Weekly Rochester Events #368: Begonia and Magnolia are Born

Thursday, January 26, 2006

Well, lots of non sequitur things to have done last week. Thursday I started off going to The Rochester Public Library (115 South Ave.) for Thursday Thinkers for a discussion on The Changing Skyline: Designing the New Troup-Howell Bridge. The project is part of a series of projects all along 490 — the website is http://www.490gateway.com. Howard Ressel, the The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) project design engineer said that aesthetics was comparatively important on this project since it's a prominent downtown feature rather than some rural crossing. I was glad to hear that they had included plans for walking paths on both sides of the river and there are plans for those paths to run continuously all the way to Lake Ontario. On the other hand, I thought it was kind of dumb that the plans included pylons on either end of the bridge that are purely decorative. But they're also including some interesting lighting options: white lights (as opposed to the yellow sodium-arc lamps or blue-green mercury lamps around town) will be part of the bridge structure rather than on poles. However, this project doesn't include removing one of the two redundant (and confusing, at least for newcomers) ramps to 490 east from South Avenue.

Steve Percassi, Jr. is from Erdman Anthony Consulting Engineers who helped develop the design, and said they looked at several options. They're installing what's known as a "true-arch" bridge where the arch supports the weight of the road deck and distributes it through the ends of the arches into bedrock or pilings. Many similar-looking bridges are "tied-arch" bridges where the road deck actually attaches to the ends of the arches and prevents the ends from sliding out, so the weight is distributed straight downward at the ends of the bridge. Also, the new bridge will be a unique 3-arch bridge: it will be the only 3-arch, true-arch bridge in the United States, and may be the first three-arch bridge in the U.S. if it's completed before the I-195 Providence River Brige in Rhode Island (which is a tied-arch bridge.)

On Friday I started out by stopping at the reception for the gallery show Unseen America at The Center at High Falls Fine Art Gallery (70 Brown's Race). To be honest, I didn't really care for much that was there. It was all okay, just not much that stood out to me to warrant a second look. From there I went to a friend's birthday celebration at MacGregor's (381 Gregory St.) I had a few beers, stopped by Lux Lounge (666 South Ave.) after that, and called it a night around 3 a.m.

Saturday night I headed out to see the opening for Facts and Fables at The Oxford Gallery (267 Oxford St.) I generally liked Julie Cardillo's oil paintings of some fantastic, bizarrely sexualized other-world. I thought Richard Jenks oil paintings of human figures were good as well, but in his natural scenes, I really disliked the random strokes he included in moving water that defied physics. From there, I went around the block to George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) to the Dryden Theater to see Ascenseur pour l'échafaud (Elevator to the Gallows). There were a lot of people there seemingly exclusively because of the Miles Davis soundtrack. I came in without such a bias, but as I was watching, I've got to say that soundtrack accounted for at least half the quality of the film. The other half was the plot of two lovers divided by serendipidy surrounding the errors made around a murder.

I finally got out to see some live music afterward: I went to The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) First up was The Pushrods and I thought they were okay — they do competent punk-rock but not all that captivating. Next was Breakerbox who had something indescribably better ... otherwise they competently play rock-and-roll with a few surprises. Finishing up, Bee Eater really strut their stuff, keeping the crowd worked up with their power rock.

Finishing up the week on Tuesday, I was back at Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) this time to see One, Two, Three. In it, James Cagney plays a Coca-Cola executive in Berlin just as the city becomes divided. I was glad to finally find a screwball comedy to out-screwball Bringing Up Baby. The jokes and one-liners came in a continuous flow for the entire film, and the knocks against both communism and capitalism were terribly incisive — although at the pace of the film, you might miss some if you look away. Or were laughing.

T H U R S D A Y

Today and tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Student Environmental Action League at RIT (One Lomb Memorial Dr., campus map) will be hosting an Electronic Waste Recycling event for students and faculty to dispose of electronic waste in the SAU Lobby and the Engineering Building Lobby. [source: RIT Events Calendar site] This afternoon from 5:15 p.m. to 6:15 is another lecture in the Thursday Thinkers series in Gleason Auditorium at The Rochester Public Library (115 South Ave.). Today, former City Councilman Tim Mains, and Katrina Korfmacher will discuss The Costs of Lead Paint Poisoning. [source: Gay Alliance website] Tonight at 6 p.m., The Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA) Chief Executive Officer, Mark Aesch will be on hand at The Rochester Public Library (115 South Ave.) for the Customer Town Meeting. [source: RocWiki calendar] [all ages] This evening at 7:15 p.m., as part of the Visual Culture & the African Diaspora program, is a screening of Ganja & Hess in Morey Hall, Room 321 at The University of Rochester (Elmwood Ave. at Intercampus Dr., details on River Campus Map). [source: University of Rochester Events Calendar] Tonight at the 1510 Lab Theatre at RIT (One Lomb Memorial Dr., campus map) is a performance of Window of the Soul tonight, tomorrow, and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday at 2 p.m. [source: RIT Events Calendar site] Over at Starry Nites Café (696 University Ave., formerly Moonbeans) starting around 8 p.m. is Jeff Sherner. [source: Starry Nites calendar] [all ages] The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) will be hosting Sublime cover band 40 oz. to Freedom (formerly Badfish), and Doublefist starting around 10 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] [18+] Tonight at Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) is good, slightly eclectic, rock and roll band My Penis, and great powerful rock from The Earl Cram Revue starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: band e-mail] [21+] Pure Kona Poetry Open Mic Night is at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) tonight starting at 7:30. [source: Daily Perks calendar] [all ages] Drinking Liberally meets at 8 p.m. tonight at Monty's Korner (355 East Ave.) [source: RocWiki calendar]

