EDUCATION: Grim grad news for minority males
The Rochester city school district has earned another disturbing distinction. Only 9 percent of the district’s black males who were eligible graduated in the 2009 to 2010 school year, according to a recent report. Rochester graduated the lowest percentage of black and Latino male students of any district in the country, behind Detroit, Philadelphia, and…
POLITICS: Indigent burial legislation defeated
Democratic legislation regarding indigent burials was voted down by a County Legislature committee last night. The legislation sought to address long-standing complaints about the condition of grave sites paid for with county assistance. Advocates for the poor have complained that the graves at Oatka Cemetery are in an area that is not well kept and…
Daily Choices: What to do on Tuesday, September 25
LITERATURE: Attend a book club of a different sort tonight, 6-9 p.m., at Visual Studies Workshop (31 Prince St.). Bring your own art book to share with the Visual Book Club, and peruse books from the VSW library. The event is free; for more information, call 442-8676 or visit vsw.org. SPECIAL EVENT: Are you solo,…
“How I Met Your Mother” Season 8, Episode 1
The season premiere of HIMYM’s 8th season. And how was it?
Week ahead: Votes on indigent burial, cops in truancy program
When the County Legislature’s Agenda/Charter Committee meets this afternoon, it’ll take up a Democratic referral regarding indigent burials. The Democratic proposal would require the county to provide a permanent marker for anyone buried through the county’s burial assistance program. The marker would contain the deceased’s name, date of birth, and date of death. The legislation…
Rochester Fringe Festival, Day 5: “Spection: Intro/Retro” review
Heather Roffe puts on a good show. One that is entertaining in the manner of the old-fashioned variety shows your grandparents used to watch, but with a cutting edge. A sharp one. As Fringe wound down Sunday night, Roffe and company performed nine pieces in their dance concert “Spection – Intro/Retro” at GEVA Theatre’s Nextstage…
Rochester Fringe Festival, Day 5: “Isle of Dogs” review
After experiencing a lifetime of American jokes, I find it refreshing whenever I encounter dark British comedy. Sunday night at Writers & Books, Spanner Theatre Company and Method Machine presented “The Isle of Dogs,” an original work written and directed by Kimberly Niles. The conclusion of the play left me in need of some Orbitz,…
Rochester Fringe Festival, Day 5: “BeeEye,” “The Dust” reviews
“The honeybee reminds us of the interconnectedness of all life” begins the provided statement by Cat Ashworth, creator of the “BeeEye” video installation at Gallery r, part of the inaugural Rochester Fringe Festival. Six panel screens at a comfortable eye-height form a hexagon. A viewer can stand at the center and learn a bit about…
Daily Choices: What to do on Monday, September 24
THEATER: Through September 29, you can catch "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” a musical comedy, at the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse (6877 East Lake Road, Auburn). Today the show goes on at 2 p.m., and tickets are $35-$42. For more info, call 315‑255‑1785, or visit merry-go-round.com. ART: A new exhibit of photography, "Near and Far:…
Rochester Fringe Festival, Day 4: Day of Dance, Rochester Contemporary Dance Collective reviews
By Saturday, Fringe really felt like a full-blown festival. The parking was tight, the sidewalks were full, and the line at Java’s was long. Knots of people stood outside various venues, clutching programs and discussing the merits of a show they’d just seen or debating which event to take in next. For me, it was…
Rochester Fringe Festival, Day 4: My Plastic Sun, Moho Collective reviews
It was an historic epiphany for Roy Stein as he stood in Bernunzio’s Uptown Music Saturday night and openly renounced technology. You see, Stein, in virtually all his musical endeavors — New Math, Raw Magillys, Atomic Swindlers, Jet Black Berries, and now My Plastic Sun — has been a ghost in the machine, incorporating drum…
Rochester Fringe Festival, Day 4: “Before Dawn” and “The Light Collector,” “The Solitude of Self: The Journey of Elizabeth Cady Stanton” reviews
My first stop on Saturday was RIT’s Collaborative Films in Astronomy screenings at the packed full Little Theatre 1, which included four short collaborative films between astrophysics and animation students, divided up between screenings of imagery with voiceovers by two PhD students in RIT’s Astrophysics program. I found the animated shorts to be lovely, ethereal,…
Rochester Fringe Festival, Day 4: “Dangerous Signs” review
