Cover Story
ELECTIONS 2012: The case against Brooks for Congress
Congressional candidate Maggie Brooks almost never refers to the “people” of Monroe County; they are “taxpayers,” even when the context seems to demand another noun. The subtle bit of messaging aligns with Brooks’ signature and much-touted accomplishment as county executive: freezing the property tax rate.
Daily Choices: What to do on Wednesday, October 31
MUSIC: He’s the Boss, what more is there to say? Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will be playing tonight at the Blue Cross Arena (One War Memorial Square, bluecrossarena.com) at 7:30 p.m. Send the kids off trick-or-treating and get ready for Jersey’s best. Tickets run $68-$101.
The high price of the presidency
This spending in this year’s presidential race will crush the record set in 2008. But how outrageous will the sums be? As of October 17, the numbers were staggering. First, some context. The 2008 presidential election cost $1.7 billion, twice as much as the 2004 presidential election. In 2012, spending will at least double that…
Vargas plans community outreach
City schools Superintendent Bolgen Vargas will hold a community meeting from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, November 5, at School 3, 85 Adams Street. The “Neighbor Night” will be similar in format to Vargas’s monthly “Coffee and Conversations.” He’ll answer questions from parents, students, and residents in an informal setting. The intent, according…
Unprecedented effort to fight truancy
Before the Rochester school district could launch its new crackdown on chronic truancy, school officials had to clean up their attendance records and draft a detailed plan of attack. Earlier efforts were stymied by faulty data, missteps, and a lack of coordination and follow-up. But officials say that this time they are better prepared to…
Racism regenerates
When President Obama was elected, millions of Americans wondered whether the country’s long history of racial turbulence was finally over. But many people, particularly some well-known African-American leaders, were quick to say: It’s a nice thought, but don’t count on it. And it seems they were right. A solid majority of Americans outwardly express prejudice…
Sandy delays the Boss
The Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band concert originally scheduled for tomorrow has been postponed to Wednesday, October 31. You can blame Sandy for that one.
Handy storm tools from RG&E
Hey, this is neat. RG&E’s website has a section called “outage central” with all sorts of useful tools. You can report an outage, get an estimate on when your power should be back, and find out who else is without power. Information is available all the way down to the street level. There’s also an…
Concert Review: Rock ’n’ Roll Social Club, Blanco Diablo, Brian Lindsay
Pineapple Jack’s PA system has two settings: loud and off. And it certainly wasn’t off Friday night as Rock ’n’ Roll Social Club strangled and pummeled its instruments in an intense and fun set of energetic hard rock. This band is essentially BoneYard minus king of the multi-octave wail, JJ Lang, and with the addition…
Week Ahead: Midtown public-space hearing, another Slaughter-Brooks debate
The City of Rochester will hold a public hearing to present designs for the open space and public realm portion of the Midtown Redevelopment Project. The designs include plans for new streets, sidewalks, and open spaces. Some people have also talked about using a portion of the property for a permanent downtown festival site. The…
Hurricane Sandy and climate change: It’s complicated
The entire northeast is preparing for the onset of the Hurricane Sandy. Or more specifically, people in the northeast are preparing for the Frankenstorm: Hurricane Sandy mixed with a winter storm coming from the north. That combination of a hurricane and a nor’easter is weird. And it’s the latest example of weird or abnormally severe…
Daily Choices: What to do on Monday, October 29
SPECIAL EVENT: Halloween festivities continue tonight through Wednesday, which is the official spooktacular day. Check out the Warehouse of Biowar(1290 University Ave.), which features a walk-through maze that simulates society’s fragmented infrastructure in a post-apocalyptic setting. The event runs 7-11 p.m., and tickets are $12. For more info, visit cayoindustrial.com. Check out City’s Halloween Guide…
Concert Review: Idina Menzel
If we count her opening excerpt from “Over the Rainbow,” soprano Idina Menzel was a thrill last night at the Auditorium Theatre, performing more than two hours of Broadway songs from hits such as “Wicked,” “Rent,” and “A Chorus Line.”
