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Weekly Rochester Events #264: Sadist of Them All

Thursday, January 29, 2004

Ok, last things first: it's the last weekend of the month, so we'll be going to Ming's I (1038 S. Clinton Ave.) for lunch on Saturday. I've been waiting to drop this one since last April when I stopped in and realized it'd be an awesome place to go if it was really cold. This weekend it won't be absurdly cold, but it will be cold, so hot bowls of noodle soup are just the thing. Please note that this is Ming's I (1038 S. Clinton Ave.) not Ming's II (1132 Monroe Ave.) nor Ming's III (831 South Clinton Ave., former location of Lorraine's Lunch Basket)—especially Ming's III which is just down the street.

Another thing before I get rolling: allow me to bring you all to a bit of a downer for a second: February 1, 2003 was when Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart on re-entry. If you want to be all somber and well-informed, there's a great article titled Columbia's Last Flight in The Atlantic. [Yeah yeah ... it was written a few months ago. Quit yer bitchin'.]

Anyway...

It's been a long time since I bought commercial software, but I finally decided I needed a spreadsheet so I bought AppleWorks 6.2.7 from Amazon.com. So far it's worked adequately, but nothing spectacular ... it's pretty easy to get it to crash, but at a quarter the cost of Microsoft Office (and as best I can tell, without anything that sends information back to Apple about what I'm doing) it's, well, adequate. The real reason I bought it, though was that I went to CompUSA (400 Jefferson Rd.) to test drive it a bit since it's preinstalled on many of the Apple computers these days. Anyway, there was a file saved in the word processor titled "Love Letter." I opened it, and it said:

Thanks for firing me so now I can shop for computers in the MIDDLE of the day!

Love, Julie

I mean, how much more of an endorsement do you need?

Anyway ...

I almost forgot that I can now talk about the gift I got my brother last year for his birthday. Adam took a trip a couple years ago to Phoenix ... mostly on a whim, but it turns out it happened to be during the Phoenix Film Festival. He got a chance to see Jane White Is Sick and Twisted and meet the husband-and-wife producer-and-star team of David Latt and Kim Little.

I rented the movie at one point and it's worth checking out. It's essentially a road-trip story of a girl, Jane White, who was more-or-less entirely raised by television. The story is told from her world, and basically everyone in the movie is or was a TV star ... it's pretty funny, but if you watched a lot of TV in the last 20+ years, the cameos make it that much better. There's even a campy desert sequence in the movie which was expertly constructed to look like one from daytime television. Among the things in there is a plastic owl that appears several times all over the place.

I checked out the website, and among other things, they're auctioning off the props for the movie—and as of the middle of 2003, they were planning to auction off the owl.

I thought this would be a great gift ... I checked with Adam and asked if he had the DVD and he did, but that got him talking about the movie and he specifically mentioned the desert scene and the owl. Now I had to have it. I waited and waited, but they didn't put it up on eBay. As my brother's birthday approached in October, I sent an e-mail explaining my predicament and asking if they'd put the owl up ... they said they would put it up next.

Well, "next" came in the form of a "couple months later," but I can't fault them because they just had a kid (David and Kim.)

I kept telling Adam that his birthday gift would be "really cool ... I just can't get it yet." Finally, they put up the owl on eBay in December. I thought there would be tons of bidders, so I was expecting to pay a lot. My luck held out (at the expense of theirs) and nobody else bid on it, so I got it for cheap. They signed it for Adam and shipped it out.

I gift wrapped it without a box (with the paper snugly wrapped around the ears) and added a note to the card that he would probably guess what it was right away. I packed it in the box it came in and shipped it out. He called me as soon as he got it and asked if it really was the one from the movie—I don't think he's ever been that excited to get anything before.

That was friggn' awesome ... I'm glad he liked it so much.

Anyway...

