Cover Story
Portrait of a new city
Wall Therapy begins Friday, July 18, and runs through Sunday, July 27.
Film Review: “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”
The latest chapter in the long “Planet of the Apes” saga takes up the action just a few years into the future promised in the ending of the previous film, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes.” Some news reports bring the situation up to date, describing the rapid spread of the “simian virus,” actually…
Concert Review: “Music at Corn Hill Arts Festival and Big Rib BBQ and Blues Fest”
All the original Ramones are dead and gabba gabba hey gone and yet Kanye still walks the earth. Who’s in charge here? So, I Mounted the two-wheeler and dodged the drizzle to hit the outside scene. The Corn Hill Arts Festival is such a cool event. As folks milled around buying lawn ornaments they didn’t…
Film Review: “Fed Up”
Our nation’s deadly epidemic of obesity is the focus of “Fed Up,” an effective new activist documentary from director Stephanie Soechtig (“Tapped”) and executive producer Katie Couric (also narrating the film). Sharing a producer (Laurie Lennard) with the Oscar-winning “An Inconvenient Truth,” the doc clearly hopes to do for this health crisis what that film…
Was it a rebellion or a riot? And does it matter?
I’ve been mulling over the correspondence I’ve received from the City of Rochester about upcoming events marking the 50th anniversary of the 1964 race riots. Except the city doesn’t use the word “riot” exclusively. It calls the events of 1964 the “Rochester Rebellion” or the “Rochester Rebellion/riots.” Does it make a difference? After initially dismissing…
WEEK AHEAD: Maye tries again; Highland expansion meeting; atheist speaks
The City of Rochester’s Zoning Board will consider an application from Maye Development to demolish a vacant two-story house and a vacant church at 660-668 West Main Street. The company wants to put an unspecified food store on the site. The meeting will be broken into two sections. The section that includes Maye’s application begins…
“True Blood” Season 7, Episode 4: Death is Not the End
The first half of Sunday’s episode felt like a LOT of filler. It was all character work that, arguably, needed to happen, but it felt obligatory rather than revelatory. But the second half of the episode really took off, featuring some great moments with Eric, Sookie, LaFayette, Bill, Jessica, and Arlene. And then it all…
Daydreaming Dems better wake up for midterms
The 2014 midterm elections could be the most important midterms in decades, setting the stage for 2016 and well beyond. But Democrats are approaching them on tip toes when they should be wearing their iron-toed boots. Wall Street has done well under this president. Last month’s jobs report capped several months of continuous growth. Almost…
Several primaries possible this September
Local and state election petitions are in — mostly — and Rochester-area voters may have a few primary races. The candidates who received their party’s backing earlier this year don’t have to worry about petitions. But the candidates who want to challenge them on those lines do. They have to collect signatures from people in…
Film Review: “Third Person”
Paul Haggis, the Academy Award-winning writer-director of “Crash,” is back in similar territory with “Third Person,” another multi-narrative, everyone-is-connected melodrama which unfortunately shares many of the same problems that plagued his ponderously didactic Best Picture winner. His new film weaves together three separate storylines taking place in three different countries. In the first, an award-winning…
State approves UR-East High deal
The State Education Department has approved a plan submitted by the Rochester school board and the University of Rochester to improve East High School. The intervention plan puts the UR in charge of the school and the university will report to the school board. A more detailed plan describing implementation has to be submitted to…
Germany gains in renewables
In the first six months of 2014, Germany got more than one-third of its electricity from renewable sources, according to a new report. The country’s solar power production was 28 percent higher over that time than it was during the same period in 2013, says a report from the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, a…
WORKSHOP | Intro to Bow Making
The Earthworks Institute, a Rochester-based non-profit who use hands-on techniques and workshops to reconnect people with the environment, is holding an Intro to Bow Making workshop Saturday, July 12. The day-long, outdoor event gives participants the opportunity to craft their own wooden bow using traditional techniques. The workshop is also a chance for attendees to…
