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Perspectives: Jerome Underwood
The Action for a Better Community President & CEO on racism, poverty, and education
Cuomo signs abortion rights bill
The Reproductive Health Act was, for the first time, passed by the state Senate and Assembly early Tuesday evening.
Agencies brace for shutdown-induced food insecurity
The month-long federal government shutdown has left a lot of families wondering how they’re going to eat. It’s a problem for families getting SNAP benefits, and it’s a problem for families of federal workers who aren’t getting paid. Representatives from Foodlink, the United Way, 2-1-1/LIFE LINE, and Monroe County government held a press conference on…
City Councilmember Molly Clifford won’t run for re-election
Molly Clifford, City Councilmember for the Northwest District, has decided not to seek re-election. Clifford, who is serving the last year of her first four-year term on City Council, made the announcement earlier today on Facebook.
2019 Rochester Jazz Festival names new headliners
Patti LaBelle, Marc Cohn and The Blind Boys of Alabama, and Jeff Goldblum have all been added to the festival lineup.
Classical review: Seong-Jin Cho
In a sold-out concert on Friday night, the acclaimed piano phenom Seong-Jin Cho treated the Kilbourn Hall audience to an imperfect program that nonetheless lived up to the hype.
Classical review: RPO with Vadym Kholodenko and Gemma New
It’s interesting to see which guest conductors and soloists Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra audiences will take to, and wonder why they make that connection. This week the RPO invited a young conductor and a young pianist, and the crowd went wild, as they say.
Video: Lunar Eclipse
It might be too overcast to see the lunar eclipse this Sunday night. But Strasenburgh Planetarium director Steve Fentress tells us what we’ll be missing and why it’s a cool sight.
Five RCSD schools leave receivership, 10 join
The State Education Department’s latest School Receivership status report has good news and bad for the Rochester school district. Five Rochester schools were removed from the Receivership list, but 10 more were added to it.
The F Word: Frank Goes Out With His Fly Down
If you wanna see who’s looking at you, or more importantly, who’s looking out for you, the next time you go out leave some crumbs or dried-up BBQ sauce in your beard. Or better yet, leave your fly down and see if anyone says something. More on this in a bit after these important messages:…
Spaull not seeking reelection
[UPDATED 01/23/2019] City Council member Elaine Spaull says she won’t seek reelection this year. There are nine seats on Council and four are open in this year’s elections; all of them are district seats that represent a specific part of the city. Spaull, who works as director of the Center for Youth, has held the…
Council announces dates for police accountability forums
City Council has set the dates for three public forums it will hold on its proposal for a Police Accountability Board – all of them this month. Council released a proposal for a new oversight system earlier this week.
City school board wants more time to respond to Aquino report
Rochester school board President Van White said at a board meeting Tuesday that he’s seeking more time to respond to Distinguished Educator Jaime Aquino’s report. The report, which gave a harsh assessment of the school board and district administration, included a lengthy list of recommendations for improving the district. State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia has made…
ART | ‘Perception of Time’
A new group exhibit at Main Street Arts features the work of seven regional artists, each using the notion of time as a starting point in their respective works. The first show of the 2019 exhibition season, “Perception of Time” includes work by Rochesterians Carol Acquilano, Sue Leopard, Richard Margolis, Nick Marshall, and Sabra Wood,…
THEATER | ‘Greater Tuna’
“Human Rights — Why Bother?” That’s the title of the winning entry to the American Heritage Essay Contest at the center of “Greater Tuna,” the hit comedy by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears, and Ed Howard that WallByrd Theatre Company will present this week. Directed by Virginia Monte, the show is set in Tuna, the third…
Urban Action 1/16
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.) Saving the planet The National Council of Jewish Women’s Greater Rochester Section will present “Repairing the Planet II: Hope through Action,” on Wednesday, January 23. A follow-up to a 2016 event, the program…
Rochester bike projects roll on
Construction is set to begin on several key projects, and design work will start on other important bike infrastructure, including some trail work and connections that will be part of Roc the Riverway.
