Cover Story
Cosmic level
It took almost a decade, but the stars finally aligned for The Level 7 Experience. Now, the band wants to create a holistic space for the city’s hip-hop artists
Sheppard outlines his platform
At a press conference this morning promoting his campaign for Rochester mayor, County Legislator Jim Sheppard released an extensive platform that focuses on a broad range of challenges facing the city. Sheppard will face incumbent Lovely Warren and former television reporter Rachel Barnhart in a September primary. Among Sheppard’s proposed initiatives: In economic development: Sheppard…
Warren pushes traffic-violations agency for city
Mayor Lovely Warren wants the city to have its own traffic-violations agency and she is asking City Council to support state legislation authorizing the agency. Council will discuss her request at a special public meeting at 12:30 p.m. tomorrow in City Council Chambers at City Hall. Currently, if motorists are charged with a traffic violation…
The week ahead: unions hold mayoral forum
Two public employees unions are teaming up to hold a forum for the three Democratic mayoral candidates. The forum will happen from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday at East High School, 1801 East Main Street. BENTE/AFSCME Local 2419 and AFSCME Local 1635, which combined represent about 2,500 workers, promise the candidates will discuss…
Film review: ‘Wonder Woman’
Since her debut in the pages of “All Star Comics” nearly 75 years ago, Wonder Woman has gone on to become easily the most recognizable female superhero; a hero every bit as iconic as her DC brethren, Batman and Superman. Considering her revered status, it’s mind-boggling that the Amazonian princess is only just now, in…
Film review: ‘The Wedding Plan’
On the eve of her nuptials, a 32-year-old Orthodox Jewish woman named Michal (Noa Koler) faces the shocking announcement from her fiancé, Gidi (Erez Drigues) that he’s not in love with her. But her devastation at the news is eclipsed only by her steadfast determination to get married, and she chooses to take an absurd…
‘Minimal Mostly’ exhibit highlights Minimalism and its legacy
The many sides of Minimalism are represented in “Minimal Mostly,” the newest exhibit curated by art collector and dealer Deborah Ronnen
Kodak releases ‘camera-first’ smartphone
With a foot modestly in the future and a thumbs up to the past, Kodak made a daring step last week with the release of its new smartphone and DSLR camera hybrid, the Kodak EKTRA. Designed as a “camera-first” smartphone, Kodak hopes to bridge the gap between expert photographers and smartphone users. I went hands-on…
Album review: ‘Never Fit In’
Diluted “Never Fit In” Self-released dilutedband.bandcamp.com The cover artwork by drummer Dusty West for Diluted’s debut EP, “Never Fit In,” is in many ways a perfect package for the tunes. Colorful and in conflict, the illustrated montage of chaos pulls no punches and leaves room for the ensuing aggression. Diluted draws from several metal subgenres,…
ART | “As Above, So Below”
Rochester-based artist Steven Justice paints satirical, dazzlingly-hued portraits of scientists, musicians, poets, politicians, monarchs, saints, and sinners. Often each image is a mash-up of various personas and cultural references, and each one comes with a witty short description that blends personal anecdotes with questionable bits of mythologized history. I snarfed my coffee more than once…
SPECIAL EVENT | “RMSC After Dark: Superhero Soirée”
The Rochester Museum and Science Center isn’t just child’s play; it periodically hosts 21-and-older events geared toward engaging adults in scientific wonder. The center’s “RMSC After Dark” series continues on Friday, June 2, with “Superhero Soirée,” providing an opportunity to dress up (creative costumes encouraged) and engage with several themed activities and various groups. “Superhero…
FESTIVAL | “WNY Bike Fest”
Whether you’ve barely kicked off the training wheels or have been cycling for years, the Western New York Bike Fest is a celebration of all forms of biking, with a deliberate focus on new riders. The WNY Bike Fest is an opportunity to connect with local bike shops and clubs, try new gear, and go…
FESTIVAL | “Western New York Pottery Fest”
With a roster of more than 20 local and national pottery artists, the Western New York Pottery Fest offers a showcase and sale of diverse ceramic work, artist demonstrations, and a variety of hands-on activities for children. Many of the artists will be participating in a number of competitions throughout the weekend, including the Clay…
Trump’s Riyadh speech and the roots of terrorism
Donald Trump’s speech in Saudi Arabia was willfully ignorant about America’s role in terrorizing Middle Eastern nations
FILM | “Real Boy”
Last year’s ImageOut Film Festival presented “Real Boy,” a documentary film by Shaleece Haas that tells the story of Bennett Wallace, a trans teen who is juggling his transition, fighting for acceptance from his family, and pursuing dreams of musical stardom. While navigating these challenges, Bennett is supported by his hero, trans folk singer Joe…
POPS | “Women Rock”