“Coming Out at Caffé Cino”
When Joe Cino introduced performances at his Caffé Cino, he called out to the audience, “It’s magic time!” And the 1960’s at Caffé Cino were a magical time and place for experimental, politically radical theater. This tiny Greenwich Village venue was the birthplace of the Off-Off-Broadway movement, and the plays that Joe Cino produced there…
Pixar scored
Only four composers have written scores for the 14 feature films produced by Pixar Animation Studios. Randy Newman, Michael Giacchino, Thomas Newman, and Patrick Doyle have each left their mark on a Pixar flick — and collectively won 10 Grammy Awards and three Academy Awards and earned another 10 Academy nominations for the films’ music.…
JAZZ | Dariusz Terefenko and Alexa Tarantino
If you’ve ever heard him play, you know that Dariusz Terefenko is an extraordinarily brilliant pianist, recalling Art Tatum. Now we know he also has taste in other musicians. Terefenko, a professor at the Eastman School of Music, has decided to share the stage with recent Eastman graduate, saxophonist Alexa Tarantino. Tarantino has been a…
ROCK | Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy
Back in the 1970’s, when music was religion, Emerson, Lake, and Palmer were the God, Jesus, and Joseph of progressive rock. Ok, maybe Carl Palmer was the Holy Ghost. Either way, Palmer is considered to be one of the all-time greatest drummers; even Rolling Stone magazine ranks him among the top 10. Coming up with The…
POST-ROCK | Caspian
From Beverly, Massachusetts, post-rock band Caspian is less about traditional songwriting and more about sculpting textural space. The band has been described as mystical, sonic, and full of sweeping “post-rock” soundscapes. As an instrumental outfit, the members have spent the last decade honing their instrumental voices, and on their current release, “Hymn For The Greatest…
JAM | The Heavy Pets
The Heavy Pets have yet to achieve the recognition level of powerhouse jam bands like Dave Matthews Band and Phish but that day may not be far off. Sonically, the band transcends the typical jam band, and much of the sound can be attributed to the fact it has two accomplished lead guitarists — Jeff…
ROCK | Phish
There seems to really be no middle ground for Phish. You either love the band or hate it. In a career spanning more than 20 years, Phish never broke into mainstream appeal, but it has amassed a group of loyal, diehard fans, affectingly known as “phans.” The concert antics — including the group singing the…
The Buffalo blues
For years, there’s been a polite rivalry between Rochester and the Queen City. With its brand-name companies, Rochester was viewed by many as the white-collar town, while Buffalo was the steel town. And when Buffalo’s financial management soured so badly that the city was put under state oversight, there were more than a few snickers…
R&B | Maxwell
Singer Maxwell likes to take his time — but it’s always resulted in something classy and mature. His music, which is always best when it’s slowed down, emotional, soulful, and thoughtful. And he never rushes his releases — Maxwell took an 8-year hiatus before releasing his 2009 album, “BLACKsummers’night,” and there hasn’t been word since.…
Disappointment in medical marijuana law
Holly Anderson says that while she’s glad that a medical marijuana bill has been approved by the State Legislature, she’s disappointed in the version of the bill that passed. Anderson, who is executive director of the Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester, says that Governor Andrew Cuomo didn’t voice his objections to an earlier version of…
ART | MAG Biennial Artist Series
As a part of its sixth biennial celebration, the Memorial Art Gallery will host six regional artists over the course of the next month and a half in its Grand Gallery. Each Thursday, one of the selected artists will give a lecture on their material. On July 17, Hamilton’s Lynette K. Stephenson will kick off…
BRASS ROCK | Dirty Bourbon River Show
The Dirty Bourbon River Show — and seriously, it’s a show — regularly labels its music “New Orleans Gypsy Brass Circus Rock,” and it couldn’t be more accurate. The five-piece band (all insanely talented multi-instrumentalists) pushes for a sound that wraps the eclectic, iconic, and always strange nature of New Orleans into one alcohol-fueled set.…
An atheist in the Town of Greece
Religion can alienate as well as unite. When government officials have prayer at public meetings, they can estrange some of the very people they’ve been elected to serve, says Hamlin resident Dan Courtney. The Town of Greece began opening its monthly Town Board meetings with a prayer given by an invited member of the local…