Monroe County Jail launching drug treatment unit
The Monroe County Jail will open its first medication-assisted treatment unit on January 22. The unit will provide dedicated housing and services for inmates with substance abuse problems – specifically opioid and alcohol addiction – who are voluntarily seeking treatment. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office operates a full chemical dependency program at its correctional facility…
CLASSICAL | RPO with Vadym Kholodenko
The Ukrainian pianist Vadym Kholodenko won the Van Cliburn Competition in 2014, and has sustained a career as an outstanding performer of powerhouse repertoire. He’s also become a popular RPO soloist, and the vehicle for his return is Maurice Ravel’s scintillating Concerto in G Major – a jazz-inflected work that requires a virtuoso technique and…
SINGER-SONGWRITER | The Lynnes
“Living at the corner of down and out,” the vocal duo of Lynne Hanson and Lynn Miles – The Lynnes – has a twin-harmony approach that only adds to the music’s minor-key ache. The title track of the dynamic duo’s new album “Heartbreak Song for the Radio” easily sums it up with its “Got lemons?…
AFROBEAT | Continental Drift
In a multilayered ocean of sound, Continental Drift delivers a funky wave of Latin jazz, psychedelia, soul fusion, Afrobeat, and electronica. Crashing in from Austin, Texas, the band has toured extensively since forming in 2014, celebrating a self-titled, debut EP in 2015 and a full-length album in 2017. Continental Drift’s music is mostly instrumental, peppered…
JAM ROCK | Extended Family
Enjoying each other’s company since 2004, the members of local jam band Extended Family are currently working on a much-anticipated third studio album. A tight-knit inclusiveness is reflected in Extended Family’s music, with songs about perseverance, hope, being grateful, and building community. The band blends folk with pop, alternative rock, and roots music, transitioning from…
JAZZ FUSION | My Vegan Uncle
No two shows are the same for the ever-developing local jazz-rock quartet My Vegan Uncle. Formed in 2017 at Roberts Wesleyan College, My Vegan Uncle performs heavy and quirky soul-funk fusion, with its talented members weaving in and out of complex chord progressions with fluidity and fervor. The light-hearted musical chemistry between the band members…
ROCK | Flux Capacitor
Since forming in 2007, Flux Capacitor has toured internationally and celebrated four studio albums, including its 2018 release, “Set to Gravitate.” The trio of brothers – guitarist Peter Specht, keyboardist Michael Specht, and drummer Jason Specht – shares an almost telepathic musical chemistry, playing complex individual parts so closely intertwined, it’s hard to tell where…
SPECIAL EVENT | ‘Art of Circus’
Works of art from throughout human history come alive this week, when touring acrobatic group Cirque-tacular presents its ‘Art of Circus’ to Rochester audiences. The troupe will interpret and ‘animate’ 30 iconic paintings, including works by Pablo Picasso, Georgia O’Keefe, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Leonardo da Vinci, Henri Matisse, and the makers of the Lascaux Cave…
THEATER | ‘There’s Always Time for a Cocktail’
Beloved Rochester drag performer, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alum, and “celebrity housewife” Mrs. Kasha Davis (Ed Popil) will this week perform her original one-man/woman autobiographical play, “There’s Always Time for a Cocktail.” Filled with music, anecdotes, and party games, the play tells the story of Popil’s youth in Scranton, Pennsylvania, through the journey of self-acceptance, to…
Community remembers Christopher Morrison
Rochester lost a beloved dancer, choreographer, and teacher this past weekend. After months of battling pancreatic cancer, Christopher Morrison died in New York City on Saturday. As the community mourns, it shares memories of the Jamaican-born artist and teacher.
Spaull will host new arts meeting
Following up on the December arts funding meeting held by the Arts & Cultural Council of Greater Rochester and members of City Council, Councilmember Elaine Spaull will host another public meeting on the topic on Wednesday, January 16.
Some unsolicited advice on Parcel 5: just chill
Eight years after Midtown’s demolition, city officials are still looking for something to put there. Maybe it’s time for a reality check.
Album review: ‘SleepWalker’
Ryan Sutherland ‘SleepWalker’ Self-released ryansutherland.bandcamp.com Rochester’s Ryan Sutherland is a down-to-earth, folk singer-songwriter with ripping slide guitar skills. Switching between guitar and banjo, he blends elements of country with folk, blues, roots music, and old-timey Americana. He is currently celebrating the release of his second studio album, "SleepWalker," a lighthearted storybook dedicated to his partner,…
Film preview: ‘Burning’
Based on Haruki Murakami’s short story “Barn Burning,” South Korean director Lee Chang-dong’s “Burning” is an indelible, slow-burn thriller that begins as a quiet character study, detours into an enigmatic tale of romance and jealousy, then finally emerges as a chilling and unsettlingly elusive mystery.
Viet-Cajun fare at Juicy Seafood
Drawing influence from Southern states, Juicy serves a mix of baked and fried seafood such as oysters, shrimp, calamari, mussels, and clams with a spicy flare.
Council releases its Police Accountability legislation
City Council unveiled a proposal for a Police Accountability Board this morning, and as expected, it differs in some key areas from the proposal Mayor Lovely Warren announced in late December.
Album review: ‘Dream in Rhythm’
Soviet Dolls ‘Dream in Rhythm’ Self-released sovietdolls.com Since 2012, Soviet Dolls has pierced a hole in the Rochester music scene with its blend of trippy, electronic beats and cosmic songwriting style. Its debut, full-length album, "Dream in Rhythm," released November 2018, is a collection of new, previously unreleased tracks as well as remastered versions of…
Interview: Charles Emanuel
Charles Emanuel has a knack for smooth melodies. He draws from coffeehouse genres, often writing introspective ear-pleasers that are pretty much impossible to dislike.
Film preview: ‘Over the Limit’
A riveting portrait of world-class Russian rhythmic gymnast Margarita Mamun, “Over the Limit” offers an at times harrowing dive into exactly what it takes to be an Olympic champion.
Renovated planetarium re-opens with immersive technology
RMSC’s Strasenburgh Planetarium now offers an immersive experience of the Earth, our solar system, and the universe beyond.
