Thursday, February 7, 2002

JayceLand's Weekly Rochester Events #161: Years of United Canadas

Monday was kind-of amusing. It was snowing pretty good that afternoon and I got of work late and went to Wegmans (3195 Monroe Ave.) for groceries. I also went to Lori's Natural Foods (900 Jefferson Rd.) because I'm looking for facial tissue made from recycled paper. I had brought my new camcorder and recorded the trip from there back to my house because it was slippery and I have a desire to feed the reality television market. Nothing interesting happened, despite the weather. When I got home I shovelled the walkways and when I got in I realized I dropped my cell phone somewhere. [Welcome to the point of the story!]

I got the cordless phone from the house and called it a bunch of times while I walked around the yard and checked the car. The phone vibrates when it rings so I figured I had just didn't hear it so I got the shovel and threw all the snow I moved through the chainlink fence--using it as a sieve. No luck there. So I started backtracking. I drove back to Lori's and checked around where I parked my car but couldn't find it. On the way into the store I found it sitting in the snow, covered with ice and shivering. Well, it was actually just vibrating to tell me that I have 7 unanswered calls, but let's just pretend. It stopped shivering when I put it over the defrost vent in the car [shortly after clearing the list of unanswered calls.]

In other news, Valentine's Day is only a week away and I think everyone needs BitterSweets from Despair, Inc.. It's like a dream come true ... conversation hearts with actually useful phrases like "I NEED SPACE, MONEY," "TIME 2 TRADE UP" and "LUV 2 STALK U."

T H U R S D A Y

This afternoon at The Rochester Public Library (115 South Ave.) is the Thursday Thinkers Program. This weeks topic is Reparations for Slavery from 5:15 to 6 p.m. The Minneapolis synth-pop-punk-rock-Devo-esque Manplanet (dubbed the Teletubbies of Rock by yours truly) with Hangman will be at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:45. Over at Mercury (171 St. Paul, formerly Red) is the jazz band Viva Knieval starting around 11. I rarely mention jazz bands and I wouldn't otherwise except that I'm curious how they'd fit into the clientele at Mercury. Tonight is another of Freetime Magazine's Rochester's Most Popular Band Contest with deltaforce 23 versus Igloo Yew starting around 9:30 at the intolerable Milestones (170 East Ave.) The doors open at 9 and and close around 12:30. There's apparently a Spoken Word Open Mic Poetry Night at Pythodd Jazz Room at the Heritage House (130 Spring St.) I don't know what time it starts although I'd wager it's around 9 or so. Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) will be hosting Bob and the excessively prolific acoustic-rock band Gregory Paul starting around 10:30. At 7:30 tonight (heck, Tuesday through Friday at 7:30, Saturday at 5 and 9:30 and Sunday at 3) at Nextstage at Geva (75 Woodbury Blvd.) is a preview of Below the Belt, a humorous play about a trio of coworkers mired in their corporate lives. If worse comes to worse you can always see, hear, and/or otherwise participate in Karaoke with Sugar Bear at Drinks by Mary Dawn (535 S. Clinton) starting around 10:30. Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) is hosting an Acoustic Open Jam from 8 to 10. For this one, there's no microphones and it's designed to be more of a true jam.

F R I D A Y

I'm not sure if the rest of the block knows this, but over at The Club at Water Street (204 N. Water St., formerly Piranha) is St. Paul Quarter Mardi Gras Festival with Irthlings , the power-rock-punk of Bee Eater, Michelle Austin Band, the fun-to-watch punk of The Grinders and Hangman starting around 9. The Niche will be over at Mercury (171 St. Paul, formerly Red) starting around 11. On the other side of the wall at Water Street Music Hall (204 N. Water St.) is St. Paul Quarter Mardi Gras with One Sweet World, the modern-rock cover band Gravity and Jennifer Marie probably starting around 9.

S A T U R D A Y

O'Bagelo's, 165 State Street, noon. Over at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) is Ensign, What Feeds the Fire and The Disaster for an early show starting around 4. The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Ratcatcher starting at 8. The film calendar tells us we must see this. [Updated] X The Owl with Hilkka and a performance by the eclectic rock-funk-experimental Gaylord will be at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:45. At Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) it's a big ol' heavy metal night with Dog Day Sunrise and Haunted by Angels starting around 10:30. Over at Monty's Korner (363 East Ave.) it's April Laragy and the Atomic Swindlers with Arc starting around 9:30.

S U N D A Y

Open Jar Jam at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) tonight and every Sunday. Just like on Thursdays, you can see/do/avoid Karaoke with Sugar Bear at Drinks by Mary Dawn (535 S. Clinton) starting around 9. Karaoke with Sugar Bear is back at The Blue Room (293 Alexander St.)

M O N D A Y

Trivia Quiz continues at The Old Toad (277 Alexander St.) My interest is waning, but I keep going and we still haven't won--whether we have a few people or a whole bunch.. We've been within a couple questions of winning, but so has everyone else. It all gets started a little after 9. If you're interested, Johnny's Smoke Free Bar (1382 Culver Rd.) will have a DJ playing Barenaked Ladies tunes.

T U E S D A Y

Abraham Lincoln's Birthday (1809) The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing the silent comedy Erotikon starting at 8 featuring live piano by Philip C. Carli. Over at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) is Hit It or Quit It Night! with The Hometown Zeroes and Flour starting around 10:45. As of a few months ago, Java's (16 Gibb Street) still has open mic poetry downstairs starting around 9:30. Tonight from 8 to 10 is an interesting "new-material-only" Open-Mic Comedy Night at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) I think they're making it into a workshop type of environment.

W E D N E S D A Y

Weekly karaoke contest with Sugar Bear, at Comix Cafe (3450 Winton Pl.) Tonight at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) is Open Mic Night (for music) from 7 to 10.