Weekly Rochester Events #255: Who Dug Pompeii

Thursday, November 27, 2003

In classic style, though, I want to mention that I got to see Eastman Musica Nova Ensemble last week at Eastman Theatre (60 Gibbs St.). Now I'm not much for classical concerts ... this is more like the experimental edge of modern composers. I really liked two of the four compositions they performed. The first was "Khoom," composed by Giacinto Scelsi in 1962 and subtitled (I think) "Seven episodes of an unwritten tale of love and death in a distant land." I can't really explain it ... instruments ... a soprano ... uhh ... pretty cool is all I've got. The other one I liked was the last which was "Concerto for Four Groups of Instruments" composed in 1972-1973 by Peter Lieberson. It turned about a dozen performers on various instruments into one big instrument. Conductor Brad Lubman had them run through it again at the end and I thought they did better the second time around—the line between a dozen performers and one big instrument was much more blurred the second time around.

I thought it was neat because it reminded me of the experimental work I've seen from some of the less-known bands around here. The difference was that this seemed (by necessity) to be much more planned out. I couldn't tell offhand which I liked better ... planning seems eerie to me: the more structured and planned something is, the more similar it is to something mechanically produced. I guess I'll get another chance to see more at the Ossia New Music show.

Oh yeah ... I forgot to mention (well, more correctly, I decided to put this later in the note than usual) it's both the last Saturday of the month and O'Bagelo's (165 State Street) is closed for the weekend. Thus, let's go to Sue's DownTown Diner (155 State St.) next door. That way we can try it out without feeling guilty about not going to O'Bagelo's instead. I think they close at 1, so let's plan on getting there around 11:30 instead of noon. I know most people will be out of town, so we'll just see who shows up.

T H U R S D A Y

Thanksgiving Incredible rock/punk-rock from The Blastoffs, more of the same from The Grinders, and tight rock from The Retreads will be at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:45 p.m. Pure Kona Poetry Open Mic Night is at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) tonight starting at 7:30. Open mic poetry and music of Soulstice Lounge is at Studio 1 Café (40 St. Paul St., at the Marquee) starting around 7.

F R I D A Y

The Landmark Society of Western New York (133 S. Fitzhugh St.) will be opening their Holiday Shop starting today at 10 a.m. Over at Montage Grille (50 Chestnut St.) starting around 8 p.m. is jazz with Jimmie Highsmith, Jr., and Margaret Explosion. Water Street Music Hall (204 N. Water St.) will be hosting Dark Side of the Moon starting around 8:30 p.m. I think you can guess that they're a tribute band. Over at The Sunken Room Gallery at The Genesee Center for the Arts (713 Monroe Ave.) tonight is the opening reception for Mark Carpenter's Little Worlds from 4 to 7. The exhibition runs through January 11, 2004. The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Le Mysterè Picasso (The Mystery of Picasso) starting at 8. A French documentary about Picasso, if you haven't figured it out. This time, the famous painter paints on a translucent canvas as the camera watches from the ohter side. Uncle Plum will be at Millennium (2235 Empire Blvd.) starting around 10 p.m.

S A T U R D A Y

Lunch today at Sue's DownTown Diner (155 State St.) at 11:30 (not noon ...) Tonight at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) is Gregory Paul and the Autum Divers (whom I guess I should see again) good punk-rock-groove band The Edge of Jupiter, and eclectic rock with Kill Myself on Monday starting around 10:45 p.m. Jazz with The Bill Tiberio Group and special guest Mike MacArthur will be at Montage Grille (50 Chestnut St.) starting around 9:30 p.m. Over at Water Street Music Hall (204 N. Water St.) starting around 9:30 p.m. is Genesis tribute band The Waiting Room, and excellent acoustic soloist Katie Haverly, from Albany. Java's (16 Gibb St.) will be hosting Cerulean City starting around 9:30 p.m. Tonight at Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) is excellent rock-and-roll with Veluxe starting around 10:30 p.m. Richmond's (21 Richmond St.) will be hosting hard-edged rock from The Thundergods, more hard-edged rock from The Purrs, and unrefined punk-rock from The Teenage Junkies starting around 10:30 p.m. Over at Curley's Saloon (511 E. Ridge Rd.) starting around 10 p.m. is cover songs from the 1970's to the present with The United Booty Foundation.

T U E S D A Y

Tonight at the atrium by the The Bop Shop (274 N. Goodman St., in Village Gate Square) is Paul Smoker Quartet featuring Steve Salerno, Ed Schuller, and Phil Haynes starting around 8 p.m. The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Middle of the Night starting at 8. A middle aged Fredric March falls in love with a young Kim Novak ... the interesting twist is that both lead actors apparently actually pull off the subtleties of the story. The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) will be hosting My Penis, The Pushrods, and The Juliet Dagger starting around 10:45 p.m. 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. Over at Verb Café at Writers and Books (740 University Ave.) tonight is the 2,000 Word Club Open Mike starting around 7 for free. Anyone can show up and read up to 2,000 words.

W E D N E S D A Y

Ossia New Music will be at Eastman Theatre (60 Gibbs St.) starting at 8 p.m. sharp. Tonight's performance includes Marco Alunno's Concerto for Piano and Ensemble, Matt Barber's Hand Whistle Concerto, Christopher Brakel's Ice Thorns for Baritone and Mixed Ensemble, Jon Forshee's Variations on the Four-fould Root of the Principle of Sufficient Reason, and Vera Ivanova's Night Music. Over at Spot Coffee (East Ave. and Mathews St.) starting around 8:30 p.m. is Oshe The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing If.... starting at 8. Interesting social satire about the boarding school abuses (just prior to the May 1968 uprisings in France.) 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.