The RPO on Friday and Saturday will close out the pops portion of its 2016-17 season with “Women Rock,” a vibrant program of rock classics made famous by legendary, show-stopping female performers, such as Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, Carole King, Tina Turner, and more. Vocalists Cassidy Catanzaro, Katrina Dideriksen, and Shayna Steele (pictured) will share…
ART | “BONES: A Retrospective”
Last year Rochester’s graffiti family lost one of its most talented, dedicated artists and dearest friends, and the scene hasn’t been the same since. BONES, a member of the FUA Krew, was known for his insanely organic freestyle, often building gorgeously morbid letterforms by transforming spray paint into drippy gore. A one-night retrospective and celebration…
DEATHCORE | Slaughter to Prevail
It’s nice to see that metalheads can still transcend national borders. Born out of a correspondence between UK-based guitarist Jack Simmons and Russian vocalist Alex Shikolai, Slaughter to Prevail is a European deathcore outfit that speaks the universal language of “really heavy mosh parts.” Its latest record, this year’s “Misery Sermon,” is a confident collection…
Vegan doughnut shop Misfit opens on Monroe Ave
When Jennifer Johnson opened the doors of Misfit Doughnuts and Treats to the public for the first time on May 13, her entire stock of vegan desserts was wiped out in a little under three hours. With doughnut flavors like lemon poppy seed, cannoli, s’mores, and blood orange white chocolate, Johnson is aiming for vegan-friendly…
Feedback 5/31
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…
Suburban Democrats are adding members
Donald Trump and the Republicans won the White House and Congress, but they’ve also energized progressives and issue-oriented moderates who see a destructive national political agenda that they must fight. Or so the story goes. Resisters have filled streets, parks, and public squares to protest Trump’s Muslim ban, his administration’s attacks on science, his directive…
VOCAL | “Pure Imagination”
The Rochester Women’s Community Chorus has been part of the local choral scene for nearly 40 years, performing a wide variety of music from many genres, cultures, and traditions, from spirituals to Broadway and contemporary choral numbers with messages of peace, inclusion, and social equality. The group even has a signature song, “What’s Keeping You…
The state of the neighborhoods
In this year’s November election, Rochester voters will choose the people who will manage the city and its schools for the next four years: the mayor, five of the nine members of City Council, and three of the seven members of the school board. But because voter registration and turnout in the city is so…
Urban Action 5/31
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.) Meeting focuses on oversight of police Enough is Enough and the Police Accountability Organizing Committee will hold a meeting on police oversight on Tuesday, June 6. Enough is Enough has pushed for greater…
ROOTS | Leland Sundries
Brooklyn’s Leland Sundries is waving an Americana flag in an indie war. Lyrically, it’s a steely folk stance where front man Nick Loss-Eaton keeps the quirk and the off-kilter to a minimum. The arrangements are garage-y yet sufficiently loose, and so is the application, which in turn gives the band miles and miles of credibility…
JAM ROCK | Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds
This duo came to be as a side project for Dave Matthews and his band’s touring multi-instrumentalist Tim Reynolds. The duo always plays acoustic and has released three albums, all live. The instrumentation is stripped down to the point of seeing the songs’ cheekbones, and it’s a chance to hear the intricacies a whole lot…
FREAK FOLK | Chandler Travis Philharmonic
There are few groups more quirky than this nine-person, Boston-based band. Playing in support of its latest album, “Waving Kissyhead, Vol. 2 & 1,” Chandler Travis Philharmonic combines a counterculture rock sensibility with tinges of big-band horns and general zaniness. CTP self-describes as “alternative dixieland” and “omnipop,” but the bottom line is this: if you’re…
Tenor of the times
When David Murray was growing up in Berkeley in the late 1960’s, the Bay Area was a fertile place for music. Groups like Sly and the Family Stone and The Whispers were emerging from the region, and Murray’s own home was overflowing with melodies. His mother was a pianist and music director at the family’s…
Album review: Lowlives Divine
Hieronymus Bogs “Lowlives Divine” Artist Abbey hieronymusbogs.com During a conversation we once had about orchestral rock, Hieronymus Bogs described his own music as primitive. While some of his past tunes, such as “Wanna Die Be a Folk Singer,” sound as breathtaking as something by Aaron Copland, much of the psych-folk singer’s catalog is steeped in…
Film review: ‘Dead Men Tell No Tales’
The “Pirates of the Caribbean” series has run aground
The RPO’s 2016-17 season in review
CITY’s classical music critics recap the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2016-17 season
Classical review: RPO performs ‘La Boheme’
Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Music Director Ward Stare rose to prominence as Principal Trombone for Lyric Opera of Chicago. Here in the Flower City, he has made a conscious effort to perform operatic works in their entirety. On Thursday, when the RPO performed Giacomo Puccini’s beloved “La Bohème,” the result was unsettled at first, but ultimately…