On Wednesday I stopped by Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) for a bit of Open Mic Comedy. Unfortunatley, it's been somewhat ruined. See there's this one guy who shows up and his act is primarily his sex life—not so much humor as an opportunity to swear a lot on stage. The owner didn't really like all of this, so the solution was obvious: tell him he's got to clean things up. Ha ha ... not so fast, Slick. That would be a reasonable solution that would require backbone. Instead, they decided to make a new rule that people couldn't talk about sex. "Huh?" you say? That's right: they've created the paradox of "open" mic comedy where you can't talk about sex, the bread-and-butter of the comedy world (or perhaps "head-and-udder" for you Cockney fans). Yeesh.

On a whim, I was glad to have stopped by Starry Nites (696 University Ave., formerly Moonbeans) on Thursday and got treated to Dreamland Faces. They're great ... one of them plays an accordian, and the other a standard crosscut saw with a violin bow. Oh, and they sing, sometimes with a little megaphone. The whole experience sounds like the 1930's ... all the stuff is mechanical, by the way, and the saw remarkably approximates the sound of a Theremin. I guess they play there every Thursday so check them out if you get a chance.

On Saturday I finally got a chance to check out Curley's Saloon (511 E. Ridge Rd.). The place is pretty good ... this particular night it was quiet (except for the people to see the band) because of the weather. It's well lit, and they've got a good stage, but it's a bit out-of-the-way. Anyway, I caught a bit of Tom Foolery and the Shenanigans who do a good punk-rock style with a bit of fiddle thrown in to make them Irish. More exciting, though was that I got to work the sound board for both Burning Snella and FMGreen. Burning Snella, by the way, does an acoustic-compatible rock and also has a fiddler for a couple songs, and FMGreen is a punk-rock band with a grinding edge. Tim from Burning Snella was very happy with the sound, even though I'd changed a lot of the settings on his mixing board. It's good to know that I still have mad skills to make small bands sound good.

Tuesday found me out again (despite wanting to go see several things on Monday and simply forgetting to check until it was too late.) I got to The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) to see the bands there, and I opted to bring my camera along to snap some pictures. First up was Keith Parkins who was doing some solo acoustic stuff written by a friend of his. Next was Sneaky Dragons although stripped down to just Otto Hauser this time. I was glad I brought the camera because (1) Sneaky Dragons' music puts me in a good state to take pictures, (2) I've always wanted to get pictures of Otto because he's got such an interesting stage presence, and (3) he sits really really still which is perfect for long exposures on a dark stage. Finally up was Kelli Hicks who I finally got to meet ... she does this airy, metaphoric acoustic solo stuff and is really quite good at it, even if she's a bit timid about the stage.


M
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  • Girl with a Pearl Earring (at The Little) - Apparently about the Johannes Vermeer painting of the same name.
  • The Big Bounce - And what's the point again?
  • The Perfect Score - Big waste-of-time movie, because with all the effort these kids put into stealing the answers to the SAT's, they should have just hacked the computers and changed their scores ... but that would have made a much shorter movie.
  • You Got Served - Either a street dancing movie with stuff I could never ever do, or an American remake of the British series Are You Being Served?.

T
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Over at Montage Grille (50 Chestnut St.) starting around 8:30 p.m. is acoustic-styled modern rock from Ronald Louis Lickers Jr. [source: Montage e-mail]

Over at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 8:30 p.m. is Streetlevel, humorous, metal-influenced punk rock from Serious, and M725. [source: Bug Jar calendar]

Tonight at Verb Café at Writers and Books (740 University Ave.) is another in the Dakotas on Film Series (films that exploring the landscape of the Dakotas.) Tonight is How the West Was Won for free at 7. [source: Writers and Books calendar]

The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Wonderwall, wherein a professor spies on a hot hippie through the wall, and also the short Reflections on Love starting at 8. [source: Eastman House calendar]

RIT College Activities Board and the RIT Student Government will present Project Playground trick basketball, dance, and audience participation in the Clark Gym at RIT (One Lomb Memorial Dr., campus map image) at 10:20 p.m. as part of Homecoming 2004. [source: CAB calendar]

