Cover Story
Building a better Rochester
Rochester’s a city in transition, with changes taking place everywhere: in its population, its employment base, its neighborhoods, its politics, its downtown. But this is nothing new. Change is woven throughout the city’s history, brought about by individuals – famous and not famous – who helped build it from its early days as a mill…
RCSD budget: City will keep pushing for a say
Tension between Mayor Lovely Warren and the Rochester City School District is likely to heat up this spring. A Warren spokesperson says the city will continue to push for a say in how the district spends some of its money.
The F Word: Is It True?
Is it true, pretty baby, what they said about you? This week, two music icons were taken from us. R&B-soul shouter Andre Williams and surf guitar originator Dick Dale. Something ain’t right here.
Sharp budget cuts in RCSD’s future
Rochester’s Interim Superintendent, Daniel Lowengard, presented his proposed budget for next year to the school board yesterday: $925 million, a slight increase over this year’s $922 million. But balancing the budget required $40 million in cuts, including eliminating 326 full-time jobs, Lowengard said.
POP/LITERATURE | The Caribbean/Brian Wood
This week a literary-experimental pop mashup event will be presented at Nox’s low key lounge environment. Kick off your weekend with a cocktail, tunes, and storytelling at the story/stereo event featuring a reading by Rochester-based writer Brian Wood, bookended by musical sets by DC-based band The Caribbean. Formed in 1999, The Caribbean is a pop-infused…
Overhaul coming for 19th Ward apartments
The residents of 447 Thurston Road and 967 Chili Avenue spent the better part of last year trying to get their landlord, Thurston Road Realty, to fix a long list of problems in their buildings: mold, electrical issues, sewage backups, broken doors, inadequate heat, and more. Home Leasing is wrapping up its purchase of the…
SPECIAL EVENT | Maple Sugar Festival
I’d love to know how humans figured out that boiled tree blood is tasty. Specifically speaking, the process of making maple sugar and syrup has a long history in our region. This month, the Genesee Country Village & Museum will host events celebrating the sweet stuff during the final two weekends in March. The Maple…
Children’s mental health needs attention
When state Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia and Attorney General Letitia James released the findings earlier this month concerning the death of Rochester student Trevyan Rowe, they couldn’t have been tougher. They slammed the district for a slew of “systemic failures” in school policies and procedures. Trevyan, who was a student at School 12, appeared to…
FILM | ‘Blade Runner’ & ‘Blade Runner 2049’
Last week I read a spooky article about Facebook’s “Codec Avatars,” virtual reality versions of us that look and move exactly like the real thing. And though AI has yet to pass the Turing test, it’s not for lack of science’s efforts. So, as we’re still safely in the fiction part of sci-fi, we can…
DANCE | ‘Dangerous Liaisons’
A scandalous tale of seduction and deception, Stephen Frears’ 1988 “Dangerous Liaisons” was a star-spangled hit, with the likes of Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer, Swoosie Kurtz, Mildred Natwick, Peter Capaldi, Keanu Reeves, and Uma Thurman all angling for dominance. Based on an 18th century French novel, the story is set in pre-Revolution Paris,…
‘Small-box’ shopping
We all have our go-to places for certain things. Wegmans comes to mind, since many Rochesterians head straight to its nearest store for groceries, beer, and a whole lot of other stuff. And retail shopping often means a trip to other big chain stores, such as Target, Walmart, or Home Depot. But if consumers think…
Citizen action
Many people would like to do something impactful for their block, neighborhood, or village, but don’t know where to begin or how to sustain it. Around the region, though, residents have been organizing to improve their community, and they can provide inspiration. Among them: Rochester resident John Boutet, who is pushing for a return to…
BLUES | Selwyn Birchwood Band
Whether he’s playing a Gibson 335 or a lap steel guitar, Selwyn Birchwood owns the instrument. His extra-long fingers are in command, making his guitar scream, shout or play the most beautiful blues lines you ever heard. Did I mention he’s a great singer and as engaging a performer as you’ll ever see? If that’s…
CLASSICAL | Elias String Quartet
Hailing from Manchester, England, the Elias String Quartet is among the most polished ensembles of its kind working today. It plays with a unity and grace all its own, interpreting legato phrases and dynamic markings with great sensitivity. Elias has frequently played the prestigious Wigmore Hall in London and achieved a defining milestone for any…
AMERICANA | The Mount Pleasant String Band
Local musician Aaron Lipp is a weathered soul in a young man’s body. His old-timey quartet, The Mount Pleasant String Band, embodies that feeling by combining traditional string-band instrumentation with fresh folk originality. Influenced by Appalachian bluegrass, the music is a whirling dervish of percussive string textures and bluesy melodic undertones. Saturday’s concert includes a…
HARDCORE | The Weight We Carry
