Cover Story
The future of film
Enthusiasts still relish the rush of finishing a roll and the fixer-laden smell of the darkroom.
Gallery: Readers share their film photos.
Spaull announces reelection campaign
City Council member Elaine Spaull sent out a brief announcement this morning saying she’ll seek reelection. Spaull, a Democrat, has held the East District seat on City Council since 2007. The district includes part of downtown stretches through several east side neighborhoods. “By many significant measurements, the East quadrant of our city has made great progress…
RG&E and Ginna reach agreement
Rochester Gas and Electric has reached an agreement with the Ginna nuclear power plant where it’ll subsidize the plant’s operation through September 2018. The proposed contract will cost RG&E customers, but it’s not clear just how much. RG&E and Exelon have filed their proposed contract with the state Public Service Commission, which has to approve…
Film Review: “The DUFF”
The trailers for “The DUFF” have sold the film as yet another in the line of “Pygmalion”-inspired teen makeover comedies — a “She’s All That” for the new millennium. You know the type: one of those feeble stories where the audience is meant to believe that a beautiful young actress is a hideous troll until…
The roots of our poverty
In 1970, a City Observatory report notes, 2693 residents of Rochester and close-in suburbs lived in census tracts with a high poverty level. In 2010, that number had grown to 37,670.
Week ahead: sessions on Irondequoit’s ‘neglected properties,’ westside city bus route changes, and juvenile justice
At 7:35 p.m. Thursday, the Irondequoit Town Board will hold an informal public hearing on neglected and troubled properties. The hearing will be held at the Irondequoit Town Hall, 1280 Titus Avenue. The board will be working on legislation regarding such properties, Supervisor Adam Bello says in a post on the town’s website. Officials want to…
Same eggs, different spice
The Bronze Collective Theatre Festival is hoping to infuse different kinds of African-American arts — like theater, dance, and music — into Rochester’s theatrical scene this week. The festival brings together many accomplished local writers, actors, and other performers for “A Week’s Infusion of African-American Theatrical Arts.” The festival takes place at MuCCC from Tuesday,…
Film Review: “Kingsman: The Secret Service”
The end of Oscar season is finally in sight, and after months devoted to covering a parade of prestige pictures (nothing against those films, which nobly cover a wide range of deadly serious topics — from racism to disease — with varying degrees of artistry), even we critics welcome a bit of mindless, palate-cleansing fun.…
Concert Review: Breaking Benjamin at Main Street Armory
There was a snowstorm warning issued for Rochester on Valentine’s Day, but don’t tell that to the large crowd gathered inside the Main Street Armory to get a first glimpse at the new Breaking Benjamin. The hard rock band had been on hiatus for the last five years, and after settling a certain amount of…
Theater Review: “The Hit Factory” at JCC CenterStage
Four weeks ago, I got to hear Audra McDonald in concert at the Eastman Theatre. Last week, I got to hear Darren Frazier singing at the Jewish Community Center. Frazier, along with 10 other masterful singers, is featured in “The Hit Factory,” a revue of musical numbers composed in Manhattan’s iconic Brill Building during the…
Cuomo eyes Massachusetts for school fixes
Governor Andrew Cuomo has asked Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch to look at what Massachusetts is doing to improve that state’s failing schools. Massachusetts passed a law in 2010 that gives state officials the ability to place chronically low-performing schools in a receivership. Supervision of several Massachusetts schools and one entire district has been…
![[UPDATED] Del Smith to leave Warren administration](https://i0.wp.com/www.roccitymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/news_icon1_newspaper-2.webp?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1)
[UPDATED] Del Smith to leave Warren administration
Del Smith, head of the city’s Department of Neighborhood and Business Development and a very public face of Mayor Lovely Warren’s administration, is stepping down, according to multiple sources. According to the city’s website, Smith oversees the city’s housing and economic development programs, planning and zoning activities, and building and property code enforcement efforts. Smith…
Finger Lakes gas storage hearing under way
Today marks the second day of a hearing on Crestwood’s Holdings’ controversial proposal to use dormant salt caverns along Seneca Lake to store 88 million gallons of liquefied petroleum gas. The hearing, technically called an issues conference, is part of the State Department of Environmental Conservation’s review of the proposal. The hearing, which is supervised…
