Weekly Rochester Events #271: Thirteenth of the Thirteen

Thursday, March 18, 2004

First, I've been forcing my way around a moderate little cold. In the past few years I've beaten colds by increasing my metabolism at the outset ... I've been trying to ride my bike more than average, but the weather hasn't been supportive. Most people tend to favor bed rest but such cookie-cutter nonsense doesn't cut it for me. I mean, consider that if you want to perform well mentally, people often recommend exercise to get your energy level up so you can think. For some reason, though, they also think that when you're getting a cold you should save your energy. I guess this would make sense if you were laid up for three weeks and couldn't eat (and before the days of intravenous feeding) then trying to rest and fatten up to survive the onslaught would probably actually help. However, if you're able to be up-and-about, "keeping your energy up" seems to be a better model. Anyway, it works for me.

The next sort-of odd thing was that I went to two art openings last weekend ... odd in that I don't usually make an effort to get to openings. I stoped by Rochester Contemporary Art Gallery (137 East Ave.) first to see the new installations. Hand Tools and Arms by Elizabeth Lyons didn't do too much for me. Who Needs Counseling? by Mark Sawrie fared a little better. I guess first of all, I should reiterate my definition of art: any creative endeavor that causes a response that is impossible or hard to put into words is art. A picture containing scribbled lines that makes me feel angry for some reason—more so. A picture of a mountain in winter—not so much.

Humor is an easy buy for me. I like stuff I think is funny. Mark's piece "Devil's Advocate" is a series of images with earthworms apparently writing out the word "sex" but the first row spells "6ex," the second "s6x" and the third "se6." I got a chuckle out of the idea that earthworms couldn't quite get the knack for sex ... and "6-- -6- --6," har har. None of his pieces gripped me, though ... I thought "Spielberg's Bible" was pretty good as well, but I wasn't "wowed" by anything. He also had an artist statement that commented that some of his images were disturbing ... I guess they might be to some people, but maybe I'm just less inclined to care what's "disturbing" than average. Maybe I just overestimate how disturbed the average person is.

As for Elizabeth Lyon's works, I was more puzzled about them than anything else. Although some of the pieces are entirely made of glass, most are a combination of glass and other materials. In one there's a rope ladder with glass arms for rungs. There's a series of functionally designed tools where the critical component is made of glass. There's also a series of fantasy implements where the handle (or what appears to be the handle) is a glass reproduction of the inner workings of female reproductive organs ... i.e. you'd hold onto the Fallopian tubes and the business end sticks out the cervix.

As a demonstration of skill, they're impressive. As art ... I just shrug. Is there a message here? If you make a wood-handled shovel with a glass spade, what do you get? Is the glass more fragile than the metal, or is it more durable, certainly able to outlast any chunk of steel? And what of the genital-handled tools? Is it a reflection on women being used as tools solely for their reproductive function? Is it just a big joke that jackhammers and women's inside bits look similar and that it's the jackhammer part that does all the work?

I left with an curiosity about the whole thing ... no clear perspective was revealed to me, and I was a bit put off by it.

I also visited The Center at High Falls Fine Art Gallery (70 Brown's Race) for A Photographer's Path 7. I was there a bit late, and I blew through it. I was glad to see such a wide variety of techniques and styles being presented. I was disappointed to find that I only liked the technique and style of a couple images. Maybe I'll get back there to do a more proper inspection. Regardless, there's a lot of images on the walls (probably around 400 if I were forced to guess) so it's not such a bad place to spend the afternoon ... heck, either gallery is worth the time and a few donated bucks.

While I was out on Saturday night I decided to figure out the difference between Johnnie Walker Black and Johnnie Walker Red (and be sure to make a distinction between the whiskey and the musician, Johnny Walker.) To be perfectly honest, I was listening to Leonard Cohen's song, Closing Time with the line, "... the Johnnie Walker wisdom runnin' high ..." so I wanted to see what that wisdom was like. (In point of fact, it's not much different from other whiskey wisdoms, but you can act like an arrogant ass for drinking Johnnie Walker because you heard it in a Leonard Cohen song.) Anyway, the black is the higher grade and probably worth the money as long as you continue to care about what it tastes like. The red is pretty good too, but right after black, it's obvious that it's lower quality. There's also gold and blue which aren't available at most places I go ... they step up by an order of magnitude in price at each step, reflecting a tiny incremental increase in quality.

So anyway, on Monday I get into more new things when I went to South Wedge Planning Committee (224 Mt. Hope Ave.) for the first session in the Urban League of Rochester's Business Planning Workshop Series where they basically tell you all about how to start your own business. Among several ideas, I'd like to try and make some money on this website ... presumably through advertising. Now I have to work on writing a business case for it ... hmm ... maybe I can just get a bank to loan me money instead ... you know "loan" me money ...

