Weekly Rochester Events #285: Here on Robinson's Island

Thursday, June 24, 2004

Aside from that, this past weekend was packed full with the bachelor party for my friend Jan. To save anyone's reading/skimming effort, there were no strippers, so you can stop looking. We went go-cart racing (which was a blast) and played miniature golf (which was ... well ... miniature golf) at The Gravel Pit (5158 E Main Street Rd, Batavia) then headed back to town. One of those stretch Ford Expeditions from Excel Limousine (213 Meadow Cir.) picked us up at Jan's house and we got into the scotch ... Glenmorangie 12-year Sherry Finish and Glenmorangie 10-year.

It was a short walk from the limo to The Strathallan (550 East Ave.) for some even fancier scotches like the 30-year Laphroaig. From there it was out to the patio for cigars. I guess they were supposed to be really good ... Ashton or something. Anyway, I didn't really get the appeal of the whole thing. It was something new to try, but no part of it was particularly exciting. Now, I've had delicacies before and some I like (like sushi) and some I don't (like lobster) and cigars lie way closer to lobster on the scale of what I like and what I don't.

Anyway, we went to Tapas One Seventy Seven (177 Saint Paul St.) for dinner and the highlight was Tab finishing all the clams. He had requested "all-you-can-eat" and proceeded to eat them all. I guess the claim was 15 dozen, finishing off the restaurant's 22-dozen clam bag. Well, the other highlight was Jan with a tired, drunken, and thoroughly sated look of bliss.

Afterward people were looking for an open bar and the closest to Jan's house was Lux Lounge (666 South Ave.) Although I can blend in somewhat there, the other guys were like oil-and-water, and I don't think they had much of a good time. At least Jan got to write on the brick walls with the chalk in the alleyway.

So finally, after a half-dozen glasses of scotch and way too much decadent food, I ended up crashed on the floor on some little mattress and borrowed sleeping bag. I quietly snuck out around 8 a.m. for a soft bed, but ended up missing out on the Sunday breakfast. I'll see the crew in a couple weeks anyway for the wedding.

After a few days of recovery I managed to drag myself out a couple times.

I got to see that movie, Super Size Me which actually was pretty good. I guess I can accept its category as "documentary" as it does indeed document Morgan Spurlock's 30-day all-McDonald's binge, but I think it falters because it's a flawed experiment. The trouble is that even if you trust Spurlock to document his own behavior and assume the doctors are for real and are honest, he fails to take a rational approach and instead goes for a flashy extreme by not only eating "nothing but McDonald's," but by also eating as much as he can and switching to a sedentary lifestyle. I'm sure that if you went to any buffet in town and ate "all you could" for every meal and just sat around all day, you'd get to the same result. It would have made a much better movie if he had just attempted to eat some approximation of a proper diet from McDonald's.

Regardless, the graphics and statistics are entertainingly presented, and the movie as a whole is fun to watch and gives you pause. I think the thesis was weak to begin with: essentially it was to explore the boundary between personal responsibility and corporate responsibility, and he attempts to seek that answer by living totally in the mercy of corporate good will.

Unfortunately, this isn't the kind of movie that's going to appeal to the obese American who eats at McDonald's all the time. I think that's its worst sin: the movie is designed for the "cultural elite" who'd rather see a documentary than a Hollywood blockbuster (and further, those who would much prefer to thumb their nose at the Hollywood blockbuster and its fans than to actually see a documentary.) I'm not sure what a good solution is, but designing a film to appeal to people who would already agree seems like a flawed endeavor.

Further, I wasn't particularly swayed by the film and I stand by my opinion that people need to take responsibility for what they shove in their mouth—however, it is deceptive (ergo "wrong") for any restaurant to refer to a 2,500 calorie purchase as a "meal" because that's a whole day's worth of food. Calling it a meal is their only deception and I would be happy if anything they called a "meal" could have no more than, say, 900 calories and that they'd be able to use terms like "double meal" and "triple meal" as necessary. While I'm writing legislation, I'd like to see the terms "breakfast," "lunch," "dinner," and "supper" be considered synonymous with "meal." At least then people who believe the societally irrevocable adage "three meals a day" would have a fighting chance of being on the right track.

On a completely different topic, I also got to see a new 35 mm print of the original Planet of the Apes which was just incredible. I think the story was at best "good" but it makes a lot more sense than the chopped-up versions that have played for years on TV. It's also pretty suspenseful. There were a couple unintentional bits of humor: Charlton Heston's character's pro-gun stance, and his comment to a young ape that, "You should never trust anyone over 30"—intended originally to be ironic since his character was over 3,000 years old, but funny now because Charlton Heston actually is over 3,000 years old.

