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CITY’s 2014 Festival Preview Guide
Whether you’re in the mood for live music, handcrafted art, or just want to get outside and walk around for the day, every month is packed full.
Eastman School appoints new dean
The University of Rochester has named Jamal Rossi the new dean of the Eastman School of Music, pending board approval, the university announced Tuesday. Board approval should come soon, said University President Joel Seligman. Rossi has been the school’s interim dean since September 2013, following the illness and resignation of former dean Douglas Lowry. Lowry…
Rochester school board prepares backup plan for East High
Rochester school board President Van White has asked Superintendent Bolgen Vargas to be prepared to submit his plan to improve East High School on Thursday, May 15.
Local Dems meet Thursday to pick candidates
Thursday night will be Joe Morelle’s last convention as chair of the Monroe County Democratic Committee. Much of the meeting should be relatively straightforward. The party members will nominate candidates for State Assembly, Senate, and two local House races. None of the announced candidates appear to have potential primary challengers, so the designations should be…
Film Review: “Neighbors”
The best comedies — even the most ridiculous, raunchy, and foul-mouthed among them — are successful because they contain at least the tiniest grain of human truth, a recognizable bit of emotion that its audience can connect with on some level. In the case of “Neighbors,” the new comedy from Nicholas Stoller (“Forgetting Sarah Marshall”),…
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 6: The RuCap, OR Lessons Learned from S6
The “RuCap” episodes rarely give us much new to digest, and that was the case for the Season 6 edition. It was a highlight reel with a few new scenes (animals!) and quips from past-season queens (I am very concerned about Sharon Needles, who totally bombed tonight). We also got a baffling rundown of the…
WEEK AHEAD: Ban the Box; BID; police reorg; city budget; Monroe meeting; casino speakout
Rochester City Council member Adam McFadden will hold an open forum on his “Ban the Box” legislation, which is under consideration by Council. This legislation eliminates the ability of employers within the City of Rochester and vendors of the city with four or more employees to ask an applicant on an employment application if he or she has…
Theater Review: JCC’s “Young Frankenstein”
A few years back, JCC Centerstage presented “Mel Brooks’ The Producers.” The show packed the house and in some ways raised the bar for what audiences could expect from a splashy, modern musical put on by a community theater. The JCC is currently presenting Brooks’ follow-up show, a musical adaptation of the actor-writer-director’s 1974 comedy…
Film Review: “Fading Gigolo”
Woody Allen’s presence in John Turturro’s new movie may represent something like an imprimatur, suggesting that his influence extends beyond the pictures he himself directs. Presumably filtered through Turturro’s imagination, “Fading Gigolo,” like it or not, seems very like one or another Woody Allen movie. The setting, the simple plot and situation, along with an…
“Game of Thrones” Season 4, Episode 6: “The Laws of Gods and Men”
The bulk of this week’s episode was basically “Law & Order: Westerosi Victims Unit,” a.k.a. the trial of Tyrion Lannister for the murder of King Joffrey. Honestly I wish the entire episode had been devoted to it, because that was some gripping television that told the story far better than the books did. The other…
Rochester school board chooses UR proposal for East High
As expected, the Rochester school board has decided to work with the University of Rochester to improve East High School. The board made its decision at a meeting last night. The UR proposal was chosen over that of a nonprofit and Superintendent Bolgen Vargas’s own plan. Vargas wanted to convert East into three smaller schools…
DESIGN EVENT: Staach Warehouse Sale
For the last several years, an environmentally-friendly, Staach, an emergent furniture design company (250 Cumberland Street), has been operating out of Rochester and sending sleek, simple, and modern objects of utility across the country and internationally. On Saturday, May 10, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Staach will open its doors to the Rochester public for…
Rochester is a community of walkers, new report says
In Rochester, 6.2 percent of commuters walk to work, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report released today. Rochester, it turns out, ranks 15th out of American cities with populations over 200,000 in the rate of commuters walking to work. The Census Bureau’s report analyzes commuter data collected through the American Community Survey from 2008 through 2012.…
Highland Hospital plans expansion
The hospital would add two stories and 30,000 square feet of space.