Daily Choices: What to do on Saturday and Sunday, October 27-28
SPECIAL EVENTS: As Halloween falls on Wednesday this year, we’re getting smacked with the bulk of celebratory events this weekend, including various haunted hayrides, haunted houses, ghost story walks, a Halloween Obstacle Course Competition at the Rochester Parkour Gym, and a screening of “Carrie” at the Dryden Theatre. For all of the events and details,…
Concert Review: Glen Campbell at the State Theatre
I kind of wish I didn’t know the score last night. I wonder if I didn’t know that this was Glen Campbell’s final tour, or that the entertainer has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, whether the show would have impacted me as deeply as it did. I guess in the end it added to the achingly…
Truancy crackdown gaining steam
Rochester Mayor Tom Richards is proposing that the city kick-in $15,000 to support the school district’s new initiative to battle chronic truancy. That would be matched by $15,000 from the school district, and $10,000 from United Way. City Council will begin vetting the proposal next week. Poor attendance and high truancy rates are widely believed…
Concert Review: RPO’s Debussy at 150
Thursday night’s Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra concert included the orchestra’s tribute for the 150-year celebration of French composer Claude Debussy, along with a symphony by Belgian composer César Franck. First up was the “Petite Suite” (the “Little Suite”) of Claude Debussy, the master of our romantic hearts. A lovely 15-minute piece, “Petite Suite” was everything one…
Vargas resumes attendance battle
About 40 Rochester school district and city officials, including Mayor Tom Richards, fanned out in city neighborhoods this morning, searching for absentee students. In groups of two and three, they knocked on doors in search of about 120 students who have missed 10 to 20 days this school year, said Patricia Malgieri, the district’s chief…
INTERVIEW: Award-winning illustrator P. Craig Russell
As part of the Eastman School of Music’s month-long celebration of the music of composer Claude Debussy, ESM will present a free performance of "Pelléas Redux" Friday, October 26, at 8 p.m. at Kodak Hall in Eastman Theatre. A theatrical presentation of Maurice Maeterlinck’s love-triangle-laden tragic play, “Pelléas & Mélisande,” featuring music from Debussy’s operatic…
Daily Choices: What to do on Friday, October 26
SPECIAL EVENT: Writers and Books (740 University Ave.) will host its 4th Annual Masquerade Party tonight, 8-11 p.m., featuring food, games, readings, and a costume contest. All costumes are welcome, but especially those with a literary theme. This year’s theme is “Something Wicked This Way Comes” in honor of the late, great Ray Bradbury. Tickets…
Exodus To Jazz goes on semi-hiatus
Citing low turnout for earlier shows in the season, promoter Jose DaCosta has announced that the Exodus To Jazz series is going on a semi-hiatus while the schedule is reconsidered. That means that the E.J. Strickland and Rene Marie concerts, originally scheduled for Saturday, October 27, and Thursday, November 15, respectively, are being postponed due…
Proposed county fracking law stalls
For now, Democrats’ proposal to prohibit the county from treating fracking-related waste water won’t move forward. Last night, Republican John Howland, the chair of the County Legislature’s Environment and Public Works committee, referred the proposal to the Brooks administration for further study. He said it’s a complex issue with lots of facts coming from each…
Daily Choices: What to do on Thursday, October 25
OPERA: Eastman Opera Theatre’s staging of "The Rape of Lucretia," a still-relevant tale of power, greed, inequity, and corruption, will take place at Visual Studies Workshop (31 Prince St.) tonight, 7:30 p.m. The show continues through Sunday and costs $20 to attend. For more info, call 454-2100, or visit esm.rochester.edu/concerts/tickets.php. MUSIC: So many Halloween parties,…
South Park Season 16, Episode 12
It’s been quite some time since “South Park” has done a Halloween episode: “Hell on Earth 2006” was the last time the show celebrated the holiday (and caused waves of controversy over a was-it-too-soon-or-not Steve Irwin joke), and it’s about time the show returned to some Halloween themed hoodwinks.
