Cover Story
New waves
The current media landscape is a mess, riddled with corporate interests and commercialism. As people continue to shift their primary sources of information and entertainment to the internet, consumers are caught up in debates about media monopolies and the battle for net neutrality. But amid all of this noise, a subculture has been quietly emerging,…
Film Review: “Better Living Through Chemistry”
Sam Rockwell plays Douglas Varney, a sad-sack small town pharmacist whose life has become an unending series of compromises, in this darkly satiric new comedy.
Seneca Gaming reps won’t appear at Henrietta meeting
The Seneca Gaming Corporation will not appear at tomorrow’s Henrietta Town Board meeting. The organization, which is the gaming affiliate of the Seneca Nation of Indians, recently purchased a 32-acre property on Clay Road, which it wants to develop for a casino. But Henrietta Supervisor Jack Moore, citing opposition by residents, has said he’ll introduce…
More Big Five mayors interested in mayoral control
Mayoral control is back. Maybe it never went away. An Ithaca Journal report out of Albany says that the State Senate supports giving Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano control of that city’s schools. And Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said recently that he’s interested in mayoral control, too. Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren has so far refrained from making…
Parsing O’Brien’s recent independent streak
In the months leading up to its typical June break, the State Legislature will work its way through a number of bills. And Democratic Senator Ted O’Brien’s votes and positions on those issues will be closely watched by political and advocacy groups. O’Brien, like all state legislators, is up for election this year. And Republicans clearly…
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 6, Episode 4: “SHADE! The Rusical”
Curtain up: the spotlight focuses on a gaggle of geeks at a gay bar in Rochester, NY. A lonely blogger among them downs not one, not two, but three Maker’s Marks on the rocks while worrying about if he will be able to sufficiently retain the goings-on of the episode playing on the multiple flat-screen…
Xerox Rochester International Jazz Fest unveils full 2014 line-up
The Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival today unveiled the full line-up for the 2014 edition of the event, which will run June 20-28 in Rochester’s East End. Among the 1200 artists who will be performing at the 13th annual fest (see press release below for the full line-up), blues legend Buddy Guy was announced as…
Former neighborhood leader to announce candidacy for Rochester City Council
Eugenio Cotto Jr. will challenge Mike Patterson, who took Lovely Warren’s seat.
Week Ahead: Early Learning Council meets, Hardaway press conference, village elections, and more
Update: Tuesday, March 18, at 12:15 p.m. Rochester schools Superintendent Bolgen Vargas’s coffee and conversation meeting scheduled for 5 p.m. tonight has been cancelled. He will be presenting board members with a more detailed action plan for improving city schools in the district’s central office, 131 West Broad Street, at 7 p.m. The meeting is…
Theater Review: Irish Players’ “Shining City” at MuCCC
The Irish Players’ “Shining City” is described as “an Irish ghost story for today,” but it’s not a shivers-around-the-campfire kind of ghost story, nor is it full of banshees or other Celtic heebie-jeebies. There is a ghost in it, or something described as a ghost, but Conor McPherson’s play is something more subtle and more…
Film Review: “Need for Speed”
Inspired by the long-running video-game series of the same name, “Need for Speed” is the first major-studio starring role for actor Aaron Paul in his post-“Breaking Bad” career. After award-winning work on that series and strong performances in a number of smaller indie films, Paul is no doubt being flooded with offers for work. With…
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[UPDATED] $12.4 million is nice, but…
I’m sure that Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren would not turn her back on any increase in state aid for the city. But the $12.4 million included in the State Assembly’s budget resolution doesn’t do anything to help the city in the long term. Or to resolve the inequities in the distribution of aid to upstate…
Dems’ proposal targets county LDC ‘revolving door’
County Legislature Democrats are proposing a law they say would prohibit county employees from working for local development corporations for two years after leaving their job. Revolving-door employment has long been an issue in federal and state government. The term often refers to government employees who leave for private sector jobs, which in turn have…
Could Trump split ranks of the local GOP?