The first time I read poetry in Spanish I remember it required an adjustment. Since my brain was still translating the words into English, it didn’t seem like poetry at all to me. While American Sign Language is obviously not the same as spoken English, it never occurred to me that poetry in ASL would…
Rochester Fringe Festival, Day 5: “Love at First Waltz” review
I think it’s fair to start this blog by pointing out that, by Sunday evening, I was rapidly approaching Fringe burnout. I saw 15 shows over the course of five days, and almost all of them were interesting, entertaining, or a combination of both. But I was tired, y’all, when I took in “Love at…
Rochester Fringe Festival, Day 4: “Gilgamesh,” “Breakdown,” and Patton Oswalt reviews
I started off Saturday at the Fringe Festival at Geva for Charlie Bethel’s performance of “Gilgamesh.” Now I’m not going to sit here and pretend to be a Gilgameshian scholar, because I’m not. But I thought his take on the Sumerian legend was an interesting one. The play, retold with somewhat modern sensibilities through Bethel’s…
Rochester Fringe Festival, Day 4: “Rules & Regulations,” Dear Dexter, “Traveling Without a Compass,” Unleashed! Improv, and “Threading” reviews
I took in five shows Saturday, starting with the 2 p.m. performance of “Rules & Regulations” at Writers & Books. Barring something monumental happening tomorrow, this will likely stand as my favorite show of Fringe 2012. The multidisciplinary piece featured an original essay written and read by Caedra Scott-Flaherty, music by Rick Scott (who works…
Rochester Fringe Festival, Day 3: PUSH Physical Theatre review
A large crowd filled the lobby and looped around the entrance to the TheaterROCS stage at Xerox Auditorium Friday night as people waited patiently for the doors to open for PUSH Physical Theatre’s first show at Rochester Fringe. I gleaned from snippets of conversation in the rapidly overheating space that many had seen PUSH perform…
Rochester Fringe Festival, Day 3: RIT Wearable Technology Fashion Show, “Howard & Emily” reviews
If RIT’s Wearable Technology Fashion Show, held at the Little Theatre Friday night, had been presented by students at critique, they likely would’ve received a poor grade. There were stops and starts each time there were technical difficulties with the light and motion capabilities in the costumes, or when one of the too-few models had…
Rochester Fringe Festival, Day 3: A Cappella Hour
Showing up a mere eight minutes before my second Fringe Festival event on Friday was set to start nearly resulted in me not having a seat. When I entered RAPA’s (Rochester Association of Performing Arts) East End Theatre for “A Cappella Hour,” scheduled to start at 5 p.m., I was lucky enough to snag one…
Rochester Fringe Festival, Day 3: The Geriactors, “Football,” “Death of (An) Artist,” and “The Gay Fiancee” reviews
I kicked off a full Friday of Fringe with local theater troupe The Geriactors at GevaNextstage. I think the 4 p.m. start time was a bit ambitious on the part of whoever did the scheduling. Anything starting prior to 5 p.m. on a weekday is going to struggle to fill seats, and the 20 or…
Rochester Fringe Festival, Day 3: Harlem Gospel Choir, Campbell Brothers, “On Tap” reviews
In what could be called a collision of two fringes — those being sound and motion — I watched “On Tap” Friday night at the Sproull Atrium, where dancers interpreted music and musicians interpreted dance. This is a fairly common practice, even in the heads of those who are completely unaware they’re doing it even…
Rochester Fringe Festival, Day 3: The Great Chernesky and Matt Griffo reviews
Kicking off day three of my fringe experience was Auburn native The Great Chernesky at Java’s.
Daily Choices: What to do on Saturday-Sunday, September 22-23
FESTIVAL: The First Niagara Rochester Fringe Festival continues through the weekend at various locations around town, bringing you all manner of musical, performing, and visual arts. Some events are free, while others require tickets. For more information, including schedules and pricing, visit rochesterfringe.com. RECREATION: Enjoy a peaceful, leisurely hike through Cumming Nature Center (6472 Gulick…
Rochester Fringe Festival, Day 3: “Casey Jones Costello Sings the Great American Songbook” review
The name of the program I saw late afternoon Friday was “Casey Jones Costello Sings the Great American Songbook,” and that is precisely what young Mister Costello did to the delight of a large audience at Java’s on Gibbs Street. A student at Nazareth College with a rare and reassuring passion for the unequalled American…
iPhone 5 unboxing
We get all five (or ten) of our little fingers on the brand new iPhone.