American Horror Story Season 2, Episode 2
“American Horror Story” was a smorgasbord of sensory proportions tonight: But like any good feast, sometimes enough is enough, and you wish you hadn’t had that last bloody slice of meatloaf.
War with Iran and election hype
It was a little hard to tell whether Mitt Romney was confident or confused in the foreign policy debate on Monday night. We saw the difference between a candidate’s campaign jabber and the knowledge of an experienced president. Side by side, one rings hollow and the other authentic. Romney’s eagerness to pump up Pentagon spending…
Daily Choices: What to do on Tuesday, October 30
MUSIC: The Bruce Springsteen concert originally at the Blue Cross Arena has been moved to tomorrow due to Sandy. But it’s just one more day to wait for the Boss. SPECIAL EVENT: Attend a short talk on Spiritualism, followed by a Séance at Psychic’s Thyme (439 Monroe Ave.) tonight, 7-9 p.m., hosted by Sisters of…
ELECTIONS 2012: Hochul over Collins
The 27th Congressional District race is essentially about two things: health care and jobs. Incumbent Democratic Representative Kathy Hochul wants to keep the Affordable Care Act in place, though she’s said it could be improved. Her Republican challenger, business owner and former Eric County executive Chris Collins, wants to repeal the ACA. But he’s offered…
SURF/METAL: The Concrete Rivals
The Concrete Rivals’ sound combines the reverb-driven, gruff guitar work of 60’s surf rock and the speed and guts of in-your-face heavy metal. This Montpelier, Vermont, trio has been touring on the strength of its debut album, “Eat Their Weight in Snakes.” Justin Crowther of Seven Days, an independent Vermont publication, described the record as…
ELECTIONS 2012: Aldersley for County Legislature
Democratic Legislator Stephanie Aldersley is looking to win the seat she once held for a decade. Aldersley was appointed to the Monroe County Legislature earlier this year to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Vinnie Esposito. She’s running now to fill the remaining three years of Esposito’s term, and faces a challenge from…
ROCK: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band
Bruce Springsteen has had a hold on heartland rock ‘n’ roll for six decades, and his grip shows no sign of loosening. The Long Branch, New Jersey, native has won 20 Grammy awards in his illustrious career, and with every album, his sound maintains its relevancy. This year’s “Wrecking Ball” (Springsteen’s 17th studio release) has…
ELECTIONS 2012: O’Brien should win Senate slugfest
Republican State Senator Jim Alesi’s decision not to seek re-election set off a savage political scramble that only gets uglier and more personal as the election gets closer. The race between Democrat Ted O’Brien and Republican Sean Hanna for the 55th Senate District is about local representation, but also about control of the Senate. The…
CLASSICAL: Mozart and Tchaikovsky: A Benefit for RocMusic
We all gasp and complain each time we see statistics about the city schools, but what do we actually do to contribute to solutions? Enter Kevin Fitzgerald, Evan Meccarello, and local musicians for a concert to benefit RocMusic. This community-based, tuition-free program provides after-school music instruction, instruments, practice time, and ensemble and performance opportunities to…
ELECTIONS 2012: Dinolfo seeks third term as clerk
Incumbent Republican Cheryl Dinolfo and Democrat Susan Vandervoort are the candidates for Monroe County clerk — an office that probably shouldn’t require an election in the first place. Dinolfo was appointed clerk in April 2004 after former clerk Maggie Brooks became county executive. Dinolfo, widely seen as a Republican loyalist, was elected later in 2004,…
CLASSICAL: Rochester Oratorio Society
My tastes lean toward the sacred in classical music, so this concert immediately caught my eye. The program includes “Messa di Gloria” by Puccini, “Gloria” from “Mass of the Children” by Rutter, and “Gloria” from the “Masque of Angels” by Argento. Italian Giacomo Puccini, you likely know, so why not open yourself also to British…
