New SED head pledges cooperation with teachers
In a recent interview with WXXI, New York State’s new education commissioner, MaryEllen Elia, struck a civil tone when talking about the state’s teachers. “I’m going to work very hard to have teachers be part of the agenda to support students,” she said. “That will go a long way for teachers to feel like they…
Finger Lakes council gets outline of competition plan
Later this year, we’ll learn the winners of the Upstate Revitalization Initiative; three regions in Upstate New York will each receive $500 million in economic development funding from the state. The decision will be based, more or less, on detailed documents outlining each region’s plan for investing the money. The plans are currently being put together;…
County spokesman says no money promised for performing arts center study
Earlier today it looked like City Council was ready — or as ready as it was going to get — to approve a proposal by Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren to study the feasibility of a new downtown performing arts center. Council members had been dragging their heels, citing questions about the affordability of a new…
Week Ahead: Events for the week of Monday, July 13
The Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council will meet at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Wegmans Conference Center, 200 Market Street, Gates.
City Council members not satisfied with PAC study proposal
A City Council committee took Mayor Lovely Warren’s proposal to study a new downtown performing arts center to the woodshed yesterday. Legislation proposed by the mayor is given preliminary consideration by a corresponding Council committee before moving on to the full Council for a vote. Warren’s proposal was considered yesterday during a meeting of the…
Weekend culture: “Ceramics Invitational,” “Sunday Fun Day,” and “Pluto at Last”
I just checked the weekend weather forecast and am currently envisioning the gorgeous days stretching, smug and catlike, into my near future. You should definitely plan some outdoor time. On Saturday, July 11, Main Street Arts (20 West Main Street, Clifton Springs) will host a reception for “The Upstate New York Ceramics Invitational,” which features…
Strike a chord
Local audiences have long been able to hear great performances from established pianists who collaborate with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in concert. Now in its 14th iteration, the Eastman Young Artists International Piano Competition also gives classical music fans the chance to witness emergent pianists from throughout the world. The 2015 competition will take place…
A life in music
City Newspaper spoke with “Amy” producer James Gay-Rees about exploring the life of Amy Winehouse.
Group’s answer to fracking ban: use propane
The first real test of the state’s newly-enacted fracking ban is on the way. And it’s not, as many supporters and opponents of the ban expected, a lawsuit directly challenging the prohibition. Yesterday, a group of farm owners and Tioga Energy LLC announced plans to file an application with the state to extract natural from…
I Scene It: The Tragically Hip at CMAC
The last time I saw The Tragically Hip in concert, the Canadian band didn’t yet have its own postage stamp, and Bill Clinton was the president. That was 15 long years ago, so when Gord Downie and company announced an area gig, I filed it under “must see.” The Hip did not disappoint as it…
JAZZ | Dariusz Terefenko and Alexa Tarantino
Pianist Dariusz Terefenko is a professor at the Eastman School of Music; saxophonist Alexa Tarantino is an Eastman graduate. Over Tarantino’s years at the school the two formed a musical bond that resulted in a wonderful album, “Crossing Paths.” Terefenko is known for his breathtaking dexterity at the piano. Tarantino’s reputation for adventurous solos led…
ALBUM REVIEW: “Candy Supper”
Five Head “Candy Supper” King Nummy Music facebook.com/5headmusic Five Head is all about stamina. As if on a Viagara-B12-Juggs jag, the band pops the clutch from front to back on its newest, “Candy Supper” — a 14-song pleasure platter with the band’s trademark ska acceleration and giggles. The rhythm section righteously pumps steady as the…
ROCK | Cheap Trick
I have to admit I’m a little skeptical: Cheap Trick without drummer Bun E. Carlos? I dunno, man. For four decades now, this Rockford, Illinois, quartet has brought bar band excitement to arena audiences. With its first three albums (starting with one of my all-time faves, the 1977 eponymous “Cheap Trick”) not making that much…
