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Perfect fifths
Fivebyfive brings fresh sounds to Rochester’s classical scene
Council schedules third forum on Police Accountability Board
City Council has set a date for the third, and last, public forum it will hold on its legislation to create a Police Accountability Board.The forum will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, February 21, in the City Hall Atrium.
Bello is running for county exec
Democrat Adam Bello announced Saturday morning that he’s running for county executive. But his candidacy was hardly a secret by that point: some city and suburban Democratic Committees had already designated him as their exec candidate. It’s been rumored for months that Democrats were interested in fielding Bello, the current County Clerk and former Irondequoit…
World music review: Yumi Kurosawa and Anubrata Chatterjee
On Friday night at Kilbourn Hall, koto player Yumi Kurosawa thrilled those who braved the weather to attend, playing a mix of classical Japanese pieces and original works.
Student readiness has been overlooked, says RTA president Adam Urbanski
The state-imposed Distinguished Educator’s report on the Rochester School District’s problems has gotten praise from some quarters, but not from Rochester Teachers Association President Adam Urbanski. In an interview Friday morning, Urbanski said he has told school board members that they should take the report seriously. But he said: “The report omits the importance of student…
Rochesterians get jazzed at ‘Chicago’
For those who want a fun and even silly experience, the show’s Lucille Ball-esque slapstick humor and vampy tunes hit the right note.
Rochester school board approves Aquino response plan
The Rochester school board is meeting this afternoon to vote on a plan to improve district operations, in response to a critical report by state-appointed Distinguished Educator Jaime Aquino. The board has posted the plan on its website.
Album review: ‘It’s Enough / Anyway’
Boy Jr. ‘It’s Enough’ / ‘Anyway’ Self-released boyjr.bandcamp.com There’s something infectious about Boy Jr: One-woman band Erica Allen-Lubman is all style, with no aimless filler. She has been making her mark on the Rochester music scene for over four years, and has recently released two singles that complement each other like salty and sweet. The…
INDIE ROCK | Joan of Arc
Is emo still a thing? If not, I suppose you could file Joan of Arc on the indie rock shelf. Over the course of band’s 20-album discography, fans have had ample opportunity to hear the tour-happy Joan of Arc explore the ether in its minimalist/maximalist explorations. The music’s too technical to be considered lush, and…
Bello candidacy may pay off for Dems
County Clerk Adam Bello is running for county executive, a development that’ll shock hardly anyone following local politics. Bello has risen through the local Democratic party, serving on the staff of then-Assembly member Joe Morelle’s, working as the top staff member at party headquarters, twice winning election to the Irondequoit town supervisor’s job, and then…
CLASSICAL | RPO with Angelo Xiang Yu
Whenever Christopher Seaman returns to the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, audiences can expect time-tested interpretations of symphonic classics. This week is no different, as Seaman turns to the familiar, beloved “Enigma Variations,” by the English composer Edward Elgar. The program also includes the melodic charm of Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 4, featuring as soloist Angelo Xiang…
Campaign targets statewide housing reforms
Last week, as temperatures in the Rochester area plunged below zero, the area’s homeless shelters faced a problem they’ve had in the past: a problem of demand. When it’s too cold to be outside for an extended period, the shelters see a surge of people seeking a place to stay. Staff spend many of those…
EXPERIMENTAL FOLK | Multibird
Rochester’s freak-folk mastermind, Seth Faergolzia, is about to hit the road again for an eleven-day tour with his band Multibird. Faergolzia is a sonic shepherd devoted to pursuing the muse and shaking things up, and Multibird’s new formation – with Shaun Jones on electric guitar, Emily DiPaola on trumpet and percussion, and Luke Cornwell on…
JAZZ | Christian Howes
Over the last five decades, Penfield Central School District has hosted an impressive array of guest jazz luminaries to teach and perform with its students. Clark Terry, James Carter, Sean Jones and Regina Carter are just some of the previous visiting artists. The 49th Annual Penfield Jazz Fundraiser Concerts will feature one of the most…
BLUES | Swampcandy
Maryland’s Swampcandy is a band that mirrors my current paleo diet. Check this out: It allows me to eat fried chicken and fry that chicken in bacon grease. And I’ve found a way to keep chocolate in there as well. Word. Swampcandy comes at its music with the savage stomp and holler of early blues.…
JAZZ | Joe Fiedler’s ‘Open Sesame’
After touring with Latin greats like Celia Cruz and Eddie Palmieri and playing in the Broadway show “In the Heights,” jazz trombonist Joe Fiedler settled down on Sesame Street. That is, he took a job writing hundreds of arrangements for the popular kids’ television show. Over the years, he’s released a half dozen jazz albums,…