Feedback 10/24
Send comments to themail@rochester-citynews.com, or post them on our website, rochestercitynewspaper.com, our Facebook page, or our Twitter feed, @roccitynews. We edit selections for publication in print, and we don’t publish comments sent to other media. You can help at Northeast Prep Last June, I wrote a letter (“Support Plan for Northeast Prep”) anticipating the expanded…
BROADWAY/POP: Idina Menzel
Broadway fans know Idina Menzel as the original Maureen in “Rent,” and as the definitive Elphaba in “Wicked.” TV fans know her as Shelby Corcoran, the biological mother or Rachel Berry and leader of a rival show choir on “Glee,” and she was also a featured player in the movie “Enchanted.” What the uninitiated need…
MUSIC INTERVIEW: Charlie Hunter
Charlie Hunter can pick up just about any guitar and make it sing. But what if a seasoned guitar player picks up Hunter’s ax? “It’s a problem,” says Hunter. “The technique is so different from guitar, it’s like trying to drive a gigantic semi in the Indy 500.” Hunter’s guitar is a custom-made, seven-string hybrid.…
CLASSICAL: Rochester Lyric Opera
The first thing you need to know is that Rochester Lyric Opera is the new name for the former Empire State Lyric Theatre, a company continuing its mission of professional opera productions and educational outreach. Next, you need to know it’s time to celebrate National Opera Week, with offerings including a talk at 5 p.m.…
MOVIE REVIEW: “Alex Cross”
Having written, directed, and starred in a number of broad comedies, all proclaiming his ownership of the franchise, Tyler Perry surely qualifies as that darling of the cineastes, an auteur. Now, after playing the title character in all those Madea flicks, he takes on an entirely different role in an entirely different genre. He plays…
ART: “Asina/Familiar” at RIT SPAS Gallery
Turkey may not be a country that is constantly on the minds of Americans, but we know it through familiar points of history and stories, including the Trojan War, Noah’s Ark landing on Mount Ararat, St. Nicholas (who became the bishop of Demre before becoming a child’s myth), and the home of a city that…
MOVIE REVIEW: “Paranormal Activity 4”
SPOILER ALERT! There will be a “Paranormal Activity 5” in… oh, I’m gonna guess exactly one year from now. The first three films in the “Paranormal Activity” franchise have banked a little north of a half-billion dollars worldwide, and in comparison with how much they cost to make, the gross is almost pure, uncut gravy.…
THEATER: “Hermes”
In an age when the puppet masters behind global financial collapses pay fewer and fewer consequences and commit class warfare on everyone else, artists and writers will sometimes dream up a little retribution. Bennett Fisher’s “Hermes” is inspired in part by the role global investment banking and securities firm Goldman Sachs played in the current…
Urban Action 10/24
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.) Author talks about life after prison The Flying Squirrel Community Space hosts a showing of “Detroit’s Native Son: From Z8ne Street Thug to Prison to Community Leader,” a new documentary film about the…
LITERATURE: Jewish Book Festival
Whether you’re of Jewish heritage or not, you’re bound to enjoy the offerings of the 20th Annual JCC Lane Dworkin Jewish Book Festival. Running from Sunday, October 28, through November 11, the festival will bring in 15 nationally and locally known authors representing a variety of literary genres. The festival starts with Randy Cohen presenting…
White’s revolution
The Rochester school district is in a state of emergency and an aggressive agenda for change is urgently needed, says school board member Van White. This week White will present a talking paper, “We’re Beyond Reform, It’s Time for a Revolution,” to Superintendent Bolgen Vargas and the rest of the school board.
