Cover Story
Dish 2013
If there is a theme to this edition of Dish, it is “starting early.” Each of the three features in our annual dining guide refers to that concept in one way or another.
Daily Choices: What to do on Wednesday, May 15
Art: Head over to Hanlon-Fiske Studios (34 Elton St.) tonight at 7 p.m. for The Icarus Sessions, a series of informal enlightening lightning talks during which you can speak for 140 seconds about art you’re working on, what inspires you, what’s holding you back, or whatever.
Daily Choices: What to do on Tuesday, May 14
Special Event: Help support this summer’s Wall\Therapy public art festival by attending the organization’s Indiegogo Party, held tonight, 7-9 p.m., at Cure (50 Public Market). There is a suggested $15 donation at door, which covers one drink + hor d’oeuvres, and there will be a cash bar available. For more information, visit indiegogo.com/projects/wall-therapy-2013-fundraiser. Music: Cory…
Concert Review: David Mayfield Parade, Jeremy Laurson, Teressa Wilcox Band
Friday night marked the first part of The David Mayfield Parade’s two-night stand at Abilene. By the time I made the scene the place was packed and sufficiently lubricated on Genny, Jim, and Jack, and show openers The Tarbox Ramblers’ opening set was full of lowdown, drop-tune, and swampy Beantown voodoo. The headliners from Columbus,…
Week Ahead: MCDC convention, Bike Week continues
UPDATE, Monday, May 13, 1:20 p.m.: Hearing from a couple of sources that the race for City Council endorsements will be less exciting than we thought. Two Democratic insiders say all five City Council incumbents have locked up the endorsement of the party by winning a majority of the citywide weighted vote. ORIGINAL BLOG: The…
Daily Choices: What to do on Monday, May 13
Art: The Annual School for American Crafts Walkthrough event will be held today, 4-7 p.m., at the School for American Crafts (73 Lomb Memorial Dr., Bldg 7A, Rm 2514).
Beebe will challenge Reilich for Greece supervisor job
Former Monroe County Legislator Dick Beebe is stepping into the race for Greece town supervisor. Beebe, a Democrat, announced his candidacy at a press conference this afternoon. He’s already been endorsed by the Greece Democratic Committee. He’ll be running against Assembly member and Monroe County Republican Party chair Bill Reilich, who was endorsed by the…
Daily Choices: What to do on Saturday, May 11 and Sunday, May 12
Special Event: The 12th Annual Rochester Dachshund Parade will take place Saturday, May 11, 10 a.m.-noon, at Washington Square Park (Washington Square at South Clinton Ave.) Admission is free, and costumes are encouraged! For more info, visit dachshundparade.com.
A new CO2 record
Yesterday, atmospheric carbon dioxide levels either broke 400 parts per million for the first time in recorded history, or came incredibly close to doing so. The figure depends on who’s doing the reporting, but either way, it’s not a good milestone. Carbon dioxide from human activities, particularly fossil fuels, is driving global climate change. Leading…
Possible delay in controversial University Ave. apartment application
Updated Monday, May 13, at 3:20 p.m. The Planning Commission will not be taking up the application for the proposed University Avenue complex during its May 20 meeting. The Preservation board will instead make its recommendation during its regularly scheduled June 5 meeting, and the application will go before the Planning Commission on June 17,…
Concert Review: NEXUS and the RPO
The audience at Thursday night’s Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra performance (Peter Bay, guest conductor) was treated to a “sound bath” – there is no other way to describe the beautiful and interesting composition “From Me Flows What You Call Time,” by Toru Takemitsu, performed with NEXUS percussion ensemble. Paired with Karen Tanaka’s “Water of Life,” this…
Rochester school board passes $734 million budget
Last night, the Rochester school board unanimously approved a $734 million budget for the coming school year. The budget is about $6 million more than what Superintendent Bolgen Vargas proposed several months ago, and it will fund longer school days in as many as 10 schools this fall. The budget closes a $50.2 million gap…
Daily Choices: What to do on Friday, May 10
Film: New movies opening this week in wide release include “The Great Gatsby” and “Peeples.” The Dryden Theatre will screen “Band of Sisters,” “Days of Heaven,” “The Fallen Idol,” “The Outside Man,” and “Roxanne” this week. The Little Theatre will open “The Angels’ Share,” “Nabucco,” and “Not My Life.” Cinema Theatre will screen the films…
“American Idol” 2013: Results (Final 2 Revealed!)