Bishop Clark retires
Bishop Matthew Clark, head of the Rochester Roman Catholic diocese since 1979, has officially retired. Clark announced at a press conference today that Pope Benedict XVI has accepted his resignation. Bishop Robert Cunningham, head of the Syracuse diocese, will lead the Rochester diocese until a new bishop is named. Clark turned 75 on July 15…
CONCERT UPDATE: Clannad show canceled
The performance by Irish folk musicians Clannad, previously schedule to be at the Auditorium Theatre on September 28, has been canceled due to unforeseen circumstances. Refunds are available at the point of purchase. No other details were given at this time.
Rochester’s red-light rationale
If the City newsroom is an accurate microcosm of the larger Rochester community, chances are you were plenty upset to hear that City of Rochester employees don’t have to pay their red-light fines. Brian Sharpe of the Democrat and Chronicle reported recently that city employees in city-owned vehicles ran red lights 119 times over the…
Rochester Fringe Festival, Day 2: “Lost in the Funhouse: Revolution” review
Fans of the Rochester Museum and Science Center’s trippier laser shows, as well as astronomical enthusiasts, will delight in “Lost in the Funhouse: Revolution,” a multimedia show held last night at Strasenburgh Planetarium (657 East Ave.) as part the Rochester Fringe Festival. Created and performed by Robert Kulik and Rick Scott of the vocal trio…
Rochester Fringe Festival, Day 2: “Mary’s Wedding” review
Bristol Valley Theatre’s production of “Mary’s Wedding” opened Night 2 of the Rochester Fringe Festival, and was also the first show to take place at the TheatreROCS stage at Xerox Auditorium. The early show — it started at 5:30 p.m. — drew about 30 people in an auditorium with maximum seating for 700. The lack…
Rochester Fringe Festival Day 2: “Spirits Within” and Present Tense Dance reviews
Apparitions of light, sound, and movement filled Christ Church with moments of gravity Thursday night as FuturPointe Dance, led by Artistic Director Guy Thorne, performed “Spirits Within” to the chilling organ music of Stephen Kennedy, music director of Christ Church and professor of sacred music at the Eastman School of Music. Visuals projected on to…
Igniting passion
“I associate Britten with good, heavy, German classics,” says conductor Neil Varon. “I know he’s not, but I do. He has so much quality. His work is so well written.” Varon speaks of English composer Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) in a manner giving away Varon’s own love for Brahms, Wagner, and Bruckner. In the September 24…
Daily Choices: What to do on Friday, September 21
THEATER: Catch a staging of "[title of show]," about two struggling writers who vow to create an original work for an upcoming musical theater festival, at Blackfriars Theatre (795 E. Main St.) tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets are $27, and the show continues through September 30. For more information, visit bftix.org. SPECIAL EVENT: The Gandhi…
Environmental group responds on fracking health study
Yesterday, state Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joseph Martens said that he wouldn’t agree to an independent health study of fracking. (See this post from yesterday for the statement.) Environmental and medical groups have called for such a study. They believe that high-volume hydraulic fracturing, a natural gas extraction technique that the state is reviewing,…
Rochester Fringe Festival, Day 2: Bandaloop, Shimmy Shake Down, “There’s Always Time for a Cocktail” reviews
For many people Bandaloop was the litmus test to see how Rochester would react to our city’s newest festival. The internationally renowned aerial dance troupe is arguably the highest-profile act — literally and figuratively — of the inaugural Rochester Fringe. Would people show up to see its free outdoor performance on the side of One…
DEC Commissioner won’t agree to independent health study of fracking
New York Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joseph Martens just released a statement saying that he will not agree to an independent public health study of fracking. Environmental groups along with some municipal officials and medical professionals had called for the study. Martens says that instead, state Health Commissioner Nirav Shah will assess the health…
Council approves Sibley deal
Rochester City Council members have approved a $5-million deal to sell the Sibley building to the Sibley Redevelopment Limited Partnership, an entity to be formed by Boston-based Winn Development. Winn plans to invest up to $150 million over 10 years to renovate the building for retail, offices, and housing. Council members were initially skeptical of…
Brother, can you spare a billion?