UR proposal tests school officials
Superintendent Bolgen Vargas and the Rochester school board ventured into entirely new territory this week. What happens next with East High School is going to pull back the curtain and tell us a lot about how effectively school officials really operate. It’s looking more probable that the school board will choose working with the University…
Bob Duffy’s mythology doesn’t always stand up to scrutiny
Well, well. The prodigal son and all that. In an announcement that surprised exactly no one, Lieutenant Governor Bob Duffy says he will not be on the ticket when Governor Andrew Cuomo seeks re-election this fall. Duffy is reportedly having some health issues, but scuttlebutt is that the lieutenant governor’s job didn’t live up to…
UR says it won’t be rushed into rescue of East High
University of Rochester officials say they’re interested in helping East High School, but they won’t be rushed. UR President Joel Seligman has sent a letter of intent to State Education Commissioner John King, agreeing to submit a proposal for East if certain conditions can be agreed upon by King, UR, the Rochester City School District,…
The Little closes Theater 1 for digital upgrade
The Little will temporarily close Theater 1 beginning Monday, May 12, for upgrades that will allow the space to show films released in a digital format. Theater 1, the Little’s largest venue, is expected to reopen by the end of the month, the organization said. Theaters 2-5 underwent similar upgrades during summer 2013, and will…
PUNK | Peelander-Z
Imagine If the Power Rangers were to quit fighting evil, buy a boatload of punk CDs and form a band. Whatever odd picture you have in your head probably isn’t far from Peelander-Z. The NYC-based Japanese punk outfit is famous for its hilarious songs — “Taco Taco Tacos,” and “Too Many Mike” are among its…
Perception of people and place
In the Eastman House’s Entrance Gallery, 23 images make up “Of Time and Buildings,” an exhibit exploring the relationship between images of our constructed world and how we experience place. Inevitable, unstoppable shift is a theme throughout the show, depicted both physically and metaphorically. James Casebere’s “Monticello #3” is a quiet interior image of a…
Roses & Revolutions
Band names can often be misleading and superfluous. And a lot of time is spent in creating a moniker, a title that frequently has nothing to do with the band that puts it on like an ill-fitting turtleneck. But when Tinted Image abandoned its name for Roses & Revolutions, it made perfect sense. Here is…
Out of the classroom
College theater departments have always been busy places, but the Multi-use Community Cultural Center’s College Theater Festival, now in its third year, throws a stronger light on what happens on campus — not just acting, but learning about directing, theater tech, and writing plays. The festival runs Friday, May 9, through Sunday, May 11, and…
ALBUM REVIEW: “Warning In The Sky”
Sabattis “Warning In The Sky” Jargon Records The music industry is a fickle bitch; a rocky road littered with the broken hearts, souls, and limbs of those trying to get to the Promised Land. Once upon a time — 1968 to be precise — in Rochester, a hard-rockin’ psychedelic outfit called Sabattis came to be.…
“Only Lovers Left Alive”
Leave it to Jim Jarmusch, the director who gave film audiences the “psychedelic western,” 1995’s “Dead Man,” and the gangster/samurai hybrid, “Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai,” to find a way to put his own unique stamp on that most trendy of cinematic monsters: the vampire. In “Only Lovers Left Alive,” Jarmusch finds a…
CHOW HOUND: Angry Goat, happy patron
The Angry Goat still has that new bar smell. Filling the air is the scent of recently painted walls and freshly cut wood, not yet spoiled by spilled beer. Located on the corner of South Goodman Street and South Clinton Avenue, the pub has a great location near both the South Wedge and Swillburg neighborhoods.…
ART | “Rochester (and Other) Landmarks” at Artisan Works
It’s always fascinating to see the collaboration work between two very different artists. Graffiti artist Antonio “Chico” Garcia and photographer Jonathon White have been collaborating since the 1990’s by combining White’s prints with Chico’s unique character creations. Chico is a graffiti artist from New York City’s lower east side whose work can be seen all…
Brockport library wants to go solo
The budget for Brockport’s Seymour Library is at the mercy of three separate local governments. But that could change. Each year, library officials have to approach the towns of Sweden and Clarkson, as well as the Village of Brockport with funding requests. Each community decides what it will contribute, but Brockport generally sets the tone,…
SPECIAL | Dachshund Parade
Don’t miss out on this day dedicated to your “doxie.” On Saturday, May 10, Rochester will celebrate the 13th annual Dachshund Parade. Enjoy a parade of wiener dogs as both you and your dachshund spend the day with other dogs and their owners. The Parade will also feature dachshund-themed vendor items and dog health information…
An imperfect peace
The Middle East could be headed for more turmoil. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ended recent peace negotiations with Palestinian leaders over the possibility of Hamas being part of a unified government Israel and the United States view Hamas as a terrorist organization. But the Palestinian political parties — Fatah and Hamas — have reconciled,…
SPORTS | Rochester Dragons home opener
Western New York has the chance to experience a unique kind of sporting event here: Ultimate Frisbee. The American Ultimate Disc League may only be in its third season, but the excitement of professional Ultimate Frisbee cannot be denied. The Rochester Dragons will continue its season with its home opener game on Saturday, May 10,…
Port questions answered
The Port of Rochester is not living up to its full potential, city officials say. A redevelopment project, done right, will boost the port’s profile, make the port a year-round destination, bring in traffic for Charlotte businesses, and raise tax revenue for the city, they say. The city’s desire for a transformational project has led…
LECTURE | Simon Rich at Arts & Lectures
Looking at Simon Rich you wouldn’t believe he graduated from high school, let alone be almost 30 years old. But boyish charm aside, this guy has some serious talent. At the age of 23, Rich became one of the youngest writers for Saturday Night Live, and has been a frequent contributor to the New Yorker’s…
East times 3?
