Cover Story
After marriage: the future of gay rights
For many in the LGBT community, the Supreme Court’s decisions on the federal Defense of Marriage Act and California’s Proposition 8 have been painfully slow in coming.
Schumer calls for Great Lakes funding
Yesterday, for the first time this summer, Ontario beach was closed to swimming. That’s fitting, considering that Senator Chuck Schumer was in town to talk about funding for programs to improve water quality in the Great Lakes. As Schumer stood at a podium in front of the mostly empty beach, he said that Ontario and Durand-Eastman…
Rochester: great city for gay weddings
Rochester doesn’t make many Top 10 lists, but our city was recently ranked 8th among the best cities in the country to have a gay wedding. And we’re in good company. San Francisco, Seattle, and Boston take up the top three slots, according to a report by real estate firm, Movoto. The company first looked…
The misadventures of Edward Snowden
I was fascinated with Edward Snowden for about 15 minutes. It’s hard not to appreciate his initial assertion that Americans should know about and have some say in the operation and reach of US government’s surveillance programs. But Snowden’s whistleblower alter ego has gotten in the way, making the story about him instead of the…
WEEK AHEAD: 75 Monroe hearing
The Pittsford village board will hold a public hearing at 7p.m. on Tuesday, at the LGI room in Pittsford Sutherland High School, regarding the 75 Monroe Avenue project. The village board will take comments on proposed changes to the project’s regulating plan, which the village board adopted in December. The 75 Monroe Avenue project, formally known…
JAZZ FEST 2013, DAY 9: Frank reviews Tim Berne SnakeOil, Amy Lynn and the Gunshow
With just two shows to officially cover I hit the Jazz Fest scene amidst a sea of people. The streets were teeming with eager bodies, but the fun stopped there. Now perhaps I’m showing my ass here, and heating up my self-perceived cool, but I thought Tim Berne SnakeOil at Montage was the worst thing…
JAZZ FEST 2013, Day 9: Willie reviews Marianne Trudel, Trombone Shorty
Ah. The last night of the jazz fest. That went by quick, didn’t it? First up tonight was Marianne Trudel, tinkling the ivories in the beautifully intimate Hatch Hall. I stuck around for her first song (coming in at a lengthy 15 minutes), and her soft stylistic playing was perfect for the pin-drop-quiet acoustics of…
JAZZ FEST 2013, DAY 9: Ron reviews Gwilym Simcock, Five Play, Torben Waldorff
Pianist Gwilym Simcock brought just the right mix of tradition and experimentation to Christ Church Saturday night. He played mostly straight-ahead, but occasionally went under the hood to spice things up. At one point he played totally inside the piano, strumming the strings percussively as if they were on a mandolin. Simcock took care to…
Districtwide surveys gauge Rochester school climate
Students, teachers, principals, and parents in the Rochester school district recently participated in comprehensive districtwide surveys. Each group was given a survey with questions tailored to their relationship to the district. For example, students were asked about their teachers’ instruction, responsiveness, and classroom demeanor. The New York State Education Department required the surveys as part…
JAZZ FEST 2013, Day 8: Paloma reviews Frampton’s Guitar Circus
His hair may be grey, but his eyes still sparkle that Frampton blue and his voice still croons his ballad, “Baby, I Love Your Way.” Frampton’s Guitar Circus was the headliner show tonight at the Eastman Theatre, and for two hours Peter Frampton delivered a non-stop powerhouse show that brought the audience to its feet…
JAZZ FEST 2013, Day 8: Willie reviews Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers
Thanks to the luck of the spirit of jazz, my two top acts for the week both fell on the same night. Join me on my highlight night of the 2013 Jazz Fest. First up was New Orleans-based The Dirty Dozen Brass Band under the Big Tent. I’ve been wanting to see this group for…
JAZZ FEST 2013, Day 8: Frank reviews Hilario Duran, Shemekia Copeland, James Hunter Six, and Gas House Gorillas
After a 20-hour nap, I’m back. Tin Man and I tripped down the soggy brick road for more Jazz Fest lo-jinx, taking pictures, taking names, taking our time, taking care of business. First stop on Friday was Max of Eastman Place, where the security guards look imposing despite the polyester in a “you look suspicious”…
JAZZ FEST 2013, Day 8: Ron reviews Youn Sun Nah & Ulf Wakenius, Gregory Porter, and Phronesis
If I had to pick just one word to describe Youn Sun Nah & Ulf Wakenius it would have to be “otherworldly,” because they made sounds I hadn’t heard before in this one. Nah came out alone to begin the duo’s first set at the Lutheran Church. With only a thumb piano, she proceeded to…
Former Albany nursing home director to head MCH
Former Albany County Nursing Home administrator Gene Larrabee will be the new executive health director at Monroe Community Hospital, says Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks. The Albany County Nursing Home is a 250-bed facility. Larrabee’s technical position was executive director of the Albany County Department of Residential Health Care Facilities. A press release from Brooks’…
