Cover Story
Finding Funding
The Rochester City School District has spent millions on extra pay for teachers, administrators, and civil service workers. And much of the expense has been due to expanded learning.
Folk musician Joe Dady dies at 61
Rochester musician Joe Dady, one half of the Irish folk duo The Dady Brothers, has died at the age of 61.
Warren releases $552 million city budget plan
Mayor Lovely Warren’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year includes a small tax increase for homeowners and funding for a variety of new initiatives, including a Police Accountability Board and job training.
IJC, finally with quorum, faces the Great Lakes’ high water
The International Joint Commission, the joint U.S.-Canadian body that helps determine regulatory decisions about the Great Lakes, hasn’t had a quorum since late last year. Now it does, and a main focus will be the lakes’ flooding.
I.M. Pei left his mark on Rochester, too
I.M. Pei, one of the world’s most iconic and prolific architects, has died at the age of 102. Among his works: the University of Rochester’s Wilson Commons.
The F Word: Redacted
CITY music writer Frank De Blase encounters the thrash-metal Pez dispenser, hears his favorite song, and gets redacted.
Coalition finds pluses, minuses in RPD’s body-worn camera use
Rochester police officers have been using body-worn cameras for nearly three years, and so far, a citizens’ group monitoring the program is giving it “generally high marks.” But city officials need to make improvements in key areas, the group says. The Rochester Police Department began using body-worn cameras in the summer of 2016. In 2017,…
Speakers at hearing call for tenant protections
Speaker after speaker at a State Assembly hearing on housing issues on Friday had one message: New York tenants of all types and in all locations need stronger protections. The hearing, in the Monroe County Legislature’s chambers at the County Office Building, was one of three held around the state. About two dozen people offered…
Getting schooled in clean energy
Big institutions can flex a lot of muscle when it comes to buying energy, since they use a lot of it. They can solicit bids or negotiate with suppliers to get lower prices. And they can use their influence and buying power to promote renewable energy development, a practice that has become common for operations…
COMEDY | Jim Norton
Veteran comedian and free-speech provocateur Jim Norton has been on the stand-up circuits for nearly three decades, and on May 17 and 18, he’ll be bringing his bold, no-topic-is-off-limits approach to Comedy at the Carlson. He gained traction in the public eye in a supporting role on the popular radio show “Opie and Anthony” beginning…
DANCE | ‘Aria’
Collaborations between BIODANCE and digital media artist W. Michelle Harris have yielded breathtaking performances over the past several years, including those that debuted each fall as part of the Rochester Fringe Festival. Last Fringe season, BIODANCE and Harris collaborated with chamber ensemble quintet fivebyfive and soprano Kearstin Piper Brown to present the stunning work, “Aria,”…
KIDS | Sesame Street 50th Anniversary
It’s hard to overstate the enduring importance of certain children’s programming. The educational and compassionate “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” will rightfully always hold a special place in the hearts of a few generations of grown-up kids. And another big player of public programming that centers on the concept of a neighborhood celebrates its 50th anniversary this…
THEATER | ‘LIKAH!’
