Weekly Rochester Events #259: We All Scream

Thursday, December 25, 2003

In other news, I got sick while I was visiting family back in Schenectady and am still trying to shake it. I guess it was the flu, but it was kinda weird. It was worst on Monday, and I stayed in bed nearly the whole day. My fever peaked around 102°F ... I think all the water I was drinking just sat in my stomach for a few hours without going anywhere and the fever broke when my guts woke up and started working again.

Anyway, this reminded me of a philosophical musing I've toyed with. I got this idea that given all the possible lives you could live, the one in which your consciousness resides is the one where you'll live out your full life. The feeling you get when you think you just narrowly escaped death is the actual death of one of your parallel lives. Now, you might or might not share the same universe as everyone else, so that's why you see other people die—but you, yourself, will always be the one who survives. I'm not sure if it's a theory worth testing—jumping out of a plane without a parachute would be one way, but by this theory, you're the only one who would know because in theory, you would actually survive in the parallel universe that your consciousness resides, but in the universe of everyone else, you'd die.

Oh, and I had this idea before the feverish dreams that accompanied Monday's sleep.

What else ... ok, a couple last things. You may have noticed a link in the "link of the week" to American Family Association's Marriage Poll. Apparently, they tried to get together in secret to pretend like they represented how everyone felt about homosexual marriage, but then the general populace got involved and put in their votes which changed the results. Anyway, you can make yourself feel better by going there and voting your mind. Remember, too, that it's better to give ...

And finally, I just wanted to say kudos to The Distillery (1142 Mount Hope Ave.) and the related Pellegrino's (1120 Mount Hope Ave.) for having the clearest sidewalks on Mount Hope. Jeers continue to go to Wegmans for not only closing off their parking lot to all access (bikes and pedestrians, too) but for not bothering to clear their sidewalk at all. It looks like they're so anti-neighborhood that they're trying to drive down property values by owning a slum building. Thanks, assholes.

Oh, and Merry Christmas and all that. Sorry, but between the illness and the tiredness, I'm just not in the mood very much at all. [I did go back on Christmas Day and edit some more because I was feeling less sick and less tired, though.]

T H U R S D A Y

Christmas Day Over at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 9 p.m. is tight, complex rock from The VEiNS for their CD release party (much touted by their record label) and awesome punk-rock from The Blastoffs. First 50 people get the CD for free. [source: Bug Jar calendar]

F R I D A Y

Kwanza Begins Tonight at Water Street Music Hall (204 N. Water St.) is Rochester Groove Fest II with groove-influenced rock with The Niche, groove-rock jam band Five Spiced Fingers, Jupiter 4H Project, and The Swamp Padres starting around 8 p.m. [source: Rochester Groove website] On the other side, The Club at Water Street (204 N. Water St.) will be hosting the other half of Rochester Groove Fest II with percussion-based groove rock from The BuddhaHood, Kevin MacConkey, decent groove-rock with Groovenutt, Blue Hope, and Don't Bother the Dog starting around 7 p.m. [source: Rochester Groove website] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing The Animation Show three times this weekend at 5 p.m. each day. It features: Katedra (The Cathedral) Mt. Head an excerpt from Mars and Beyond La course à l'abîme (The Ride to the Abyss) Parking Fifty Percent Grey Das Rad (The Rocks) Strange Invaders Rejected Billy's Balloon (upon watching, you will piss yourself it's so funny ... let's hope they really are going to show it.) [source: Dryden Theater calendar] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing The Guns of Navarone starting at 8. An action adventure wartime movie featuring unbelievable special effects. [source: Dryden Theater calendar] Seven Green, Meddling Kids (back with a new lineup) and Four + None will be at The California Brew Haus (402 West Ridge Rd.) starting around 9:30 p.m. [source: Rochester Music Coalition calendar] Jimmie Highsmith, Jr. will be at Montage Grille (50 Chestnut St.) for their combo Kwanzaa Celebration and Tribute to Unkle Rog starting around 9:30 p.m. [source: Rochester Music Coalition calendar] Over at Alexander Street Pub (291 Alexander St.) starting around 10 p.m. is your fix of modern rock and covers from Uncle Plum. [source: Freetime]

S A T U R D A Y

The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Holiday starting at 8. Apparently one of Hollywood's wittiest screwball comedies. [source: Dryden Theater calendar] Awesome punk-rock from The QUiTTERS, excellent tight rock/punk-rock from The Retreads, The Hi-Scores, and Skull will be at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] Roger "Unkle Rog" McCall was a local music hero ... although unknown to me because I never got my radio to deliberately tune in to WCMF, 96.5FM. But it's too late now, because he was killed two weeks ago so Water Street Music Hall (204 N. Water St.) is setting up a tribute show. All proceeds go to the Unkle Rog Fund which will benefit up-and-coming bands. The bands start playing at 5:20 for short 20-minute sets. On the Music Hall side (in chronological order): Eric the Taylor Loopus The Bootleggers Gregory Paul and the Autum Divers deepwaterdaze Claude Reins Chet Catallo The White Devils The VEiNS Long Live Rock The Irthlings The BuddhaHood and Brothers Green Joe Brucato M. D. G. Band Steve McNally Project On the Club Side: Less Than Ten Gumbo Bottletrain Highland Drive The Purrs Bee Eater Bacci Dady Brothers The Deborah Magone Band Blind Identity Disharmony Exploding Boy Diesel Daddy The Grinders Brouhaha [source: Garagepop e-mail] Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) will be hosting pretty good punk band with an Irish slant, Tom Foolery and the Shenanigans for their Festivus Party starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: Freetime] Millennium (2235 Empire Blvd.) will be hosting modern rock and cover songs from Better Days (or click here to skip their irritating Flash intro) starting around 10 p.m. [source: Freetime] Over at Spenders (1600 Lyell Ave.) starting around 10 p.m. is more modern rock and covers from Uncle Plum. [source: Freetime]

W E D N E S D A Y

New Year's Eve Kwanza Ends The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing The Party starting at 8. Just another insane comedy. Also, shorts One Froggy Evening, Feed the Kitty, and Bugs and Elmer in What's Opera, Doc?. [source: Dryden Theater calendar] If you're looking for something to do, Nuts and Bolts Improv Troupe (see their site at ImprovAmerica too) will be at Downstairs Cabaret (172 West Main St.) for a show including food and drinks (i.e. $30) starting at 8. [source: Nuts and Bolts e-mail] Power rock with a punk edge from The Shackletons, Let Alone Shimmy, Psyopus, The Thundergods, and power-rock/punk rock from Your Mom will be at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:45 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] Tonight at The Club at Water Street (204 N. Water St.) is great funk-rock from Mountain Mojo Authority, and Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad starting around 9:30 p.m. [source: Water Street calendar]