Theater Review: “Katherine’s Colored Lieutenant” at Geva’s NextStage
Actress and playwright Nora Cole has returned to Geva Theatre for “Katherine’s Colored Lieutenant” at Geva’s Fielding NextStage. Cole previously appeared before Geva audiences with “Fences” (2009) and “You Can’t Take It With You” (2012). In “Lieutenant,” Cole weaves a narrative from the fabric of her own family: the true story of her Aunt Katherine,…
Warren speech focuses on jobs, public safety, education
Rochester’s best days are ahead of it, said Mayor Lovely Warren in her first-ever State of the City address tonight. Warren spoke at Wilson High School, her alma mater. She was introduced by Wilson’s former principal, Suzanne Johnston. Warren’s speech centered around three concepts: more jobs, safer streets, and better schools. It did not include…
First chords
Concert-goers got a look Tuesday night at what’s in store for them under the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra’s young new music director in a preview program that featured selections from the 2015-16 season. Stare assumed his position leading the RPO last September, but by then this year’s performances were already set, so next year will be…
‘Pops’ and substance: the RPO’s balancing act
Eighteenth-century composers and writers on music used to differentiate between “music lovers” and “connoisseurs.” The music lovers, it was thought, went for the simple, tuneful, dance-y stuff; the connoisseurs liked more complicated, modern music. In their search for audiences, modern concert organizations tread a fine line between the two, trying to strike a balance that…
HIP-HOP | Mali Music
From humble beginnings with a Pro Tools setup and a MySpace page, to wowing big wigs at the BET Awards and landing at RCA records, Mali Music is being praised for his soulful hip-hop and positive lyricism. This is what hip-hop did before something went wrong; hear it done right with this cat. Mali Music…
Metamorphic metaphor
The production of glass has shaped and sharpened human senses throughout history. Glass lenses have allowed us both to correct vision and glimpse the unfathomable depths of the universe. And as an art medium, glass has been used to symbolize every comprehensible and confounding human experience. “The Next: A Studio Glass Movement Continuum,” currently hosted…
CLASSICAL | Bedlam
Bedlam is a voice and lute duo that performs 16th-century music inspired by forbidden and taboo subjects associated with that famous London institution. Vocalist Kayleen Sanchez and lutist Laudon Schuett (pictured) are involved in keeping the “madness” — the rejection of rational thought — alive through these performances, both intimate and exciting. Bedlam will present…
Las Vegas Contemporary Dance Theater
Las Vegas Contemporary Dance Theater, a repertory company known for its passionate, diverse, and highly athletic dancing, is performing at Nazareth College Arts Center on Valentine’s Day. This is a company that embraces many styles of dance, but LVCDT’s Nazareth program will emphasize neo-classical ballet, which utilizes classical ballet vocabulary while working within less rigid…
ALTERNATIVE | PVRIS
Energetic and bold, PVRIS feels both familiar and different. Hailing from Massachusetts and barely out of high school, the trio is already seeing international stages. Lead singer Lynn Gunn’s vocals move easily between an innocent falsetto and a gritty punch. The group just released its first full-length album, “White Noise,” a tight production of big…
COMEDY | JAY LENO
After ending a two-decade dominance of late-night Nielsen ratings behind the desk in NBC’s “Tonight Show,” Jay Leno continues to operate in the periphery of the spotlight with seemingly relentless energy. He writes for Popular Mechanics, hosts a show about his vast car collection, and still appears in both live-action and voice-over credits in a…
FUNK | Eggs Benedict
As delicious as eggs Benedict on your breakfast menu, this quintet is every bit as tasty but far from expected. Saucy, dynamic, and unafraid to get a little psychedelic, these five Eastman graduates serve up their own style of funk. Trumpet and sax groove over tracks like “Hollandaise for the Holidays” and a visceral rendition…
KIDS | “TRIVIAL PURSUIT: A 50 STATE ADVENTURE”
Opening just in time for school break, the Strong National Museum of Play is debuting a new exhibit that explores cool facts from each of the 50 states. Designed in the style of the iconic Trivial Pursuit game by Hasbro, the exhibit contains dozens of interactive stations designed to spark curiosity. While the exhibit will…
FOLK ROCK | The Felice Brothers
The Felice Brothers has come a long way from playing subway stops in New York. At times, the band will bring Bob Dylan-style folk to mind, summoning up vintage folk sounds with ease. But once they go electric, and you listen to the lyrics, you realize any Dylan sounds are merely a façade. The lyrics…
DRINKS | CRAFT BREW, ZOMBIES, AND ICE
