Cover Story
Living with HIV
Alberta Willingham will be 43 in a few months, but she’s lucky to be alive. A normal T-cell count in a healthy person is somewhere between 500 and 1,500. Several years ago, Willingham’s was down to 5. T-cells are the white blood cells that mount the fight against fungi, bacteria, and viruses that invade the…
MCC’s new downtown campus on target for 2017 opening
The first phase of construction at Monroe Community College’s new $72 million downtown campus is three-quarters complete, and the facility is on track for a fall 2017 opening. The new 255,000-square-foot campus will be spread across seven floors in four former Kodak buildings on State Street, bought by the county. The first phase of construction…
Our future with snow
How do we create a livable, walkable, bikeable city if this winter is a harbinger of things to come?
Film Review: “The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”
Just as diehard comic geeks had “The Avengers,” aging Anglophiles received the gift of “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.” The film delivered its own sort of superhero team-up by bringing together the powerhouse thespians of British cinema, and it now proves that franchises aren’t just for big-budget blockbusters. A pleasant diversion, “The Second Best Exotic…
Film Review: “Focus”
Back in his mid-to-late 1990’s heyday, Will Smith was the undisputed box office king. At a certain point, the Fourth of July weekend seemed to be reserved for the annual big-budget blockbuster, like “Independence Day” and “Men in Black,” that was built around the actor’s unique brand of wise-cracking charm. But in recent years, Smith…
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 7, Episode 1: Born Naked
Start your engines — “RuPaul’s Drag Race” is FINALLY back for its seventh season. And to quote Mother Ru herself, this is “the most raggedy season yet.” Mrs. Kasha Davis joins the “Drag Race” this season, making her the third queen from Rochester to make it on the show. There must be something in the…
Theater Review: “Women in Jeopardy!” at Geva
On the Saturday night performance of “Women in Jeopardy!” at Geva Theatre Center’s Mainstage, cast member Scott Rad Brown (Trenner) led a small Q&A before the show. “Comedy depends upon its audience,” he said. “Let us know how we’re doing,” adding after a beat, “So laugh.” In live productions, especially, laughter isn’t easy to come…
Theater of the wild
You could spend your life in pursuit of genuine wilderness, without the promise that you’ll ever actually experience it. The buffer between humans and the rest of the natural world is, if incomplete, fairly ubiquitous, even when we don’t detect it at first. The revelation of this illusion is what kicked off “Glass Mountains,” Sean…
Saving antibiotics
Congress member Louise Slaughter is teaming up with the Rochester Institute of Technology, Wegmans, and other organizations in the fight against the misuse of antibiotics. Misuse or overuse of antibiotics results in at least 23,000 deaths every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Slaughter has been trying since 1999 to pass…
WEEK AHEAD: Gillibrand at UR to talk sexual violence; forum on living wage
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand will visit the University of Rochester campus at 12:30 p.m. today to hold a roundtable discussion about sexual violence at colleges. Participants include University of Rochester students and officials; students and officials from other Rochester-area colleges; and advocates, law enforcement, and sexual assault survivors, according to a press release from Gillibrand’s office.…
Mario Cuomo remembered
Recently, Andrew Cuomo was inaugurated for his second term as New York State governor. On the same day, his father, Mario Cuomo, passed away. There were many eulogies and tributes from famous politicians to the elder Cuomo, a three-term governor of the state. Being a layperson, I would like to share my personal experience with…
The great LDC extinction
Cheryl Dinolfo’s pledge to eliminate local development corporations in Monroe County may be less a stand for integrity than a reflection of the fact that LDC’s just aren’t as useful to governments as they once were. Dinolfo, a Republican, announced her bid for county executive last month. She has been pegged as current county executive…
FCC net neutrality decision is all about traffic
The Federal Communications Commission passed new net neutrality regulations yesterday that includes a measure that would classify broadband Internet as a utility, just like landline telephones. The regulations say that Internet service providers can’t prioritize one stream of traffic over another. They can’t provide “fast lanes” where a content provider pays the ISP for a…
Mike Green may run for DA again
Mike Green, former Monroe County district attorney, is considering a run for his old job, according to Dave Garretson, head of county Democrats.
