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DANCE: Pushing bodies, mining creativity
Nile Russell was one of 500 hopefuls when he auditioned for the award-winning, avant-garde dance company Pilobolus in 2009. He had been in New York City for a few years already, had danced with several small companies, and had started one of his own. He was looking for a new avenue for his creativity, a…
Film Review: “Tim’s Vermeer”
Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer is renowned for creating stunning, photorealistic paintings at a time when photography didn’t yet exist, and without any documented formal training. Directed by Teller — of illusionist/comedy duo Penn & Teller fame — the engrossing new documentary, “Tim’s Vermeer,” follows the efforts by Texas inventor and entrepreneur Tim Jenison to prove…
Sen. O’Brien says he opposes Cuomo’s plan to provide college classes to inmates
State Senator Ted O’Brien, a Democrat, has come out against a proposal by Governor Andrew Cuomo to give state prison inmates access to college degree programs. “We should not spend taxpayer money on funding college classes for inmates when rising tuition rates are preventing so many hardworking young people who have done nothing wrong from…
Supreme Court’s rails-to-trails decision generates uncertainty
The Rochester area is fortunate to have a lot of great bike trails. Not just scenic paths that provide a good place for a leisurely weekend ride, but trails that go places. And several of those trails follow old, abandoned railroad lines. It turns out that once the trains stopped using the old tracks, the…
Film Review: “Stalingrad”
In light of the current tensions involving Russia and Ukraine, a movie about the Soviet defense of Stalingrad in 1942 provides some relevant instruction in some of the history of that nation and its attitudes toward the rest of Europe. Most viewers probably know little or nothing of the suffering the Russians endured in what…
Film Review: “Short Term 12”
When it premiered at 2013 South By Southwest Film Festival, Destin Cretton’s “Short Term 12” enjoyed about as successful a debut as any young director could hope. It generated deafeningly positive buzz before going on to win the festival’s grand-jury award as well as the audience award. Despite such auspicious beginnings, the film mostly flew…
“Drag Race” Season 6, Episode 3: The horror, the horror…
After the (I think smart and successful) two-part premiere, the 12 remaining queens were thrown together for the first big challenge. The mixing of the two groups provided some interesting moments. Some queens, like Ben DeLaCreme, welcomed the others with open, fabulous arms. Others, notably Gia Gunn, were extra crispy bitchy. I like my drag…
Teachers union sues over evaluations
The Rochester Teachers Association filed a lawsuit today (read the complaint below) alleging that the new teacher evaluations are unfair because they fail to adequately account for the effects of severe poverty on students. The suit names John King, commissioner of the State Education Department; the State Board of Regents; the State Education Department; the…
CityGate drive-through proposal to be heard tonight
A proposal to add two drive-throughs to the 45-acre CityGate project at Westfall and East Henrietta roads will be heard by the City of Rochester’s Planning Commission at 6:30 p.m. today (Monday, March 10). The meeting is in City Council chambers at City Hall, 30 Church Street. Commission members will hold a staff meeting, prior…
ARTS: Rochester Fringe announces Fringe 101 sessions, Artist Mash-Up
The Rochester Fringe Festival today announced the schedule for its Fringe 101 information sessions, which give local performers interested in participating in the annual arts festival an opportunity to learn more about the process. The hour-long sessions, led by Fringe Producer Erica Fee, begin this weekend on Saturday, March 15, and continue on Saturday, March…
THEATER REVIEW: JCC CenterStage’s “The Normal Heart”