If Donald Trump runs for governor, he’s prepared to plop $50 million in a bank account to fund his race, according to an article published this morning by Capital. But Trump, the billionaire TV star, real-estate developer, and inheritor of the mantle of P.T. Barnum, isn’t saying whether he’ll run until after he finishes filming the…
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[UPDATED] Funke announces Senate run
In Facebook and Twitter posts this morning, former WHEC anchor Rich Funke has confirmed he plans to run for State Senate. Funke is making an official announcement at 10:30 a.m. at the Perinton Community Center. (Because of the impending snowstorm, the community center is closing at noon.) So far, Funke hasn’t said what Senate seat he’ll seek…
RECREATION | Maple Sugaring
I will admit to being pretentious when it comes to maple syrup. Mrs. Butterworth’s just doesn’t cut it for me (sorry to all you brand loyalists out there). Fortunately, living in New York allows us the privilege of buying pure maple syrup close to home. Beginning Saturday, March 22, RMSC’s Cummings Nature Center (6472 Gulick…
HIP-HOP | Juicy J
Considering how many musicians come from Nashville, would you believe that Juicy J rules Tennessee? The Memphis-born rapper-producer is currently listened to more frequently in the Volunteer State than in any other place, according to Echo Nest, a company that measures music streaming. Juicy J is co-founder of southern hip-hop group Three 6 Mafia. The…
Cuomo wants brownfields tax credit reform
When Governor Andrew Cuomo presented his 2014-15 budget earlier this year, he called on the Legislature to renew and reform the state’s brownfield tax credit program. Critics say the help isn’t going where it’s really needed, to distressed communities. The program provides tax credits to developers who clean up and reuse contaminated properties. It’s set…
CLASSICAL | Pegasus Early Music
Dieterich Buxtehude (1637-1707) may not be a household name, but he was a decisive influence on a composer who certainly is: J.S. Bach, who according to legend once walked 250 miles to hear Buxtehude play the organ. Buxtehude’s music is not performed as frequently as Bach’s, but when it came to writing religious music combining…
THEATER | “Boring Everyday Things”
We’ve always been taught not to judge a book by its cover. So keep that advice in mind when approaching the production of OFC Creations’ “Boring Everyday Things.” Despite the deceiving title, this performance is a unique cabaret show featuring a variety of pop and musical-theater numbers that range from comedic numbers to ballads to…
CLASSICAL | Rochester Oratorio Society
Calling it a “global collaboration,” the Rochester Oratorio Society will host a concert including the Sankofa African Drum and Dance Ensemble and the Hochstein Percussion Ensemble. Two masses are on the program — one from Argentinian composer Ariel Ramirez, the other from a Belgian Franciscan friar, Father Guido Haazen. The “Misa Criolla” combines Spanish text…
Bringing back Marketview Heights
Scott Page states an obvious but bitter truth: Fixing up a few homes a year is nice, he says, but it doesn’t transform a neighborhood. For that, he says, you need drama. Page is the principal of Interface Studio, a Philadelphia-based urban planning and design firm. The City of Rochester hired Interface to create an…
CLASSICAL | NPR’s “From the Top”
When Christopher O’Riley sweeps into the Eastman Theatre on March 19 to host “From the Top Rochester,” it will be three hours packed with students from the Eastman School of Music and the Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. Sir James Galway will be on hand to perform with an ensemble of musicians from the RPYO. Local…
Urban Action 3/12
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.) Book discussion on WWII Friends and Foundation of the Rochester Public Library will discuss the book, “Those Angry Days: Roosevelt, Lindbergh, and America’s Fight Over WWII” by Lynne Olson at 12:12 p.m. on…
BLUEGRASS | Blind Owl Band
