Cover Story
Does Rochester really need Uber?
Rochester cab drivers are bracing for what they say may be the fight of their livelihoods, as the Uber revolution prepares to march on Upstate New York. State lawmakers are talking about bringing ride sharing to Upstate and how to do it. Uber is a tech-based transportation service that operates in more than 400 cities…
Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity selling campus
CRCDS is selling its historic site on South Goodman Street across from Highland Park. In an open letter from CRCDS’s president, the Rev. Marvin McMickle, to alumni and friends, he says that the school has had to address some tough financial decisions. And the question of whether to sell the campus with its picturesque rolling…
Week Ahead: Eco-thriller to show at First Unitarian
First Unitarian Church will host a showing of the film “Racing Extinction” at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 18. The film by Louie Psihoyos has been described as an eco-thriller, and uses extraordinary photography to examine humanity’s role in the issues facing endangered species and a vulnerable planet. The film will be shown at the…
Film review: “A Hologram for the King”
In an adaptation of Dave Eggers’ 2012 novel, Tom Hanks stars as Alan Clay, a sadsack American consultant in the midst of an existential crisis.
GOP says Rozzi will be clerk candidate
Greece Town Clerk Cheryl Rozzi, a Republican, will take on acting County Clerk Adam Bello, a Democrat, in November. Monroe County Republican Committee Chair Bill Reilich — who is also Greece supervisor — announced Rozzi’s candidacy this morning . Rozzi was appointed Greece town clerk in 2014 and prior to that, served as clerk of…
Warren’s new budget lowers taxes, increases spending
Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren has proposed a $517 million budget for 2016-2017 that increases spending but lowers taxes for homeowners and businesses. Warren unveiled the spending plan this morning. Public hearings will be held early next month, followed by a City Council vote on June 14. An 8 percent increase in the city’s overall property…
Staying true to Beethoven
The Amenda Quartet has played all kinds of music during its short six years, but it has remained true to its initial conception. The quartet — violinists (and married couple) Patricia Sunwoo and David Brickman; violist Melissa Matson; and cellist Mimi Hwang — formed with the goal to learn all of Beethoven’s string quartets. (The…
METAL | Anvil
Anvil demonstrates several undeniable truths: After 39 years, the band continues to rock; and its sophomore album, 1982’s “Metal on Metal,” is still a classic. The documentary “Anvil: The Story of Anvil” — the cover features frontman Steve “Lips” Kudlow wearing nothing except a strategically placed guitar — paints a charming portrait of the band…
Eviction fight draws national attention
Elizabeth McGriff is back in her house on Cedarwood Terrace, though the law is not on her side. She was evicted from the property in April. McGriff says that she has no idea how long she’ll be able to stay in the house, which is in foreclosure by her mortgage lender, MidFirst Bank. The advocacy…
AMERICANA | Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams
Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams are a powerhouse couple. Campbell has backed up Levon Helm, Bob Dylan — as Dylan’s guitarist for eight years on the “Never Ending Tour” — Paul Simon, BB King, Elvis Costello, and Roseanne Cash, to name a few. Williams has worked with Emmylou Harris and Mavis Staples. Their individual careers…
The only Malaysian joint upstate, Coco Garden is for the adventurous
The more I spend time in Henrietta, I’m finding that the town’s true identity is hard to grasp. It is home to some of the most over-developed land in the county, and just generally lacks soul. As I explore the independent restaurant scene though, I see an intriguing dichotomy. Henrietta is home to the majority…
AMERICANA | Eilen Jewell
The underlying style might change a little — from roots-rock and rockabilly to country-noir — but Eilen Jewell’s beautiful, soft voice is always the anchor. The singer-songwriter will touch your heart — or break it — over the course of her latest album “Sundown Over Ghost Town,” which is influenced by her move back to…
Dance provides catharsis for city youth
Racqueab Overton has the body of a big cat: compact, quick, and powerful. When the 20 year old dances, his shoulders roll and start a wave that reverberates through his arms and continues down into his torso as if he were possessed by an alien creature. After Overton finished performing at a recent Battle for…
Ray Paul Brings The Power
Ray Paul is all about the snap and crackle of a pop song: its hook, its catchiness, its undeniable sing-along and finger-snap appeal. Want proof? Just dig Paul’s new CD, “Whimsicality,” on his own Permanent Press Records label. “Whimsicality” is a mighty fine 10-song collection of power pop goodness. (Power pop is like garage rock…
ALBUM REVIEW: “There Goes the Heart”
River Lynch “There Goes the Heart” Self-released riverlynch.com Here’s another short and sweet blast of Rochester rock ‘n’ roll. I’m simply getting bombarded by EPs, like this soundtrack to an evening with your arms around your sweet one. On “There Goes The Heart,” River Lynch balances lyrical weight with instrumental dexterity and flight. The music,…
ALBUM REVIEW: “Televisionaries 2”
The Televisionaries “Televisionaries 2” Self-released televisionaries.bandcamp.com Here’s The Televisionaries hangin’ 30 (I mean, I assume they all have all of their toes), and bustin’ the sonic surf with “Televisionaries 2.” The band is out of the surf shackles to take on some twangin’ lo-fi and land-locked rockabilly a la Buddy Holly. Lux would be proud.…
