Cover Story
Break of Reality: Ten years of breakthroughs
From Java’s to Kilbourn Hall to Kodak Hall in just 10 years. Cello-rock band Break of Reality emerged from Eastman School of Music as a student start-up and has grown into a modern instrumental ensemble with a list of accomplishments practically the length of Gibbs Street. That’s particularly impressive when you consider that this young…
Cuomo presents his 2014-15 budget
Governor Andrew Cuomo is sticking to his claim that if the state continues to hold down spending increases, the budget will have a $2 billion surplus by the 2016-17 budget year. And during his budget address this afternoon, Cuomo once again said that the surplus will enable a suite of tax cuts for businesses as…
Cuomo critical of Common Core rollout
Only minutes ago, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that’s he going to convene a panel of educators and legislators to review the rollout of the controversial Common Core curriculum. Cuomo made the announcement during his 2014-2015 budget presentation. Acknowledging that there have been complaints statewide about the Common Core from parents, teachers, and students, Cuomo said,…
Group pushes back on possible Seneca casino
Former Rochester Mayor Bill Johnson portrays the Seneca Niagara Casino in Niagara Falls as an island, isolated from the rest of the city. And any development that’s happened in the city because of the casino has happened within the walls of that island, he says. That casino is an apt illustration of how new gaming…
Upcoming Concerts
[ DJ/Electronic ] Life in Color: Unleash Friday, April 11. Main Street Armory, 900 East Main St. $35-$72. 7 p.m. 232-3221. rochestermainstreetarmory.com [ Pop/Rock ] Death Cab for Cutie Friday, May 23. CMAC, 3355 Marvin Sands Drive, Canandaigua. $25-$39.50. 7 p.m. 758-5330. cmacevents.com [ Pop/Rock ] Dave Matthews Band Wednesday, June 11. Darien Lake PAC,…
Film Review: “The Great Beauty”
Fresh from its Academy Award nomination last Thursday for Best Foreign Film (and following its Golden Globe win in the same category), Italian director Paolo Sorrentino’s “The Great Beauty” gets its Rochester premiere when the Dryden Theatre screens the alluringly enigmatic film this weekend. Simultaneously a love letter to and critique of modern Rome, the…
Film Review: “Inside Llewyn Davis”
The writing/directing team of Joel and Ethan Coen can claim a considerable number of movies that pleased both critics and audiences, not always an easy achievement. Their work varies widely, films as different as an outrageous comedy like “The Big Lebowski,” an eccentric crime story like “Fargo,” or a dark, bloody thriller like “No Country…
Film Review: “The Invisible Woman”
Ralph Fiennes’ sophomore directorial turn, “The Invisible Woman,” is a handsomely crafted (it boasts Oscar-nominated costume design) but rather bloodless recounting of author Charles Dickens (played by Fiennes) and his secret romantic relationship with 18-year-old stage actress Nelly Ternan (Felicity Jones). Ternan is said to be the inspiration for several female characters — including Estella…
Concert Review: Some Ska Band, Break of Reality, 5 Head, metal at the Montage
It was my first-ever trip to The Thirsty Turtle in Victor to dig some ska band called Some Ska Band, led by the stingy-brimmed man of the saxophone and poison pen, Charles Benoit. The place was packed and pleasant as the band rocked steady at a comfortable gallop and volume. More than a few in…
WEEK AHEAD: State budget out; Greece political moves; SWPC’s annual meeting
Governor Andrew Cuomo will present his 2014-15 state budget proposal at 2 p.m. on Tuesday. The presentation will be streamed at governor.ny.gov. The budget will likely follow the agenda that Cuomo laid out in his January 8 State of the State address. His goals for the year include various tax cuts and a publicly-funded campaign…
“Looking” Episode 1: Where the boys are
Sunday night HBO debuted its new drama/comedy “Looking,” often referred to as “gay ‘Girls'” or “guy ‘Sex and the City'” or, as I call it, “a younger version of ‘Golden Girls,’ except set in San Francisco, and everyone has penises, not just Dorothy.” (I kid. Lamely.) Although the tone of the series is different from…
![[UPDATED] Warren to reorganize the RPD](https://i0.wp.com/www.roccitymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/police-car01_thumb.webp?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1)
[UPDATED] Warren to reorganize the RPD
Mayor Lovely Warren wants to bring the number of police stations in the city up to at least four, one in each quadrant.