Ryan Seacrest started off the show by making a veiled insulted reference to the news that Randy Jackson announced today that he’s leaving the show. We can only hope that is the truth — he has teased that many times before, and reportedly was only asked back for this season at the absolute last minute.…
Irondequoit Republicans come out swinging
Two years can be a lifetime in politics: just look at the way Irondequoit’s elections are shaping up, especially the tone of the races. In 2011, Republicans and Democrats cross-endorsed a slate of candidates for the Town Board. The parties agreed that Supervisor Mary Joyce D’Aurizio, a Republican, and the two Democratic board members up…
“American Idol” 2013: Top 3 Perform
Ryan Seacrest started off the show by making a back-handed compliment to Mariah Carey about “not eating any carbs this week.” What an asshole. We had a three-round fight between our Final 3, Angie Miller, Candice Glover, and Kree Harrison. Round 1: Jimmy Iovine Pick. Round 2: Judges Pick. Round 3: Idol Production Pick. For…
School board and Vargas have last-minute budget fight
Obtaining reliable data has become a flashpoint of tension between Rochester schools Superintendent Bolgen Vargas and some city school board members. At an often tense board meeting last night for a final review of Vargas’s 2013 to 2014 proposed budget, some members complained about a lack of general information. With a vote to adopt the…
Rochester’s grad rate dips again
The four-year graduation rate for the Rochester school district dropped by one point, according to the New York State Education Department. The SED has released its Report Cards for districts throughout the state, and out of Rochester’s 2007 cohort of 2,868 students, 50 percent graduated in 2012, down from 51 percent from the prior school…
SPECIAL EVENT | Roaring 20s Party
While the world fell apart during the 1920’s, inside the speakeasies the rebellious youth of America created their own defiant version of opulence and fun. Despite lawlessness and poverty, the Roaring 20’s will forever be glorified for the decade’s glamorous style with a kick of reckless abandon. Hollywood and its fans will re-pique our interest…
THEATER REVIEW: “Funny Girl”
UPDATE 5/10/13: The JCC has announced that, due to popular demand, an additional performance has been added to the run on Sunday, May 19, at 7 p.m. You can understand why a community theater would want to revive a fondly remembered musical like “Funny Girl.” It ran for more than 1300 performances when it first…
ROCK | Bow Thayer & Perfect Trainwreck
Many bands walk along the roots-rock path, but few sound as fresh as Bow Thayer & Perfect Trainwreck. The quintet infuses banjo twang with elements of prog rock and jam band to create what it describes as “mountain soul.” Boston native Thayer moved to Vermont to write songs, and as a result his group has…
“Renoir”
Whatever the complications and challenges in making any motion picture, films about great artists, especially in the graphic and plastic arts, should really make themselves. Beyond the inherent interest in the life of a particular famous person, the sheer process of creation holds its own fascination, and above all, the images themselves provide a rich…
“Iron Man 3”
Summer movie season has officially arrived with the release of “Iron Man 3,” the third (and-a-half, including last summer’s “The Avengers”) chapter in the story of billionaire industrialist and inventor, Tony Stark. The film continues Marvel Studios’ winning formula of picking interesting filmmakers for their mega-budget superhero blockbusters over more commercially viable (i.e. boring) options.…
Dish 2013: Eat great, even late
UPDATED 5/15/13 to correct addresses for The Distillery and Elmwood Inn. We’ve all been there. It’s almost midnight — or maybe around 1 a.m., or after 3 a.m. — and you’ve got a craving that can’t be kicked at home. Maybe you want a place where your friends, roommates, or co-workers can go grab an…
MUSIC FEATURE: Vinyl Orange Ottoman
The reason it’s so hard to find adjectives to accurately describe Rochester’s Vinyl Orange Ottoman is simple: the band itself is an adjective. The timing is just out of whack. If bands like The Black Crowes or Stone Temple Pilots or Pearl Jam hadn’t come first, chances are hack scribes like Frank De Blase would…
Dish 2013: Updating the kiddie menu
A couple of weeks ago, my family got carry-out from one of our favorite Asian restaurants. We ordered Chinese-style chicken curry, fish stir-fried with garlic and scallions, a dish made with crushed tofu and mushrooms, and a plate of salt-and-pepper squid — a tangle of tiny deep-fried tentacles that looked very much like the climactic…
ART REVIEW: “Our Cryptozoological Expedition into ‘The Elusive'”