You’ve heard the phrase, “We don’t deserve dogs,” and if you’ve ever even met a Very Good Boy (or Girl), you know it’s true. And that selfless, uplifting nature of the beast is the basis of new play by Deborah Haber. “LIKAH!” (Pronounced lee-kah) features a joyful, storytelling pup whose story is meant to help…
LITERARY | CosmoCon
Since 2013, local press Cosmographia Books has published more than a dozen diverse books that include a memoir about past lives, “queer Lovecraftian” tales, and stories of people served by Dimitri House. The press has a literary journal, “Canvas,” which publishes teenage writers and artists from diverse nationalities and cultural identities. This week, Cosmographia Books…
JAZZ | Brian Krock’s LIDDLE
After graduating from the Manhattan School of Music, multi-instrumentalist Brian Krock played in the bands of John Faddis, David Liebman, Jim McNeely, and others. When he was home, he was doubling in the pit bands of shows like “Dirty Dancing” and “The Book of Mormon.” When Krock leads his own progressive quartet, the music takes…
EMO-PUNK | California Cousins
California Cousins play youthful and sporadic rock, but with an adept orderliness. There are indelible emo influences in their shout-singing vocals, and a DIY, hardcore foundation in their assertive instrumentation. The Rochester trio thrashes about riffs and smashes drums like an ornery band of friends you might hear playing in an upstairs apartment around the…
OLD-TIME COUNTRY | Yes Ma’am
An acoustic sextet busking on the busy streets of New Orleans, Yes Ma’am evokes a classic 1920’s sound with its traditional Americana instrumentation and twangy Southern drawl. Yes Ma’am delivers a jovial mix of folk, roots, and country, and has been dizzying audiences nationwide since releasing its debut album, “Stirrin’ Da Mud,” in 2012. The…
FOLK | The Kennedys
The Kennedys’ socially responsible and heartbreaking new album “Safe Until Tomorrow” addresses the growing need for caregivers and how that necessity has flipped from parent to child, with its insurmountable responsibility. It’s offered up as sad and urgent, but not hopeless. The Americana duo has logged over a million miles and given birth to 14…
METAL | Last in Line
In a genre where a guitar is the hammer of the gods, the late Ronnie James Dio’s voice was a cannon. While many metal frontmen navigate above melodies, Dio’s vocals cut through arrangements, taking songs to even greater heights. Members of his backing band have continued under the name Last in Line, with new lead…
ELECTRONIC | The Crystal Method
Known for the 90’s hits “Keep Hope Alive” and “Busy Child,” The Crystal Method continues to hypnotize audiences worldwide with its high-endurance, vinyl-scratching dance anthems. Formed in 1993 out of the Los Angeles big beat renaissance, The Crystal Method has celebrated more than twenty releases, including its new 2018 album, “The Trip Home.” After DJ…
Feedback 5/15
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. Water, lakes,…
Urban Action 5/15
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.) The importance of the Census The League of Women Voters of the Rochester Metropolitan Area, Fight Village, and Faith Community Alliance of Greater Rochester will present “Everybody Counts! Let’s Count Everybody!” an information…
Harp guitarist Stephen Bennett visits Rochester
Harp guitarist Stephen Bennett’s serene fingerpicking style has an introspective vibe. But it’s the added harmonic texture and low end of the harp that provide greater depth and a more engaging sound.
Adults fail on gun control; children pay the price
Students protecting students: This has become a horrifying part of the story of this country’s gun violence.
Album review: ‘American Rapture’
Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra ‘American Rapture’ Azica Records azica.com; rpo.org The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra’s new album “American Rapture” highlights the most intriguing components of the RPO’s musical identity in the Ward Stare era. Five seasons into Stare’s tenure as music director, the RPO has been at its most compelling when it expresses admiration for crucial 20th-century…
Film review: ‘Pokémon Detective Pikachu’
The film has to please longtime fans while serving as an introduction to those who don’t know their Squirtles from their Bulbasaurs. As the start of a potential franchise, it’s flawed but promising.
Review: ‘The Undeniable Sound of Right Now’
Penned by playwright and screenwriter Laura Eason, “The Undeniable Sound of Right Now” is a fictional story about the owner of a CBGB-like club in Chicago. Closing out Blackfriars Theatre’s season, the show captures the bittersweet act of passing the baton and a moving father-daughter relationship.
Neighbors & students gather at TinRoof
TinRoof is a neighborhood pub-college bar hybrid where everyone is welcome. The food menu is essentially pub fare plus Deli Sandro’s menu, which is a staple appreciated by UR students and West Side residents alike.
Dave Drago and 1809 Studios celebrate five-year anniversary
1809 Studios and its owner Dave Drago are celebrating the recording hub’s five-year anniversary this month. Drago’s mission has been to create a comfortable, welcoming studio that delivers Los Angeles-quality recordings at Western New York prices.
Preview: The Reel Mind Theatre and Film Series
The annual series will return next week, continuing its mission to fight the social stigma of mental illness by shining a spotlight on topics far too many of us are content to sweep out of mind. This year’s four films focus on the difficult topic of suicide, highlighting stories of survivors that seek to spread…