Officials tout Eastman Business Park agreement
Kodak’s bankruptcy filing generated a lot of questions, and some legitimate worries about the future of the Eastman Business Park on West Ridge Road. But some answers are starting to emerge, leaving state and local government and elected officials, as well as business park tenants, more confident in the facility’s future. Some of those answers…
Survey would gauge public perception of the RPD
Rochester Mayor Tom Richards wants to hire a group out of Cornell University to study public perception of the Rochester Police Department. The legislation to pay $15,000 to Survey Research Institute for the project will be considered by City Council next month. The legislation’s wording is rather vague, saying that SRI will work with the…
Kodak power plant buyer getting state assistance
The board of the state’s economic development arm has approved $7.2 million in incentives for Recycled Energy Development to put toward purchasing and upgrading the Eastman Business Park utilities system. The incentives, approved yesterday, include a $3.6 million grant and a $3.5 million loan, according to a press release from Empire State Development. The grant…
JAZZ FEST 2013, Day 7: Paloma reviews Carmen Souza and James/Sanborn/Gadd
Authentic music. It’s what jazz is. It’s this connection these musicians make when they are so good at their craft that they are released from reality and invite us to come along. It’s what happens when you listen to jazz musicians like Bob James, David Sanborn, Steve Gadd, and Carmen Souza. It was a truly…
JAZZ FEST 2013, Day 7: Ron reviews Ravi Coltrane, Howard Levy, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Zoe Rahman
When I interviewed Ravi Coltrane a few years ago he told me that, because he was an infant when his father died, he hardly knew him. He was, he said, just like all of the jazz saxophonists of his generation who listened to John Coltrane. But when you’re an excellent saxophonist and you’ve got those…
JAZZ FEST 2013, Day 7: Eric reviews Scottish National Jazz Orchestra and Mingo Fishtrap
Maybe I’m too invested in broad cultural stereotypes, or maybe I’m just a sucker for a great pair of legs. Either way I totally expected the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra to come out wearing kilts when they played the Xerox Auditorium Thursday night. I even wondered if they’d have bagpipes. But no; this is no…
JAZZ FEST 2013, Day 6: Paloma reviews Gretchen Parlato, Supertramp’s Roger Hodgson
There was something in her hands that was prayerful, especially as she tipped her head back, eyes closed, and just let her head rock side to side. Even before she sang a note, it was apparent that Gretchen Parlato would be worth every bit of the long line and the wait outside of Kilbourn Hall.…
JAZZ FEST 2013, Day 6: Frank reviews Lee Fields and The Expressions, Soweto Kinch, Rocky Lawrence
Alright youse guys, let’s talk about life and the quartet of want, expect, need, and get. Tonight’s foray into our beloved downtown — a city resurrected to look like a city we want, expect, and need, but only get one time a year — brought me and the Tin Man, riding shotgun in a blue…
JAZZ FEST 2013, Day 6: Ron reviews Goldings-Stewart-Bernstein, Aaron Goldberg Trio, Jacob Karlzon & Viktoria Tolstoy
Goldings-Stewart-Bernstein took the stage to a full house at Montage Wednesday night and proceeded to play a couple of original songs. The band is, of course, B3 organist Larry Goldings, drummer Bill Stewart, and guitarist Peter Bernstein, three top players on the national jazz scene. The tunes, by Goldings and Bernstein respectively, gave them an…
MCC-Kodak deal finalized
Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks has sent out a press release announcing that the county has completed the purchase of Kodak properties on State Street, which will be used for a new Monroe Community College campus. The press release says that the purchase was completed this afternoon. The county is paying just shy of $3…
JAZZ FEST 2013, Day 5: Frank reviews David Byrne and St. Vincent
Writing is a process I cherish, and I thoroughly enjoy the challenges that it brings. But I’ve tried to write this review three times and I still have no clue where to start. Philosophically? Historically? Metaphorically? Blow-by-blow account? I’ve done a lot of letting go as of late, yet find myself still holding on to…
Supreme Court strikes down DOMA; celebrate tonight
Come party in Washington Square Park tonight to celebrate two milestone victories for gay rights. Today, the Supreme Court struck down the federal Defense of Marriage Act, and appeared to clear the way for same-sex marriage in California. The court struck down DOMA in a 5 to 4 decision on the grounds that it was…
Lead exposure numbers down; federal funding in danger
In 2012, 182 children tested positive for blood-lead levels above the 10 micrograms per deciliter threshold, according to data released today by the Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning. That’s down from 222 children in 2011, 290 children in 2010, and, going back to 2000, 1,293 children.