Days after the one year anniversary of the first Occupy Wall Street protests, Forbes Magazine released its annual list of the 400 richest Americans. The richest 400 saw their net worth climb 13 percent from August 2011 to August 2012 topping $1.7 trillion. At first glance, it’s little more than an entertaining peek over the…
Concert photos and video: The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses
A first look at the Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses.
What I’m reading: Klein on Romney, the poor, and responsibility
The Washington Post’s Ezra Klein may have one of the smartest responses to Mitt Romney’s 47 percent remarks. In a blog post this morning, Klein seizes on Romney’s remarks that he’ll never win over a segment of the population that he says is dependent on the government. In Romney’s words, he’ll “never convince them that…
Rochester Fringe Festival, Day 1: “The Event,” “Hide the Moon” reviews
UPDATED 9/20/12 to correct the name of the actor playing Jokannan on “Hide the Moon.” The theme for the first night of the inaugural First Niagara Rochester Fringe Festival was the lifting of veils, both literal and figurative. My first stop for the evening was the Geva Theatre Center Nextstage for the first performance of…
Rochester Fringe Festival 2012: Daily Review Blogs
The inaugural First Niagara Rochester Fringe Festival is going on September 19-23 in 20-plus venues in Downtown Rochester. City Newspaper’s cultural critics will be out in force each night of the event, and the following morning will be putting up blogs with reviews of what we saw. Below find the list of current blogs, and…
Daily Choices: What to do on Thursday, September 20
THEATER: The Cambridge American Stage Tour’s production of "Antony and Cleopatra" stops at St. John Fisher College (2690 East Ave.) tonight only, 7 p.m. Tickets are $5; for more information, call 385-8412. THEATER: “3rd Rock from the Sun” star John Lithgow will perform his one-man autobiographical "Stories by Heart" at the Auditorium Theatre (885 E.…
Rochester Fringe Festival, Day 1: An etiquette guide for Fringe patrons
Prior to the start of the Rochester Fringe Festival I joked that City should include an etiquette guide for Fringe audiences. This wasn’t meant to be bitchy (well, not entirely bitchy), but was inspired by two thoughts. First, Rochester is used to the Jazz Festival, during which people are encouraged to hop from show to…
Rochester Fringe Fest, Day 1: YUM! Review
How do you hit my weak spot at the start of a festival? With food. Sweet, yummy, tasty, scrumptious, and scrumdiddlyumptious food. Songs about food are even a better start.
Did Chicago’s strike teach us anything?
The closely-watched battle between Chicago’s teachers and Mayor Rahm Emanuel helped to illuminate some of the problems confronting urban education. But even though the strike is over, the war between education reformers and urban teachers goes on, says NY Times columnist Joe Nocera. Teacher evaluations linked to standardized tests and charter schools remain contentious issues,…
Elected officials voice opposition to fracking
Over 400 elected officials, including several in Monroe County, have signed on to a letter urging Governor Andrew Cuomo to maintain the de facto moratorium on high-volume hydraulic fracturing. The letter, led by a group known as Elected Officials to Protect New York, says that the current analyses of fracking are inadequate. The state Department…
Fall Guide 2012
The air is crisp and cool, the food is bountiful (thanks, harvest!), and most importantly, our area arts and cultural groups return with packed schedules after relatively quiet summer months.
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THEATER: “[title of show]”
Before he says a word, an old Broadway type, who is completely a figment of my imagination, pushes back from the battered upright against the wall, chomps on the cigar in the corner of his mouth, and offers up the benefits of his years in what they used to call The Business. “So, kid,” he…
“Dora & Diego: Let’s Explore!”