Rounding out my moviegoing trio, I stopped by The Little (240 East Ave.) to see the Emerging Filmmaker's show on Monday. Everything was quite good. A couple of the highlights included Little Miss Pumpkin Head Eater which was an animation short from Christina Spangler that predated Unearthed and is even more surreal and disturbing. Christine Victoria Dunn's particle valentine impressed me as well as a tremendously fascinating abstract piece. I still haven't figured out what distinguishes a "good" from "bad" abstract film for me, but this one was definitely one of the "good" ones. The one I really didn't like was UP by Hardeep Kharbanda and Suruchi Pahwa which was a computer animation about a guy thrust into the public spotlight. I've generally hated computer animation and now I know why: the character's actions must be so deliberately scripted that it becomes unnatural. Also, I think there's a trap that it's supposed to be easier to achieve results than through traditional animation, but once you've spent ten hours making your character's head move back and forth, you're quite reluctant to throw the footage away if it is unnecessary to the story.

I did manage to make a brief appearance at the Sunday benefit for Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) but I just didn't feel like dealing with people so I went back home. I got back into the groove a little on Tuesday when I returned to see a couple bands on the lineup. I got to see The Race which was just okay ... a melancholic and dark band with a somewhat floaty feel to their music. However, The Arcade Fire was incredible: they're a "power-pop wall-of-sound" from Montreal and they were just great. There's a lot of people on stage playing guitars, bass, drums, keyboards, accordion, toy xylophone, and singing which just drives the music through you. The crowd was large, too ... apparently to see The Unicorns which I didn't even bother trying to fight my way through to get a glimpse. Quite a switch from average Tuesdays when there's only a half-dozen people there to see the band.

Hopefully I'll be able to get back into the swing of things soon and bring you more exciting tales through which you can live vicariously.

T H U R S D A Y

Midsummer Day Fleet Party in the Park will be at High Falls Festival Site (Browns Race and Commercial St.) tonight starting at 5:30 p.m. featuring Derek Trucks Band and The Commander Cody Band. [source: City Hall press release] In tonight's Screenplay Salon at 6 p.m. tonight at Verb Café at Writers and Books (740 University Ave.) is Amarcord where Frederico Fellini examines his younger days in Rimini, Italy. [source: Writers and Books calendar] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Gouttes d'eau sur pierres brûlantes (Water Drops on Burning Rocks) starting at 8 p.m. A multi-genre'd film about a bisexual salesman and the complexities of his relationships. [source: Eastman House calendar] Country-rock/rockabilly band Angry Johnny and the Killbillies will be at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 9 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] Tonight at Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) is Stillborn 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] The relatively recently formed reggae band Bear Bones will be at Tonic (East Avenue near Alexander) starting around 9:30 p.m. [source: band e-mail] Over at Montage Grille (50 Chestnut St.) starting around 9 p.m. is Dave Rivello's 12-Piece Jazz Ensemble [source: Montage e-mail]

F R I D A Y

Tonight at 7 p.m. is Rhythm Nights at High Falls Festival Site (Browns Race and Commercial St.) with blues band John Brown's Body for free. [source: City Hall press release] From today through July 31 is the 14th Annual Members Exhibition at Rochester Contemporary Art Gallery (137 East Ave.) probably starting tonight around 7. Of course, their calendar is frequently wrong so be wary. [source: Rochester Contemporary calendar] Tonight at Montage Grille (50 Chestnut St.) is bassist Gerald Veasley starting around 8 p.m. [source: Montage calendar] Tonight at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) is Robbie Rohan and Friends starting around 8 p.m. [source: Daily Perks calendar] The Swillbrothers will be at The Blue Room (293 Alexander St.) starting around 7 p.m. [source: WBER calendar] The great funk-rock band Mountain Mojo Authority (click here to skip their annoying flash intro) will be at Tiki Bob's Cantina (60 Browns Race, in the Centers at High Falls) starting around 8 p.m. [source: Freetime] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Dans ma peau (In My Skin) starting at 8 p.m. A fun romp through the world of self-mutilation. [source: Eastman House calendar] Starry Nites (696 University Ave., formerly Moonbeans) will be hosting Shawn Burleigh starting around 9 p.m. [source: Freetime] Tonight and tomorrow at 8 p.m. and 10:45 p.m., Emo Phillips will be at Comix Café (3450 Winton Pl.) along with Ray Devito, and Bill "Moranimal" Moran [source: Comix Café Calendar] Updated: Spy Bar and Grill (139 State St.) will be hosting Sara Strusz performing acoustically starting around 10:30 p.m.