F R I D A Y

This evening from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Image City Photography Gallery (722 University Ave.) is the opening of Caught My Eye by David Perlman and gallery members. It runs through Feb 12. [source: City Newspaper] Apparently The Critical Mass Bike Ride is tonight starting at 5:30 p.m. at the clock tower near The Wilson Commons at The University of Rochester (Library Road, #39 on River Campus Map.) to The Liberty Pole (1 Liberty Pole Way) at 6 p.m. and heading through the city from there. [source: the proverbial grapevine] This evening at 6 p.m., Martin Luther King III will deliver The Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Address titled My Father's Dream, My Mission in Strong Auditorium at The University of Rochester (Elmwood Ave. at Intercampus Dr., details on River Campus Map). [source: University of Rochester website] This evening from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at The 1570 Gallery (1570 East Ave.) is the opening of a show titled Signs of Spring featuring watercolors by M. Wendy Gwirtzman and photographs by Bob Graham. It runs through March 30. [source: City Newspaper] Tonight at The NTID Dyer Art Center (90 Lomb Memorial Dr., on RIT campus in the Johnson Building) from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. is the opneing of Reflection featuring glass work by Erika Tada. The exhibition runs through February 13. Rosedale will be at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) for happy hour starting around 6:30 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] Tonight at 6:30 p.m., The Rochester Regional Community Design Center (RRCDC) (1115 E. Main St., in the Hungerford Complex) Gallery opens an exhibit of urban design work titled Communities: A National Perspective with Dennis Monroe, and The Mandolin Orchestra. [source: RocWiki calendar] This evening at 7 p.m. The Rochester Contemporary Art Gallery (137 East Ave.) is the opening of the current exhibit titled Lift / Left featuring the works of Deborah Jack. [source: Rochester Contemporary calendar] Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) will be hosting Phil Marshall, charismatic and stylistically varied acoustic soloist Scott Regan, and really talented guitarist and vocalist Kinloch Nelson starting around 8 p.m. [source: Daily Perks calendar] [all ages] A|V Art Sound Space (#8 in the Public Market, off N. Union St., formerly The All-Purpose Room) will be hosting The Modern Day Urban Barbarians, The Drayton Sawyer Gang, and Colonel Parmisan starting around 8 p.m. [source: artsound website] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing The Scarlet Letter starting at 8 p.m. This one's the 1926 version starring Lillian Gish; with live piano accompaniment from Philip C. Carli. [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] This evening starting around 9 p.m.at Starry Nites Café (696 University Ave., formerly Moonbeans) is a koto and violin performance with Ryuko Mizutani, Pia Liptak, Debra McCullough, and Juliet Grabowski. [source: Starry Nites calendar] [all ages] In case you missed them, at The Montage Live (50 Chestnut St., formerly the Montage Grille) starting around 10 p.m. is My Penis with gospel satire rock band The Lobster Quadrille. [source: Montage calendar] [18+] Great 1960's-styled rock-and-roll band The Hi-Risers will be at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que (99 Court St.) starting around 10 p.m. [source: Dinosaur Bar-B-Que calendar] Tonight and tomorrow is another Geva Comedy Improv show at Nextstage at Geva (75 Woodbury Blvd.) starting at 10:30 each night. [source: Geva Comedy Improv e-mail] The Jam Room (3873 Buffalo Rd., formerly the Buffalo Roadhouse) will be hosting Burning Snella starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: band e-mail] Tonight at Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) is Choking Susan, and awesome punk-rock from The Blastoffs starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: band e-mail] [21+]