The National Museum of Play’s newest exhibit brings Nickelodeon’s Dora the Explorer and her friends to Rochester to interact with visitors in a number of ways. By venturing through the Pirate Ship, the Rainforest Maze, the Animal Rescue Center, Tico’s Tree, and other parts of the exhibit, children and families can integrate themselves into Dora’s…
ART: Wall wizardry
When creative works are presented to the public, the illusion of a seamlessness is a necessary factor. On opening night of a theatrical production, the audience is immersed in pure experience along with the characters, and hopefully not pulled out of the story by the visible hand of the designers or director. When a great…
MEDICINE: Rochester faces health-care calamity
There is a time bomb hidden in this whole health-care debate, and it has nothing to do with the Affordable Care Act. This potential catastrophe is a result of the Budget Control Act that President Obama signed into law in 2011. Unless Congress and the president act to change the law, 8 percent will be…
John Lithgow: Stories by heart
Goofy and gangly tend to make a winning entertainment combination. Back in the day, America found this to be true with greats like Danny Kaye. Today, one actor who embodies both these qualities particularly well is John Lithgow. We know him from roles like Dr. Dick Solomon in “3rd Rock from the Sun” and Lord…
ART: Best bets
While many Rochesterians dread the shortening of the days and the increased and lingering chill in the air, I love autumn for the sudden surge in art shows. Kids go back to school and our area’s many academic institutions triple the amount of shows on display. As the cozy season approaches, here are 10 reasons…
ACTIVISM: Fracktivism at work
Before there was such a thing as the environmental movement, Mohandas Gandhi warned of the dangers of industrialization and espoused living in balance with the earth. Fittingly, the Rochester-based institute that bears his name is stepping into the fracking debate. From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, September 21, the M.K. Gandhi Institute for…
CD Review: The Impossible Gentlemen “S/T”
It’s fascinating to consider the way a group’s name and the album art can affect the way you listen to the music. The artwork throughout the self-titled album by The Impossible Gentlemen owes a great deal to the painter René Magritte. So when the first tune, “Laugh Lines,” by the group’s guitarist Mike Walker, opens…
CLASSICAL: 2012 Highlights
Two years ago, Rochester’s concert halls swelled with the depths of the Russians. It seemed every orchestra, group, and soloist in town had something by the great masters Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, and Prokofiev on their programs. This year, I bid you to get ready for the French, Italians, and Germans, for we’re off to western Europe,…
POLITICS: The devil in the details
You won’t hear about it on the news until a disaster happens, but there could be a deteriorating gas pipeline in front of your house or near your kids’ school. With only two local companies offering combined Internet and cable services, you might not be aware of how inferior those systems are — and how…
Interview: Patton Oswalt
Patton Oswalt is currently one of the biggest names in comedy — in fact, the night prior to his headlining gig at the First Niagara Rochester Fringe Festival he’ll be performing at the Just For Laughs festival in Toronto. Even if Oswalt’s name isn’t immediately recognizable, you’ve almost certainly seen or heard him. He was…
DANCE: Stop, collaborate, and listen
Dance is about being fully aware — completely present physically, mentally, and emotionally. That being said, let me note that it can be very difficult to get dancers and choreographers to project what they’ll be doing a few months down the road, especially this year, when most of the dance groups in town seem primarily…
MUSIC REVIEW: An heir to the throne
Guitar impresario Deke Dickerson positively peeled the paint off the Abilene walls with his blistering guitar work Friday night. Dickerson is one of the slickest, fastest guitar players alive, and his skill is rivaled only by his genuine, aww-shucks charm. Dickerson’s drummer took a crack at playing guitar while two audience members held him by…
Rochester Fringe Festival, Day 1: “The Bicycle Men” review
Good old-fashioned vulgarity is taking a terrible beating these days at the hands of young playwrights who never learned that four-letter words and exaggerated descriptions of sex aren’t especially funny in and of themselves. It’s not the profanity I object, to but the witlessness that accompanies it. Without wit or cleverness, vulgarity flying around a…
OUTDOORS: Fall flavors
Fall always creeps in slowly. First it’s a couple of red leaves here, some cool breezes there. And before you know it, the crisp days and beautiful colors are here to stay. Well, for a couple of months anyway. Fall goes as quickly as it arrives. The leaves on the trees get most of the…
MEDIA: C-SPAN changes to digital signal only
Time Warner Cable will soon offer the Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network in a digital format only, which has some customers worried it will cost more to get the programs. But Joli Plucknette-Farmen, Time Warner’s regional spokesperson, insists that it won’t. | Area customers who have been getting C-SPAN through Time Warner’s standard tier or basic…