Cuomo digs in on education reform
Governor Andrew Cuomo continues his offensive on the state’s education system. Two days ago, Jim Malatras, director of state operations, sent a letter to Elizabeth Berlin, acting state commissioner of education. The letter requests a statewide investigation into teacher evaluations, with a particular focus on the school districts in Long Island where the accuracy of…
I Scene It: The Coney Island Rock ‘n’ Roll Roadshow at Abilene Bar & Lounge
So I needed some warming up, you see. After a dismal performance at pinball at Skylark, I was ripe and ready for some flashy T&A, trashy rock ‘n’ roll, and odd behavior. The choice was clear: dump the old lady off at home and high-tail it over to Abilene for The Coney Island Rock ‘n’…
Roman announces County Lej bid
Democrat Yversha Roman is challenging sitting Republican Tony Micciche for a County Legislature seat that covers some of the city’s west side neighborhoods and parts of Gates and Greece. The 26th District seat had traditionally been Democratic until Micciche unseated Democratic Legislator Steve Eckel in 2011. There are 3,892 enrolled Democrats in the district, 1,561 Republicans,…
Classical Review: Peter Serkin with the Eastman Philharmonia
Peter Serkin’s performance of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 19 at Kodak Hall, Saturday evening, confirmed what we all know about this great artist. His brilliant and intimate attention to the details of the music is only matched by his ability to communicate to the orchestra their role in this collaboration. With the full Eastman Philharmonia…
Rochester Music Hall of Fame announces 2015 inductees
The Rochester Music Hall Of Fame today announced its class of 2015 inductees, which will be celebrated at the Hall of Fame’s induction ceremony at Eastman Theatre on Sunday, April 26. This year’s inductees are jazz bassist Ron Carter; Gibson Guitar CEO, Henry Juszkiewicz; jazz pianist Gap Mangione; vocalist William Warfield; and 1960’s soul sensations,…
SPECIAL EVENT | Balloon Manor
Constructed entirely of balloons, Balloon Manor: The Amazing Air-Filled Undersea Adventure will transform the Sibley Building atrium into an underwater kingdom. Kelly Cheatle and Guinness World Record holder Larry Moss, along with a crew of artists and volunteers from all over the world, will bring Atlantis to Rochester…sort of. More than 40,000 balloons will be…
Rochester’s fighting chance for a turnaround
Upstate cities know decline. For decades, they’ve seen their once-vibrant downtowns fade and their big employers and industries shrink, shut down, or leave.
MAGIC | The Illusionists
One of the fastest growing magic acts in the world, The Illusionists brings together seven magicians, each a master in their own unique field. Ranging from rising stars like Yu Ho-Jin —who was named the 2014 “Magician of the Year” by the Academy of Magical Arts — to established acts like weapon-based magician Aaron Crow,…
Urban Action 2/25
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.) Renewable energy storytelling SUNY Geneseo’s Office of Sustainability and the Little Lakes Sustainability Network will present “A Solar Home Companion,” with Josh Fox and Zephyr Teachout at noon on Sunday, March 1. The…
THEATER | The Festival of Ten
The College at Brockport’s Department of Theatre and Music Studies presents its ninth Festival of Ten, beginning Friday, February 27. In this biennial program, the Festival of Ten features a selection of 10 different 10-minute plays, ranging from tense dramas to lighthearted comedies. This year, a record number of nearly 600 plays were submitted for…
CHOW HOUND: Old-school in a new space
Cinelli’s Pizza Ristorante (840 Long Pond Road) moved into its space in the new plaza next to Bryant & Stratton College on January 20. “We literally built this place from the ground up; there was a dirt floor,” says co-owner Franca Cinelli. Franca, along with her husband, John, and her son, Tom, are all owners…
JAZZ | The Rita Collective with Mark Collins
You probably would not expect to hear Rage Against The Machine’s “Killing In The Name” played intensely on bass clarinet and marimba. Or Michael Jackson’s hit “Man In The Mirror” performed like a jazz standard. But those are just two examples of how The Rita Collective turns genres upside down. The band, inspired by a…
FOLK | Chadwick Stokes
For his second solo album, Chadwick Stokes did things a little differently: Instead of polishing songs and hitting the studio, he took the rough cuts on the road. Despite a history of selling out Madison Square Garden (with his band, Dispatch), Stokes chose instead to play in living rooms across the country — just his…
PROGRESSIVE METAL | Felix Martin
Probably most of us haven’t seen anything quite like this. Two hands wrap around 14 strings and ripple down two fret boards. I quickly felt a tension between closing my eyes to listen and wanting to watch the acrobatic feats of Felix Martin’s 10 fingers. It’s like his hands are having a lively conversation with…
ROCK | Bush
Post-grunge darlings Bush are back with “The Sea of Memories,” a tight and raucous addition to its catalogue. Though the band’s previous major label output is somewhat dated, it helped forge the sound for contemporary outfits, including itself. It’s still loud and thick, but there exists a breath of freedom throughout that amplifies the punch and credibility…
ROOTS | Commander Cody
