Cover Story
Holding history and framing futures
All endeavors are precarious, and those that seek to last must weather the ebb and flow of cultural shifts, prosperity, and community needs. Even a space based on history must earn its place in the passage of time, and in doing so over the course of the past 100 years, the Rochester Museum and Science…
After the storm: the RPO’s future
As everyone interested in the RPO knows by now, the orchestra community has been torn by conflict centering on Arild Remmereit, a conflict that has exploded since the board terminated his contract in November (a decision I continue to agree with). Remmereit supporters blame the board – particularly board president Betsy Rice – and the…
Cuomo budget proposal includes minimum-wage boost
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo released his $136.5 billion 2013 to 2014 budget proposal this afternoon. He said the budget closes a $1.3 billion gap and doesn’t include any new taxes. It also includes a boost in the minimum wage, from $7.25 to $8.75 an hour. Cuomo said the budget includes a 4.4 percent increase…
Obama and the liberal era
In a historic moment, Obama’s second inauguration speech was unapologetically liberal with numerous references to core Democratic ideals. On a day celebrating Dr. Martin Luther’s King’s legacy, Obama acknowledged the civil rights struggles of women, blacks, and gays. He reminded Americans that equality is good for a civilized society, and that inequality invites repression and…
Our stressed-out lakes
The other day, I stumbled across an article on ThinkProgress that gives a snapshot of how climate change is affecting the Great Lakes. And it talks about some of the potential future effects on the region. But what caught my attention is a map embedded in the post. The image, developed by the Great Lakes…
Daily Choices: What to do on Tuesday, January 22
Corrected 1/22/13 1:39 p.m. to reflect that 2 Pages/2 Voices” will take place at Writers & Books, not Geva.
Theater: Writers & Books and Geva Theatre Center will present “2 Pages/2 Voices,” an evening of short story plays written by area writers and read by area actors. The event will be held at 8 p.m.…
2013 Jazz Fest headliners announced
The headliners for the 2013 Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival were announced this morning on the XRIJF website. Although festival co-producer and artistic director John Nugent said that one more headliner is yet to be announced, the current line-up is: Friday, June 21: An Evening with Pink Martini ($55-$105) Saturday, June 22: An Evening with…
ARTS: RPO announces program, conductor for 2014 Carnegie Hall concert
Today the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and the Spring for Music festival announced the programming for the RPO’s scheduled 2014 concert at New York City’s Carnegie Hall, as well as the conductor who will lead the orchestra during the performance. Michael Christie, the music director of the Phoenix Symphony, Colorado Music Festival, and the Minnesota Opera,…
RPO dissidents form opposition slate
Supporters of conductor Arild Remmereit have formed a slate of opposition candidates for membership on the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra board of directors.
WEEK AHEAD: Cuomo’s budget, MCC site meeting, planning downtown, College Town designs, chat with the police chief
Governor Andrew Cuomo will present his 2013 to 2014 budget proposal to the State Legislature at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, January 23. The proposal will likely top $130 billion. During his State of the State address earlier this month, Cuomo rolled out a load of new initiatives: he offered school districts extra funding to extend…
Daily Choices: What to do on Monday, January 21
Spesh: A variety of lectures, film, and events will be held today in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. and his crucial legacy. Events take place at universities and cultural institutions throughout Rochester. For highlights, check out our choice event on MLK Jr. Day events and for more events, visit our online calendar and search…
Daily Choices: What to do on Saturday, January 19 and Sunday, January 20
Kids: This weekend, The Strong National Museum of Play (1 Manhattan Square) will present a new exhibit, Lego Travel Adventure. The opening weekend event takes place Saturday, January 19, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., and Sunday, January 20, 1-4 p.m., and the show continues through May 12. The exhibit is included in regular admission ($11-$13); for more…
Gannett selling D and C building
Want to buy an old newspaper building? The Democrat and Chronicle reports that its 55 Exchange Boulevard building is being put up for sale by its parent company, Gannett. D and C employees should be in a new space in the City of Rochester by mid-2014, says the article. The D and C has downsized…
Concert Review: Ana Egge, John Kingla at Abilene
It was Lincoln, Nebraska, sometime in the mid-90s, sometime in the mid fall, when I ran into The Replacements guitarist Slim Dunlap. We had both played shows in the city that night and wound up at the same dank motel (where I’m certain every room at one time or another was a crime scene). My…
No time for relationships
It seems almost impossible to maintain a healthy balance between college work and everything else.