Bike lane, trail projects receive state funding
For at least the past decade, planners in the Rochester region have made a coordinated effort to connect the area’s many multi-use trails. And one of those efforts recently received a substantial state grant. The state Department of Transportation will give Brighton $1.3 million toward the $1.7 million Highland Crossing Trail project, which will connect a…
Deputy Superintendent Anita Murphy leaving the city school district
Anita Murphy, deputy superintendent of the Rochester school district, will leave the district when her contract expires in June. Superintendent Bolgen Vargas hired Murphy last year and she has been a strong and outspoken member of his senior management team. Murphy was considered for a superintendent position in another school school district earlier this year.…
Concert Review: RPO’s Beethoven’s Ninth
Thursday night’s Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra concert was the one to attend if you were in the mood for “big.” Big, huge orchestra filling the stage.Big, 100-plus-voice choir on risers. And big-voiced soloists, front and center. It was a night of Beethoven’s Ninth and a Boulanger Psalm. The RPO was led by guest conductor Hugh Wolff.…
White charts new agenda for Rochester school board and district
Surrounded by nearly two dozen community leaders, newly-elected Rochester school board president Van White laid out an ambitious plan yesterday to improve city schools and to stop the steady loss of students to charter schools.
Warren’s lesson in crisis management
Oh, dear. All Mayor Lovely Warren had to do when asked if her driver had been stopped for speeding was say, “Yes. Actually, we were stopped twice.” And then explain how her driver, in his previous job, had been used to exceeding the speed limit, that it was a mistake and it won’t happen again.…
“American Idol 2014”: Judging the Season 13 panel
“It’s watchable again!” That’s been the tone of the bulk of the reviews for the 13th season of “American Idol,” which premiered this week. That’s both true and an exaggeration. “Idol” is almost always watchable, even when it’s bad. And yeah, last season was definitely not great (although not the worst – that dishonor still…
ASAR proceeding with no-confidence vote against Vargas
Members of the Association of Supervisors and Administrators of Rochester, the union that represents city school district principals and administrators, will hold a vote of no confidence against Superintendent Bolgen Vargas. Union members voted to pursue the no-confidence vote yesterday afternoon. The ballots will be mailed early next week to ASAR’s nearly 400 members and…
Principals may take vote of no confidence against Vargas
Updated at 12:21 p.m. Adam Urbanski, president of the Rochester Teachers Association, says that teachers do not share ASAR’s discontent. Teachers are unhappy, but it has to do with wrong-headed policies coming out of the State Education Department, he said. And teachers do not blame Vargas for those policies, Urbanski said. Urbanski said he is…
New York gets a “D” in education policy from Michelle Rhee
StudentsFirst.com has published its 2014 annual report card regarding education policies at the state level. New York ranked 28 out of the 50 states and received an overall grade of D, or a GPA of 1.29. Not exactly college-bound scores. New York also received a D+ at elevating the teaching profession, F at empowering parents,…
Dems question makeup of Water Authority board
The Monroe County Water Authority Board has two new members. The County Legislature approved their appointments during a meeting last night. But only Lej Republicans and Democratic Legislator John Lightfoot supported the appointment of Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Allen Bernstein and Scott Nasca, who is president of a local investment firm. Democrats didn’t voice…
THEATER | “Elvis Lives Live”
Get your sequined jumpsuits ready and prepare a platter of peanut butter and banana sandwiches, because Elvis has re-entered the building. A slightly belated birthday tribute concert for The King will be held at RAPA’s East End Theatre (727 E. Main St.) on Thursday and Friday, January 16-17, at 7:30 p.m. each night. “Elvis Lives…