S A T U R D A Y

Flute Synergy will be at Abundance Cooperative Market (62 Marshall St.) starting around 1 p.m. Then at 4:15 p.m. is a book signing with Rose O'Keefe, author of Rochester's South Wedge. [source: Abundance Co-op calendar] [all ages] Tonight at 6 p.m. at A|V Art Sound Space (#8 in the Public Market, off N. Union St., formerly The All-Purpose Room) is a screening of Vagabond about upstate skateboarding. [source: artsound website] Tonight at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) is great acoustic soloist Maria Gillard, clear, bright, quick-witted soloist Allen Power, and Rosanne Raneri starting around 8 p.m. [source: Daily Perks calendar] [all ages] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Schiller's Reels: The Films of Tom Schiller starting at 8 p.m. Tom Schiller himself will be on hand to introduce the short films he produced as a segment on Saturday Night Live including La dolce Gilda, Don't Look Back in Anger, Love is a Dream, and Java Junkie. Also, they'll be showing Nothing Lasts Forever, Schiller's first feature film about an artist in New York City of the future. [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] Over at Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:30 p.m. is the good and not-too-jammy groove-rock band Somebody's Closet. [source: JamBase calendar for Rochester] [21+] Updated: Tonight at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) is Calla, Oceanside, and very tight modern rock band Veluxe starting around 10:45 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] [18+] Tonight's another Betty's Sing-a-Long at Betty Meyer's Bullwinkle Café (622 Lake Ave.) starting around 10.

S U N D A Y

Todan from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. is the opening of the Extreme Materials Exhibition at The Memorial Art Gallery (500 University Ave., near Goodman St.) There will be a tour at 2 p.m. [source: Memorial Art Gallery calendar] This afternoon at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., Patrick Henning will give mini-recitals on the Italian Baroque organ at The Memorial Art Gallery (500 University Ave., near Goodman St.) [source: Eastman School of Music calendar] [all ages] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing High Society starting at 7 p.m. Ok, so it's a remake of the musical The Philadelphia Story, but with Louis Armstrong and Bing Crosby ... [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] Starry Nites Café (696 University Ave., formerly Moonbeans) is hosting their weekly Open Mike Poetry tonight at 7 p.m. [source: Starry Nites calendar]

M O N D A Y

Tonight at 7 p.m. is Wide Open Mike at Verb Café at Writers and Books (740 University Ave.) featuring host Norm Davis. [source: Writers and Books calendar] [all ages] Tonight at 7 p.m. at St. Anne Church (1600 Mt. Hope Ave.) is a Community Meeting to discuss the construction of the new The University of Rochester Medical Center Cancer Center at the corner of East Drive and Crittenden Blvd. [source: Upper Mount Hope Neighborhood Association flyer] [all ages] Tonight at 9:15 p.m. at The Little (240 East Ave.) is another night of the Emerging Filmmakers Series featuring Couch Lips by Maria Rosenblum, Forced Out by Jungtae Lee Railroad by Maria Rosenblum, Arthur and the Black Knight by Micah Schmidt, Real Men In a Locker Room by Seth Werlin and Caleb Durand, Magnetic Poles by Maria Rosenblum, and Reading Marcus by Rochester LoFilm. [source: Little Theatre calendar] There's also Open Mic Poetry at Java's (16 Gibbs St.) starting around 9 p.m. [source: Java's calendar] [all ages] Bored? Why not check out 1980's DJ night at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 11 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar]

T U E S D A Y

This morning at 7:30 a.m. in the cafeteria overlooking the arboretum in Bausch and Lomb (140 Stone St.) is the Artists Breakfast Group meeting ... anyone interested in art or creativity is invited. Today from 12:12 p.m. to 12:52 p.m. is another Tuesday Topics in Kate Gleason Auditorium at The Rochester Public Library (115 South Ave.) Attorneys A. Katherine Piccola and William G. Clauss will discuss Legal Rights in an Age of Terrorism. [source: Rochester Public Library calendar] [all ages] Tonight at 7 p.m. is the Words of Wisdom Talent Showcase at The Montage Live (50 Chestnut St., formerly the Montage Grille.) [source: Montage calendar] Tonight at Johnny's Irish Pub (1382 Culver Rd., still smoke-free) at 7 p.m. is 8-Minute Dating. [source: Johnny's Irish Pub calendar] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Ninotchka starting at 8 p.m. in which Greta Garbo "plays a stern Soviet official sent to Paris to check on three agents having too much fun while on the proletariat's ruble." [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] The Giraffes, classic punk from The Teenage Junkies, and great rock/punk/ska band The Expired will be at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 9:30 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] [18+] Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) is hosting an Acoustic Open Mic from 8 to 10. [source: Daily Perks calendar]

W E D N E S D A Y

Tonight at The Memorial Art Gallery (500 University Ave., near Goodman St.) is a Designing for Sustainable Communities lecture sponsored by The Rochester Regional Community Design Center (RRCDC) featuring prior Honolulu, Hawaii mayor Jeremy Harris at 7 p.m. Tickets are required. [source: Rochester Regional Community Design Center calendar] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Mercano, el marciano (Mercano the Martian) starting at 8 p.m. An outer-space man lands in contemporary Buenos Aires and is ignored by the natives until a giant corporation exploits him. [source: Eastman House 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] There's an Open Mic for Acoustic Music at Boulder Coffee Co. (100 Alexander St.) tonight around 8. [source: the proverbial grapevine] [all ages]

Polls | Other Projects

This week's award goes to The Mercer Gallery at Monroe Community College for having an events calendar listing exhibitions from 2002-2003. Congratulations, MCC!

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