When it premiered in 1985 at New York City’s Public Theater, Larry Kramer’s “The Normal Heart” packed a considerable punch as the first successful mainstream play to tackle public attitudes toward the growing AIDS crisis. Time is not always kind to topical or polemical plays, but a recent Broadway revival reminded us that AIDS is…
MEDIA: Classical 91.5’s Mordecai Lipshutz has died
WXXI News announced today that Mordecai Lipshutz, the longtime afternoon host for Classical 91.5, died on Sunday at age 64 “following several months of illness.” Lipshutz joined Classical 91.5 in 1976 and retired in 2008. During his 30-year career, he hosted the “Live From Hochstein” series, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra’s Holiday Pops concerts, and other…
Concert Review: The Greener Grass Band at Sticky Lips
When asked, “What’s up with the Filthy McNasty’s?” the band’s guitarist, Greg Cole, copped a big shrug coupled with a whaddaya-want-from-me? face. But put a guitar in the man’s hands, along with a glass slide, and he knows exactly what to say. Cole was guesting with The Greener Grass Band at Sticky Lips Thursday night.…
![[UPDATED] Henrietta supervisor officially opposes casino](https://i0.wp.com/www.roccitymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/slotmachines_sidebar-3.webp?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1)
[UPDATED] Henrietta supervisor officially opposes casino
Henrietta Town Supervisor Jack Moore has come out officially against a Seneca casino in the town. Earlier this week, the Seneca Gaming Corporation, an affiliate of the Seneca Nation of Indians, announced that it had purchased 32 acres on Clay Road for potential casino development. Moore just sent out the following statement, and is holding…
Astorino says Cuomo is ‘managing the state’s decline’
One of Republican Rob Astorino’s gubernatorial campaign planks is the repeal of New York’s new gun-control laws. So it makes a certain amount of sense that he’d hold an event at a gun shop. Astorino, who is the Westchester County executive, announced his intention to run against Governor Andrew Cuomo yesterday. He made a campaign…
Concert Review: RPO: Christopher Seaman, Berlioz, Beethoven, and Bruckner
In a season filled with guest conductors, it was nice to head to the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Thursday night with calm expectations for a pleasant evening, lead by RPO Conductor Laureate Christopher Seaman. The program selected by Seaman included a massive Bruckner symphony, a Beethoven piano concerto, and a short Berlioz overture. In all, the…
Some Henrietta residents really don’t want a casino
By one speaker’s estimate, approximately 120 people packed into a room at Henrietta Town Hall last night in response to a proposed casino in the town. And when the speaker asked how many in attendance support the casino, which would be run by the Seneca Nation of Indians, no hands were raised. During the meeting’s…
Superintendent Vargas needs union help, and more
It’s great that Rochester’s business community leaders are concerned about the academic performance of city school students. Sandy Parker, CEO of the Rochester Business Alliance, and Dutch Summers, chair of Jasco, said in last Sunday’s Democrat and Chronicle that they are disturbed by the Association of Supervisors and Administrators’ recent vote of “no confidence” in Superintendent Bolgen Vargas.…
City Spotify Playlist
We know you use Spotify. We know you read City Newspaper. So why not use both of them at the same time? Every week City will put together a Spotify playlist of our top concert picks for you to check out yourself. Excited? Yup, you should be. (or play in Spotify: web player | desktop…
Developers make their case on brownfields program
When Governor Andrew Cuomo presented his 2014-15 budget earlier this year, he said he wanted the Legislature to renew and reform the state’s brownfield tax credit program. The program, which provides tax credits to developers who clean up and reuse contaminated properties, is set to expire in 2015. Neither environmental groups nor developers want to…
Recommendations for improving city schools: What now?