MUSIC/DANCE: Bollywood Music Night
Who didn’t have “Jai Ho” stuck in their head for weeks after watching “Slumdog Millionaire”? The upbeat rhythm, choral sections with shouting, and integration of English lyrics made for a catchy tune that America immediately embraced. On Saturday, October 27, the India Community Center will provide an opportunity for the public to experience Bollywood music…
Halloween Guide 2012
Updated 10/24/12 to correct the address for Writers & Books. Wednesday, October 24 [Theater] “Evil Dead: The Musical.” Zombies! Blood! Bad jokes! A musical adapted from cult classics “Evil Dead 1,” “Evil Dead 2,” and “Army of Darkness.” 7 p.m. $7 students, $10 general. Continues through Saturday, October 27. Ingle Auditorium, RIT campus, 1 Lomb…
Mural mystery
Ann Braverman has pieces of the moon in her home. | The scraps were part of “The Bounty of the West Wind” mural that was on the back of the small retail plaza at the corner of East Avenue and Winton Road in southeast Rochester. | One side of the mural, created by local artist…
THEATER: “The Vampire Monologues”
This weekend only, Black Sheep Theatre will present its 2nd Annual Halloween Event, “An Evening of Thrills and Chills,” a selection of Halloween-inspired one-act plays, monologues, and poetic and dramatic readings, directed by Deborah Smola and Rob Hutter. This year’s featured event is the Rochester premiere of Wade Bradford’s “The Vampire Monologues,” a collection of…
CLASSICAL PREVIEW: “The Rape of Lucretia”
For its first production of the season Eastman Opera Theatre presents Britten’s “The Rape of Lucretia,” a classic tragedy transposed to the haughty Hamptons.
THEATER REVIEW: “Melanie and the Record Man”
“Melanie and the Record Man” – a new musical receiving its world premiere at Blackfriars Theatre – tells the story of folk singer Melanie, her music career, and her relationship with her late husband and producer. This labor of love for Blackfriars’ John Haldoupis is a memorable and moving piece worth seeing.
THEATER: Festival of new theatre
Although many of us know Geva Theatre for bringing classics like “Sweeney Todd” and “A Christmas Carol” to Rochester, the theater also hosts an annual Festival of New Theatre to showcase up-and-coming talent. From October 25 to November 4 four new works for stage and six short plays by young writers will be introduced to…
CHOW HOUND: Delicious fishes
It seems as though a mere year is all that was necessary for the intersection of South Avenue and Gregory Street to establish itself as a potential hotbed of gastronomy. “I wanted to be part of that neighborhood,” says Piranha Sushi Bar chef and co-owner Nic Grammatico, who recently debuted his latest venture just doors…
A divided country waits
The debates are over, all but a handful of voters seem to have made up their mind, and President Obama and Mitt Romney are virtually tied. Regardless of who is elected, this troubling campaign could have a troubling ending, with the outcome not immediately known – and, perhaps, with one candidate winning the popular vote,…
ROCK: Zoo Bombs
Tokyo’s tenacious trash-rock sensation Zoo Bombs is one of those bands put on this earth to remind us which elements of rock ‘n’ roll are essential, and which are not. Since 1994, this band has excised all the fat and fluff from rock music, concentrating on the raw heat and primal scream. You know how…
ELECTIONS 2012: Evaluating Slaughter’s record
Democratic incumbent Louise Slaughter is one of the most liberal members of the House of Representatives, and proudly so. She’s quick-witted, a master zinger-slinger, and energetic. Her folksy populism marinates in an endearing Kentucky accent, but she can get down in the weeds, too — she’s a microbiologist — and discuss in minute detail the…
ROCK: Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Etheridge isn’t a blues artist per se, but dammit, she still packs a deep-seated wallop with her rough and raw vocal wail over her guitar’s cry for help. She’s been nominated for Juno Awards and ASCAP Awards as well as for numerous Grammys, and in fact has won twice. At age 51 she shows…
ELECTIONS 2012: Gillibrand has earned second term
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Manhattan attorney Wendy Long are graduates of Dartmouth. They’re not far apart in age, and they’re both working mothers. But the similarities between Gillibrand and Long, her Republican challenger, end there. Gillibrand, a Democrat, was sworn into the US Senate in January 2009, filling the seat once held by Secretary of…
TRIBUTE/REGGAE: Yellow Dubmarine
This Baltimore-based tribute band gives a funky twist to some of the Beatles’ greatest hits. In September of last year the band released its only album, “Abbey Dub,” a reggae reimagining of the Fab Four’s final studio effort, “Abbey Road.” Since then, Dubmarine has toured extensively, wowing audiences members of every age bracket with its…
ART FEATURE: They might be giants
Get the details on the new “Wall/Therapy” project that has sprung up in the St. Paul district, and find out about its global implications and possible print project involving a big-deal Hollywood actor.
