Weekly Rochester Events #272: A First For Maryland; A First For America

Thursday, March 25, 2004

In other news, if anyone's looking for a house, my neighbor's house is up for sale. I just don't want any assholes living there, so if you're an asshole, it's way too expensive for you. It's actually a pretty nice place based on the frequent Lost Highway-esque visits I've made in the middle of the night. You should see the videos. (I've always wondered when they read my site, and now I'll know by when the cops bash my door down and haul me away.)

The big excitement this past week was definitely the house party thrown by Your Mom's members and their roommate. They played, along with The UV Rays, Blüdwülf,and Blue Spark and Flame. It drew a very strange mix because the new roommate knows a lot of mid-twenty-something young Republican types, and members of Your Mom know a lot of pierced and tattooed rock-and-roll types shod and clad in BeDazzled™ leather as well as the small group of thirty-plus music aficionados (or, more accurately, lunatics) like myself. You really haven't lived until you've experienced a Blüdwülf mini-mosh in an eight-by-twelve living room.

The other cool thing was the noise band show at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) on Tuesday. Local band Pengo opened to a medium-full house with some semi-melodic fast-paced noise. Taiwan Deth was next with some more semi-melodic noise, but with lots of feedback and a little bit of vocals. Last up was Wolf Eyes who were three guys combining effects feedback, reed instruments through effects, and looping at about 130 dB, but prior to them was the really killer set from Rubber-O-Cement. I had a tough time describing them, but what I decided was that they're a guy in an alien animal suit made mostly out of pillows and he plays a homemade bass guitar and feedback while someone else adds effects-based feedback from inside a cardboard computer/robot.

I'm not sure if this is better than the Blüdwülf mini-mosh or not.

Perhaps the most controversial thing in the local music scene is the return of the open jam at Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) Joff Wilson from The Irthlings is heading it up this time, but as I've heard and from what I remember, it worked like crap the last time they tried it once a month, and now that it's once a week, it won't be any better. To add insult to injury, the show is called the Insane Krown Posse Open Jam which is the same as the name of the Krown's pool team—apparently diluting their good name. It's too bad, really, because there's still a fiercely loyal group of regulars who are slowly being beaten out ... of course, they think it's their bar and may just hold a mutiny.

Ok ... I'm back from my small business class and now have a whole new rant.

I keep thinking that whole critic idea is a good one. Warren was right (he's the guy who I didn't name, but the one I met a few weeks ago at the Rochester Contemporary Art Gallery opening): we need to have art critics in this town to make it a viable creative community. The only trouble is I don't know exactly why.

Maybe it's that I'm just tired of being told what I should like. No ... more than that ... I'm tired of being told what I should think. It seems that everything I read—like the The Gannett Rochester Insider—all seem to say that I should like it all. It's all good—or else ...

It's more insidious than that because everyone believes in the opinions of these pseudo-critics, who, on a good day, might be called advertisers. Do you think Ciara Lynn is good because Brother Wease says so? No: she's good because she's a good singer, but I'd rather go see JoAnn Vaccaro because I like her better.

I like her better.

You know, I think I'm going to do some more research on this (it's not like I'm all that busy lately.) I want to find out if there's established methods of good critique that expresses the opinion of the author yet validates the opinions of others. Heck, I think I kind of do that already but I just want to see if I'm missing anything.

I think the overly negative critics can do the same kind of thing, but I'm sure that the puppies-and-kittens sunshine-everywhere Insider bullshit doesn't cut it. It's got the same problem: "either you agree with us or you're just Mr. Sourpuss" kind of crap going on. I don't want to be bashed with innuendous [it is too a real word ... at least now it is] opining where my independent thought is considered invalid because I disagree: tell me what you think, and let me have the option of disagreeing.

Yaaar!

Ok, I'm off to On the Rocks (1551 Mount Hope Ave., formerly Michael's and before that Trios) to get some kind of alcoholly thing. And "alcoholly" a word too now: if you think otherwise, you're an idiot.