The Blind Owl Band is a bluegrass act that embraces a wide variety of influences and sounds. Although the band’s sound and overall presentation may initially present itself as standard bluegrass, it is apparent through deeper listening that the band strives for a unique, multidimensional approach toward music-making. In fact, the band itself expresses that…
SPECIAL EVENTS | St. Patrick Parade & Events
Saint Patrick’s Day is a holiday dedicated to the celebration of Irish heritage. Whether you’re Irish or not, this week you’ll likely have your fill of leprechauns, green, and “Kiss me, I’m Irish” t-shirts. While Saint Patty’s Day is notorious for being one of the biggest binge-drinking days of the year, there are various safe,…
BLUES | Dave Street and The Fakers
The Fakers is a band that has been present in the Rochester scene for 15 years, and over that time has gone through many musical stages. It presents its listeners with a blend of genres including Americana, the blues, and rock-and-roll, so The Fakers ultimately appeals to a broad audience. In addition, the band provides…
Casinos, casinos,casinos everywhere
Sometime in the next decade, New York will be awash in casinos. I wonder if the politicians and business leaders who wanted them will be sorry. Casinos are a hot topic in Henrietta right now. The Seneca Nation announced last week that it has bought land off I-390 for a casino, and Henrietta residents quickly…
ROCK | Genitorturers
With a delicious mish-mash of metal, punk, industrial, and hardcore, Florida-based band Genitorturers offers a psycho-sexual kick below the Bible belt. The act produces a sexified sound and stage show that would make Larry Flynt proud, or maybe even blush. Live, it’s a fetish-fueled cabaret of carnal splendor, volume, and violence. Picture Jenna Jameson with…
SPECIAL EVENT | Pi(e) Day
Whether you’re a math geek or just want an excuse to eat pie all day (that’s really what we’re celebrating, right?), you’ll want to revel in this “holiday.” This Friday, March 14 (that would be “3.14”), take advantage of a day dedicated to baking pies and watching Darren Aronofsky’s movie “Pi.” Are you could also…
Music Feature: Brandon Terzic Xalam Project
Deep into a conversation with Brandon Terzic, the question of identity comes up. Terzic has given it some thought. “I could go and live in Jordon, learn Arabic, wear a djellaba, convert to Islam and change my name to Kareem, but in the end I’m not going to get away from who I am and…
ALBUM REVIEW: “Hook Face”
“Hook Face” Hook Face Self-released http://www.reverbnation.com/hookface With the snide savvy of Jim Carroll and psycho-sexual swagger of The Cramps lost in the Delta, Hook Face’s eponymous debut dishes out some beautifully dark, dangerous rock ‘n’ roll with a noir-ish splendor. It’s a bare-boned affair; there is not an ounce of fluff or fat to be…
CHOW HOUND: Where food is worth eating
Much has changed in Webster since I left the suburb (back when there was only one Webster high school, kids). I currently live in the city, and usually proximity and convenience determine where I satisfy my culinary cravings. But a recent excursion through my hometown prompted several reactions — “That wasn’t there before!” “Where did…
KIDS | Get Animated/”Sesame Street Live”
With all this excitement about St. Patrick’s Day, it’s easy to forget about the kids. Luckily, there are always things going on in Rochester that the whole family can enjoy. Kick off the weekend by meeting some of your favorite cartoon characters during Get Animated! Cartoon Weekend at the National Museum of Play (1 Manhattan…
FEEDBACK 3/12
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…
LITERATURE | Central Library Big Book Sale
While it may not be garage-sale season yet, you can get our hands on some nifty second-hand deals early. Over St. Patrick’s Day Weekend, the Friends & Foundation of the Rochester Public Library will hold its annual used book sale at the Bausch & Lomb Public Library Building (115 South Ave.), starting Thursday, March 13.…
Crash course for cops
It takes more than bike lanes and sidewalks to make a community hospitable to cyclists and pedestrians. Law enforcement plays a big part, too. More people are walking and biking, so police officers need to have a comprehensive understanding of the laws governing pedestrians and cyclists. A March 17 and 18 training session for local…