Craft beer enthusiasts are known for prizing quality over quantity in the search for the best Belgians and most elusive IPAs. Small-batch suds-seekers will find volume AND quality at Main Street Armory’s new “Craft Beer and Spirits Experience,” which will feature 20-plus craft breweries and 50-plus different beers, including offerings from Lake Placid, Harpoon, Great…
SOUL | Lyfe Jennings
Lyfe Jennings is soul the everyman can get down with. His voice can hit those high notes, and he’s a multi-instrumentalist singing about love, heartbreak, making mistakes — the things we all go through. He does it with such sincerity you know he’s been through it as well. Lyfe Jennings performs with Raheem DeVaughn on…
SPECIAL EVENT | ROC AWARDS 2015
For the third year running, Rochester will honor the achievements of its own in a cross-disciplinary awards show. Khadija Yawn and Yolanda Smilez, the architects of the first Roc Awards show in 2013, wanted an outlet to recognize members of the urban community who have made momentous contributions to their fields. The event has been…
INDIE PUNK | Slingshot Dakota
Hailing from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Slingshot Dakota formed in 2003 as a trio headed by front woman Carly Comando. The band’s current incarnation is that of an energetic keyboard-drums duo: Comando is joined by drummer Tom Patterson. With both Comando and Patterson sharing vocal duties, Slingshot Dakota’s interweaving male and female vocals and electric sound has…
MUSIC/THEATER | A RAT PACK TRIBUTE AND “A VEGAS VALENTINE”
Rochesterians are getting not one but two Rat Pack-themed events Valentine’s Day weekend. In the first, legends Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. and the tunes that made them famous are reprised with a performance by Michael Mirand, Patrick Johnson, and Christopher Jay. “The Pack Is Back: A Tribute to the Rat Pack”…
JAZZ | Dave Mancini & Friends
Since graduating from the Eastman School of Music, percussionist extraordinaire Dave Mancini has supplied the beat for greats like Rosemary Clooney, Doc Severinsen, Maynard Ferguson, Tony Bennett, and many more. When he takes the stage for a special Valentine’s Day concert at Downstairs Cabaret Theatre, he’ll be joined by Andy Calabrese on keyboards; Chet Catallo,…
SPECIAL EVENT | GEORGE EASTMAN HOUSE WEEKEND
Love is on the mind and on the screen at the George Eastman House’s Dryden Theatre, where a weekend of Valentine’s Day films is in the works. On Saturday, guest will be treated to an 8 p.m. screening of “I’ll Never Forget You,” a whimsical time-traveling romance directed by Roy Baker and starring Tyrone Powers…
The Preservation Hall Jazz Band
There is a great deal to preserve in New Orleans, the city that gave birth to jazz. But by the early 1960’s, not much was being done to honor that heritage. That is until two young honeymooners showed up on their way back to Philadelphia from Mexico City. Allan Jaffe had attended Valley Forge Military…
Reader submissions: Rochester on film
Readers have delivered on City’s request for film photos of Rochester. Here are some selected photos; please continue to tweet them to us at @roccitynews or by using the #roconfilm hashtag. [View the story “Rochester on film” on Storify]
ALBUM REVIEW: “Elevation”
[ ALBUM REVIEW ] “Elevation” Teen Sound Records It wouldn’t be fair to my ever-changing musical moods if I were to have a favorite band, but Rochester’s St. Phillip’s Escalator comes damn close. The trio was barely out of its teens when it released “Endless Trip.” This excellent debut pleased as much as it confounded:…
JAZZ | Marissa Mulder
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; covering the music of Tom Waits is like wrestling an alligator. If you do it right, you’ve got a new pair of shoes. Do it wrong and you’re dinner. Manhattan Cabaret chanteuse Marissa Mulder (like Holly Cole before her) has entered the arena that so many…
CHOW HOUND: An edible renaissance
The story behind the new restaurant Mamma Lucia reads like a romantic-comedy script. Boy meets girl in high school, date, but eventually break up and lose touch. They reconnect 20 years later, get married, and open a restaurant together. This is the story of Senada and Orhan Pehlivanovic and Mamma Lucia, which opened in the…
Feedback 2/11
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. Billboards and…
Public Market tokens help SNAP users
The frigid weather didn’t deter a determined stream of customers at the Rochester Public Market from finding Margaret O’Neill for Market Tokens on a recent Thursday. O’Neill is the program director for the Friends of the Rochester Public Market and she manages the token program, which she says is a main access to nutritional foods…
Urban Action 2/11
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.) Talk on US battle with ISIS Peter Galbraith, senior diplomatic fellow at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, will present the talk, “From Afghanistan to ISIS: What is the Way Forward?” at…
