Businesses…
INDIE FOLK | Will Henriksen
BLOOM: The Rochester Poetry Project is back with another installment of The Flytrap Series. The event features a bill of spoken-word artists supported by music performances. Philadelphia-based singer-songwriter Will Henriksen will be there, sharing his gently melodic songs. His discography has a rustic sensibility, with sincere musings on existential quandaries. This emotional tone evokes shades…
BLUEGRASS | String Theory
The first official “NOT(A) Festival, It’s a Party!” is around the corner. As a community celebration of the Neighborhood of the Arts, the day-long event will feature various “hubs,” hosting scintillating activities scintillate throughout NOTA, from 10 a.m. through 7 p.m. Three Heads Brewing will serve as one of the hubs, presenting bluegrass 4-piece String…
CLASSIC ROCK | ‘WOODSTOCK ROCS’
It’s the 50th anniversary of Woodstock. Rochester commemorates with a concert featuring renowned regional musicians, paying homage to the music performed at the original, culture-shifting event in 1969. The lineup reads like a Who’s Who? of notable local artists: Eli Flynn of Giant Panda Guerrilla Dub Squad; Dee Ponder and Avis Reese of Danielle Ponder…
FUNK ROCK | Galactic
New Orleans-based funk collective Galactic performs at such a pace, you’ll be tripping over yourself to keep up. Crossing electronic textures with punchy horns and overdriven guitar, Galactic originally formed as an octet and now averages six players, ranging in instrumentation from Hammond organ to saxophone. The band can switch from anthemic ballads to high-energy…
ALTERNATIVE PUNK | Off With Their Heads
An outlet for those who feel lost in life, Minneapolis-based quartet Off with Their Heads has been sharing grief with its audiences since forming in 2003. Consisting of frontman Ryan Young, guitarist John Polydoros, bassist Robbie Swartwood, and drummer Kyle Manning, Off With Their Heads is about to release its third studio album, “Be Good,”…
POP-ROCK | Hootie & the Blowfish
Known for 90’s hits such as “Hold My Hand” and “Only Wanna Be with You,” Hootie & the Blowfish is still captivating audiences decades later. Based in Columbia, South Carolina, in 1994 the band released its debut album, “Cracked Rear View,” which went platinum sixteen times. Reuniting after a hiatus, Hootie & the Blowfish is…
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Local lead levels drop, but risks to children remain
The number of young children with elevated blood lead levels in Monroe County has dropped slightly, according to the latest numbers from the public health department. The percentage of children younger than 6 who tested positive for elevated blood levels last year was 1.14 percent, down a fraction of a percent from 2017. The data…
‘A really deep sadness’: teenagers and suicide
Suicide rates among teenagers and young adults have been on the rise both nationally and locally in recent years.
Album review: ‘Lemon Sucker’
Whirlin’ Jack Dervy ‘Lemon Sucker’ Self-released whirlinjackdervy.bandcamp.com Local singer-guitarist Nick Schaefer, better known as Whirlin’ Jack Dervy, has been fixated on songwriting since learning to play guitar at age 11. With a deep curiosity for the cohesion between lyrics and chord structures, he’s released four solo EP’s since 2015. Schaefer now performs with his backing…
The fight over the RCSD
The Rochester City School District’s biggest problem isn’t who controls it. It’s the concentrated poverty so many of its children live in.
Album review: ‘I Hate Me’
Taking Meds ‘I Hate Me’ Near Mint Records takingmeds.bandcamp.com A hardcore-emo quartet originally formed in Rochester in 2012 and now based in Brooklyn, Taking Meds offers relief for the angst-ridden soul. Featuring singer-guitarist Skylar Sarkis, screamer-guitarist Ben Kotin, bassist Jon Markson, and drummer Dan Abzug, the band recently unleashed its sixth release, "I Hate Me."…
Film preview: ‘Them That Follow’
There’s a fine line between making an attempt to truly understand what drives the behavior of religious subcultures, and simply using it as an excuse to gawk in horror. And while “Them That Follow” doesn’t always keep to the right side of that line, it remains a compelling story about the clash between spirituality and…
‘Crafting Democracy’ fights fire with fiber
“Crafting Democracy” explores the 2016 presidential campaign and its (ongoing) aftermath as its main focus, using the language of traditionally women-oriented crafts — subversive embroidery, soft sculpture, quilts, and other resistance art.
Gateways brings black classical musicians together
Attend virtually any orchestral concert in the country, and you’re likely to see a similar picture onstage: a sea of white performers, with very little racial diversity. The perception that classical music is predominantly a Caucasian pursuit has endured for several centuries, but that idea doesn’t reflect the current reality, as demonstrated by the Gateways…
Hearty, fast fare at El Cuchifrito
Named for the Puerto Rican fried fare on its menu, El Cuchifrito opened on Norton Street in June, but already feels like a neighborhood staple that’s been there for years. The fast comfort food is great for when you want a quick but hearty bite.
Sweet Mist makes ice cream magic
Theatrics aside, the technique is well worth it: flash freezing with liquid nitrogen makes the ice cream smooth and dense. Sweet Mist offers classics like chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry, but there is also matcha green tea, saffron, sweet ginger, and dill pickle.