“Much Ado About Nothing”
Most directors faced with a brief hiatus between principal photography and post-production for a gargantuan comic-book blockbuster like “The Avengers” would probably be content to kick up their heels for a bit, take a well-deserved vacation, and maybe, if they’re feeling exceptionally ambitious, start poking around for the next project they’ll start working on sometime…
FOLK/ROCK | Jack & the Bear
As the folk-rock revolution continues to gain speed down the steep hill that is the today’s music industry, what characteristics actually define the genre remain ever-elusive. So, in the present musical climate, if a band’s sound seems to defy categorization, it is almost inevitably given the “indie folk” label. Jack & the Bear has just…
PHOTOS: DOMA decision day rally
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, a major victory for marriage equality supporters. And they celebrated the victory during a rally last night at Washington Square Park.
ART | Buddhist and Asian Art
Through widely regarded as a religion, Buddhism is actually a practice meant to properly value the self and others through maintaining balance in all aspects of inner and outer existence. Given the strife that results from how out of balance our lifestyles are, it’s worth taking a closer look at some of the wisdom offered…
Casino’s long odds
The Seneca Nation of Indians now has exclusive casino rights in much of New York’s western end, including Rochester. But that doesn’t mean a Seneca-run casino will open here anytime soon. Or ever. The Seneca Nation was granted exclusive rights as part of the resolution of a longstanding dispute with the state over gaming revenues.…
FESTIVAL | Celtic Faire
My heart soars when I hear the joyful, lilting sounds of tin whistles and fiddle-based jigs and reels. And though I can’t dance worth a damn, when I see Irish steppers do their thing, I experience a sensation akin to phantom limbs that want to join in. This weekend, Genesee Country Village and Museum (1410…
MUSIC FEATURE: Steve Gadd
Most drummers would acknowledge that Steve Gadd is among the most dynamic percussionists in the world. The rest just call him Steve God. But when he talks, Gadd is no cymbal crasher; he’s disarmingly soft-spoken. The man whose brilliant solo adds the exclamation point to Steely Dan’s “Aja,” whose fife-and-drum-corps lines on Paul Simon’s “50…
ART | Centennial Sculpture Park Family Day
If you’ve been watching the ever-changing campus surrounding the Memorial Art Gallery (500 University Ave.), you will have noticed the addition of monumental sculpture and shifts toward more lush landscaping. On Sunday, June 30, noon-5 p.m., all ages are invited to take part in a family day held to celebrate the gallery’s growing Centennial Sculpture…
Ruth Scott and the rising tide
Ruth Holland Scott remembers sixth grade as a broken string of recesses. Scott’s teacher at her small, segregated school in Albion, Michigan, often slept through class, Scott says — waking only when students pestered her. “The guys would take these long poles that you used to raise and lower the windows and lift the wig…
KIDS | HEP Kids Jazz Celebration
The Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival is mainly geared toward adult audiences, but Hochstein School of Music & Dance (50 N. Plymouth Ave.) will present a day of fun and music for families with children ages 2-12 on Saturday, June 29. HEP KIDS provides the opportunity to explore jazz music, learn about instruments, create musical…
RCSD redux
In his effort to save city schools, Rochester schools Superintendent Bolgen Vargas is turning to three former high-level district administrators: Ray Giamartino, Ralph Spezio, and Suzanne Johnston. | Giamartino will serve as chief of school transformation, where his primary task will be to move some of the lowest performing schools in the state to schools…
EXHIBIT | Tesla Coils & Electricity Theater
I’ve always been fascinated by man’s ability to harness the wild flame of electricity. As a child I would press my ear up against the walls to hear the buzz and hum of what I described as a house or building’s “blood.” Later, I developed a healthy obsession with the used-and-abused Serbian genius Nikola Tesla,…
THEATER REVIEW: “The Lesson” & “The Bald Soprano”
Thank goodness for MuCCC. The Neighborhood of the Arts-based theater has been around almost five years and continues to stage the kinds of works that most local theater groups wouldn’t dream of touching. Take, for instance, “The Bald Soprano” and “The Lesson,” the Eugene Ionesco double-bill currently being staged at MuCCC by John W. Borek…
FILM | “Bury My Heart with Tonawanda”
One of the enduring problems in capitalist culture is the unwillingness to deeply feel our mutual responsibility toward one another. We don’t have to put a name or a system of doing things differently to enact the simple truth that caring for and empowering others is good for individuals and the community alike. This week,…
DINING REVIEW: Brown Hound Bistro
