Cover Story
A look back: Riots of ’64 still haunt Rochester
The mayhem and looting that followed the Black Lives Matter protest over the weekend recalled the Rochester riots of 1964.
County’s algae solution: suck it up
Ontario Beach Park has had odor problems for a long time. The culprit: the algae that forms rotting, stinky piles where the beach meets the Charlotte pier. The muck and its odor have been a stubborn nuisance for years, despite periodic efforts to haul some of the accumulation away. Often, the hotter the day, the…
This is our youth
If the theater lacks a young audience, it may be in part because young people don’t often see themselves portrayed realistically on stage. Spencer Christiano’s “Cow Town,” a new play opening this weekend at MuCCC, addresses that situation, holding a mirror up to modern behavior, good and bad. “Cow Town” is about … a lot…
Geva to add downtown housing for actors
Geva has signed a 10-year lease for 11 studio lofts at 1 Woodbury Boulevard.
Council seeks input on economic development projects
The Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council has published its draft list of priority projects for 2014, and is looking for public input on the document. But it wants the comments before Friday since the members plan to approve the final document at their August 6 meeting; details for commenting are available here. The priority projects…
Mayor Warren releases statement on Blossom South and undocumented children
Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren released a new statement today on the possibility of housing undocumented children at Blossom South Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on Monroe Avenue. The owner of Blossom South, Israel Segal, is interested in turning the vacant property over to the federal government to house undocumented children who are facing deportation. Many people…
Seeing the world through rainbow-colored glasses
I say this every year, and every year I mean it. But last Saturday’s Pride Parade really was one of Rochester’s best. There could have been more floats. And sure, there could have been a few more bare-chested male dancers. But what made this year’s parade so interesting was the huge number of straight families,…
Rochester Chamber Orchestra names new Artistic Director
The Rochester Chamber Orchestra announced Monday that Gerard Floriano has been named Artistic Director for the 2014-15 season, and will become the Orchestra’s Music director in August 2015. Current Music Director and Principal Conductor David Felter will continue in his role through the upcoming season. Floriano, a Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities…
Fresh Paint
Rochester’s annual, week-long mural-making festival, Wall Therapy, kicked off officially on Friday, July 18. Most of the out-of-town artists have arrived and are now working on their large-scale public artworks under this year’s portraiture theme. Due to scheduling, a couple more artists will have arrived by midweek and have a later start. Gloomy weather and…
“True Blood” Season 7, Episode 5: “Lost Cause
This week, “True Blood” turned into an adult version of “Can’t Hardly Wait” as basically the entire town descended upon Sookie’s Haus of Death for a swingin’ shindig where everyone made Big Life Decisions or slept with someone other than his/her partner. Plus, Eric dressed up like JR Ewing, the Yakuza shot up the George…
Week Ahead: School board meeting; events mark anniversary of riots
The Rochester school board will hold its monthly meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 24. Some questions about the effectiveness of the district’s summer supplemental learning and extended learning programs could be discussed. The board will also vote on agreements involving architects for phase two of the district’s facilities modernization project. The meeting will…
Obscure elections with high stakes
The Monroe County Democratic Party has a long history of internal power struggles and racial tensions. And this year, the divisions are playing out in an unprecedented number of contested elections for committee seats.
[UPDATED] Blossom South to house immigrant children?
The owner of the former Blossom South nursing home is interested in turning the now vacant home over to the federal government to house immigrant children who are facing deportation.
