Cover Story
Photonics: What? Why? How?
Rochester is undeniably excited about photonics, even if much of the community doesn’t know what it is. But there’s good reason for the buzz, since Rochester will be the heart of a national initiative to build an integrated photonics industry from the ground up. The Department of Defense is keen on integrated photonics, which basically…
City of Rochester may sell ad space
Rochester City Council is considering legislation that would allow the city to sell advertising space on city-owned assets. The legislation may be voted on at Council’s October 13 meeting, which starts at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall, 30 Church Street. A public hearing on the proposal will also be held that night, prior to the…
WEEK AHEAD: Events for the week of Monday, October 5
The Finger Lakes region must submit its application for the Upstate Revitalization Initiative, a state competition for economic development money, by the end of the day today (October 5). Seven Upstate regions are competing for three $500 million awards. The Buffalo-Niagara region can’t participate, since the state already has an investment program for that area:…
Rochester Fringe Festival once again sets attendance record
Attendance for the fourth annual First Niagara Rochester Fringe Festival (held September 17 through September 26) hit more than 63,000 people, a new high mark for the Fringe, organizers announced on Monday. And ticket sales were up more than 20 percent. The 2015 Fringe featured more than 500 performances and events; last year’s Fringe included…
John King to take over for Duncan in top education job
The Washington Post’s teaser for its online story says it all: “If you think Duncan was controversial, meet his successor.” The Post is referring, of course, to US Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s announcement earlier today that he is stepping down. And his successor, at least on an interim basis, is none other than former New York…
Highlights for First Friday: October 2
In honor of the haunted month, the harvest, and to herald in the horrors of snow, expect lots of spooky art celebrations and openings for First Friday. The following highlights are just a few of the art openings offered tonight; check out more options listed at firstfridayrochester.org and in our calendar. All events run 6…
Classical Review: RPO performs Sibelius
A couple of weeks ago, Ward Stare and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra made a flashy, but satisfactory, season debut. That program showed a sure hand in staples of the repertoire; this weekend’s concert is a bit more adventurous, but even more satisfying. It began with “Four Scottish Dances” by Malcolm Arnold, the prolific British composer…
LGBT people are still not part of the Catholic family
There’s a saying among some Catholics, “Once a Catholic, always a Catholic.” And by some measures, it’s true, especially if you went to a Catholic elementary school. We studied Catholicism in my small school in Livingston County, along with math, English, and other subjects. But some of the church’s teachings trouble me as an adult.…
County Republicans punt on microbead ban
A Democratic proposal to ban the sale of personal care products containing plastic microbeads may not doomed after all. Republicans on the Monroe County Legislature’s Agenda/Charter committee last night referred the measure to the county administration for further study. Members of the GOP caucus have said that the issue should be handled at the federal…
The City Seen: October 1-4
This weekend City dove into the darker side of Rochester and wandered through a few haunted houses. City ventured into the Castle of Horrors in the Main Street Armory, the site of a zombie outbreak. Even if you thought you were immune to fear, be wary, as not only did things move and zombies follow…
CLASSICAL | Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain
Though the ukulele is often dismissed to the ranks of the kazoo, the slide whistle, and the jaw harp, this abbreviated little four-string instrument has groups like the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain to save it from obscurity. Formed in 1985, the seven-piece ensemble is full of fleet-fingered lightning and nimble dexterity culminating with virtually…
Urban Action 9/30
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. All are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. Creating a sustainable economy The Front Porch Republic will hold a conference on “Sustainable Localism” from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 3. The conference includes a panel discussion focusing on…
JAZZ | The Charlie Hunter Trio
To quote one of my favorite critics about Charlie Hunter’s performance at the Jazz Fest a few years ago: “He’s good. Hell, he’s great — but entirely too technical for me. I mean, would hitting one wrong note really kill you?” Hunter hits a lot of notes as his guitars are customized with seven and…
A spicy ‘hidden gem’ for Chinese cuisine
Tsingtao House could easily be missed while driving past, but the restaurant serves authentic Sichuan-style cuisine worth the attention.