Summer is in full swing, which is a good excuse to get out of the city. Head south on Route 64, down toward Canandaigua Lake, through Bloomfield, past Bristol Mountain Ski Resort (marvel at the green summer slopes), and stop before you reach Monica’s Pies and downtown Naples. Near the “Y” where Route 64 meets…
Urban Action 6/26
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.) Film about changing gender The Lifetree Café will show a documentary film about a man who identifies as a woman and begins the process of changing gender. The film will be shown at…
Cuomo’s big gamble to create new jobs
We’re a long way from getting a casino in Rochester, but the idea keeps raising its head –currently by the governor himself. So I keep poking around, collecting studies on the impact of casinos on their communities. And my conclusion, based on what I keep finding, is that any municipality thinking about embracing a casino…
DJ/ELECTRONIC | Matt4star
RIPROC is back and is as awesome as ever this Thursday, pumping out the jamming beats with local act Matt4star. While Matt4star took a break from the scene for a while, since he got back in the groove it has been non-stop and doesn’t seem to be winding down any time soon. With a steady…
CD Review: Editors “The Weight of Your Love”
My admiration for Editors began with the Birmingham, UK’s debut “The Back Room” (2005), a post-punk influenced revival that became part of my permanent rotation. The record blew me away. The band blew me away. It was reaffirmation for my love of the post-punk genre. And it became the foundation of a killer iPod play…
JAZZ | Dave Rivello Ensemble
When Dave Rivello put together his band in 1993 he had compositions and arrangements that simply needed to be heard. Twenty years later, the Dave Rivello Ensemble is Rochester’s premier big band. Trumpeter Mike Kaupa has been on board from the first rehearsal. Bass clarinetist Dean Keller has been a member for 12 years. Others…
ART REVIEW: “Alice IN the Looking Glass: Illustrations and Artists’ Books, 1865-2012”
The day after I went to see “Alice IN the Looking Glass,” an exhibit of wonderful illustrations and books currently at the University of Rochester, I was walking to a meeting downtown when I noticed a white rabbit stenciled low on a wall. My attention was piqued, and I instantly began eyeing the vicinity for…
JAZZ | Lap Giraffe
Coming from me, the term “smooth jazz” is typically like name-calling. Smooth means all the edges have been sanded away and the sugar doubled. But in the case of Rochester’s Lap Giraffe (an animal in the same phylum as the jackalope, unicorn, and the Easter Bunny, I believe), the band explores interesting melodies and grooves…
Feedback 6/26
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 those selections. We don’t…
ROCK | Puddle Of Mudd
Kansas City’s Puddle of Mudd is the quintessential example of hard rock after the grunge backlash at what was called “modern rock” in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. In fact, there’s a little nod to the Pacific Northwest Mecca in the band’s 2002 single “She Hates Me” — I love that song. It was…
The Empire Zone strikes back
The Medley Centre project in Irondequoit isn’t held in high esteem by the public. Neither were the state’s Empire Zones — businesses in these designated areas were entitled to tax incentives. Even state officials agreed the zones were so flawed the whole system had to be junked. But combined, Medley and the zone program make…
ROCK | The Bygone Few
Local band The Bygone Few has everything you’d want to hear from a rock band. The band really doesn’t stray from a stoner-rock feel, sticking with traditional instrumentation — featuring vocals, guitar, drums, and bass. Any rock purists out there will appreciate how Bygone puts its own spin on a genre of music that has…
“World War Z”
The current proliferation of zombie books, movies, and television shows suggests that we now dwell in the time of the living dead, a horrible but not entirely surprising prospect. Born in the 1930’s, the most creative decade in cinema history, the genre reflected some particular realities of its era — the fact of race, the…
INDIE/HIP-HOP | The Gunpoets
In a New York town known mostly for its collection of colleges and canyons, there is a rapidly rising band that’s changing the musical landscape on its way up. Ithaca’s The Gunpoets is a seven-piece hip-hop set that is redefining the underground rap sound. The group mixes elements of pop, rock, funk, and soul, with…
JAZZ FEST 2013, Day 5: Paloma reviews Michael Wollny, John Nyerges Quartet, Eero Koivistoinen Quartet, Djabe
Repeat after me: Michael Wollny. There were no CDs for sale at a table on the way out, but there are more than a dozen albums since his first cut in 2005. There’s a smattering of European awards, but there were empty seats for his 10 p.m. at Max at Eastman Place Tuesday night. Wollny…
JAZZ FEST 2013, Day 5: Ron reviews Anat Cohen, John Patitucci Trio, Julian Arguelles, and Alfredo Rodriguez
Xerox Auditorium is not exactly the ideal venue for a jazz concert. It is, after all, a sterile corporate auditorium. But Tuesday night Anat Cohen breathed new life into it by breathing a dizzying array of wonderful notes into her clarinet and saxophones. She and her band were a joy to watch and hear. The…
