Weekly Rochester Events #307: Liars Print Libel, Zenger Prints Zingers

Thursday, November 25, 2004

Anyway, in news of the city, there is a City Hall press release looking for cooks in the Chilly Chili Challenge in February. If you think you've got what it takes, sign up. It's not clear if you've got to provide an exact recipe. I mean, who's got an exact recipe for chili?

Also, since O'Bagelo's (165 State Street) is closed for the holiday, I figure whomever is in town should check out Ly Lou's Pearl of the Orient (489 South Ave.) on Saturday ... they open at noon, so no point in getting there early. Oh, and they serve Philippine cuisine, of which I know nothing at all about.

This week — once again — I guess I'll do a blow-by-blow of my activities. Last Thursday I got to see a great show at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) with The Stew Cutler Trio. Ordinarily they don't do jazz-type shows there, but this was sponsored by The Bop Shop (274 N. Goodman St., in Village Gate Square) Unfortunately, all the Bop Shop regulars didn't come because it was the "scary" Bug Jar, and all the regular Bug Jar crowd didn't come because it was "scary" jazz. Thankfully there were at least 8 or 9 people there who really enjoyed it ... the band stuck through it and didn't even seem very upset about it. Anyhow, they do an excellent blues/jazz hybrid and even throw in a little simulated sitar.

On Friday I went to the acoustic show at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) I gotta say, the wrap sandwiches they have are the best deal in town: the tuna salad/wasabi wrap was great. Too bad the coffee is a pretty lousy deal: refills are not discounted, like at Starry Nites Café (696 University Ave., formerly Moonbeans) nor are they free, like at the Tea Room at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.). Anyway, I got to see Kinloch Nelson, Maria Gillard, and Allen Power — all of whom are great. I never saw Kinloch Nelson play before, and he's a really talented guitarist — even when playing the variety of styles in his repertoire.

Saturday I tried to get to as many shows as I could. I again started at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) to see the songwriters in the round — this time featuring the witty and accomplished Brian Coughlin, the emotive and charismatic JoAnn Vaccaro and the excellent all-around singer, songwriter, and guitarist Dee Adams. From there I took off for Starry Nites Café (696 University Ave., formerly Moonbeans) to see Paul Blackburn play his jazz guitar. He plays a subtle and mellow blend of mostly cover songs, just right for ambient jazz in the recently finished second room (bringing it back to the former size of Moonbeans.)

I intended to try and get to The Montage Grille (50 Chestnut St.) but it was getting a bit late so I headed straight for Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) instead. I missed the debut of The Black Arrows but got to catch The Scarlets and The UV Rays. It was a packed house which I worked to my advantage, groping as many women as I ... er ... I mean, so I could benchmark the Scarlets on their sound alone — and attempt to eliminate the girl-band cuteness factor. I hid by the kitchen with a column blocking my view of the band and was pleased that most of their songs are catchy and they sound tight. The UV Rays finished things off with an ego-driven madhouse that erupted a mosh pit more wild than I've seen in a while, especially at the Krown.

I even managed to make it to the last day of In Flesh and Spirit: Reflections on our Days of the Dead at A|V Art Sound Space (#8 in the Public Market, off N. Union St., formerly The All-Purpose Room) on Sunday. I didn't get a chance to really absorb everything, but it was all creepy. Simon Goldfeder had the popular piece in the show ... let me see if I can do it justice by revealing its design in the reverse you'd observe it. Start with a basic straight-back, antique-style, high-backed chair and wrap it in leather and Naugahyde to cover the back and seat, and to hide the legs entirely. Then add a furry tail that conceals a power cord which, when plugged in, noisily drives a 6-inch glass phalus protruding from the seat rapidly up-and-down. Now, have nightmares about it for a week or two, and you begin to appreciate what it's like to see it in person.

And on that note, Happy Thanksgiving!

T H U R S D A Y

Thanksgiving No bands at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) tonight, but DJ's start at 11 p.m. featuring DJ Keven Adams, DJ Queen Knobtweekaaaah, and DJ Water, Our Baby. [source: Bug Jar calendar]

F R I D A Y

In case you were holding your breath, the free skating days that would have started this weekend have been postponed at the ice rink at Manhattan Square Park (130 Chestnut St.) because of mechanical problems getting ice on the rink. [source: City Hall press release] Over at Starry Nites Café (696 University Ave., formerly Moonbeans) starting around 8 p.m. is the really good, light, bluesy jazz-instrumental band The Lumiere Gypsy Jazz Trio. [source: WITR calendar] [all ages] Tonight at 10:30 p.m. and tomorrow at 11:30 p.m. at Nextstage at Geva (75 Woodbury Blvd.) is Geva Comedy Improv. [source: Geva Theatre website] Tonight at Paradigm Café (3118 E. Henrietta Rd., formerly Blue Sunday) is Paradigm Shift starting around 9 p.m. [source: Paradigm Cafe calendar] [all ages]