ALBUM REVIEW: Juicy
Tony Gallicchio & Funknut Juicy Self-released tinyace.com You know Tony Gallicchio as the source of Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad’s funky keyboards. But the man has got a little more for you to hear. Lucky for you, he fronts Funknut which is more organ-centric than GPGDS. “Juicy,” the new album from Funknut is soul-a-plenty without…
ROCKABILLY | Rosie Flores
Reigning rockabilly queen, filly, and diva Rosie Flores has been a constant on the scene for years. Yet the Austin-based singer-guitarist still plays with the joy of a 9-year-old playing a chocolate guitar. Whereas Flores voice is coquettish and sweet with just enough drawl and coo, her guitar playing is slick and mean. Come see…
Wonder walls
WALL\THERAPY 2015 informally kicked off over the holiday weekend with the installation of a gargantuan wheatpaste mural, “Bollywood Sugar,” on The Playhouse/Swillburger building by Amsterdam-based artist Handiedan. The striking digital collage of bold imagery — which includes many flourishes, flowers, and architectural bits surrounding a large central pin-up figure — earned cheers and honks from…
WORLD | Bossa Nova Bradley Brothers
Brothers Mark, Todd, and Scott have been knockin’ songs around together since they were kids back in the 1960’s. They’ve played a motley of different styles in a bunch of different bands since (The Bill Tiberio Group, The Hi-Risers, The Salamanders, and so on). Mix jazz and samba music together and you get this project:…
ROCK | Dikembe
Lush, distorted guitars flood to the fore while vocals seem content to fall back, for the four-piece Dikembe, from Gainesville, Florida. The band has a few albums and singles out since its first release, “Broad Shoulders,” debuted in 2012. Last month Dikembe put out its most recent rock effort, “Ledge,” which the band is now…
MUSIC | SummerFest
This year’s installment of Rochester SummerFest will be held outside at Sahlen’s Stadium, 460 Oak Street. The first day, Friday, July 10, is billed as Blues & BBQ and will feature music from Clarence Carter, Pokey Bear, The Jimmy Highsmith Band, and more. On Saturday, July 11, the festival will shift gears to hip-hop and…
MUSIC | Juicy J
Blue Cross Arena will host hip-hop artists Juicy J, Tyga, and Chedda Da Connect on Saturday, July 11. Juicy J was a founding member of the popular 90’s Southern rap outfi Three 6 Mafia. Since then he’s released a handful of solo records, and in 2011, became part-owner and A&R rep for Wiz Khalifa’s Taylor…
CLASSICAL | Eastman International Piano Competition
Nearly two-dozen pianists, from eight countries, and ranging from ages 15 to 18, will travel to Rochester to publically display their talents at the 14th Eastman Young Artists International Piano Competition. First, second, and third place winners will receive cash prizes, and a full-tuition scholarship to the Eastman School of Music. Piano department chair Douglas…
Feedback 7/8
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. Neighborhood schools…
FESTIVAL | Corn Hill Arts Festival
Featuring four stages of live music and a multitude of food and arts venders, the Corn Hill Arts Festival has proven one of the most popular summer festivals in Rochester. The festival centers on a large number of artists selling their wares, and features an Emerging Artist Expo, which is an opportunity for unestablished artists…
Urban Action 7/8
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted. A break from plastic Bring Your Own Bag NY will show the documentary film “Bag It: Is Your Life Too Plastic?” by Jeb Berrier at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 21. The film…
DANCE | Dances at MuCCC
MuCCC is hosting four nights of contemporary dance created by 15 regional, national, and international visiting choreographers. Patrons can expect to see a wide range of dance styles over the course of the six different shows in the four night run, with pieces by Lauren Baines, Gina Bonati, Maureen Gorman, Marcelo Kuna, Unidentified Dance, and…
The road to health
Transportation planning is no longer about simply making sure that vehicles can get from here to there as easily and with as few mishaps as possible. As a discipline, it has become more holistic. It now emphasizes tying public transportation to communities and destinations, accommodating cyclists and pedestrians on key corridors, and making sure that…
