Cover Story
Don’t bug out
This year’s Summer Guide is packed with previews, including concerts and music festivals, out-of-town theatrical offerings, and a summer film lineup, plus one quirky story about a local man who made a niche water sport go viral.
Many city high school students getting free home internet
About 8,000 Rochester City School District students in grades 9-12 will be offered free home internet access through their district-issued Chromebooks. The service is being offered to students who don’t have internet access in their home in order to help them with homework and research when they’re not in school, according to a statement from…
The F Word: Frank gets burned by holy water
Last Thursday, Significant Other burned down the Record Archive’s Backroom barn with its funkified drive. People were on their feet, people were on each other’s feet, people were on the tables, guzzling beer and wine and jumping for Joy, but she wouldn’t come down off the chandelier.
State takeover of RCSD is not the answer
Our focus should be on expanding the successful programs we see at outstanding schools in the district. Taking away the voice of voters and community members isn’t the answer.
State offers $300 million for lakeshore infrastructure
Governor Andrew Cuomo says the state will provide up to $300 million to assist communities along Lake Ontario that have been hurt by flooding this year and in 2017. Cuomo announced the funding this morning during a press conference at the Riverside Convention Center. The governor was holding the first meeting of the state Lake Ontario…
Ben Folds reunites with RPO in 2020
Genre-bending musician Ben Folds will join the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra next spring in a May 8 performance at Eastman Theatre’s Kodak Hall, as part of the 2019-20 season of “Eastman Presents.” Folds last performed with the RPO at CMAC in 2014.
Warren: put state RCSD takeover on the ballot
Mayor Lovely Warren stepped up her push for a state takeover of the Rochester City School District. She wants city residents to vote on the issue.
Aquino says his report rallied the community around city schools
Distinguished Educator Jaime Aquino said at a press conference today that he was impressed by how much parents, teachers, and the Rochester community have responded to his report on the problems with the city school district. Calling it a “catalyst for demanding something else,” Aquino said his report speaks for itself. Aquino said that though…
Feedback 6/5
We welcome your comments. Send them to feedback@rochester-citynews.com with your name, your daytime telephone number for verification, and your city, town or village. Comments of fewer than 500 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. For RCSD,…
Dances with canoes
Marc Ornstein is the viral star of the mega-niche, competitive sport of interpretive canoeing
A sweet expansion for Cheesy Eddie’s
Don’t worry, the South Wedge shop is not going anywhere.
AMERICANA | The Avett Brothers
Guitarist Seth Avett and his banjo-playing brother Scott Avett have made a name for themselves on the national folk scene with their tenderly nostalgic songs. Joined by bassist Bob Crawford and cellist Joe Kwon, the siblings exchange heart-wrenching vocals with harmonies that are so in sync, it’s like they’re coming from the same voice. Delivering…
A changing City Council faces major challenges
The City of Rochester continues to be a place of sharp contrasts: deep, persistent poverty existing side by side with affluence, college graduates working in tech firms a mile or so from neighborhoods where high-school drop-outs are hanging out on street corners. A medical center’s research labs in one quadrant of the city, drug dealers…
ROCK ‘N’ ROLL | Fairport Steel Rail Revival
What’s with rock ‘n’ roll’s fascination with trains? “Blood on the Tracks,” “Mystery Train,” “Train Kept A-Rollin’,” and so on. Trains represent a ticket to ride or a ticket out of here. In the case of Fairport Steel Rail Revival, it’s a bunch of bands that adhere to, for the most part, the driving rhythm…
Memorial Saturday for Rochester theater icon Barbara Biddy
Biddy was co-founder and artistic director of the Shipping Dock Theatre. Her life and work will be commemorated on Saturday with a service that’s open to the public.
SOUL | Kat Wright
Amy Winehouse meets The Dip in Vermont-based singer-songwriter Kat Wright’s uplifting soiree of jazz, pop, rock, blues, and soul. She has a warm, melismatic alto voice that resonates, and a lyrical focus on love and learning when to move on. Sometimes dark and sultry, other times powerfully expansive, Kat Wright & The Indomitable Soul Band…
ART | ‘Good/No Good’
In 2017, Michael Kelly completed his graduate thesis at Rochester Institute of Technology. He chose to focus on the potential of design and design thinking to equip refugees with the tools to transform their lives through creative entrepreneurship. At the time, he focused on Rochester Refugee Resettlement Services, and since then the collaboration has created…
Stage a road trip
Nearby festival theaters are worth the drive
DANCE | ‘Exhilaration’
Exhilaration: a cheering or enlivening experience. The noun has inspired Rochester Dance Theatre for two years now as the title and overall catalyst for its two-part dance experience. This time around, the company has chosen to focus more specifically on dance’s ability to inspire, awaken, and transform others when experiences are shared through the medium.…
PSYCH-PUNK | Leggy
Leggy is a bubblegum punk trio delivering rebellious distortion since 2013. Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, the band consists of singer-guitarist Véronique Allaer, bassist Kerstin Bladh, and drummer Christopher Campbell. The trio’s latest album is “Let Me Know Your Moon.” With hard hearts, heavy heads, and worn-out leather, Leggy can evoke the sound of No Doubt…
SPECIAL EVENT | Art & Treasures Sale
The Memorial Art Gallery’s Art & Treasures Sale has been held for more than 20 years. What was once a one-day sale known as Tuesday’s Treasures has since become a four-day spectacle featuring re-done and re-imagined antiques, original artwork, jewelry, and more. Presented by the Gallery Council, a volunteer organization founded in 1940 to raise…
What’s next for the RCSD?