To live or not to live … in the dorms
This is a question that crosses the mind of every college freshman. For students who have grown up in the Rochester area and have decided to attend RIT, the answer is slightly more complicated. Local students can easily decide to stay home and “save money,” or venture off into the unknown world that is dorm…
“American Idol” 2013, Episode 2: Do you have a girlfriend?
Back pinch hitting the good old “American Idol” blog for Eric, who was only pulled away from the line of duty because he had to fight cave trolls to move apartments or something silly like that. I watched the first episode with the master of Idol ceremonies himself, but tonight, the show headed to Chicago,…
Poll: Public backs increase in the minimum wage
The public is behind Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposal to raise the state minimum wage from $7.25 to $8.75 per hour, according to one statewide poll. Cuomo proposed the increase during his State of the State address last week. A Siena College Research Institute poll, conducted on January 10 and January 13 to 15, says that…
Daily Choices: What to do on Friday, January 17
Film: The Baobab Cultural Center (728 University Ave.) will host a screening of “Color Adjustment” tonight at 7 p.m. The film traces 40 years of race relations through the lens of prime time entertainment, scrutinizing television’s racial myths and stereotypes. A discussion will follow the screening. The event is free to attend, but registration is…
Parent trigger law debate heats up
The Buffalo-Rochester Parent Trigger Coalition, a group of community organizations and education activists, is renewing a push for a parent trigger law for the school systems in both cities. Parent trigger laws, first initiated in California, give parents a tool to transform persistently failing schools. Parents can petition the school’s board to enact one or…
AG turns attention to nonprofits’ elections spending
For the past few days, New York State news has been dominated by the Legislature’s approval of new gun laws and Congress’s approval of a Superstorm Sandy aid package. Another important issue has flown below the radar. State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has begun holding public hearings about new campaign finance disclosure requirements for nonrofits,…
Daily Choices: What to do on Thursday, January 17
Music: Coming to Rochester from Israel by way of L.A., Infected Mushroom is here to infect you — with the beat. Side effects may include unconsciously doing the “Night at the Roxbury” thing. Mushroom has been consistently rated one of the top acts in the EDM scene. As self-proclaimed purveyors of psychedelic trance, the act…
Obama: ‘We’ve suffered too much pain’
A day after Governor Andrew Cuomo signed New York’s groundbreaking gun legislation (Cuomo followed that with a ceremonial signing of the legislation at Rochester City Hall this morning), President Obama unveiled his own recommendations for reducing gun violence in America. He made three main recommendations to Congress. Topping his list is enacting universal background checks…
Tops’ COMIDA coupon
The Tops store on Jefferson Road in Henrietta plans to move just down the road into another plaza. And it’s getting tax breaks to do it. Tops’ corporate business model calls for gas pumps at its stores, but pumps are prohibited at the current Jefferson Road location. The company wants to move to space at…
Facing our gun culture
New York is toughening its gun-control laws.