THEATER | “Beehive”
“Beehive,” a high-octane, yet light-hearted musical from playwright Larry Gallagher brings to life the most prominent female voices of the flower child generation. With a range of 1960’s icons from Janis Joplin to Aretha Franklin, this jukebox musical catches the cultural shift captured so profoundly in the music of the era. “Beehive” prominently features everything…
Schools for sale
City Hall is looking for buyers for two of Rochester’s oldest school buildings. Abraham Lincoln School 22 at 27 Zimbrich Street and Henry Longfellow School 36 at 85 St. Jacob Street are both in the northeast section of the city. The Rochester school district has closed numerous schools over the last 15 years because of…
SPECIAL EVENT | Bikes, Beer & Buildings
On Saturday, July 11, The Young Urban Preservationists will host Rochester’s first bike scavenger hunt, where patrons will follow directions and clues to a select smattering of Rochester’s well-known gems and a handful of its best-kept secrets. The ride will end at LUX Bar & Lounge where bikers can throw back a well-earned drink. Those…
Curbing workplace aggression
Talya Meyerowitz recently asked a group of CEO’s and entrepreneurs to think about a personal encounter that made them feel belittled and humiliated. It didn’t matter if the incident had just happened or if it occurred 20 years ago. “Go back to that feeling, whether it was on the school yard or in the board…
THEATER | “American Idiot”
The Grammy-winning Green Day album, “American Idiot,” comes to life this summer at the Jewish Community Center’s CenterStage (1200 Edgewood Avenue). With a book written by Michael Mayer and Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong, “American Idiot” presents an expansion of the stories found in the concept album. Focusing on three young men, trapped in…
Park Ave nostalgia
The Frog Pond 652 Park Avenue Monday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. 271-1970; eatatthefrogpond.com
SPECIAL EVENT | ShareFest
Focusing on solidarity with the poor and sharing, with just a touch of anarchistic flair, RocShare presents the 2015 ShareFest. Composed of a variety of events across the city, ShareFest aims at creating a Rochester economy with an emphasis on sustainability and community. The festival runs from Monday, July 13, through Sunday, July 19. Among…
The 15th Annual JCC Rochester Jewish Film Festival
The Rochester Jewish Film Festival celebrates its 15th year with one of its largest festivals.
Now what?
The controversy surrounding a historic church on the city’s west side has outlived the church itself, which burned in a three-alarm job late last month. The building was torn down. The former Westminster Presbyterian Church at 660 West Main had been the focus of a tug of war between, on one side, the building’s owner,…
2015: a pop odyssey
It’s quite simple, really. Rochester singer-songwriter Meg Gehman set out to record a new album. She adhered to the protocol. Raise the money, write the songs, secure the producer, rinse, repeat. Then things got peculiar; things got weird. The money was raised, no sweat, the songs were penned, and the producer — David Chance (of…
Film Review: “Magic Mike XXL”
Summer is when the big studios bring out their biggest, most compulsively crowd-pleasing entertainments. The films of the season are less concerned with delving into the human condition than making sure you and your friends have a good time (they’d also like your money, please and thank you). Fall is when we go to the…
Film Review: “Amy”
The 2011 death of singer Amy Winehouse didn’t come as a shock to anyone. A young woman with a big talent matched only by the size of her beehive and even larger reputation for hard living, Winehouse rose to fame with the release of her second album “Back to Black,” which turned her stingingly autobiographical…
Tackling poverty when we don’t like the remedy
We keep treating the concentration of poverty as if it were simply a city problem – and a city school district problem.
Film Review: “Testament of Youth”
“War,” Edwin Starr famously wondered, “What is it good for?” I’ll tell you what it’s good for: War inspires art. Obviously, no one sane hankers for it, but without war our culture wouldn’t have Picasso’s “Guernica,” Hemingway’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” Springsteen’s “Lost in the Flood,” Altman’s “M*A*S*H” — I could totally cram this…