Though we think we’re getting a firmer handle on this world, you could argue that as human beings increasingly set themselves as separate from other species, both in mind an in manner of living, our understanding of the creatures that share this planet has grown shakier and shakier. Some people study these untamed objects of…
Daily Choices: What to do on Thursday, May 9
Special Event: Rochester Academy of Medicine (1441 East Ave.) will host a Mother/Daughter Spa Night tonight, 6-8 p.m., in efforts to raise money and support for the students of Young Women’s College Prep Charter School. There will be a raffle of Babo Botanicals worth $150 and products handed out throughout the evening. Tickets are $50…
CHAMBER POP | The Lighthouse and The Whaler
On the heels of a brief tour with Central New York sweethearts Ra Ra Riot, Cleveland-based band The Lighthouse and The Whaler bring its melodic folk-rock, replete with glockenspiel and strings, to town. The outfit has released two albums and an EP over the course of its five-year existence, each showcasing enough catchy sing-along choruses…
Dish 2013: Walworth’s Tōcōti Chocolate transforms bean into bar
Dale and Ellen Montondo’s home in Walworth, just northeast of Penfield, is a cute, cedar-sided number that sits amidst a gaggle of tall pines. The place would seem warm and inviting even without the unmistakable aroma of chocolate that hugs you as you cross the threshold. It’s a scent that scientists claim can relieve stress…
CLASSICAL | Hochstein Youth Symphony Orchestra
Looking to add a classical touch to your Mother’s Day? Join the Hochstein Youth Symphony Orchestra for its annual Mother’s Day concert. The program includes the lovely Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture by Tchaikovsky, which Director Casey Springstead says is the most challenging piece this year for the HYSO. Additional composers on the program include…
CD Review: The Jay D’Amico Quintet “Tango Caliente”
“Tango Caliente,” the new album by The Jay D’Amico Quintet, is so good it may make you wonder why D’Amico is not better known. Over his four decade career he’s collaborated extensively with bassist Milt Hinton, and from 1984 to the night before 9/11, D’Amico was pianist in residence at Windows on the World, the…
POP | Teddy Geiger
Teddy Geiger is back in town to show us the softer side of his heart. Playing to the hometown crowd, one would assume his particularly heart-felt blend of blue-eyed pop (seriously — his eyes are disturbingly blue) would be even more so this evening as he swings in to promote his upcoming album “The Last…
CD Review: Pascal Le Boeuf “Pascal’s Triangle”
Pianist Pascal Le Boeuf is a 21st century renaissance man. He’s made inroads in the worlds of classical music, indie-rock, and jazz. With his identical twin brother Remy, he’s won top awards in various international songwriting competitions. “Pascal’s Triangle” finds Le Boeuf in a jazz trio setting with excellent partners Linda Oh on bass and…
POST-PUNK | Bella’s Bartok
Massachusetts-based band Bella’s Bartok plays a distinct mix of punk-rock, bohemian/folk, and dance music, complete with creative, broad instrumentation and unexpected group harmonies. The band describes its sound as being akin to, “Tom Waits kicking the crap out of the Fleet Foxes, whilst being serenaded by a klezmer wedding band.” While that description seems rather…
Film fest showcases cycling
Scott Wagner sees Rochester as both a film town and a bike town. So why not bring the two aspects of local culture together? Wagner has founded the Rochester Bicycle Film Festival, which will take place at 6:30p.m. on Tuesday, May 14, at the Cinema Theatre on South Clinton Avenue. The festival is part of…
FOLK | Yellow Red Sparks
Los Angeles-based band Yellow Red Sparks began as a solo project for lead singer/songwriter Joshua Hanson, but eventually developed into the trio that it is today, featuring additional musicians on the upright bass and drums. Yellow Red Sparks creates folk-inspired indie rock, following in the newly founded tradition of bands such as The Head and…
The Hemlock-Canadice balancing act
Anti-fracking groups in the Rochester area want the state Department of Environmental Conservation to state strongly and unequivocally that it won’t allow drilling on the Hemlock-Canadice forest lands. And they’re pushing for the state to make the property either a unique area or a state nature and historic preserve — defined designations that limit use…
Pop/Rock | Silversun Pickups
Silversun Pickups has done pretty much everything right in its relatively short, and absolutely celebrated, existence. Since it arose from the Silver Lake music scene in 2002, the LA four-piece has been nominated for a Grammy and sold well over 1 million records worldwide. The band has drawn comparisons to heavy-hitting indie outfits of yore,…