S A T U R D A Y

Joe+n will be doing their Fifth-Annual Day Tour in and around rochester. The locations and times are as follows: 11 a.m. at Mendon Ponds Park (Hopkins Point Rd., North Entrance) the pond near the north entrance road. 12 p.m. at Erie Canal Lock 32 (Clover St. at the Erie Canal) near Clover. 1 p.m. at Towner's Bike Shop (1048 University Ave.) near the railroad tracks in back. 2 p.m. at The All-Purpose Room (#8 in the Public Market, off N. Union St.) 3 p.m. at The Bop Shop (274 N. Goodman St., in Village Gate Square) 4 p.m. at Durand-Eastman Park (Lake Shore Blvd.) in the lake-side parking area. 5 p.m. at Genesee River Dam (at Court St.) on the west side of the river. 7 p.m. (after dinner at 6) at Washington Grove (Cobb's Hill, northeast of the reservior) 8 p.m. on the east end of Cobb's Hill Park (Norton Dr., softball diamonds near 490) [source: band calendar] Over at Mt. Hope Cemetery (North Gate, 791 Mt. Hope Ave.) is A Circle of Friends: An Abolitionists' Tour of Mt Hope Cemetery In 1860 starting at 10:30 a.m. [source: Freetime] Tiki Bob's Cantina (60 Browns Race, in the Centers at High Falls) will be hosting disco and rock cover band The United Booty Foundation starting around 8 p.m. [source: Freetime] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Cleopatra starting at 8 p.m. The story of Cleopatra and Mark Anthony as portrayed by Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton ... the last in the "Beautiful Losers" series. [source: Eastman House calendar] Tonight at Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) is a Velvet Underground Tribute and Synaesthesia Benefit Show starting at 8 p.m. and featuring (in chronological order) Lars Feldman, Aimee Lane, drone-synth music from BelBivDeVoivod, emo-synth-pop band/rock band Healthcare, punk-rock/hard-rock band The UV Rays (even though they're already booked at the Bug Jar) The Wilsons, Dave Snyder, The Blood and Bone Orchestra, rock band Nod, semi-melodic fast-paced noise from Pengo, slightly-too-jammy eclectic rock band Kill Myself on Monday, and The Golden Showers. [source: Carbon Records calendar] Tonight at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) is The Paybacks, punk-rock/hard-rock band The UV Rays, politically charged performance art from Suran Song in Stag, and eccentric music from GAD starting around 10:45 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] Johnny's Irish Pub (1382 Culver Rd., still smoke-free) will be hosting acoustic soloist John Akers starting around 9 p.m. [source: Johnny's Irish Pub calendar] Tonight at Richmond's (21 Richmond St.) is great rock-and-roll from The Grinders, excellent tight rock/punk-rock from The Retreads, and awesome punk-rock from The Blastoffs starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: Freetime] Over at Alexander Street Pub (291 Alexander St.) starting around 10 p.m. is modern rock cover band Better Days [source: Freetime] Acoustic rock band Burning Snella will be at Curley's Saloon (511 E. Ridge Rd.) starting around 10:45 p.m. [source: Freetime] Over at the new Dazzle Theater (112 Webster Ave.) is a performance of Justify Us Through Your Life, His Story and My Story at 7:30 p.m. and tomorrow at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. [source: Freetime]

S U N D A Y

This afternoon at 1 p.m. is the last of the City's Sunday Serenades at Washington Square Park (across Woodbury from Geva Theater) featuring the The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Rhythm Session. The rain location is The Dugan Center at St. Mary's Church (15 Saint Marys Pl.) across the street. [source: City Hall press release] Today at The Rochester Public Market (280 Union St. N.) is another Community Garage Sale from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you're interested in getting a booth, call 428-6907 for more information. [source: City Hall press release] The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) will be hosting River City Rebels, The Expired, and pretty good thrashy punk band The Dismissed starting around 10:45 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] Open Mic Night at On the Rocks (1551 Mount Hope Ave., formerly Michael's and before that Trios.) [source: Freetime]

M O N D A Y

Over at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 8:30 p.m. is electronic/guttural vocalization band Nautical Almanac, and The Blood and Bone Orchestra. [source: Bug Jar calendar] Excellent experimental jazz band TatYana will be playing tonight at Alexandria Mediterranean Cuisine (120 East Ave., formerly Aria) starting at 10. [source: the proverbial grapevine]

T U E S D A Y

Verb Café at Writers and Books (740 University Ave.) is having another Wide Open Mike with Norm Davis starting at 7:30 p.m. [source: Writers and Books calendar] Over at Kilborn Hall of Eastman Theatre (60 Gibbs St.) starting around 7:30 p.m. is Dave Rivello's 12-Piece Jazz Ensemble [source: Freetime] Slightly eclectic rock and roll from My Penis, borderline novelty-song rock/power-pop band The Badenovs, and Anal Pudding will be at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:45 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] 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 E D N E S D A Y

The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Maynila: sa mga kuko ng liwanag (Manila: In the Claws of Neon) starting at 8 p.m. A fisherman looking for his family is repeatedly exploited in Manila. [source: Eastman House calendar] Poor People United meets tonight and every Wednesday at 7 at St. Joseph's House of Hospitality (402 South Ave.) [source: the proverbial grapevine] 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]