RoCo to present public art project
During the last Super Bowl, an appeal to consider domestic water usage appeared as a halftime commercial from Colgate, in which a man kept the faucet running while he brushed his teeth. All the while, different hands reached in and out of the sink, filling cups, rinsing vegetables, and bringing hands full of the priceless…
Rochester City Ballet finds a new edge with David Palmer
“Ballet on the Edge,” the upcoming Rochester City Ballet program, is notable for two significant reasons: The performance is the company’s first to be choreographed by new Artistic Director David Palmer, and the ballet “Under the Moonlight,” which will have its world premiere, is the first new official work set to David Bowie’s music since…
LECTURE | Penny Wolin
Visual anthropologist Penny Wolin for the last 25 years has combined photographic portraiture with oral interviews to research Jewish civilization in America. She is the creator of visual and verbal studies of people and their relationship to place, including “Guest Register,” a 1975 body of work that documented each occupant of the St. Francis Hotel…
FILM | Reel Mind Theatre and Film Series
Issues surrounding mental health in America are still lacking proper representation and widespread discussion. The annual Reel Mind Theatre and Film Series addresses a spectrum of mental illness and the various ways it impacts individuals, families, and our wider culture, while providing a message of hope. The series’ 8th season kicks off this week with…
CLASSICAL | Amenda Quartet
The Amenda Quartet — violinists David Brickman and Patricia Sunwoo, violist Melissa Matson, and cellist Mimi Hwang — have spent this season presenting the cycle of Beethoven string quartets at a wide variety of venues. The quartet’s next concert is part of the Unitarian Church’s Sunday evening First Muse series, and gives us Ludwig as a young composer…
THEATER | “Dirty Dancing”
To close out its 2015-16 season, Rochester Broadway Theatre League will host “Dirty Dancing,” the stage adaptation of the 1980’s box office hit. The story of Baby, a 17-year-old who’s spending the summer at a Catskills resort with her parents, and Johnny, the resort’s dance instructor, comes to life with show-stopping dance moves and all…
JAZZ | The Dave Rivello Ensemble
The Dave Rivello Ensemble is a 12-piece big band with an even bigger sound. Led by composer and arranger extraordinaire Dave Rivello, the ensemble has been Rochester’s premier big band for 15 years. Rivello, who studied with top arrangers like Bob Brookmeyer and Bill Holman, will celebrate a decade of shows at the Village Rock…
SPECIAL EVENT | The Makers Masquerade
To engage the 21-and-older community and give a sneak peek into life after hours at a museum, the Rochester Museum and Science Center hosts an After Dark events series, complete with museum access and a cash bar. This Friday, RMSC will host a “Makers Masquerade,” combining mask-making and ballroom dancing tutorials with interactive 3D printing…
JAZZ | Herb Robertson, Ken Filiano, Harvey Sorgen Trio
Trumpeter Herb Robertson has made a name for himself in the free jazz world, playing with Tim Berne, Anthony Davis, and many others. Bassist Ken Filiano, known for his work ranging from straight-ahead to free jazz, has collaborated with artists like Vinny Golia and Paul Smoker. Drummer Harvey Sorgen (pictured) has worked with jazz giants…
THEATER | “Arms and The Man”
Beginning Friday, Classics Theater of Rochester will present “Arms and The Man,” one of George Bernard Shaw’s first really successful plays. The comedy is built around the 1885 Serbian-Bulgarian War and follows Raina, a young Bulgarian woman who aids the Swiss Captain Bluntschli, and years later, meets him again. The witty play deals with the…
EXPERIMENTAL POP | Marco Benevento
As we approach what feels like the final frontier in experimental music, plenty of us have braced ourselves for the impending avalanche of weird; fortunately artists like Marco Benevento have wedged themselves beautifully between sensibility and the great unknown. Benevento’s music is open-ended and curious. It’s fun, a bit quirky, and yet deeper upon each…
Feedback 5/11
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. Comments of fewer than 350 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. The mayor’s…
ZYDECO | Preston Frank
You don’t have to look that hard when tracing back through the Creole and Zydeco heritage, the music’s blood is Type Frank. Preston Frank’s family — he’s the big papa donchyaknow — is at the heart of traditional Louisiana music and has been so for decades. Preston has eased up on touring a tad, and…
Urban Action 5/11
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted. Vegan Society to hold monthly potluck The Rochester Area Vegan Society will hold its monthly potluck at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 15. The event will feature a talk by Mary Lawrence, an…
Trump heads the GOP? What is this country coming to?
Trump is a dangerous man, not only unfit to serve as president but a complete disgrace, to his party and the nation.
Film review: “Captain America: Civil War”
Every summer, like clockwork, our planet comes under siege. As blockbuster season sets in, a familiar scene inevitably unfolds in multiplexes across the country: aliens, natural disasters, or vengeful baddies are unleashed upon major metropolitan areas. The earth cracks, buildings crumble, and untold thousands are lost in the rubble. And we in the audience are…
