Thursday, December 27, 2001

JayceLand's Weekly Rochester Events #155: Eat Papa...

On the entertainment front, my brother and I went to my uncle's party on Saturday during the day then followed our cousin and her friends around Clifton Park (NY...north of Albany) to several bars. Ravenswood (1021 Route 146, Clifton Park, NY) was an okay restaurant-with-a-bar, but the bar area was pretty small and we had about 10 people and five of them were rowdy drunk so we went down the street to Northern Lights (1208 Route 146, Clifton Park, NY.) I heard that the popular groove-rock band Max Creek and then non-jug-band St. Catharine Street Jug Band would be playing there. We figured there was a cover, but didn't expect it to be $14 (especially for a bar in a strip mall in Clifton Park) so we headed out and spent the rest of the evening watching the breakup of some codependent friends of my cousin happen at The Rusty Nail (New Rt. 9 and 146, Clifton Park, NY) A good time was had by most.

On Sunday night we went out again. Adam was going to meet with some friends at Pinhead Susan's (38 Broadway, Schenectady) [The name of this place has a bit of history that I'll bore you with now. In the early 1980's, there was a woman named Susan who was apparently a pinhead because the phrase "Susan is a pinhead" was sprayed upon the railroad bridge facing Erie Boulevard near Liberty Street. Years passed and the city finally got around to covering it up. However, the original author decided this was very important so returned to tag the bridge with the phrase "Susan remains to be a pinhead" in the same spot. That graffiti has since been removed but the bar now carries the legend.] Anyway, the place was closed. Great story, eh?

Oh, I mean, we went on to The Larkin (199 Lark St., Albany) to see Katie Haverly open for some band named/led by Christina. I had seen Katie before at Drinks by Mary Dawn (535 S. Clinton) back on January 10. She didn't recognize me but I always think it's fun to make entertainers try to remember me even if they can't. I generally let them off the hook as they say things like "oh ... yeah ... I think I remember you..." I'm so cruel. Anyway, Adam bought Katie's CD. We hung out there until around midnight when the music finished then headed home. The neat part was that the Lark Street section of Albany seemed pretty cool. This is a first for me: finding an interesting part of a city that isn't Rochester.

In completely unrelated news, I took the Affliction Test from Rum and Monkey (formerly Squirming.net) last week and found that:

T H U R S D A Y

The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Orson Welles' F For Fake starting at 8. The Dryden newsletter puts it best: "F for Fake takes a look at atrifice, authorship, and the symboiotic relationship between art and lying, indulging Welles's own trickster/magician sensibility..." Starting around 10:45 tonight at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) is the new-to-me Gordon Stone Trio. Tonight it's the eclecticly influenced rock band Gaylord at Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:30. Rumor has it that Nuts and Bolts will again be at Johnny's Smoke Free Bar (1382 Culver Rd.) They've been showing poor showmanship when it comes to actually having a show when they advertise, but you can take your chances tonight at 8. Tonight is another of Freetime Magazine's Rochester's Most Popular Band Contest with Igloo Yew versus Roadkill Karma starting around 9:30 at the intolerable Milestones (170 East Ave.) The doors open at 9 and and close around 12:30. 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.

F R I D A Y

Starting around 11 at the new Mercury (171 St. Paul, formerly Red) is The Thundergods with El Destructo and the decent rock band This Sporting Life. Water Street Music Hall (204 N. Water St.) is having their Winterfest 2001 with the prolific Gregory Paul , Brothers 'n Green, the decent rock band Ned Pepper, Freebeerandchicken , a bit of percussion groove-funk overload with The Buddhahood, Buford & Smokin' Section, Sweet Life and I guess some more starting around 9.

S A T U R D A Y

O'Bagelo's, 165 State Street, noon. The Garage Pop End of Year Bash show will be at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting tonight around 10:45 featuring the all right Mid Air Collision, the Rochester standard punk band The Grinders, the ever decent punk-rockers The Lucys, the every-trying The Purrs, the punk-rock-with-a-DJ sounds of Candy Dammit and the okay Veluxe. Over at Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) is the Dead Blue Hand Holiday Show starting around 10:30.

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.) One of these days I'll have to stop by to see if it's really true.

M O N D A Y

New Year's Eve Kwanza Ends Tonight at Nazareth College (4245 East Ave.) is two performances by The Capitol Steps--one at 6:30 and one at 10. Admission is $36 and if you haven't got tickets you'll probably want to call ahead at (585)389-2170 to see if there's any available. Today at 2 is the Parade of Coca Cola and Chevrolet on State Street. Stop by to see this one. There will also apparently be an Olympic Torch Runner toward the end so keep your eyes open for that. The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing The Apartment starting at 8 which is sort-of like a less-funny/more-serious Office Space from the 1960's--Jack Lemmon's character rents out his apartment for his bosses afternoon trysts. If you like to stand in line outside, I can guarantee you will if you show up around midnight or so at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) tonight. It's a New Year's Eve Skyehigh DJ night starting around 10:30. Note that there is no Trivia Quiz tonight at The Old Toad (277 Alexander St.) Over at Empire Brewing Company (300 State St.) it's Spacetrucker with The Lucys and apparently a few more people for a New Year's Eve acoustic show starting probably around 9:30 or 10.

T U E S D A Y

New Year's Day As of a few months ago, Java's (16 Gibb Street) still has open mic poetry downstairs starting around 9:30.

W E D N E S D A Y

Now that you're all back to normal and into another year, it's time to go out to see the decent ska band The Blackouts down at Whiskey (315 Alexander St.) starting around 10 or so. The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing The Day the Earth Stood Still starting at 8. It's about a guy with a robot named Gort who are misunderstood when they visit Earth. 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.