S A T U R D A Y

Lunch is at Ly Lou's Pearl of the Orient (489 South Ave.) today at noon. The Rochester Contemporary Jazz Festival featuring Thornwood Jazz, The Bill Tiberio Group, The Eastman Jazz Trio, The Bob Sneider Duo, Cinnamon, and Jimmie Highsmith, Jr. will be at Montage Grille (50 Chestnut St.) starting around 5 p.m. [source: Montage calendar] Gene Cornish will be at House of Guitars (645 Titus Ave.) starting around 7 p.m. The show is free, but if you bring a can of food for Foodlink you'll get a free House of Guitars t-shirt. [source: WBER calendar] [all ages] Starry Nites Café (696 University Ave., formerly Moonbeans) will be hosting Lisa Dotolo starting around 8 p.m. [source: Freetime] [all ages] Tonight at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) is Baba Yaga, The Grinders, and The Hot Aces starting around 10:45 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] The new comedy Stones in his Pockets by Marie Jones opens tonight at Blackfriars Theatre (28 Lawn St.) and runs through December 19. Based on their description, a couple farmhands pick up work as extras in an American film being shot in their native Ireland, but they ultimately "become" the entire cast and crew. [source: Blackfriars Theatre website]

S U N D A Y

The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Persian Treasures: The Best in Iranian Animation featuring Sweet Story, Hamneshin (Companion), Gol, parandeh, khorshid (The Flower, the Bird, and the Sun), Bahador, and Shangoul & Mangoul starting at 5 p.m. [source: Eastman House calendar] The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) will be hosting good (but kinda gimmicky) heavy metal band Blüdwülf, good classic-style punk band The Teenage Junkies, Finisher, Destrux, and Primordial starting around 7 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] David Byrne's PowerPoint-based art Trees, Tombstones, & Bullet Points closes today at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) [source: Eastman House calendar]

M O N D A Y

Tonight at 9:15 p.m. at The Little (240 East Ave.) is another Emerging Filmmakers show with Sal Piazza's Sleep ... (to Dream) Stephanie Benvenuto's Continuations, Sam Zalutsky's Smear, High Art Dating by Erick M. Crespo and Keith McManus, Richard Matson's The Duke of Goo, Barely Audible by Katherine Copeland, Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi, and Vivian Wenli Lin, Shawn Schaffer's Pawn, Paperman by Rob Snyder and Phil Snyder, and Wilson by Jon Karafin, Tyler Finck, and Kat Robison. [source: Little Theatre calendar] Tonight's another Wide Open Mike with Norm Davis at Verb Café at Writers and Books (740 University Ave.) starting around 7:30 p.m. [source: Writers and Books calendar]

T U E S D A Y

Tonight at 7 p.m., The Landmark Society of Western New York is hosting a World Trade Center Design Talk at The Academy of Medicine (1441 East Ave.) with Frank Emile Sanchis, executive director of The Municipal Art Society (457 Madison Ave., NYC.) [source: Landmark Society calendar] [all ages] Verb Café at Writers and Books (740 University Ave.) is hosting another LITalk tonight starting at 7 p.m. [source: Writers and Books calendar] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Zeemansvrouwen (Seamen's Wives) starting at 8 p.m. I think the Eastman Hosue Calendar highlights the intersting points best: This tale of a woman torn between a sailor and a petty criminal was originally intended as the first Dutch sound film, an experiment that failed. Now, however — thanks to the Nederlands Filmmuseum — the film can claim its title retroactively. We'll present it in its "experimentally restored" form, complete with music, sound effects, and partially synchronized, newly recorded dialogue. [source: Eastman House calendar] Over at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:45 p.m. is good punk-rock-groove band The Edge of Jupiter, good acoustic soloist Gregory Paul, and tight modern rock band Veluxe. [source: Bug Jar calendar] [18+]

W E D N E S D A Y

Tonight at Kilbourn Hall at Eastman Theatre (60 Gibbs St.) is The Eastman Musica Nova Ensemble, conducted by Brad Lubman starting around 8 p.m. [source: Eastman School of Music calendar] [all ages] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing De Stilte rond Christine M. (A Question of Silence) starting at 8 p.m. After three women kill a male sales clerk, none can give any reason for their crime ... told from a feminist perspective. [source: Eastman House calendar] Tonight at The Bop Shop (274 N. Goodman St., in Village Gate Square) at 8 p.m. is The Shapes, Sounds and Textures Ensemble featuring saxophonist Sabir Mateen, Steve Swell on trombone, Matthew Heyner on bass, Raphe Malik on trumpet, and drummer Michael Thompson. [source: Bop Shop calendar] [all ages] Poor People United meets tonight and every Wednesday at 7 at St. Joseph's House of Hospitality (402 South Ave.) [source: the proverbial grapevine]