FILM | Philip Seymour Hoffman Film Series
Rochester-area native Philip Seymour Hoffman’s passing this past February shook the film community. Hoffman’s exceptionally versatile acting career spanned everything from a gay boom mic operator in “Boogie Nights” to an Oscar-winning portrayal of Truman Capote in “Capote.” The Dryden Theater is holding a two-part film series entitled “A Tribute to Philip Seymour Hoffman” honoring…
FESTIVAL | Rochester SummerFest
Each July, the City of Rochester partners with Team E. Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps city youth, and WDKX to host the Rochester SummerFest. This year’s fest will feature singers Marvin Sapp and Regina Belle at the Auditorium Theatre on Friday, July 11, and Rick Ross, Keyshia Cole, Yo Gotti, and Vado at the…
Three join START-UP NY
Three buildings with links to the University of Rochester are now part of START-UP NY, a program that essentially turns the buildings into tax-free zones. High Tech Rochester’s Lennox Tech Enterprise Center is a tech start-up incubator in Henrietta. The other two buildings are in Eastman Business Park, and they contain a combination of wet…
SPECIAL EVENT | Corn Hill Arts Festival
The 2014 Corn Hill Arts Festival takes place on Saturday, July 12, and Sunday, July 13, offering a tremendous amount of activities for attendees to check out. Twenty-three local and touring bands will play across four stages, including 2014 Blues Hall of Fame inductee C.J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band as well as…
Big Rib BBQ and Blues Fest
BBQ and the blues are salaciously synonymous in my sordid life. Both share a plethora of adjectives like smoky and juicy and hot, and indulging in both at the same time seems only natural. Sure, the Lilac Fest has the sweet smell of flowers and the Jazz Fest marks my favorite week on Earth each…
Urban Action 7/9
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.) ‘House of Stone’ book discussion Friends and Foundation of the Rochester Public Library will discuss the book “House of Stone” by former New York Times journalist Anthony Shadid at noon on Tuesday, July…
SPECIAL EVENT | Glamour and Glow
Glamour and Glow, the nation’s largest black light fashion, music, and art event, will make its debut in Rochester on Saturday, July 12. Guests are encouraged to dress in neon or glowing attire, and are given 3D glasses upon entrance to enhance the visual experience. Inside the venue, circus entertainers will perform acrobatic routines set…
ALBUM REVIEW: “Wide Eyed”
Danny Fox Trio “Wide Eyed” Hot Cup Records Dannyfoxmusic.com Though it’s been jazz, jazz, jazz, the last month or so here at City Newspaper, before I dive head long into some punk rock therapy, I have to tell you about this new Danny Fox Trio album “Wide Eyed.” Reminiscent of the Love Trio in its…
Supremes launch attacks on women’s health care
This is not good. As it wrapped up its term last month, the Supreme Court issued decisions – twice – that were aimed squarely at women and women’s health and reproductive rights. On June 26, they weakened a Massachusetts law and opened the door for anti-abortion activists to give advice, close and personal, to women…
THEATER | Bonnie & Clyde
Stageworks, a Rochester theater group aiming to provide a platform for local actors and give back to the community, will stage three performances of Tony Award-nominated musical “Bonnie & Clyde.” The production will support NAMI Rochester, an organization that provides support and education to Rochesterians affected by mental illness. “Bonnie & Clyde” presents the story…
Rochester Jewish Film Festival 2014
We’ve nearly reached the midpoint of the summer season, meaning it’s once again time for the Rochester Jewish Film Festival, the JCC’s annual presentation of some of the world’s best in contemporary film focusing on the Jewish cultural experience. Now in its 14th year, the festival continues to expand, screening a record 27 films (including…
DINING REVIEW: The Revelry
When The Revelry opened last year, it introduced many to low-country Southern cuisine and added another local option for craft cocktails. It also enjoyed a lot of buzz: some positive (quality food and drinks, attractive interior), some negative (over-priced, hipster mecca). One year in, the buzz has quieted but the quality hasn’t. Across the board…
Feedback 7/9
Looking ahead Back in the 80’s, Buckingham bought up a bunch of warehouse space on University Avenue, near Culver. Everyone though they were crazy. I remember Mr. Glazer saying they wanted to be ready when the new University Avenue off-ramp from the newly rebuilt Can of Worms brought more traffic to the street. Now that…