Last week, about 60 city students got a preview of recommendations to improve city schools. And as anyone who was there can tell you, the students responded with incredible enthusiasm and insight. The recommendations are the culmination of more than a month’s work by committees of teachers, parents, and community leaders. Rochester school board President Van…
Jazz | Eastman Studio Orchestra
You’ve probably heard the spectacular, supersized sound of a studio orchestra in a movie theater, but most people have never heard it live. The Eastman Studio Orchestra combines the Eastman Jazz Ensemble with full sections of strings, woodwinds, and French horns, a tuba, harp, and percussion. The repertoire for Friday’s concert is equally exciting, including…
Anne Kress and the reinvention of MCC
It’s hard to think of another local institution that has more successfully reinvented itself than Monroe Community College. Not long ago, if you were going to MCC, it was often cynically assumed it was because you couldn’t get into a “real” school. MCC has successfully jettisoned that image, and a good deal of the credit…
Jazz | Steve Swell
The range of the trombone is seemingly limitless in the hands of Steve Swell. From melodic to guttural, he covers all of the territory. Fresh out of college Swell was making waves, touring with the bands of Lionel Hampton, Buddy Rich, and Jaki Byard. By the mid-1980’s he had carved out a place for himself…
Dining Review: Mac’s Philly Steaks
In Philadelphia, the cheesesteak is not just a sandwich. It is an iconic obsession. The city is filled with places to get them, from pizzerias to delis to standalone shops; even gas stations get in on the action. The most renowned cheesesteak purveyors in Philly, however, are Geno’s Steaks and Pat’s King of Steaks. Like…
Classical | Jon Kimura Parker
Hardly a season goes by in Rochester without an appearance by pianist Jon Kimura Parker – and this week we have three of them, not that we’re complaining. A favorite concerto soloist with the Rochester Philharmonic, he’ll be heard with RPO Laureate Conductor Christopher Seaman this week in Beethoven’s witty “Concerto No. 2.” On Sunday…
COMEDY | Steve-O
Best known for his role in “Jackass,” Steve-O has been entertaining the world with his stunts and comedy routines through videos since he was 15 years old. In 2000, MTV aired the hit show and officially launched Steve-O’s career. When the show ended two years later, the team of Steve-O, Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, and…
Pop/Rock | The Fleshtones
Garage rock and those who park in that garage have come and gone, blasting out in full revival mode here, exacting its influence there. It’s no longer a mop-top throwback; hasn’t been for years. Within its ebb and flow remains one constant: The Fleshtones, baby. I first caught the band at Scorgies and it changed…
DANCE | “An Afternoon of Winter Fancies”
In support of Writers & Books’ “If All of Rochester Read the Same Book” program and this year’s selection of “The Snow Child” by Eowyn Ivey, Hochstein School of Music and Dance (50 N. Plymouth Ave.) is hosting a day packed with family-fun winter activities. The event titled “An Afternoon of Winter Fancies” begins on…
Electronic | Jimkata
What has continually struck me is the jam scene’s open arms. Sure, there is a baseline sound and aesthetic, but its continuously open-minded approach has allowed less organic, more experimental outfits like Jimkata to shine. Jimkata expertly skates the line between electronic-driven beats mixed with extended attention to detail, kinda like the Grateful Heads or…
SPECIAL EVENT | Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour
The legacy of Michael Jackson will not soon be forgotten, as THE IMMORTAL World Tour makes a stop in Rochester for two nights. The music tour has been making its way through North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand since its premiere in Montreal in October 2011. Created by Cirque du Soleil, the show…
Music Interview: RoarShark
Just replace the ink from a Rorschach test with some saltwater, and visualize surfboards and sharks and sandy beaches instead of the imagined, tell-tale images of hidden psychosis and genitalia, and you’ve got RoarShark. Or better still, assemble four Rochester rock ‘n’ rollers into a tight, guitar-driven onslaught. Then add volume, liberal amounts of reverb,…
SPECIAL EVENT | Orchid Show & Sale
Start off March with a beautiful reminder of spring’s impending arrival. Sonnenberg Gardens and Mansion State Historic Park (151 Charlotte St., Canandaigua) will host its annual Orchid Show & Sale Friday-Sunday, March 7-9. Check out a variety of the delicate, exotic flowers, such as phalaenopsis, dendrobiums, cattleya, and more. In addition to the display and…