This week's Thursday Thinkers at The Rochester Public Library (115 South Ave.) is titled The Two Nation Vacation: The Fast Ferry Comes to Rochester and runs as usual from 5:15 p.m. to 6 p.m. Jerry Ciccone, the US Marketing Manager for Canadian American Transportation Systems, LLC (the company that is managing the Spirit of Ontario) and Bill Price, the Port of Rochester Project Manager will be presenting. [source: Rochester Public Library calendar]

Tonight at Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) is heavy modern rock from Defenbombed starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: Freetime]

Pure Kona Poetry Open Mic Night is at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) tonight starting at 7:30. [source: Daily Perks calendar]

Although it started last Saturday, I forgot to mention that the Community Exhibition: Rochester Art Club Winter Exhibit will be on exhibit at Rochester Contemporary Art Gallery (137 East Ave.) until February 21. Running concurrently is Into Our Hands by Marla Friedrich. [source: Rochester Contemporary calendar]

Accordian and musical saw duo Dreamland Faces will be at Starry Nites (696 University Ave., formerly Moonbeans) starting around 8 or so. [source: the proverbial grapevine]

F
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Over at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) starting around 8 p.m. is acoustic soloist Maria Gillard. [source: band e-mail]

Tonight at Downstairs Cabaret (172 West Main St.) is acoustic soloist Leah Zicari's CD Release Show starting around 8 p.m. [source: band calendar]

Johnny's Irish Pub (1382 Culver Rd., still smoke-free) will be hosting the talented acoustic soloist John Akers from 5 p.m. to 8 and again starting at 9:30 p.m. [source: Freetime]

Tonight and tomorrow at Nextstage at Geva (75 Woodbury Blvd.) is Geva Comedy Improv starting at 10:30 for just $5. [source: the proverbial grapevine]

The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing The Films of Ladislaw Starewicz starting at 8 with musical accompaniment from Tin Hat Trio. With all this excitement, tickets are $12 for members and students and $15 for everyone else. The films, by the way, are: [source: Eastman House calendar]

Over at Montage Grille (50 Chestnut St.) starting around 9:30 p.m. is jazz with The Bill Tiberio Group. [source: Montage calendar]

Tracy Morgan will be appearing in the Clark Gym at RIT (One Lomb Memorial Dr., campus map image) to perform his standup comedy tonight at 8 p.m. as part of Homecoming 2004. [source: CAB calendar]

In case you've got money to burn (a.k.a. in case you've got a spare $69 lying around) The Memorial Art Gallery (500 University Ave., near Goodman St.) will be hosting their Palate to Palette dinner-and-lecture event starting at 6 both tonight and tomorrow. The theme is Carnival in Venice and includes a cooking demonstration from Johanna Heise along with dinner from the in-gallery Cutler's Restaurant, and an art history lecture from Lucy Durkin. Oh, and call for reservations. [source: Memorial Art Gallery calendar]

S
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The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing 11'09"01 - September 11 starting at 8. You may remember September 11, 2001 ... if not, you can see 11 filmmakers interpret the day in short, eleven minute, nine second, and one frame segments. [source: Eastman House calendar]

Richmond's (21 Richmond St.) will be hosting excellent rockabilly from Krypton 88, and instrumental surf-rock (with comedic intermissions) from The Isotopes starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: Whole Lotta Shakin' calendar]

Excellent, tight hard rock from Low Ton, very good metal from Sulaco, and Bailey, Mason, Lickers will be at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:45 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar]

Over at Acme Bar & Pizza (495 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10 p.m. is Cerulean City. [source: JamBase calendar for Rochester]

Decent groove rock (but with too much jamming) from Long Trip Johnny will be at Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: Rochester Music Coalition calendar]

Curley's Saloon (511 E. Ridge Rd.) will be hosting disco-and-more cover music from The United Booty Foundation starting around 10 p.m. [source: Freetime]

Over at Alexander Street Pub (291 Alexander St.) starting around 10 p.m. is modern rock and covers from Uncle PlumGarageBand link. [source: Freetime]