T H U R S D A Y

To complement the "Loathsome Films" playing at the Dryden this week, Dr. Harry M. Benshoff of The University of North Texas will be at The University of Rochester (River Campus Map) for a lecture titled Beyond the Valley of the Classical Hollywood Cinema—Rethinking the Loathsome Films of 1970. It starts at 6 p.m. in Lander Auditorium in Hutchinson Hall. [source: Campus Times] Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra will be at Water Street Music Hall (204 N. Water St.) starting around 8 p.m. ... beware that it's a little pricey at $10. [source: Water Street calendar] Tonight at The Memorial Art Gallery (500 University Ave., near Goodman St.) is another archaeology lecture starting at 5 p.m. This one seems very very dry, but you never know: Dr. Michael Fuller, professor of anthropology at St. Louis Community College will discuss Sacred Symbols and Martyrs at Tell Tuneinir, Syria. [source: Memorial Art Gallery calendar] As part of their Fall Film Series (which should probably be renamed by now) Rochester Visual Studies Workshop (31 Prince St.) will be showing films from The American Avant Garde featuring films from Maya Deren, Bruce Conner, Ed Emshwiller at 7 p.m. [source: Visual Studies Workshop calendar] This afternoon at Monroe Branch Library (809 Monroe Ave.) is a book discussion of Robert M. Sapolsky's A Primate's Memoir: A Neuroscientist's Unconventional Life Among the Baboons starting at 1:15 p.m. I can't imagine there being more than a few people attending ... except that it's probably part of someone else's discussion group. [source: Rochester Public Library calendar] Grafton, and generic alterna-rock band Bird Circuit will be at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 9 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] The Jam Room (3873 Buffalo Rd., formerly the Buffalo Roadhouse) will be hosting Dan Liberto's Comedy Show (of the The Comedy Company) starting around 9:30 p.m. [source: Freetime] 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

Old-time rock-and-roll band Watkins and the Rapiers (buy their stuff on Amazon.com) will be at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) starting around 8 p.m. [source: Daily Perks calendar] Tonight at Riverside Convention Center (123 E. Main St.) is Ugly Disco (from Ten Ugly Men) featuring disco and radio hits from the 1970's from The United Booty Foundation, and The Skycoasters starting around 8 p.m. [source: Freetime] Tonight at Norton's Pub (1730 Goodman St.) is Four + None, and The Meddling Kids starting around 10 p.m. [source: WBER calendar] Johnny's Irish Pub (1382 Culver Rd., still smoke-free) will be hosting the talented acoustic soloist John Akers from 5 p.m. to 8 and again starting at 9:30 p.m. [source: Freetime] Alexander Street Pub (291 Alexander St.) will be hosting modern rock and covers from Uncle Plum starting around 10 p.m. [source: Freetime] Over at Leadbelly Landing (4776 Lake Ave.) starting around 10 p.m. is Anomaly Amped, and excellent acoustic soloist JoAnn Vaccaro. [source: Freetime] Modern rock and cover songs from Better Days will be at Spenders (1600 Lyell Ave.) starting around 10 p.m. For some reason when I was entering this, I got a twinge of nausea ... could be a clue: I may have some kind of stomach problem. [source: Freetime]