HIP-HOP | Mac Miller
Mac Miller has matured a lot since he started to catch fire in Pittsburgh in 2010. The rapper — who is now 23 years old — just released “GO:OD AM,” his third studio album, an offbeat, stoner album that manages to be fun, creative, and slightly sophisticated. Somewhat of an oddball — the guy has…
ART | “Here Lies” 1975 Seven Year Anniversary
1975 Gallery may be taking a leave of absence, but not before going out with a creepy bang. Celebrating its seven year anniversary, 1975 Gallery, currently located at 89 Charlotte Street, will be moving locations and taking time to refocus. However, during the month of October, the “Here Lies” exhibit will be taking over the…
HIP-HOP | Kevin Gates
In the world of Southern hip-hop — especially in his home-state, Louisiana — Kevin Gates is already a heavyweight on stage. He just needs a national break; and that might come later this year when Gates releases his major label debut, “Islah,” on Atlantic Records. Named as part of XXL Magazine’s 2014 “Freshman Class,” Gates…
ROCK | Norma Jean
Norma Jean is heavy, ripping rock ‘n’ roll, with throat-stripping vocals that squall over distortion. It’s brutal, bombastic and heavy. The five-piece from Atlanta, was originally known as Luti-Kriss (with a few different members) but changed its name due to confusion with the rapper Ludacris of the same city. Maybe the only thing Norma Jean…
CLASSICAL | RPO Live from Hochstein
The Hochstein School of Music’s free, live “brown-bag” concerts on Wednesdays have been a staple of Rochester music, and lunchtimes, for decades. The 2015-16 schedule begins next Wednesday, October 7, as it always does, with a presentation by the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. Music director Ward Stare will no doubt confirm the good impression he made…
CLASSICAL | “Pärt and Purcell”
For its first concert this season, First Muse brings together music by two composers who seem to have only the first letter of their last names in common but should still be surprisingly compatible program mates. Henry Purcell was England’s greatest Baroque composer (and perhaps its greatest composer, period); First Muse will present a number…
Deaf musician Sean Forbes shines optimistic in his hip-hop
Sean Forbes is a rapper. A good one, too. But that, in and of itself, isn’t all that extraordinary. That is until you consider the fact that this young artist can’t hear what he’s doing. Sean Forbes is deaf. It’s a perplexing dichotomy that precedes him: a deaf rapper. What is admirable about Forbes is…
ALBUM REVIEW: “Unlikely Soldiers”
Muler “Unlikely Soldiers” Carbon Records mulerband.com I’ve had enough cassette tapes come across my desk lately that it ceases to be odd anymore. But of all the bands to embrace this retro coolness, Muler beats them all out with a pink cassette of its latest project, “Unlikely Soldiers.” Despite the effete packaging this disc — er, cassette…
ALBUM REVIEW: “Flip-Flop”
John Yao and His 17-Piece Instrument “Flip-Flop” See Tao Recordings johnyao.com The drawing on the cover of John Yao’s new album depicts arms, hands, faces, trombones, saxophones, drums, a piano, and more all fused together into an abstract musical mash-up. It’s a fitting visual for what Yao calls his 17-Piece Instrument. The band’s new album…
ART | “Making Magic”
The Strong Museum dives deeper into the magical realm, showcasing more than 1,500 donated items contributing to the “Making Magic: The Fantastic Worlds of Blizzard Entertainment” display. The display features donations from the personal collection of Paul Sams, former longtime chief operating officer of Blizzards Entertainment Inc., a video game developer and publisher. The display…
Glass artist creates her own Cabinet of Wonders
Axom Gallery’s current show, “Menagerie,” featuring flame-worked glass and metal by Robin Cass, explores concepts of capturing life through a fictitious version of the natural wonderland that surrounds us. The body of work is based on the tradition of the Wunderkammern, or cabinet of wonders — old-timey collections of rare natural specimens shown off for…
HALLOWEEN | Castle of Horrors
A gruesome zombie outbreak has hit Rochester and the only safe zone is inside the Main Street Armory. The CDC has set up a clear area where patrons will be screened, tested for the infection, and administered a shot to prevent further infection. But now you’re stuck in the Armory, a building notorious for its…
Charter growth continues in Rochester
More charter schools are poised to open in the City of Rochester. The Rochester school board held a public hearing recently for Exploration Elementary Charter School for Science and Technology. And the State Education Department is reviewing an application for Rochester Charter School for Applied Technology. Locations for both haven’t been selected yet. Exploration Elementary…
THEATER | “Newsies”
Inspired by the Newsboy Strike of 1899, the Tony – award winning production, “Newsies” visits Rochester and shares the story of Jack Kelly. A newsboy, and leader of other teenaged newsies, Kelly hopes for a better life in New York City at the time of the turn of the century. Directed by Jeff Calhoun, “Newsies”…
The dirty fight for farmland in Latin America
Even though much of the world’s food supply still comes from small farmers, those same farmers from Honduras to the Philippines increasingly cannot feed their own families, and they’re fighting for survival. A wave of “land-grabbing” has swept across continents over the last 30 years — a phenomenon cited in a 2014 report by the…
THEATER | “Signs of Trouble”
Shel Silverstein is well known for his every-family-has-a-copy children’s book, “The Giving Tree,” but the man had an incredible career as a poet, cartoonist, singer-songwriter — he wrote Johnny Cash’s “A Boy Named Sue” — and a playwright. Starting this Friday, SuperEgo Studios will present 10 of Silverstein’s more adult one-act plays in “Signs of…
Voter registration deadline nears for presidential primary
This story has been corrected. You are running out of time to register to vote in the April 19, 2016, presidential primary election. The deadline is October 9. You must be registered with the party of your choice in order to vote in the New York primary. If you register by mail, the form must…
Feedback 9/30
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. Don’t ignore…
Rochester’s anti-poverty report: An uninvited skeptic’s review
“I worry that the final recommendations will avoid dealing with the tough issues that decades of studies say have led to this crisis.”
Film Review: “The Intern”
As a director, Nancy Meyers’s style is almost aggressively plain and unobtrusive, yet there’s no mistaking her films for anyone else’s. Known for her attention to detail when it comes to dressing her sets, she makes movies that sometimes feel more like tasteful home decor catalogs than motion pictures, and typically revolve around low-conflict plots…
Film Review: “Pawn Sacrifice”
While portraying tormented chess prodigy Bobby Fischer, Tobey Maguire delivers a solid performance in Edward Zwick’s effective, if conventional biopic, “Pawn Sacrifice.” Choosing to focus mostly on Fischer’s 1972 showdown against Soviet grandmaster Boris Spassky (a terrific Liev Schreiber), Zwick and screenwriter Steven Knight paint Fischer’s early life in broad strokes. We get a CliffsNotes…