More modern rock and covers from Better Days will be at Millennium (2235 Empire Blvd.) starting around 10 p.m. [source: Freetime]

S
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The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing La Commune (Paris 1871) starting at 1. Leave it to the French to make a 6-hour historical reenactment of the Paris Commune of 1871. [Because, of course, you'd never see an American historical movie of that length ...] The first part will be shown from 1 to 4, then an hour break for dinner where you can get tasty sounding but otherwise mediocre food at the café, then the remaining three hours starting at 5. Screw the Superbowl. [source: Eastman House calendar]

Today from 2 to 4 in the Gleason Auditorium in The Rochester Public Library (115 South Ave.) is their Sunday Books and Movies series. Today, science fiction author Nancy Kress will discuss Arthur C. Clarke's novel 2001: A Space Odyssey and contrast it with Stanley Kubrick's film 2001: A Space Odyssey. [source: Rochester Public Library calendar]

Tonight at Spot Coffee (East Ave. and Mathews St.) is very good acoustic soloist Silandara Bartlett starting around 8 p.m. [source: Rochester Music Coalition calendar]

Over at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 8:30 p.m. is classic-style punk band The Beligerants, thrashy punk band The Dismissed, Skate Korpse, Bring The Anger, and Public Aggravation. [source: Bug Jar calendar]

Dan Liberto (of the The Comedy Company) hosts Open Mic Comedy Night at Duels Café (17 E. Main St.) starting around 7:30 (theoretically.) [source: Duel's Café]

M
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Groundhog Day

Over at The Community Darkroom at The Genesee Center for the Arts (713 Monroe Ave.) is another Meet the Photographer Series event starting at 7 featuring Rochester area photographer Stephen Spinder. [source: Genesee Center for the Arts calendar]

Over at Montage Grille (50 Chestnut St.) starting around 9 p.m. is Dave Rivello's 12-Piece Jazz Ensemble [source: Montage e-mail]

T
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The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Nina Simone: La légende about the legendary jazz and pop singer starting at 8 along with the short film James Baldwin: From Another Place. [source: Eastman House calendar]

Tonight at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) is slower rock-based synth-pop (emo synth-pop, maybe?) from Healthcare, The Wills Wilde, Hi Vol. Components, and Brian Blatt starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar]

Tonight at Verb Café at Writers and Books (740 University Ave.) is another Genesee Reading Series starting at 7:30 ... not much in the line of details this time. [source: Writers and Books calendar]

How Safe is Rochester? The answer to that question in 40 minutes flat will be discussed during the 12:12 p.m. to 12:52 p.m. Tuesday Topics in Gleason Auditorium at The Rochester Public Library (115 South Ave.) Rochester Police Chief Robert Duffy and RIT Department of Criminology Professor John Klofas will present. [source: Rochester Public Library calendar]

Drinks by Mary Dawn (535 S. Clinton) ... ever the staunch reminder of drunken nights passed ... will be hosting Bud, Booze & Bingo starting at 9 p.m. [source: Freetime]

Not ready for mainstream Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) is hosting an Acoustic Open Mic from 8 to 10. For this one, there's no microphones and it's pretty open ended. [source: Daily Perks calendar]

W
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Not ready for mainstream Tonight from 8 to 10 is an Open-Mic Comedy Night at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) While once it was a workshop type of environment, it's now more-or-less a regular open mic ... by default it's still a place to try out new stuff. [source: Daily Perks calendar]

Very cool jazz/jazz-rock band Margaret Explosion will be at The Little (240 East Ave.) starting around 8 p.m. [source: Little Theatre e-mail]
 
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Comte Donatien Alphonse François de Sade ("Marquis de Sade") was born 264 years ago in 1740 and was an author who consistently wrote about sexual violence—hence the source of the word "sadism."



GarageBand link links to a band's page on GarageBand.com which offers reviews and information about bands.

Not ready for mainstream. is an event that is "non-entertainment" for the masses such as practice sessions, open jams, etc.

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