RCSD’s big gamble: longer days
Twenty or 30 years ago, staying after school for anything other than football practice usually meant bad news. And the mere mention of summer school could send chills up your spine. But longer school days and shorter summer vacations, especially in urban districts, are quickly becoming standard ingredients of elementary and secondary public education. Rochester…
POP/ROCK | Rochester Lilac Festival 2013
This year’s Lilac Festival entertainment schedule has some summer-festival standards Rochester has come to expect, like The Skycoasters, Marshall Tucker Band, and Rusted Root. There are classic acts that ought to scratch your nostalgic itch like Eddie Money, The English Beat, and The Smithereens, plus newer-on-the scene sensations like lake Street Drive, J.C. Brooks and…
Rochester report
Rochester is in need of fundamental transformation, said Mayor Tom Richards in his State of the City address on Monday night. Refusal to acknowledge that fact or to insist that nips and tucks will do the trick is to condemn the city to failure, he said. | Richards’ speech touched on public safety, education, housing…
ART EVENT | “Silver and Water” Printing Performance
Artist Lauren Bon and The Optics Division of the Metabolic Studio created “Silver and Water,” the brilliant, giant-pinhole-camera-print installation currently on view at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.). The idea was to explore the ways that silver and water are interconnected through the themes of westward expansion, documentation of the west, the birth and…
CHOW HOUND: Mother’s Day brunch
“Every day is Kid’s Day!” Mom would no doubt reply when you wondered where your designated holiday was. And now that you’re big, you know she was right. Hopefully you’re able to spoil your mother on a regular basis, but the second Sunday in May is the day that businesses set aside to be especially…
DANCE | Geomantics at Downstairs Cab
Enjoy a night of serious contemporary choreography paired with ragingly fun entertainment this weekend at Downstairs Cabaret Theatre Center (540 E. Main St.). “Your Life is Not Your Own” strings a dozen short stories together with brawny text and features the five-member Geomantics Dance Theater ensemble. The troupe will be joined by nine guest dancers…
KIDS | Day Out with Thomas
Before I was old enough to care about The Beatles, I knew Ringo Starr as the magical Mr. Conductor on PBS’s kids’ show, “Shining Time Station,” the American spin-off of the popular “Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends.” This program may or may not have set in motion my imagination’s tendency to assign personalities and…
Urban Action 5/8
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.) Fracking forum Local anti-fracking group R-CAUSE will host “Hydrofracking as Seen Through the Lens of Public Health,” a public forum at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 9. Dr. David Carpenter, a public health…
FESTIVAL | Tree Peony Festival of Flowers
Spring has finally bust wide open in our region, and the city-wide sigh of relief and joy was almost audible. Everything is in bloom, boasting color and fragrance and drawing us out into the elusive Rochester sunshine. Time to celebrate! If the Lilac Festival is too much loud-crowd for your tastes, escape to Pavilion’s peaceful…
FILM | Reel Mind Film Festival
We readily recognize that health issues result in part from toxic environmental factors, but don’t always give the same consideration to the effects that the sick and ailing world has on its people. Any step we can take to increase the sensitivity with which we treat mental illness — or any illness, for that matter…
Blacks, poverty, and the future of Rochester
It’s tempting to feel optimistic about some of the things happening in Rochester, especially in a spring like this one, with the weather in the 70’s and neighborhoods throughout the city awash in flowers. The Midtown site is getting ready for new streets (and, we hope, new development), stories keep trickling in about new businesses…
Week Ahead: Fracking discussion, RCSD budget vote, State of the City address, Preservation Board considers University Ave. complex
On Thursday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., the local anti-fracking group R-CAUSE will hold a panel discussion titled “Hydrofracking as Seen Through the Lens of Public Health.” Two panelists will discuss the possible environmental consequences of fracking, and fracking’s potential impact on human health. The speakers are Dr. David Carpenter and David Kowalski. Carpenter,…