Wall Therapy 2014 Coverage
Wall Therapy 2014 is here! The visiting artists, local artists, and their locations are listed below. Some last minute changes may apply — check back with us for updates. Scroll down for links to our Wall Therapy story coverage, blogs, and a photo feed which will track the progress of the murals throughout the following…
New initiative brings performances into neighborhoods
The City of Rochester announced a new program today that will bring “pop-up” performing arts events into neighborhood parks and playgrounds. The Art/Life initiative is a partnership between the City and the Multi-Use Cultural Community Center, with support from Young Audiences, that will present eight free, family-friendly performances in different Rochester neighborhoods during July and…
New semiconductor lab’s other benefit: reuse
Yesterday’s announcement that the state is going to build a next-generation semiconductor research and development facility in Greece is important. Yes, it’ll create jobs. Yes, it’ll help companies build better, more efficient technology (and for an idea of just how important that is, consider the research showing that certain electronic devices, including cable boxes, waste a global…
State building semiconductor lab in Greece
The state is building a next-generation semiconductor facility in Greece that’ll be shared by approximately 100 tech companies. Officials say the facility should create at least 500 jobs in Rochester. The facility will be located at the SUNY College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering Rochester Facility building in the Canal Landing Office Park in Greece. The…
Rochester Fringe Festival announces 2014 headliners
The First Niagara Rochester Fringe Festival has announced the headlining acts of this year’s event, which will run September 18 to 27 in multiple venues in Downtown Rochester. Performance company Circus Orange, acrobatic troupe Cirque Du Fringe, comedian Jay Pharoah, and a walk-through presentation of Spoon River Rochester will head the more than 360 shows…
CLASSICAL | Canandaigua LakeMusic Festival
This weekend, Canandaigua’s LakeMusic Festival ends its 10th anniversary season with two imaginatively programmed concerts. For Friday’s “Chopin Meets Hedgehog,” pianist Audrey Andrist plays several Chopin works and Beethoven’s Sonata in C Major, Op. 2, No. 3. Following, the spiny hedgehog’s intimacy issues are the inspiration for Adam Silverman’s new trio piece (piano, violin, and…
BLUES | Jimmy Thackery
A living blues legend, Jimmy Thackery’s track-record is staggering, to say the least. After co-founding the seminal D.C. blues band, The Nighthawks, in 1972 with singer Mark Wenner, Jimmy Thackery released over 20 records with the group and toured for over a decade before embarking on an equally successful solo career. His driving, intricate playing…
CHOW HOUND: A new ball game
Rochester isn’t a rookie in the meatball game. When it comes to those spherical mounds of meat, we’ve got choices. Do you like your meatballs with a frosty can of Schmidt and a game of pinball? Go for Skylark Lounge on South Union. Those who want their meatballs on-the-go can visit The Meatball Co. food…
STANDARDS | Joe Scalissi: An Evening with Dean Martin
I first dug this cat at Festa Italiana two years ago as he tag-teamed the wide-eyed crowd with a Sinatra impersonator to complement his take on Dean Martin. Even off stage, Joe Scalissi was in character with Martin’s rapid-fire repartee, charm, and high-octane cocktailing. On stage, the man recreates the legend to a fault —…
Feedback 7/16
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. For our print edition, we select comments from all three sources; those of fewer than 350 words have a greater chance of being published, and we do edit selections for publication in…
SWING/MAYHEM | The Gas House Gorillas
So, five gorillas walk into a bar… But seriously folks, five tattooed Tarzans from the jungles of Brooklyn stroll into a joint in Anytown, U.S., and promptly take the stage. They look like a cross-section between The Bowery Boys and escapees from The Reformatory for Wayward Boys circa 1959. It’s still not clear if these…
Brockport task force to tackle housing
The Village of Brockport has a long, complicated history with its rental properties. The issue heats up during the periodic clashes between village officials and landlords over property maintenance and occupancy issues. Brockport officials have taken steps to rein in some of the village’s most problematic properties and landlords over the last few years, however.…
BLUEGRASS | Trampled By Turtles
Featuring what I would call one of the coolest band names of all time, Trampled by Turtles also plays some of the best bluegrass to be offered. With a guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin and bass all present — and the handlers each being more than adept at them — the group often goes on serious…
Urban Action 7/16
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.) Interfaith opportunity for youth Nazareth College’s Center for Interfaith Studies and Dialogue will hold the 2014 Youth Interfaith Encounter from Monday, August 18, through Friday, August 22. The program brings high school students…
PUNK | Perfect Pussy
It’s impossible to count how many times I’ve listened to Perfect Pussy’s debut studio album, “Say Yes to Love” — granted the entire album clocks in around 23 minutes, but the B-side ends I just keep flipping the record. I can’t stop because each pass gives something new from the Syracuse-based noise punk band. Perfect…
The riots’ aftermath: 50 years and counting