In a system wracked by uncertainty and instability, there are more questions than ever about the Rochester school district’s future. Among the most recent developments: • Mayor Lovely Warren has continued her push for a change in the district’s governance. Last week she released a video supporting an idea that the local state Regents had…
Rockin’ the house, indoors and out
Frank offers a few musical options for the summertime
Geneva first in region to launch energy program
The Town of Geneva will be the first community in the Rochester-Finger Lakes region to go live with a program that will switch households and small businesses over to a fully renewable electricity supply, unless those customers say that don’t want it. The change will happen on July 1. Geneva was able to secure the…
We’re past the ‘Endgame’ now
The biggest movie of the year may have come and gone, but there’s still plenty more reasons to get excited for summer movie season
State may get strong rent laws
The state legislature could approve new protections this month for many apartment tenants – in Upstate New York as well as in New York City. In a joint statement last week, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said they will “advance a historic package of tenant protections that encompasses the principles of…
DANCE | Dances at MuCCC
Six years in, Dances at MuCCC is still dazzling audiences with contemporary dances and awe-inspiring performances. Gathering more than 30 choreographers and companies — both local and visiting — the 10-day event celebrates every aspect of dance, from performers to choreographers as well as live musicians. Week one will kick off with Commotion Dance Theater,…
The state of the neighborhoods
Rochester voters will elect four key city officials this year: the people who represent the city’s diverse City Council districts. But on the front lines of city life is a mosaic of neighborhood associations, block clubs, residents, business, and community institutions. They’re dealing with issues as varied as economic development, gentrification, abandoned houses, attracting young…
SPECIAL EVENT | Outdoor Expo
With all the climate-related news and devastation that seems to never end (hello, fishless oceans by 2048), the world can be a bit overwhelming for people who just want to help, but are not so sure how. And while cursing people out may work for Bill Nye, it’s not exactly user-friendly. That’s why an event…
Urban Action 6/5
This week’s call to action includes the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.) Connecting the dots in hatred The Islamic Center of Rochester and the MK Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence will host an event to unite Muslim, Jewish, and black activists on Sunday, June 9. Younger…
LECTURE | Artist Talk: Diversity
Launched in 2018, the Rochester Artist Collaborative is a digital community that aims to empower underrepresented artists by supporting and encouraging their work. The Collaborative hopes to help multidisciplinary artists distribute their work around Rochester and beyond. Its upcoming Artist Talk is an important step in accomplishing their mission of creating an inclusive art scene.…
Rochester Black Pride’s glamorous Saturday affair
Rochester Black Pride Collective will present “Black Glamour: A Met Gala Affair” this Saturday. The social mixer is a fundraiser for this year’s Rochester Black Pride festival.
MODERN JAZZ | Aaron Staebell & Beverly
Check out the video clip on Rochester jazz drummer Aaron Staebell’s website, and you get an idea of what he’s about and why you should be about him. The musical construction he uses to define infinity doesn’t telegraph or tease, but satisfies completely when it arrives. It’s an unexpected journey without a map or flashlight.…
ELECTRONIC | Hoogs
Electrifying audiences around Rochester since 1997, Tom Hoogs is a producer and DJ with serious moxie. Owner of 535 Recordings, Hoogs maintains a loyal following with his original blends of jungle, deep house, dubstep, and alternative pop. Buckle up for hypnotic drum and bass groove-scapes that explode into full-throttle dance anthems. Hoogs lets the music…
Album review: ‘Silver Recovery’
Annika Bentley ‘Silver Recovery’ Billy Likes Records annikabentley.bandcamp.com Rochester singer-songwriter Annika Bentley will take you by surprise. Her three-song EP “Silver Recovery” was quietly released in December, but the deeply sophisticated music on it sings loud and clear. Bentley’s voice enchants with its dark, rich tone and tuneful phrasing. As the EP’s producer, she takes…
Trump, Mueller, and the country’s future
Trump and the Republicans’ attack on the country’s values continues. Impeachment seems futile. And Democrats risk losing in 2020.
Film preview: ‘The Tomorrow Man’
Each of the main characters have their own unique ways of maintaining control in a world that appears to be steadily careening toward chaos; both are eager to escape some pain of their past while possessing an often debilitating fear of the future. But together they might find a more manageable present.
Album review: ‘Take Care of My Love’
Katie Jones ‘Take Care of My Love’ Self-released katiejones.bandcamp.com Katie Jones’s new album, “Take Care of My Love,” is a study in patience between its analog recording and the digital work that went in afterwards to complete it, as well as patience with the rural strain that envelops the listener. “Take Care of My Love”…
The Ladder Literary Conference returns for second year
The Ladder aims to link writers at all levels with valuable resources. Presented by Writers & Books this weekend in downtown Rochester, the event will showcase authors, editors, and publishers who will discuss how to navigate the struggles that all writers face.
International treasure at Nepali Kitchen
Nepali Kitchen’s food is rich and filling, marrying the cooking styles of China with flavor portfolios from India. Bring a friend or two, especially if you get the Nepali Thali sets, which (unless you’re ravenous) are sharing dishes.
Film review: ‘Non-Fiction’
The latest from French filmmaker Olivier Assayas, “Non-Fiction” is a chatty, breezily entertaining comedy of manners when isn’t getting bogged down by its characters’ self-conscious meditations on life and culture in the digital age.
Film review: ‘The White Crow’
With this fitfully compelling biopic, actor-director Ralph Fiennes tackles the life of legendary and mercurial Russian ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev. The film doesn’t require a prior knowledge or particular love of ballet, centering mostly on Nureyev’s defection from the Soviet Union to the West — the first Soviet artist during the Cold War to do…
Mike Birbiglia to headline Rochester Fringe
American comedian, storyteller, director, and actor Mike Birbiglia will be this year’s KeyBank Rochester Fringe Festival comedy headliner. The show, “An Evening with Mike Birbiglia” will take place Friday, September 20, at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre.