S A T U R D A Y

Lunch today is at Raging Burrito (1046B University Ave., at Hot Shots) at 12:00 p.m. Don't forget! Today at 2 p.m., artists Elizabeth Lyons (Hand Tools and Arms) and Mark Sawrie (Who Needs Counseling?) will be at Rochester Contemporary Art Gallery (137 East Ave.) to discuss their works. [source: Rochester Contemporary e-mail] Tonight at The Club at Water Street (204 N. Water St.) WBER presents The Delgados, Malcom Middleton, and Sluts of Trust starting around 7:30 p.m. [source: Water Street calendar] Tonight at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) is Kinloch Nelson, and Fred Vine starting around 8 p.m. [source: Daily Perks calendar] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Rear Window starting at 8 p.m. Hitchcock's film about a guy who spies on his neighbors and thinks one of them committed murder. [source: Eastman House calendar] Tonight at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) is grinding punkish surf-rock band Simon and the Bar Sinisters, The Betty Fords, and simple rockabilly from Diesel Daddy starting around 10:45 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] Uncle Joe's Medicine Show will be at Montage Grille (50 Chestnut St.) starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: Montage calendar] The Rochester Contemporary Art Gallery Peace Like a River satellite exhibition will close tonight from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Mood Makers Books (274 Goodman St N., inside Village Gate Square) [source: Writers and Books calendar] Tonight at Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) is rock-and-roll from The Grinders, punk rock with hard rock vocals and subtly rockabilly beats from The UV Rays, and decent punk band The Emersons starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: Garagepop e-mail] Spenders (1600 Lyell Ave.) will be hosting modern rock and covers from Uncle Plum starting around 10 p.m. [source: Freetime]

M O N D A Y

They skipped last month, but tonight at The Little (240 East Ave.) is another of their Emerging Film Makers Series starting at 9:30. Tonight's show is reported to include Unearthed by Christina Spangler, an excellent film about a potato with one sighted eye, A South Bronx Tale by Janis Astor del Valle about a lesbian girl living in a very homophobic neighborhood, My Basic Instinct by Sarah Skapin about a girl who wants to win a beauty pageant but who is also smart, The Legend of Hahoe Masks by Jung-Mi Yoo, an animation about a woodcarver trying to make a series of masks for God, Farm Tours by Joanna Heatwole about large farming corporations driving out local farmers, Passage by Brian Vogt, an animation through various art worlds, Spring in Awe by Martina Radwan, a poor attempt to discuss the blurred lines between reality, news, entertainment, and advertising, and Matthew Ehlers' Who's Your Daddy about a guy who wrecks a bunch of marriages. [source: Little Theatre calendar] Over at Verb Café at Writers and Books (740 University Ave.) is Wide Open Mike with Norm Davis starting around 7:30. Apparently, anything goes ... really. [source: Writers and Books 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

Over at Starry Nites (696 University Ave., formerly Moonbeans) starting around 7 p.m. is something called Cell Memory II. [source: Freetime] Over at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:45 p.m. is Darediablo, The Preacher's Kids, and instrumental surf-rock from The Isotopes [source: Bug Jar calendar] At The Rochester Public Library (115 South Ave.) from 12:12 p.m. to 12:52 p.m. in Gleason Auditorium is another Books Sandwiched In. Today's discussion is about Reading Lolita in Tehran with Assistant Professor of English at RIT, Dr. Babak Elahi. [source: Rochester Public Library 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

Tonight at Montage Grille (50 Chestnut St.) is host Tim Clark with Frank Baum, Frank Falzone, and Ciara Lynn starting around 6:30 p.m. (It's funny that Montage can't even update their own calendar and I had to find this out through Freetime.) [source: Freetime] Over at Eastman Theatre (60 Gibbs St.) starting around 8 p.m. is Eastman Musica Nova Ensemble featuring guest composer Steven Mackey and Brad Lubman conductor performing the music of Mackey, Gosfield, and Barber. [source: Eastman School of Music calendar] Updated: Tonight at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium at Rochester Visual Studies Workshop (31 Prince St.) is a panel discussion on Globalization and Representation: Whose World View? with Lisa Uddin from The University of Rochester, Richard Freeman from RIT, John Keevert of Metro Justice, Bruno Chaloifour of Afterimage, and Bleu Cease of Rochester Visual Studies Workshop (31 Prince St.) [source: Visual Studies Workshop calendar] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Beyond the Valley of the Dolls starting at 8 p.m. Sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll. Seriously. Packed full of it. [source: Eastman House calendar] Updated: Rock band Burning Snella will be at Johnny's Irish Pub (1382 Culver Rd., still smoke-free) for an acoustic set from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. [source: band e-mail] 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]