In the early and mid-1960’s, the top news in this country was often African Americans’ struggle for civil rights. Marches and lunch-counter sit-ins; Freedom Rides; Ku Klux Klan violence; FBI spying; protesters branded like cattle in a Mississippi prison; the murders of Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King Jr., and others: that was America 50 years…
ROCK | Queens of the Stone Age
To paraphrase Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme, his band’s style is all about taking a “solid groove and pummeling it into your head.” That formula was used on catchy anthems like “3’s & 7’s,” a quirky, sharp, heavy tune that would be a comfortable fit on any alternative rock playlist. Homme’s recovery from…
Bringing music to the neighborhood
When Alexander Pena asks about 15 students to show him their “ready” position, the students sit up straight in their seats. “Now show me your playing position,” he says, and students steady their instruments and wait for Pena’s next cue. Shoulders brace violins and pinky fingers prop bows. On command, the familiar notes of Frere…
VARIOUS | Endless Fest
Endless Fest is pulling eight bands into California Brew Haus for a really hefty bill of rock, punk, and indie. Envious Disguise, Sexy Teenagers, Vital Times, Jose Garzon, Black Ribbon, Setbacks, On the Cinder, and Lucky33 are set to play the endless summer night. Punk locals Sexy Teenagers will also release its first album, “Look…
FESTIVAL | Canandaigua Music & Arts Festival
The 2014 Canandaigua Music & Arts Festival takes place Friday, July 18, through Sunday, July 20, in Historic Downtown Canandaigua. In its 27th year, the annual festival is showing no signs of growing stale. In addition to showcasing more than 100 artists and crafters up and down Canandaigua’s Main Street, this year’s festival also includes…
The Meg Williams Band
Meg Williams is soft-spoken and sweet, perhaps even a bit shy. The Rochester-based singer/songwriter/guitarist laughs nervously when discussing her music — a bluesy jam with a casual twist of funk and soul — and her group, The Meg Williams Band. It’s all captured on the band’s excellent debut, “Troubles To The Wind.” But the bashfulness…
PHOTOGRAPHY | Behold This Swarthy Face
It’s no secret that a great beard, while often hard to find, can truly be a sight to behold. The spectrum of facial hair tends to exist as a fine line between “Why would you do that to your face?” and “Your beard makes me believe in love and hope again.” With his series, “Behold…
ALBUM REVIEW: “Psychopath of Righteousness”
AFR “Psychopath of Righteousness” Self-release Facebook.com/AFRmetalrochester If it weren’t for the musical mastery of bands like AFR, this type of uber-metal would be in danger of being marginalized and left in the decade it came from, like a lot of bands that litter the nu-metal highway. How heavy can a band get before it succumbs,…
SPECIAL EVENT | Festa Italiana
Rochester’s Italian American Community Center will host its 14th annual Festa Italiana. The three-day event will feature a variety of musical performances and an opportunity to engage with the area’s rich Italian culture. Featured acts include Joe Scalissi presenting “An Evening with Dean Martin,” and Elio Scaccio. Both of the singers will perform each night…
ALBUM REVIEW: “Earth to Echo” Original Motion Picture Score
After several years of bringing orchestral elements to collaborations with artists as varied as Kelly Clarkson, Linkin Park, 3Oh!3, and Moby, composer Joseph Trapanese ventures out solo with his score to the sci-fi family film “Earth to Echo.” The album opens and closes (“Just Kids”, “Not Kids Anymore”) with tracks reminiscent of the dreamy guitar…
SPECIAL EVENT | Pride Weekend
From Friday, July 18, through Sunday, July 20, the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley will host Rochester Pride Weekend, celebrating the Rochester gay community. The weekend will begin on Friday, July 18, with a Pride Rainbow Ride. Beginning at 5:15 p.m., cyclists will don Pride colors and ride through the Neighborhood of the Arts…
KIDS | Kids’ Triathlon
Rochester Area Triathletes are holding the fourth annual Rochester Kids’ Triathlon on Saturday, July 19. While certainly a more scaled down and accessible course when compared to traditional triathlons, the Rochester Kids’ Triathlon is still sure to pose a challenge to the kids who are up for it. Participants can either participate in the short…
THEATER | Hairspray
As a part of its SummerStage program, the Jewish Community Center of Greater Rochester will present Tony Award winning musical “Hairspray.” The show, based on the 1988 John Waters film of the same name, follows Tracy Turnblad, a plus-sized dancer who works to end race segregation on television in 1960’s Baltimore. The JCC’s run of…
FESTIVAL | Macedonian Festival
The 17th Annual Macedonian Festival is taking place the weekend of July 18, showcasing the rich heritage of the Macedonian people. The Macedonian Festival is bringing as many aspects of Macedonian culture to the Rochester community as possible, ranging from authentic baked goods like baklava and tulumbi (a fried, syrupy desert) to traditional music and…
“6th Rochester Biennial”
The 6th Rochester Biennial opened last Saturday, featuring six small solo shows of work by established, regional artists chosen for their exceptional commitment to their craft. The exhibition contains a vast range of media, techniques, and subject matter, affording the audience a glimpse into the diverse array of skilled artists working in our communities. Each…
Theater Review: “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” at Geva
There’s an unofficial theatrical genre that’s called “The Little Show That Could” — a play or musical with modest requirements that started life in the hinterlands, finally made it to hit status in New York, and now has a lively afterlife in community theaters. A recent example — and a very appealing one — “The…