In making room for the "new," so to speak, I guess I'm trying to purge some of the "old" out of my life by going through my archived files and throwing things out. I've been amused to find some old receipts and such. For instance, an April 1998 receipt from The Ugly Mug (426 Washington St., Cape May, NJ) where much drinking was had by at least one and much tree-lighting-with-battery-power fun was had by at least that one as well. Or a February 1992 receipt from Rochester Telephone where I got the phone turned on in my first apartment in Rochester ... 513 Averill Ave., just a few blocks from "scary" Monroe. As you can see I have a lot of purging left to do.

But speaking of blasts from the past, I was doing research on links for Matthew Ehlers because he's showing his short film this week. I found out Marianne Buckley played a role in Matt's Autobank from a few years ago ... I saw it at Eggmark Film Festival last year but I didn't recognize her in it. For those who don't know, I knew her from drumming for the now defunct White Cotton Panties, but I've heard she's now in New York (duh, City) trying to be an actress. Well, she is an actress, she's just trying to make a living at it.

Gosh, what else. Oh ... the other week I was out mending my flag which I thought was pretty metaphoric. I figure I'd tie it in to the letter in the The City last week where somebody was talking about Instant Runoff Voting. Boy, I sure wish this could be implemented. All of a sudden the dreamy world of a more-than-two-party-system would become the reality of said dreaminess. Wow.

T H U R S D A Y

Women and Sports—Beyond Title IX: The Winter Film Series from Rochester Contemporary Art Gallery (137 East Ave.) concludes tonight at Rochester Visual Studies Workshop (31 Prince St.) at 7 with Playing Unfair: The Media Image of the Female Athlete about sexually-biased media coverage, Amazing Grace: Black Women in Sport which highlights the achievements of black female athletes, and Run Like a Girl about girls going through adolescence in the context of sports. [source: Rochester Contemporary calendar] Chris Rock will be at The Auditorium Theatre (875 Main St E.) starting around 7 p.m. [source: Freetime] Over at Comix Café (3450 Winton Pl.) is Judy Tenuta with Dennis Ross and Adam Whiting at 8:30 tonight then tomorrow and Saturday at 8 and 10:45 p.m. I remember seeing her back at RIT ... many many years ago. [source: Comix Café Calendar] I heard a rumor that there will be a discussion titled Great Lawns 2004 at Brighton Town Hall (2300 Elmwood Ave.) at 7 p.m. The discussion will be about creating a mostly pesticide-free lawn and is sponsored by Rochester Regional Group of the Sierra Club, Cornel Cooperative's Great Lawns/Great Lakes, and Judy Braiman, president of Rochesterians Against the Misuse of Pesticides. [source: the proverbial grapevine] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Gone to Earth starting at 8 p.m. This is the nitrate-based film that was later manipulated into The Wild Heart by American studios. The story is that between an animal lover and an animal hunter. [source: Eastman House calendar] It's another Screenplay Salon at Verb Café at Writers and Books (740 University Ave.) tonight starting at 6 p.m. They'll be screening A River Runs Through It. [source: Writers and Books calendar] The Hochstein School of Music and Dance (50 North Plymouth Ave.) will be celebrating the birthday of Johann Sebastian Bach tonight at 7 p.m. by performing some of his compositions. Plus, there's cake. [source: Hochstein calendar] Over at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 9 p.m. is prolific rockers Gregory Paul and the Autum Divers, Mary Ellen, and Sara Strusz. [source: Rochester Music Coalition calendar] Pure Kona Poetry Open Mic Night is at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) tonight starting at 7:30. [source: Daily Perks calendar] Keyboardist and singer Roz from Bullwinkles Café (622 Lake Ave.) will be at Starry Nites (696 University Ave., formerly Moonbeans) starting around 8 or so. [source: the proverbial grapevine]

F R I D A Y

Water Street Music Hall (204 N. Water St.) will be hosting The Long Live Rock Show tonight at 8. [source: Water Street calendar] Tonight and tomorrow at Nextstage at Geva (75 Woodbury Blvd.) is Geva Comedy Improv starting at 10:30 for just $5. [source: the proverbial grapevine] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Garage Days starting at 8 p.m. Ok, I'm a sucker for a movie about not-so-great rock bands. [source: Eastman House calendar] Tonight at Millennium (2235 Empire Blvd.) is your fix of modern rock and cover songs from Uncle Plum starting around 10 p.m. [source: Freetime] The Jam Room (3873 Buffalo Rd., formerly the Buffalo Roadhouse) will be hosting Rush cover band Spirit of Rush, and punchy rock band Burning Snella starting around 10 p.m. [source: band e-mail]