SPECIAL EVENT | Chili Cookoff
Bring your appetite to the Flower City Arts Center this week, where you can check out its current exhibition, “The Painted Photograph: Kallitypes by Jen Pereña,” and partake of the annual Chili Cookoff. More than a dozen Rochester restaurants will compete in a variety of categories, including meat and vegetarian. Participants get to vote on…
DANCE | ‘Voyeur’
Taking the paintings of Edward Hopper as inspiration, New York City-based Bridgman|Packer Dance will this week present its performance, “Voyeur,” at Nazareth College. A 2017 Bessie Award-winner, the work blends live performance with cinematic projections and interactive sets as it explores the fragmented moments of private lives. Bridgman|Packer Dance’s “Voyeur” will take place Saturday, February…
RECREATION | Lakeside Winter Celebration
Now that the polar vortex has come and gone, we can safely enjoy the 35th annual Lakeside Winter Celebration this weekend on the shores of Lake Ontario. A variety of events and activities are planned for each day of the family-friendly festival. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, February 9, enjoy a beverage…
SPECIAL EVENT | Cocktails with Creatives
The Memorial Art Gallery’s Cocktails with Creatives series provides an opportunity to pick the brains of some of Rochester’s talented artists. The series continues this week, this time featuring photographer and book artist Amanda Chestnut, musician Danielle Ponder, and painter Bradd Young. Attendees receive a complementary cocktail and hors-d’oeuvres from Brown Hound Downtown, conversation with…
FILM | History of the Attica Uprising
In September of 1971 a prisoner-led uprising took place at Attica Correctional Facility, with more than half of the prison’s population taking control of the facility and holding 42 staff hostage. After four days of negotiations, authorities agreed to dozens of the prisoners’ demands for better living conditions and political rights. The Attica uprising remains…
ART | ‘Continuity to Change’
A survey of works from throughout the history of the Abstraction artistic movement are currently on view at The College at Brockport’s Tower Fine Arts Center Gallery. “Continuity to Change: Recent History of American Abstraction” explores the movement from 1936 to today, and the work is presented courtesy the University of Tennessee’s Ewing Gallery, members…
THEATER | ‘Walk the Walk’
Since 1996 the Landmark Society has celebrated Black History month with a presentation of “Walk the Walk: Encounters with Rochester’s African-American Ancestors.” The theatrical production brings to life abolitionists Frederick Douglass and Austin Steward, and Bessie Hamm, who raised college funds for Rochester youth. The performance will share stories and more, and will be narrated…
Feedback 2/6
Send comments to themail@rochester-citynews.com, or post them on our website, rochestercitynewspaper.com, our Facebook page, or our Twitter feed, @roccitynews. We edit selections for publication in print, and we don’t publish comments sent to other media. Real reform for health care The governor’s health-care proposal fails to make the most essential change we need: abolishing the…
Urban Action 2/6
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.) Confessions and truth The University of Rochester Humanities Center will present “Extracted Evidence: False Confession and Testimonial Injustice,” a lecture by Jennifer Lackey, on Thursday, February 7. Lackey is professor of philosophy at…
Zoc’s brings comfort food to Chili Ave
Zoc’s Gourmet Burgers and Shakes offers a number of specialty burgers as well as wings, po’ boys, Philly steaks, veggie burgers, custom fries, and quesadillas.
Hnossa’s storytelling brings folktales to life
Armed with little more than a mic, an amp, and a loop station, Hnossa project’s Didrik Söderström adapts and performs old stories in layered poetry, prose, and song. This week Hnossa will present its new work, “The Magician’s Cape,” at Writers & Books.
Album review: ‘Old Fame’
Old Fame ‘Old Fame’ Self-released oldfame.bandcamp.com Has a Rochester band ever come up with a better post-rock opener than “No Pain”? For the first two minutes, the first track from Old Fame’s self-titled debut EP launches guitar, bass and drums into a trance-like, mid-tempo stride. Then, in the final two minutes, the song pushes to…
Theater review: ‘Ordinary Days’
Set in New York City and bursting with song, “Ordinary Days” follows four intertwining storylines, unveiling the surprising ways that a few lives can overlap in a city of more than eight million people.
Film preview: Oscar-Nominated Shorts Program
Ahead of the Academy Awards on February 24, audiences have the opportunity to see all fifteen of this year’s Oscar-nominated short films vying for gold in the Live-Action, Animated, and Documentary categories.
Rochester rock trio Periodic Table of Elephants plays it loud and heavy
The local band Periodic Table of Elephants grinds out its sound with a heavy, 90’s-rock slant.
Film review: ‘Cold War’
Set against the ruins of post-WWII Poland, the story revolves around a couple separated by political, geographical, and psychological divides. It examines the toll of a life in exile and the hardships of living under a totalitarian regime.