Improvement plans due
The State Education Department issued a report last year that identified persistently low-performing schools and school districts. Priority schools are those with the lowest achievement, and focus schools are those at risk of becoming priority schools if preventive measures aren’t taken. The SED ranked Rochester’s schools among the worst of the worst. Out of the…
THEATER REVIEW: “Next to Normal”
“Next to Normal,” the Tony and Pulitzer prize-winning musical currently on stage at Geva Theatre, is simply one of the most intense, emotional productions that I have experienced in quite some time. The show — written by Brian Yorkey, with music by Tom Kitt and directed by Scott Schwartz — is not without its (very…
Feedback 1/16
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. Consult with…
FOLK | Ana Egge
Despite her laundry list of accomplishments, you have probably never heard of Ana Egge. This Brooklyn-based, Saskatchewan-born troubadour is not your cookie-cutter alt-country artist. Her unique sound synergizes boisterous electric guitars and the somewhat more soothing folk sounds of mandolin and fiddle. The result is a garage-country-rock kind of feel; it’s visceral and demonstrative. A…
MOVIE REVIEW: “Zero Dark Thirty”
Despite all the praise heaped upon “Zero Dark Thirty” by the usual heapers, the movie should really awaken audiences to the moral failure of an American foreign policy created by the administration of George W. Bush. We all grew up in a nation that did not torture prisoners, kidnap people off the streets, send prisoners…
ROCK | Trash Wave Revue Volume II
The success of Volume I has led to Volume II. Trash Wave isn’t so much a line-up of similar bands gathering around the same bonfire, but more a meeting of like-minded attitudes. That’s really what it’s supposed to be about, anyhow. That way bands like the heavy melodic Pink Elephant, the angular indie sound of…
MOVIE REVIEW: “Gangster Squad”
Noir is a genre that’s tough to get right, particularly in our self-consciously referential age. Don’t embrace the genre fully, and it’s just a run-of-the-mill thriller featuring a bunch of nattily dressed people with a fondness for tommy guns; go too far the other direction, and it quickly turns into exaggerated parody (supposing, of course,…
JAM/WORLD BEAT | January Thaw 2013
It’s hard to believe that the groove godfather, Tony Cavagnaro, has been gone six years. But the ripples in the pond the late, great Buddhahood founder still spread through his band. The sound endures with the Buddhahood sporting some new Buddha blood, and through all of the musicians he touched directly in the genre he…
CHOW HOUND: Never say diet
Every January they strike, maybe in your neighborhood, too: roving troublemakers who break into my house, wash my clothes in scalding water, then throw them into the dryer on its hottest setting. How else to explain the increased snugness of my jeans? Well, I guess it could be the fallout from that Bacchanalian bender that…
MUSIC PROFILE: Haewa do you say?
Haewa can be better described by what it isn’t. The group jams, but it isn’t a jam band. It circles psychedelic rock, but doesn’t get lost in the ether. It’s a rock ‘n’ roll band that doesn’t adhere to merely the one, the four, and the five. It’s odd, but not intentionally obtuse. Haewa is…
Video Games: Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate Trailer (Wii U)
Capcom announced today a released date for the awaited return of the Monster Hunter series, “Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate,” for the Wii U and the 3DS. The game will hot both systems on March 19, but if you just can’t wait to sharpen your sword, you can check out all the pretty monster hunting action…
New York gets tougher on guns
The State Senate passed a new ban on assault weapons Monday. The Assembly was still debating on Tuesday afternoon, but is almost certain to approve the legislation. The legislation grandfathers in military-style weapons already owned by New Yorkers, though they would be subject to a new permitting requirement. The assault weapons ban is part of…
Feedback 1/23: From RPO musicians
From a musician supporting Remmereit… (This letter has been edited for consistency with our editorial policy.) Many members of our community, and others from further afield, have voiced their concerns about the turmoil at the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. One group has not spoken publicly: the musicians who feel that the Board of Directors’ decision to terminate…
ART | “DEAD END CITY ART SHOW II”
Corrected on January 22, 2013, to fix name of the venue and its address. On Saturday, January 19, Crossroads Coffeehouse (752 S. Goodman St.) will host a reception for “Dead End City Art Show II,” featuring the work of several Rochester-based artists, including Major Tony Nelson, J Barnabas Lake, Noah Scheuerman, Katie Mickunas, Alex Gauldin,…
No home-school guarantee for RCSD
Rochester schools Superintendent Bolgen Vargas’s announcement last weekend that children who live within a half-mile of their neighborhood elementary school are guaranteed placement in that school — the “Home School Guarantee” — may have been misleading. The announcement comes with some conditions, and no new policy has been approved. | The district’s Parent Preference-Managed Choice…
FESTIVAL | MENDON PONDS WINTERFEST
Though the frigid air, the treacherous ice, the permeating slush, and the weak winter sun give us plenty to whine about, Rochesterians do know how to have a blast in the wintertime. Whether you’re a cold-season enthusiast or need a little inspiration to get outdoors, the annual Mendon Ponds Park Winterfest has plenty of activities…
Designing downtown
What downtown Rochester lacks, apparently, is sensuality. And toilet paper.