The ABC’s of charter schools
You could call 2013 the year of the charter school in Rochester. Charters have been operating in the city for years, of course, but attention intensified last year and charter chatter was everywhere. Three new charters were approved to open, with several more in the pipeline. Rochester schools superintendent Bolgen Vargas repeatedly lamented the loss…
FILM | Lou Reed Double Feature
Lakeshore Records’ Alternative Music Film Series continues this week with a double feature to honor rock legend Lou Reed, who died in late 2013. On Friday, January 17, the Memorial Art Gallery (500 University Ave.) will host a screening of “The Making of ‘Transformer,'” and bonus retrospective “Lou Reed Remembered.” In “The Making of ‘Transformer,'”…
Urban Action 1/15
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.) Film on caregiving The Lifetree Café will show the short film “Life in Reverse,” at 7 p.m. on Monday, January 20, at 1301 Vintage Lane. The film examines the life of Florence Feldman…
KIDS | “DiNO-LIGHT!”
On Saturday, January 18, Nazareth College Arts Center (4245 East Ave.) will present “DiNO-LIGHT,” a glow-in-the-dark dinosaur adventure program by Corbian Visual Arts and Dance in collaboration with Lightwire Theater (which made it to the 2012 semi-finals of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent”). The show features electroluminescent “lizards” and other “creatures” wordlessly tell a heartwarming story…
Upstate, Cuomo, and the state of our state
We’ve turned things around in New York State! We stopped talking and started doing! In three years (coincidently, the Andrew Cuomo years) we’ve reversed decades of decline and made dramatic and undeniable progress! And the progress is not just in the numbers! We can feel it in every region in our state! We have much…
THEATER | “Off Broadway: A Musical Revue”
It’s dreary and dark, and the spring serenade of birdsong is a ways off. So take to the theater this weekend for a midwinter dose of cheerful tunes. Charity-driven theater group Stageworks will present “Off Broadway: A Musical Revue,” this week. Featuring a cast of 12 performers from throughout the area, the show contains fully…
Profile: BML
BML is about as abstract and heavy as they come. The mind-bending time signatures, the mind-boggling dexterity, the speed and the sonic crush make BML a display of brutal beauty and extraordinary talent. Guitarist Brian Mason, drummer Ronnie Lickers, and bassist Toby Bailey are instrumental heavyweights, and all players’ players on their respective instruments. Mason’s…
Ska | The Toasters
It was more than 30 years ago that The Toasters first mixed Gotham punk attitude with textbook Two-Tone ska ala The Specials, The Selecter, and Madness, and ushered in what is considered to be the third wave of ska. Though bold in its brassy, ballsy energy, the band avoids the over-the-top acceleration of other ska…
ROUND UP: The ground round
As much as we may not want to admit it, Rochester is pretty well known for its meats. We have the Garbage Plate (can’t escape that one), white hots, BBQ joints, and pretty decent chicken wings. But the city is not typically known for its meatballs — but maybe it should be. From traditional Italian-style…
Pop/Rock | Alyssa Trahan
Though a teenager who professes an inability to walk in heels, Alyssa Trahan intones expertly over a highly proficient band that would have other young vocalists struggling to step so high. Trahan falls nicely into a cozy contemporary adult strain that is full of promise in prioritizing the song over and above the grasp of…
Pop/Rock | Fiona Corinne
While Fiona Corinne draws her influences from many different places, Corinne primarily writes moving piano ballads that showcase her pure, unaffected soprano chops. This local singer-songwriter has a solid grasp on what makes pop music so appealing, and her music encapsulates straight-forward chord structures and catchy, hum-able melodies. As a result, Corrine’s rich ballads will…
Jazz | Michael McNeill Trio with Ken Filiano and Phil Haynes