Founded in 1967, Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen was one of the all-around roots rock bands, mixing R&B, rockabilly, soul, country, and swing into an alcohol-fueled boogie-down affair. The Commander commanded from the piano. Known for its marathon, sweat fest shows and particularly for its cover of Johnny Bond’s 1955 “Hot Rod Lincoln,”…
FOLK ROCK | Jubilee Riots
When Canadian folk group Jubilee Riots (formerly known as Enter the Haggis) made its last album, “Penny Black,” the members wanted to interact with the fans as much as they do at live shows. To do this, they drew inspiration for the albums’ songs off of letters that fans wrote to the group. The group’s…
WORLD | Kodo
Hailing from the island of Sado in Japan, the drummers of Kodo bring the traditional art of taiko around the world. Kodo has two meanings in Japanese: “heartbeat,” the rhythm that drives us all, and “children of the drum,” which represents how the performers go about their art with simplicity, and a kind of youthful…
Who catches what
There’s no mistake. You can distinctly hear Fran Broderick in all of his projects: the casual gravel and grind of his voice, his broad, chunky attack on the acoustic guitar, and lyrics that swing from the personally bittersweet to the flat-out hysterical. You may recognize Broderick from his work with Friday in America. You may…
ALBUM REVIEW: “Mirror”
Steve Piper “Mirror” Self-released stevepipermusic.com It doesn’t take long to get the gist of Steve Piper’s latest solo album, “Mirror.” The warm sounding nature of the folk-country tunes combine with his relaxed, straightforward vocals, making this record a comfortable fit for anyone in search of a mellow vibe. Piper, a guitarist for local act…
Compressed expansiveness
Four decades of work by ceramic artist Wayne Higby are represented in the Memorial Art Gallery’s show, “Infinite Place,” and honestly, there’s not a thing he’s done that I didn’t feel all swoony about. The exhibition begins with a trio of examples from Higby’s early work, created in the late 1960’s, and inspired by world…
ALBUM REVIEW: “Stepson of the God of Thunder”
Dark Nemesis “Stepson of the God of Thunder” Self-released darknemesisband.com DC Comics’s Dark Nemesis is a high-powered group who will work for anyone that will pay them. Sounds like a band, huh. Enter rocker Eddie Nebula with Dark Nemesis, his new project emerging from the ashes of The Plague. This band’s debut disc is full…
ART | “Conversations with Artists”
When done with care, recreating a work of art can often give a unique perspective on the original. In the exhibit “Conversations with Artists,” now on display at Genesee Center for the Arts & Education’s Community Darkroom Galleries, photographers have re-imagined works by Georgia O’Keeffe, Frida Kahlo, and other artists. Drawing inspiration from paintings, photographs,…
Feedback 2/25
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. Abandon the…
Testing’s not the key to educational success
Governor Andrew Cuomo and other critics of education view teaching and learning as a business – and as such, they believe teachers and schools should be held accountable for students’ successes and failures. But they measure success and failure only by outcomes on standardized tests and supposedly objective evaluations of teacher and school effectiveness. They…
Brighton eyes solar law
More solar power systems in Brighton would mean that residents and businesses could get clean, low-cost power while lessening the town’s environmental footprint, officials say. That’s why town leaders have developed a draft solar ordinance. Solar panels are allowed in Brighton, says town planner Ramsey Boehner, but that’s not specifically stated in the town code.…
COMEDY/THEATER | “Be My Valentine: An Improvised Slasher”
Bloody carnage and belly laughs generally make for an odd (read “horrifying”) contrast, but the two will be harmoniously mingled in Geva Comedy Improv’s next performance. Fake blood and flying prostheses will feature prominently in this off-the-wall Valentine’s-themed show, which is modeled after slasher flicks like “Friday the 13th” and “Scream”. The audience will be…
Fate uncertain for workers
If President Obama’s executive action regarding immigration is permanently blocked, large numbers of people, including many in the Rochester and Finger Lakes region, will face deportation, says Wally Ruehle, an attorney with the Legal Aid Society who has worked with many immigrants to stop deportation efforts. Members of Congress should get to know the people…
Film Review: “Two Days, One Night”
With the announcement of this year’s Academy Award winners — handed out last weekend — comes the inevitable complaining about what won and what didn’t. Around this time, it’s fairly common to hear the opinion that the Oscars don’t matter, and looking back at past winners, it’s frequently the case that the best films of…
Film Review: “Leviathan”
A nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, "Leviathan," tracks the unfortunate circumstances that befall Kolya (Aleksey Serebryakov), a man living a modest life in a small seaside town in northern Russia, after he chooses to defend his home from being taken by the corrupt mayor who wants ownership of the land for a development deal.…
Film Review: “Hot Tub Time Machine 2”
There was some charm beneath the absurdity of 2010’s “Hot Tub Time Machine.” The film overcame its ridiculous premise and some of its humor’s ugliness by mining 80’s nostalgia with a throwback to the raunchy comedies of that era. The loose plot followed a group of friends who used the titular device to go back…