Rochester schools Superintendent Bolgen Vargas wants to divide the failing East High School into three separate schools, all housed in the current building. Vargas made the recommendation at a school board meeting Tuesday night. The Rochester school district is under orders from the State Education Department to come up with a plan to drastically improve…
THEATER | Beauty and the Beast
The fairy tale story of “Beauty and the Beast” has been around since 1740, when Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve first published her rendition. Since then, there have been countless retellings and versions of this classic. “Beauty and the Beast” first took the stage in 1993 in Houston, Texas, and has since been performed in more…
Urban Action 5/7
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.) Fracking film The First Unitarian Church’s Environmental Climate Committee will sponsor a showing of the documentary “All Fracked Up II” at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 13. Filmmakers Jeff and Jodi Andrysick expose…
ROCK | The Standells
The Standells mega-garage hit from 1966, “Dirty Water,” is more infectious than the Meow Mix or Laurie’s Natural Foods commercials, and is listed in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame as one of the 500 songs that shaped rock ‘n’ roll. This Boston Quartet proved influential to artists like The Sex Pistols and The…
Deconstructing Cuomo
Barring some truly shocking scandal, our governor looks like a shoe-in for re-election. Still, it was interesting to read “Democrats Need to Replace Andrew Cuomo,” a recent Harold Meyerson column in the Washington Post. Meyerson cited New York State Democrats’ liberal history: progressive labor laws, massive public works projects, that kind of thing. And, Meyerson…
ROCK | Buckcherry
Call me out if you want, but Buckcherry is the best hard rock band around. Think Aerosmith or Thin Lizzy in their prime; think Larry Flynt wielding a Les Paul; think abandon and anarchy dished out loud and fast with one of the best rock voices today. Then picture yourself there, screaming your head off.…
ROCK | Aqua Nebula Oscillator
Coming all the way from France, Aqua Nebula Oscillator creates atmospheric, unpredictable music with a psychedelic edge. The band states that it is inspired by many different forms of art, including horror and cult movies — an influence that can be heard clearly through its penchant for creating music with an otherworldly, ominous sense to…
JAZZ | Daniel Bennett Group
After graduating from New England Conservatory of Music, Rochesterian Daniel Bennett established himself in the New York scene as a triple threat: saxophonist, flutist, and composer. When he visits the Henrietta Public Library Saturday for a CD release concert, he’ll be introducing “Clockhead Goes To Camp,” his latest highly imaginative work following his “Bear” trilogy…
PUNK | Against Me!
It is hard to imagine any band that is more intriguing right now than Against Me! Established in 1997 by singer-guitarist Laura Jean Grace — then known as Tom Gabel — Against Me! has had its share of ups (a major record deal) and downs (the departures of several key band members) but has managed…
ROCK | CJ Ramone
CJ Ramone has had an impressive career, performing with acts like Los Gusanos, 22 Jacks, Bad Chopper, and most notably, The Ramones. Although not an original member of the legendary NYC punk outfit, he breathed new life into the band from 1989 until The Ramones’ break up in 1996. His new project continues the tradition…
CLASSICAL | Carmina Burana
Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana” is loved for its bawdy medieval texts and earworm tunes, but this choral blockbuster is described as a “scenic cantata.” So if you want to make a splash with it, why not give your audience plenty to look at as well as? That’s the philosophy behind this weekend’s production of “Carmina…