S A T U R D A Y

Great American Meatout O'Bagelo's, 165 State Street, noon. Tonight at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) is Brian Coughlin, unnecessarily blues-ornamented soloist The Deborah Magone Band, and gimmicky acoustic rocker Gregory Paul for a Songwriters in the Round show starting around 7:30 p.m. [source: Daily Perks calendar] Over at Water Street Music Hall (204 N. Water St.) starting around 7:30 p.m. is The Rochester Rainbow Choir, Rhythm Six, wicked fun percussive groove-rock from The BuddhaHood, Hustle Heads, LB and Bizzy Lis, Ride, and A Drag Show [source: WBER calendar] Tonight's big event, though, is at the The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) with Days—A Musical Tribute to The Kinks starting around 9 or so featuring awesome punk-rock band The QUiTTERS, rock-and-roll from The Thundergods, power rock from Bee Eater, tight, complex rock and roll from The VEiNS, perfect punk-rock from The Blastoffs, okay 3-piece rock from Nod, great-when-not-too-drunk rockers The Grinders, fast, gritty rock from The Franks, solo work from Duke Galaxy McFadden's Parachute, Sara Strusz, Christina Ginger, The Enablers, The Young Conservatives, punchy contemporary rock-and-roll from The Wills Wilde, ambient-and-power-pop from Hinkley, mature rock from Don Anonymous and the Jessica Han Dynasty Superstars, Brianna Shannon and power-pop/rock from The Earl Cram Revue. [source: Bug Jar calendar] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing To Sleep With Anger starting at 8 p.m. Director Charles Burnett will be on hand to introduce his film (and also his short film When It Rains preceding the main feature.) It's about a family who must confront the secrets in their relationship when an old friend returns. [source: Eastman House calendar] Giving the Bug Jar a good run for its money, punk-rock bands The Uppertanks, Plastic Jesus, and Slaymaker's Bull will be at Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: WBER calendar]

S U N D A Y

The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Splendor in the Grass starting at 5 p.m. As the relationship between young lovers deteriorates, the woman tries more desperate measures to keep it together. [source: Eastman House calendar] The Bop Shop (274 N. Goodman St., in Village Gate Square) will be hosting innovative, improvisational musicians Tom Christensen Ensemble starting around 8 p.m. in the atrium. [source: Bop Shop calendar] Dan Liberto (of the The Comedy Company) hosts Open Mic Comedy Night at Duels Café (17 E. Main St.) starting around 7:30 (theoretically.) [source: Duel's Café]

M O N D A Y

Tonight at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) is The Lazy Cowgirls, and The Thundergods starting around 9 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] Over at Montage Grille (50 Chestnut St.) starting around 9 p.m. is Dave Rivello's 12-Piece Jazz Ensemble [source: Montage e-mail] Excellent experimental jazz band TatYana will be playing tonight at Alexandria Mediterranean Cuisine (120 East Ave., formerly Aria) starting at 10. [source: the proverbial grapevine]

T U E S D A Y

Once again, it's the 2,000 Word Club Open Mike at Verb Café at Writers and Books (740 University Ave.) starting at 7 p.m. [source: Writers and Books calendar] If you can get out to The Rochester Public Library (115 South Ave.) today at 12:12 p.m., you can catch Books Sandwiched In discussing Perfectly Legal: The Covert Campaign to Rig Our Tax System to Benefit the Super Rich — and Cheat Everybody Else by David Cay Johnston who will also be presenting and answering questions. [source: Rochester Public Library calendar] The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) will be hosting Wolf Eyes, Taiwan Deth, Pengo, Rubber-O-Cement, and decent über band with keyboards, steel guitar, turntables, and noise beatbox: The Vixo Sound System starting around 10:45 p.m. [source: Carbon Records calendar] 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. [source: Daily Perks calendar]

W E D N E S D A Y

Over at Montage Grille (50 Chestnut St.) starting around 6:30 p.m. is Big Drum: Songwriter Circle featuring Jim Lapetra, Dave Marabellis and Bob Wiltsy, Mike Ryan, and John Carter. [source: Montage calendar] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Myra Breckinridge starting at 8 p.m. How could they make these films at all back then and not now? ... A M-F transgendered woman attempts to get rid of her former masculine tendencies. [source: Eastman House calendar] Tonight at 7:30, The Hochstein School of Music and Dance (50 North Plymouth Ave.) will be having a Percussion Ensemble Concert led by Jim Tiller with guest soloist John Beck—Eastman Professor of Percussion. [source: Hochstein calendar] Tonight in the Strong Auditorium at The University of Rochester (River Campus Map) Ralph Nader will speak about consumer advocacy starting at 9 p.m. [source: Freetime] 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. [source: Daily Perks calendar] Very cool jazz/jazz-rock band Margaret Explosion will be at The Little (240 East Ave.) starting around 8 p.m. [source: Little Theatre e-mail] Poor People United meets tonight and every Wednesday at 7 at St. Joseph's House of Hospitality (402 South Ave.) [source: the proverbial grapevine]