ALBUM REVIEW: “Somewhere Else”
Lydia Loveless “Somewhere Else” Bloodshot Records lydialoveless.com/ I first caught Lydia Loveless upon Wayne “The Train” Hancock’s urging. Consequently, I listened to her with honky-tonk ears, or at least with some degree of rural expectation. When I saw her live, she played alone, accompanied by her lone guitar and a bold assertiveness amidst a noisy…
THEATER | “Stranded on Earth”
Playwright Eric Coble continues his “Alexandra” trilogy with “Stranded on Earth,” the next production on the Geva Theatre Nextstage (75 Woodbury Blvd.). This play tells the missing tale between “A Girl’s Guide to Coffee,” where audiences first met Alex, a vivacious 20-something with her whole life ahead of her, and “The Velocity of Autumn,” where…
ART | Exhibit Openings
Overcome late-winter cabin fever by bundling up and heading out to one of the multiple gallery openings this week. You can check out more art venues hosting receptions this week by going to our online calendar at rochestercitynewspaper.com, or by visiting firstfridayrochester.org. (All of the following events run 6-9 p.m. on Friday, March 7, unless…
SPECIAL EVENT | Latte Art Throwdown
I think I can speak for all us Western New Yorkers when I say that we ready for spring. Regrettably, we still have a few more weeks of this frigid season to overcome. In the meantime, warm up at Joe Bean Coffee Roasters (1344 University Ave.) at its Latte Art Throwdown this Thursday, March 6,…
Feedback 3/5
Send comments 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 and edit comments from all three sources. Pass GENDA I was thrilled to see Darienne Lake on the cover of City, and love City even more for showcasing her talent…
Urban Action 3/5
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.) PTSD discussion Lifetree Café will present the discussion, “Wounded Warriors: When War Comes Home,” at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 10. The talk is about men and women who return from combat with…
Religious freedom and our other rights
Americans may not be massacring one another because of religion, but we sure can use it to do plenty of harm. Many of us held our breath last week while Arizona Governor Jan Brewer tried to decide whether to veto a “free exercise of religion” bill. The bill’s critics charged that it would legalize discrimination…
Drive-throughs proposed for CityGate
A proposal to add two drive-throughs to the CityGate project in the southern edge of the City of Rochester is adding to complaints that the $200 million canal-front development is too suburban in layout and design. The City Planning Commission will consider the application for the drive-throughs at a meeting on Monday, March 10. CityGate…
Elmwood’s cycle track is a Rochester first
The stretch of Elmwood Avenue that runs along the University of Rochester Medical Center campus is a crucial corridor. For many drivers, it’s the way they access the UR. More than 20,000 motor vehicles travel the segment of Elmwood between Mt. Hope Avenue and the Genesee River every day, according to State Department of Transportation…
Acoustic/Folk | James Oddy
James Oddy is a local singer-songwriter with a gentle, emotive-folk sound reminiscent of nufolk artists like Fleet Foxes, Noah and the Whale, and Grizzly Bear. Oddy writes and performs reflective tunes, nostalgic ballads, as well as energetic and pathos-driven up-tunes. According to the artist himself, Oddy does not perform for “for the desire of being…
Bridges make save list
The Preservation League of New York State has named three Olmsted pedestrian bridges in Genesee Valley Park to its “Seven to Save” list for 2014-2015. The list identifies what the league considers to be the state’s most threatened historic resources. The concrete bridges were designed by the Olmstead Brothers landscape design firm and built in…
Acoustic/Folk | Beans on Toast
Hailing all the way from England, singer-songwriter Beans on Toast presents his listeners with a quirky, anti-folk sound. Similar to artists like Kimya Dawson and Paul Baribeau, Beans on Toast writes upbeat-sounding songs with casual, conversational lyrics. Beans delivers his brand of anti-folk in a rough-around-the-edges baritone, and his melodies are often more speech-based…
Call for Musicians: CITY’s Best Busker Contest
LOCAL MUSICIANS WANTED for CITY Newspaper’s 5th Annual BEST BUSKER CONTEST Thursday, May 7, 2015 To participate, musicians must be: • Solo • Unamplified • Based in Rochester • 18 years of age or older • Registered with CITY Newspaper in advance (sorry,no walk-ups) Prizes will be awarded to the top three winners of…