Daily Choices: What to do on Wednesday, September 19
SPECIAL EVENT: Lose you inhibitions through mere suggestion! Join Tony Potmesil, "The Erotic Hypnotist," for some risqué comedy tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Comedy Club (2235 Empire Blvd., Webster). Admission is $5; for more information, call 671-9080, or visit thecomedyclub.us. THEATER: Take in one or many shows in the varied “Beyond the Fringe” line-up tonight…
FILM: Waiting for the weekends
There are nine Fridays (plus one very desirable Wednesday) between now and Thanksgiving, and, as usual, Hollywood will be pummeling you with movie upon movie. But autumn is typically a strange time for film, acting as a sort of bridge between summer’s dopier action flicks and the end-of-the-year Oscar hopefuls. Typically we’re allotted a handful…
MOVIE REVIEW: “Arbitrage”
Although the writer-director takes the title of his film from one of those clever stock manipulations that wheeler dealers in the financial racket employ to make millions of dollars, “Arbitrage,” curiously, never shows any of that practice. Instead, the movie concentrates on just the sort of conniving that even a novice recognizes, a simple custom…
CALENDAR: Fall Special Events Guide
Summer may be over, but it’s not time to head indoors yet. Rochester has plenty of events to keep you busy through the fall. In fact, there are so many that we couldn’t possibly fit them all in one place. This listing of events — running roughly through the holidays — will get you started,…
MUSIC: That’s the ticket
The conversation happens all the time among concert-going friends, and it tends to go something like this: “Hey dude, you should come to this super awesome fun time special concert.” “I’d love to man, how much does it cost?” “Fifteen bucks, no big deal, you can scrape it.” “Yeah man, I’ll go check it out,…
MOVIE PREVIEW: Witness Palestine
It’s difficult to know where to even begin when discussing the conflict between Palestine and Israel, a decades-old schism with passionate stances on both sides, each believing theirs to be the just one. Yet as the powers-that-be lock horns over figurative lines in the literal sand, there continue to be human beings trying to make…
Aficionado
These Albany-based alt-rockers have been on an ever-evolving sonic safari since their formation in 2004. What was initially supposed to be a straight-forward, in-your-face post-hardcore outfit grew into an 11-piece “theatrical prog-rock spectacle” before the line-up was sculpted into the robust seven-member group it is today. In 2011, Aficionado released its eponymous full-length debut, which…
THEATER: Let’s put on a show!
Geva Theater Center’s artistic director Mark Cuddy calls the huge piece of kraft paper his “planning wall” for the season he is working on — lists in different colors with dividing lines between them, but also extra sheets of paper tacked up helter-skelter to give it the look of the organized chaos it probably is.…
MUSIC INTERVIEW: Bob Log III
It ain’t nothin’ but a party when one-man band Bob Log III rolls into town. Dressed like one of those circus maniacs that gets fired from a canon, Log plays viciously raw Delta blues on slide guitar with his hands, while tackling the drums with his feet. The vocals are shouted through a telephone receiver…
Zoe Muth and the Lost High Rollers
Seattle Weekly has called Zoe Muth that city’s version of Emmylou Harris. It’s high praise, but quizzical because of the Pacific Northwest’s history of producing singer/songwriters with more of an affinity for distorted guitars and an angsty lyrical approach. Muth was raised on old-school rock, but discovered the “Anthology of American Folk Music” in high…
MUSIC: Twelve for ’12
When autumn leaves begin to fall, it’s not just back to school — it’s back to the clubs, where all kinds of music will be reverberating off the walls, and in your skull. There’s almost too much talent calling Rochester home lately. (That’s a good problem to have, to be sure.) And to compound this…
CD Review: Graham Dechter “Takin’ It There”
When Graham Dechter opens his album with Wes Montgomery’s “Road Song” he invites comparisons to one of the greatest jazz guitar slingers in history. It’s a bold move but it pays off. Right from the start it’s clear that Dechter can hold his own with the top-tier of the competition. If you haven’t heard of…
THEATER: Best bets
Here are some of the plays I’m looking forward to seeing in the 2012-2013 Rochester theater season. The good news is that this season there are more plays I want to see than I have room to write about. (For a full listing of all upcoming area theater productions, check rochestercitynewspaper.com, or the weekly theater…
Coheed and Cambria
Claudio Sanchez: Coheed and Cambria frontman, prog-rock pioneer, and yes, comic-book author. Sanchez and his music have always been highly conceptual, but now he is taking it to a new level. The band’s upcoming album, “The Afterman: Ascension,” is the first installment of a double-disc affair whose storyline follows “The Amory Wars,” the title of…
“Pops on Pipes” on the Mighty Wurlitzer