A frequent problem for hardcore artists is that the music’s discernibility and dynamic subtlety tends to get lost under the weight it carries. That’s not a problem for Rochester’s The Weight We Carry. The formidable five double-clutch the speed in a drop-tuned grind, beneath vocals that are so much more than the Cookie Monster-primal roar…
SINGER-SONGWRITER | Sam Nitsch
It’s almost as fun just watching Sam Nitsch perform as it is listening to him. With mad scientist-like genius, he goes on a veritable musical spree via loops to construct sweet, swirling patterns and myriad melodies. At times, the technical end threatens to get a little ahead of him, and a certain degree of calamity…
Supporting the arts
If you’re an arts enthusiast, you may spend some of your free time in galleries or attending theater or dance performances, or going to one of the many local film festivals. Showing up at arts events is an important way to support them, but many smaller venues have less attendance than the big ones, and…
Sound variety
As vital as the Rochester music scene is, it’s all too easy to stay in our respective lanes stylistically. We don’t often venture beyond the niche communities of musicians and venues our preferred genres have carved out for us. But the local scene’s a varied one. In every thriving local venue regularly hosting concerts, there’s…
Feedback 3/20
Send comments to feedback@rochester-citynews.com, with your name; your city, town, or village; and, for verification, your daytime telephone number. We edit selections for publication. The RPD and ‘block-clearing’ Six years ago, officers of the Rochester Police Department pulled Benny Warr from his wheelchair and struck him while he was waiting for the bus. The officers,…
A city’s foundations
Rome wasn’t built in a day – and neither was Rochester. Our city of 208,000 is known for groundbreaking historical figures: Susan B. Anthony, Frederick Douglass, and George Eastman. But what about the unsung heroes? Those who helped Rochester become what it is today by being the first in their field, daring to dream and…
Urban Action 3/20
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.) Nature, water, and cities The Community Design Center Rochester will present “Drawn to Water: Design Stories of City and River,” a talk by Richard Newton, on Wednesday, March 27. Newton is a partner…
KIDS | Superheroes Weekend
Kids can meet two of their favorite superheroes this weekend as The Strong Museum of Play continues its Superheroes Weekend series, this time featuring Black Panther and Spider-Man. Chat with Wakanda’s hero on Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Spidey will swing in to say hey on Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. Both heroes will…
It’s time to reinvent the Rochester school district
The Rochester City School District has myriad problems and failures. At its root, generational poverty is a key cause for its systemic failure. However, we cannot believe that if this issue is addressed more coherently, the structure will respond successfully. The reality is that it can’t. The continuous failure of the district and the death…
Album review: ‘HyperGiant Hi-Fi’
Orkestra Eustoria ‘HyperGiant Hi-Fi’ Self-released petersparacino.com When you first encounter the impressive debut of Orkestra Eustoria, the ensemble’s name and album title, “HyperGiant Hi-Fi,” seem to perfectly fit the otherworldly sound. But the key to the band’s success lies in the expansive musical scope of this world. Founded by saxophonist Peter Sparacino in the ethnically…
Aquino quarterly report: plusses and minuses
Jaime Aquino’s job as the Rochester School District’s Distinguished Educator includes working with the school board and district staff to address their problems. Last week, Aquino issued his first quarterly report on the district’s progress, and not surprisingly, the district got mixed grades. Among the positives: The district met its deadline for developing an improvement…
Our reader comments and public discourse
There’s far too much incivility in public discourse right now. We’re not willing to encourage it and provide a platform to spread it.
Interview: ‘American War’ author Omar El Akkad
Writers & Books’ 2019 selection for its Rochester Reads series is “American War,” the debut novel of Egyptian-Canadian investigative journalist Omar El Akkad. He’ll be in town March 26 to March 29 for a series of readings, book signings, and book talks.
African family dining at Akwaaba
Sibling owners Mohammed and Naima Ahamed named this African cuisine spot Akwaaba because the word literally means “welcome” in Akan, a language spoken in their native Ghana.
Film preview: ‘Gloria Bell’
A showcase for the wonderful Julianne Moore, the film is a character study of a person we seldom see in the movies these days: a confident woman over 50.
Album review: ‘Jazz Band/Rock Band/Dance Band’
Moppa Elliott ‘Jazz Band/Rock Band/Dance Band’ Hot Cup Records moppaelliott.com He may be best known for his work with the irreverent jazz band Mostly Other People Do the Killing, but that’s not nearly enough for Moppa Elliott. The bassist-composer is bursting with musical ideas, having just released a three-album set, “Jazz Band/Rock Band/Dance Band,” with…
Honeymoonphase is finding its perfect balance
The Rochester trio Honeymoonphase plays atmospheric, subtly layered music that evokes a sense of nostalgia – not for any one place or thing, but for an idealized place in the mind.
