Thursday, October 24, 2002

JayceLand's Weekly Rochester Events #198: Those Crazy Germans and their Magnets

First, this week contains the last Saturday of the month, so we'll be over at Aaron's Place (690 Park Ave., formerly Bistro Seven) on Saturday. I stopped by last Friday and it's a small, contemporary styled place that's currently entirely family employed. I got a coffee, a cup of their seafood bisque, and a turkey, grilled peppers, and mozarella sandwich on grilled bread. The food was executed perfectly. The bisque was great (different from, but about as good as John's from O'Bagelo's) and the sandwich was virtually perfect ... the turkey was thick sliced with only a couple peppers which allowed it to stay together like a sandwich; the bread was lightly brushed with olive oil then grilled (unlike Spot Coffee where they have an olive oil dunking tank as best I can tell) and the seasoned mayonnaise dipping sauce was a perfect complement. Heck, even the coffee was quite good. I talked to Aaron and he said they'd been in business since June (er ... or was it July ...) and the overhead is low and they're doing well. He said that if there was a big turnout on Saturday to call in advance so they can prepare. If anyone else is going, please send me an e-mail so I can tell if we'll have two people or twelve. A few weeks ago he had to close early because it was so busy that they ran out of ingredients--despite having his brother run to Wilson Farms to get more eggs. This past weekend was kinda crazy ... I started out taking Friday off and got to get out to lunch and get some things done around the house. This was preceded by a night out on Thursday where sadly I only got to see three bands at two bars. I caught lank at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) who I recognized from an old Piranha (204 N. Water St.) show. He plays a synth beat and melody then overlays audio live from TV and radio fed through some digital effects. Next up was Bony Moon who play a funk-driven rock with some experimental innovations. I headed out after a couple songs to catch The Dado Sa Band up at Tapas One Seventy Seven (177 Saint Paul St.) They were really cool ...they play Brazilian music and mix in some popular Hispanic covers (La Bamba, etc.)

Ford Street Bridge with full moon setting

On Friday I just shot some pool after dinner, but then on Satuday after O'Bagelo's, I stopped at the Artisan Works (565 Blossom Rd.) and walked through Elizabeth Collection which was pretty cool. The place is really quite big and it's interesting enough to just navigate the whole thing. On the "boulevard" is a bunch of the larger studios. I stopped in at Mark Groaning's workshop and met him. We chatted for a bit ... he thinks he's pretty good at pool and got kinda pissed when I flaked and called him Matt. I knew better, just somehow forgot for a second.

Anyway, that night I headed over to Dryden Theater to see Medium Cool. It's the story of a TV cameraman who wrestles with his involvement manipulating the world's view of the social ills of the day. I felt kinda bad not liking it very much because director Haskell Wexler was there to receive a lifetime achievement award presented by George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) and local legend and star of the movie, Robert Forster. The trouble with the movie was that it was just too choppy. I guess it was decent, I just expected that it would be smoother around the edges.

After that I went over to The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) to catch a big old metal show with Within, Fallguy and Ghost. I'm starting to get an ear for metal ... I thought Within was really good, Fallguy was interesting by mixing in a bit of punk-rock with metal, and Ghost was really good too.

A few hours later I got up and went out to the Ford Street Bridge (Ford St.) to get some pictures of the full moon setting over it. For the last three years or so I keep meaning to catch the October full moon because it sets just before dawn. Unfortunately, it was way before dawn, and the pictures are pretty unremarkable. The moon is too bright against the background so it just looks kinda stupid. For kicks I put up one of the pictures to the right. Oh, and the batteries went dead in the camera just as I had set up a good shot. Maybe again next year.

Coming up this week of interest is Tim Beideck's movie night at Johnny's Irish Pub (1382 Culver Rd., still smoke-free) on Thursday, the Manplanet show at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) on Tuesday, and of course, High Falls Film Festival starting on Wednesday. Definitely check out the website and pick a couple films to see. Oh yeah, and I got hold of Brendan MacNaughton over the week--the bass player in his band Acoustic Semi quit so they won't be appearing around here in either Richmond's (21 Richmond St.) on Friday, Montage Grille (50 Chestnut St.) on Saturday nor Water Street Music Hall (204 N. Water St.) on Wednesday.