A rising star on the Buffalo jazz scene, pianist Michael McNeill is known for his work with Wooden Cities New Music Collective and the New Buffalo Jazz Octet. With the release of his debut CD, “Passageways,” McNeill is making a name for himself as a formidable band leader. At the Bop Show he’ll share the…
World | Pablo Ziegler Classical Tango Quartet
It’s a new-fangled tango or, to put it more properly, Nuevo Tango, the infectious Argentinian musical style popularized by Astor Piazzolla. Pianist extraordinaire Pablo Ziegler worked with Piazzolla for over 10 years before starting his own Classical Tango Quartet. Ziegler has one Latin Grammy award under his belt and, in 2013, was nominated for two…
Jazz | Trio East
Trumpeter Clay Jenkins joined the Stan Kenton Orchestra fresh out of college. Since then he’s played with Peter Erskine, Ray Brown, and the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. Drummer Rich Thompson has lent his talents to Dizzy Gillespie, the Count Basie Orchestra, and Bobby McFerrin. Bassist Jeff Campbell has performed with Gene Bertoncini and Marian McPartland. When…
Classical | Rochester Philharmonic & Community Orchestra Concert
When the call went out that the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra was going to do a concert side-by-side with non-professional musicians, 190 applications poured in from Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo, New York City, and even Pennsylvania. The 115 musicians who were selected started their rehearsals for the concert of January 22. The program includes Liszt, Bizet, and…
ALBUM REVIEW: “Volcan”
“Volcan” Volcan 5PASION g-rubalcaba.com/blog/ The latest supergroup to emerge from the Latin jazz scene has taken an appropriate name. “Volcan” is short for volcano, which as the album points out, embodies the essential elements: earth, air, wind, and fire. Executive Producer Gary Galimidi writes in his notes that volcanoes loom large over otherwise unremarkable landscapes.…
“Lossless”
Limited as we are, humans will forever grasp at some intangible and possibly nonexistent mode of perfection — a perfect experience, or perfect conveyance of action, of story, and of meaning. As we use technology to hook and drag ourselves forward in time, it provides enhanced tools for interpreting and conveying our experiences. But sometimes,…
ALBUM REVIEW: “Transform”
Fernando Ulibarri “Transform” CD BABY fernandoulibarri.com Every once in a while a musician comes out of nowhere with such a fully formed sound and vision, you wonder why you haven’t heard of him before. Of course that “nowhere” often includes years of study at an excellent school like Berklee College of Music in Boston. And,…
LECTURE | Reshaping Rochester: “Walkable City”
On Tuesday, January 21, Rochester Regional Community Design Center is kicking off the 2014 edition of its annual “Reshaping Rochester” lecture series with a talk by Jeff Speck, a city planner and architect. Speck is the author of “The Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time,” which will be the…
Feedback 1/15
Send comments to themail@rochester-citynews.com, or post them on our website, rochestercitynewspaper.com, our Facebook page, or our Twitter feed, @roccitynews. For our print edition, we select comments from all three sources, and we edit those selections. Think like the Flintstones? On a reader’s letter arguing that preservationists are hindering progress in Rochester: Preservation and re-purposing of…
FESTIVAL | Mendon Ponds Park Winterfest
Just in time for our midwinter bout of wicked cabin fever, the 19th Annual Mendon Ponds Park Winterfest is here to rescue you from the doldrums and draw you out for fresh air and festivities. On Sunday, January 19, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., head to Mendon Ponds Park (enter from either Route 65/Clover Street or Pittsford-Mendon…
Policing the police
The most tangible thing to come out of the review of the way complaints against the police are handled was the addition of a community advocate to the Civilian Review Board. The advocate’s purpose is to help people through a process that can be emotional, complicated, and lengthy. Members of City Council got a one-year…