SPECIAL EVENTS | MLK JR DAY EVENTS
Many events and lectures will be held this week in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday and his important ongoing legacy in civil rights. The following events are just a few that will be offered by area institutions and organizations. For more events, search our events calendar at rochestercitynewspaper.com. MSNBC Political Analyst Melissa…
HOUSE | Infected Mushroom
Coming to Rochester from Israel by way of L.A., Infected Mushroom is here to infect you — with the beat. Side effects may include unconsciously doing the “Night at the Roxbury” thing. Mushroom has been consistently rated one of the top acts in the EDM scene. As self-proclaimed purveyors of psychedelic trance, the act presents…
THEATER | PERFORMANCES OF 2 PAGES/2 VOICES
Get to know local emerging writers at Writers & Books and Geva Theatre Center’s presentation of “2 Pages/2 Voices,” an evening of short story plays written by area writers and read by area actors. The event held Tuesday, January 22, at 8 p.m. at Geva Theatre Center (75 Woodbury Blvd.), is the culmination of the…
“American Idol” 2013, Episode 1: Define “terrible”
Wednesday night marked the start of a new era for “American Idol.” After the exit of judges Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez — a decision I suspect Lopez will regret within two years — a whole new panel made its debut. Well, almost all new. We were once again stuck with Randy Jackson, who simply…
SPECIAL EVENT | THE JASON BISHOP SHOW
The prestige and teasing mystery surrounding illusionists of the past are the undying legacies for the illusionists of today, even if their act’s soundtracks have been replaced with rock and pop music, and capes have long gone out of fashion. On Saturday, January 19, illusionist Jason Bishop will bring his award-winning act to Nazareth College…
ELECTRONICA | Onuinu
Portland, Oregon-based multi-instrumentalist Dorian Duvall, a.k.a. Onuinu (pronounced “On you in you”) calls his genre disco-hop. Maybe that description is too limiting, as his trio creates ambient electro-pop that’s both expansive and beautiful. Singer-guitarist-composer Duvall crafts the lush electronic arrangements that embellish the melodies at the heart of its tunes as band members add live…
SPECIAL EVENT | MOVE TO AMEND PARTY FOR THE PEOPLE
Move to Amend Rochester is a group of local citizens working to add an amendment to the United States Constitution that would enable Congress to control political spending. Though endeavors such as these take time, a key element in affecting change is large-scale public education on a subject with which we are not necessarily properly…
POP/PUNK | Walk The Moon
Relying on the strength of one single from a self-released album is one path to successfully garnering a major-label record deal, but it certainly isn’t the easiest. Then again, most singles aren’t as arresting as “Anna Sun” from Cincinnati quartet Walk the Moon, nor are most videos quite so eye grabbing as the track’s accompanying…
DANCE: “This is Tango Now: Identidad”
Mention tango dancing and most people immediately imagine some variation of a woman in red sauntering seductively across stage, whirled in close and dipped low by a darkly sensual partner. This, to most people, is tango. But Fernanda Ghi and her husband Guillermo Merlo, creators of “This is Tango Now,” seek to break this stereotype.…