T H U R S D A Y

Tonight at Johnny's Irish Pub (1382 Culver Rd., still smoke-free) Tim Beideck (from the band Burning Snella and creator of the movie Drivers Wanted) will be presenting his new short film, Gertrude's Monster starting at 8:30 and repeating until midnight (screenings are 45 minutes apart ... the movie is 20-minutes) at which point he'll show his debut 32 minute short, the jukebox heroes. All movies will be available for purchase on VHS. Over at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) tonight is an early show for Badenovs CD Release Party starting around 8 then DJ's starting around 10. Tonight is another Songwriters Circle with the talented Mary Simon, Melissa McClelland and Leah Zicari over at Monty's Korner (363 East Ave.) starting around 9. Tonight over at Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) is The Joggers starting around 10:30. Tonight at The Club at Water Street (204 N. Water St.) and Water Street Music Hall (204 N. Water St.) starting around 6 is a Benefit For Alternatives for Battered Women with Ben Taylor, D. I. G., Tamara Marcella, Josie Waverly, Downtown Marty Brown, The Turbomatics, Thistlewerk and The Young Irish Dancers starting around 6. 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.

S A T U R D A Y

Aaron's Place (690 Park Ave., formerly Bistro Seven) for lunch at noon today. Miscellaneous punk, rock, and power-pop of Party of Helicopters, Ex-Models, Hella and Need New Body will be over at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) tonight starting around 10:30 or so. Defenbombed with punk rock from The Grinders and more punk rock from El Destructo will be at Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) tonight starting around 10:30. Rumor has it that deltaforce 23 will be at the (apparently new) Steel (1509 Scottsville Rd., formerly Tremors) starting around 9:30 or so I'd guess ...

S U N D A Y

Daylight Saving Time Ends -- Set your clock back one hour from 2:00 a.m. daylight saving time to 1:00 a.m. standard time in the wee hours of Sunday morning. Navy Day The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Hell House starting at 8. Man, talk about scary ... a cinéma vérité documentary about a fundamentalist church's haunted house that depicts such "horrors" as AIDS, abortion, and drug abuse among more universally accepted evils. There's an early show at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) with a special early show featuring The Hawaii Show and We Regazzi starting around 9. 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.)

T U E S D A Y

Tonight at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) is the pop-punk of Groovie Ghoulies and the litmus test to tell if you're gay (or at least if you like guys dressed in color-coordinated vinyl unitards) Manplanet and The Flashing Astonishers starting around 10:30. As of a few months ago, Java's (16 Gibb Street) still has open mic poetry downstairs starting around 9:30. 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, the comics now have to force that behavior ... by default it's a place to try out new stuff. Dan Liberto (of the The Comedy Company) is back with another Open Mic Comedy up at Penny Arcade (4785 Lake Ave.) starting probably around 10:30

W E D N E S D A Y

Tonight at the Vehicle Impound Auction Lot (330 Colfax St.) is the City of Rochester Impounded Vehicle Auction sponsored by Reynolds Auction Company starting at 12:30 p.m. Tonight at The Club at Water Street (204 N. Water St.) starting around 7 with a bunch of the metalest of the metal featuring Keelhaul, Snaggletooth, Withered Earth and Within. Yippie ... so begins the High Falls Film Festival tonight. The opening ceremonies are from 9 to midnight at the "Top of the Plaza" ... a.k.a. the 14th Floor of Midtown Plaza (S. Clinton and Broad St.) This year's awards recipients are: Lainie Kazan to be honored with Susan B. Anthony Failure is Impossible Award Nancy Cartwright to receive the Web of Life Award 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. The Starving Artist Art Show will be at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 6 or so.