Weekly Rochester Events #249: Serendipitously Bowdlerized

Thursday, October 16, 2003

Last Friday I got to see Geva Comedy Improv at Nextstage at Geva (75 Woodbury Blvd.) which was really good. They're very funny and had a nicely structured show. One of the members sits in the middle of the front row and is the judge. He gives points for each scene (the troupe divides into two teams) he has a horn to call the end of a scene (especially if he starts getting bored) and he's got this "scum bib" thing that anyone (including audience members) can be forced to wear if they do something the judge doesn't approve of ... three times and they're out. I guess they try to run a clean show as swearing and references to sex or drugs get called out and they get less points. Of course, they're pretty pointless points as the winning team just gets to be declared winners. It's not like they get to the pizza first or anything.

Apparently the troupe is divided amongst original members from Atlanta, Georgia and members from Rochester. I think I recognized some people from other troupes around town, but I really only know Nuts and Bolts Improv Troupe (see their site at ImprovAmerica too). Anyway, they'll be back for a couple Halloween shows and again on something like the second Friday and Saturday of each month.

Lately, though, it's been pretty quiet. I started working from home, and for some reason, have wanted to go out less than I did before. I figured that without the involuntary social contact with people at work that I would want more to go see people, but I guess not. Of course, it's getting colder and such, and I need more impetus to hop on the bike and ride downtown. Well, that, and I can't be getting really tired around 10:30 at night. Huh. Weird.

I did go back and visit my old haunt RIT (One Lomb Memorial Dr., campus map image) and the new crew of Gracies Dinnertime Theatre. That's a bit unnerving—like going backwards in time. These kids are exactly the same as me and my friends were 15 years ago. Well, except that they've got wireless Ethernet and can't drink on campus. But other than that, the complaints are generally the same as they ever were. RIT sucks. RIT oppresses us. I didn't get a scholarship. The CIA is all over campus. President Rose ... er ... President Simone is a jerk. It's kind of spooky, actually. I first thought that I'd try and straighten them out, but then I figured not to bother so much. Well, I'll still prod a bit, and try to help them get their point across better. Heck, maybe I'll pull some magic somehow and help them actually make a difference.

Yeah, that'll happen. Once an RIT student, always an RIT student.

T H U R S D A Y

French noise band/performance art act Costes, British Shatterhand, and Rochester's own Pengo will be at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 8:30 p.m. Tonight at Montage Grille (50 Chestnut St.) is power pop from New York with Evil Jake, Thatcher, The Last Call, Mad Yellow Sun, and The Animators (if they make it out of their show in Syracuse on time) starting around 8 p.m. The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Liao zhai yan tan (Erotic Ghost Story) starting at 8. Come on ... it's called "Erotic Ghost Story." Pure Kona Poetry Open Mic Night is at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) tonight starting at 7:30.

S A T U R D A Y

O'Bagelo's, 165 State Street, noon. This afternoon at Abundance Cooperative Market (62 Marshall St.) is acoustic soloist Silandara Bartlett starting around 1 p.m. Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) will be hosting Brian Coughlin's Songwriters in the Round also featuring acoustic soloist Maria Gillard, and Jeff Riales starting around 8 p.m. The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Cinemania starting at 8. Ok, so I have to see this ... a documentary about five obsessive fans of cinema. Tonight at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) is heavy rock/metal band Heatseeker, Bangers and Trash, and punkish rock with The Thundergods starting around 10:45 p.m. Over at The Club at Water Street (204 N. Water St.) starting around 9 p.m. is some acoustic stuff with Reid Genauer and the Assembly of Dust, and Al Schnier. Tonight at Johnny's Irish Pub (1382 Culver Rd., still smoke-free) is acoustic cover artists The Earthtones starting around 9 p.m. Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) will be hosting jammy groove rock with Bottletrain starting around 10:30 p.m. Over at Richmond's (21 Richmond St.) starting around 10:30 p.m. is surf-rock with The Isotopes, and rockabilly with Krypton 88. Modern rock and covers with Better Days (or click here to skip their irritating Flash intro) will be at Alexander Street Pub (291 Alexander St.) starting around 10 p.m.

S U N D A Y

The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) will be hosting Alasdair Roberts, Barrel Harbor, ambient music from Sneaky Dragons, and The Ponys starting around 8:30 p.m. Today at Geva (75 Woodbury Blvd.) is And Then They Came for Me: Remembering the World of Anne Frank at 1 and at 4. Dan Liberto (of the The Comedy Company) hosts Open Mic Comedy Night at Duels Café (17 E. Main St.) starting around 7:30 (theoretically.)

M O N D A Y

Over at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:45 p.m. is awesome power rock with Drunk Horse, Darediablo, and Bailey, Mason, Lickers.

T U E S D A Y

Over at Downstairs Cabaret (20 Windsor St.) starting around 7:30 p.m. is Funny Underground Japanese omni-rockers Electric Eel Shock, Arlo, and Los Halos will be at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:45 p.m. Tonight at Verb Café at Writers and Books (740 University Ave.) is The Genesee Reading Series starting at 7:30 with English professor Dr. Lisa Jadwin, freelance writer Cheryl Savageau, and fiction writer and poet Elizabeth Valentine. 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.

W E D N E S D A Y

Tonight at The All-Purpose Room (8 Public Market) is Chad Oliveiri, and Joe+n starting around 7 p.m. Rochester Poets will be at Verb Café at Writers and Books (740 University Ave.) tonight for the Rochester Poets Reading and Open Mike for free. 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.