The Eastman School of Music may have ended its training for theater organists in 1930, but you can still hear the sounds of the RTOS-Grierson 4/23 Wurlitzer. Known as “the Mighty Wurlitzer,” the theater organ at the Auditorium Theatre will be brought to life on this week by Dave Wickerham in a concert that is…
ART REVIEW: Where art lives
After four years, 1975 Gallery finally has a home of its own. The inaugural show at this permanent, white-walls location is a celebration of Rochester art and a lesson for those who think world-class art is only being created by a handful of established individuals in our city. For “Home is Where the Art Is,”…
Willem Breuker Kollektief
From 1974 until his death in 2010, Dutch saxophonist/composer/bandleader Willem Breuker led one of the most progressive big bands on the planet. Breuker’s own compositions could be counted on to stretch the edges of the avant-garde. His arrangements of jazz standards by Charles Mingus, Duke Ellington, and others always went well beyond a fresh take.…
3rd Annual Loveapalooza
Lovin’ Cup is pulling out all the stops with its third Lovapalooza. Not only will there be beer tastings and crafts on sale (including tattoos of both the permanent and not-so-permanent varieties), but RIPROC will be supporting with DJs all day, culminating in a dance party all night. During the day there will be plenty…
DINING REVIEW: Delish Bakery
There’s a stretch of Park Avenue, roughly between Goodman and Oxford, that might be considered a sort of pan-European hideaway. Roam Café, with its vaguely Italian theme and its ardently Italian Vespas, holds down the spot at 260 Park. The dearly departed but not forgotten Dutch Market used to occupy the house across the avenue…
Beyond the Fringe at MuCCC
In response to the Rochester Fringe Festival, the folks involved with the Multi-use Community Cultural Center (142 Atlantic Ave.) have decided to put on their own series of events this week. The performances include theater productions, burlesque shows, music, and comedy, and while some of the presentations are new, others are a second chance to…
Powerman 5000
To rephrase performance artist Laurie Anderson, “Which is more macho: A pineapple or Powerman 5000?” My guess is Powerman 5000. The industrial metal quartet arrived in the early 90’s just as hair metal was frizzing out and grunge and rap-metal were picking up. Taking cues from sci-fi themed B-movies and groups like White Zombie (PM5K…
Feedback 9/19
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. Comments of fewer than 350 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. Romney should…
RocCon: Sci Fi, Comic Book, Anime & Gaming Con
Where can you meet a couple of Klingons, talk with comic-book artists, partake of a tournament, and get gussied up for a cosplay contest, all under one roof? Head over to the Main Street Armory (900 E. Main St.) this weekend for RocCon: Rochester Sci Fi, Comic Book, Gaming & Anime Con. Visitors have the…
Buxton
Buxton plays Monday, September 24, 8:30 p.m. at the Bug Jar, 219 Monroe Ave. $6-$8. 454-2966, bugjar.com.
Urban Action 9/19
This week’s calls to action include the following and activities. (All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.) The Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence celebrates “International Day of Peace” from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, September 21. Participants are encouraged to speak out about ways to protect resources and human health…
Deaf Awareness Week
Considering that Rochester has one of the highest per-capita deaf populations in the United States, it’s a shame that more of our hearing population isn’t bilingual. Even if you don’t know American Sign Language, you can learn more about our deaf community and culture during Rochester Deaf Awareness Week, which takes place September 23-29. During…
Beau Soleil
Beau Soleil, or “Beautiful Sun” for those who habla the Francais, is a Grammy Award-winning Cajun band formed in 1975 in Lafayette, Louisiana. It’s the band’s extensive touring schedule and its infusion of other related and unrelated sounds — Tex Mex, jazz, etc. — that has kept Beau Soleil alive, along with the genre itself.…
Chasing school reform
I’m getting really tired of “school reform.” Rochester, like the big Midwestern city that’s getting the headlines right now, has embarked on lots of reforms. Over decades. The result of our effort and money: test scores and graduation rates have kept dropping. And middle-income families have moved out or sent their children to private schools.…
Flour City Brewers’ Fest
Although we’re known as the “flour” or “flower” city, the number of up-and-coming breweries popping up in and around Rochester is undeniable — maybe one day we’ll be the “hops” city. In the meantime, the Flour City Brewers’ Fest, taking place Friday, September 21, 6-9 p.m., gives you the opportunity to sample up to 20…
“So You Think You Can Dance” 2012: The winners revealed!
I went into tonight’s finale with mixed feelings. I didn’t think any of these four would end up in the Top 4 at the start of the season. Some of them have grown on me, and I think ultimately deserve to be there, while others I think skated by on a largely confusing and underwhelming…
