Weekly Rochester Events #299: See You in 2062

Thursday, September 30, 2004

So I went for a walk around the block and decided that I should give some free, unwarranted advice in typically choppy style. I guess it's not so choppy as it all revolves around the criticism and cynicism in this town when it comes to anything creative (well, actually anything, but I'm sticking with "creative" for now.) I thought I'd start spewing suggestions that I think will help fix that — especially after having been to The Burning Man Project (The Man, Black Rock City 2004, NV) where I got a taste of what it's like to exist in a community that's supportive of creativity.

My friend Sondra and I have been discussing this on-and-off for a year or so now: being critical during the creative process kills a lot of stuff before it is even started. Criticism is valid when it's invited (i.e. when a finished work is presented to the public) but it's just abusive when it's done beforehand. It's a tough trick to learn, but it's not so bad once you get the hang of it.

The gist of it is to only talk in terms of "yes, and" when someone is presenting you with a creative idea — and it could be anything from a song, to a forming a band, to creating a sculpture, to performing guerilla theater — the only thing you should tell someone while they're forming an idea should be either "yes" or "yes, and ..." It's exactly the same kind of support during improvisational theater (something they suggested in the Geva Comedy Improv classes.)

The trick is to avoid saying things like "no," "that wouldn't work," "yes, but ...," or "have you figured out how to ..." These are things that derail the formulation of an idea. Obviously, there are durable ideas that come along that are so fully-formed that even early criticism can not stop them, but the vast majority are just odd thoughts that may or may not ever get done, but if you want to provide an environment for them to flourish, then you should probably lay off of the negativity for a while.

The other side, though, is that the originator of an idea can pick and choose what advice is important to them. In the whole deal, they're the only ones allowed to say anything negative: they can say "no" to anyone's advice. For instance, if I were setting up some artist party and someone added, "yeah, and you could have rave DJ's there too," I could tell them I didn't want it to become a rave. If they were really supportive of my creative endeavor, they'd lay off of the rave stuff and focus on other elements to bolster and develop the idea further.

It all comes down to doing whatever you want. If you want to create things, go ahead. If you want to support creativity, start from these guidelines. And, obviously, if you want to keep killing off creativity, then be as critical as you can be.

T H U R S D A Y

This evening at 6:30 p.m. in the Curtis Theatre at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.), Patricia Malgieri, president of The Center for Governmental Research (1 South Washington St.) will be on hand to discuss George Eastman's Public Policy Legacy. [source: Eastman House calendar] At 7:30 p.m. tonight at The Memorial Art Gallery (500 University Ave., near Goodman St.) is Wilma Feliciano, associate professor of Spanish and Latin American studies at SUNY New Paltz (75 S. Manneheim Blvd., New Paltz) will be on hand to discuss Religious Theater in Peru. [source: Memorial Art Gallery calendar] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Head starting at 8 p.m. The Monkees make fun of their pop-personalities, presumably to have maintained momentum of their pop-juggernaut. [source: Eastman House calendar] Over at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 9:30 p.m. is The Real Kids, rockabilly touched punk/hard-rock from The UV Rays, and rock-and-roll from The Thundergods. [source: Bug Jar calendar] Zydeco from Terrance Simien will be at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que (99 Court St.) starting around 10 p.m. [source: Dinosaur Bar-B-Que calendar] Pure Kona Poetry Open Mic Night is at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) tonight starting at 7:30. [source: Daily Perks calendar] Find the Propaganda Box at The Liberty Pole (Liberty Pole Wy.) today from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. playing independently produced videos giving an alternative view of political events than the mainstream media. [source: the proverbial grapevine] Note that at The Rochester Visual Studies Workshop (31 Prince St.) the video installation More than Moore: Reviving the Political Documentary will be running through November 2 during gallery hours and presents dozens of contemporary political documentaries at viewing stations. The show opened last weekend ... [source: Visual Studies Workshop calendar]

F R I D A Y

David Byrne will be at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) to introduce his PowerPoint-based art in Trees, Tombstones, & Bullet Points at 5:30 p.m. today. His art will be on display until November 28. [source: Eastman House calendar] Tonight at 10:30 p.m. and tomorrow at 11:30 p.m. at Nextstage at Geva (75 Woodbury Blvd.) is Geva Comedy Improv featuring members of In Between the Lines (Drama House, University of Rochester Campus.) [source: Geva Theatre website] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing À bientôt, j'espère (So Long, I Hope) starting at 8 p.m. which examines the history behind an unusual 1967 strike in a Besançon, France textile factory. Followed by an alternative view of the 1917 lynching of Butte, Montana union organizer Frank Little in An Injury to One. [source: Eastman House calendar] Montage Grille (50 Chestnut St.) will be hosting David Kane Quartet, and rock-ish multi-styled jazz band Margaret Explosion starting around 9:30 p.m. [source: Montage calendar] The Karmanauts Trio will be at Starry Nites Café (696 University Ave., formerly Moonbeans) starting around 9 p.m. [source: Starry Nites calendar] Tonight at Alexander Street Pub (291 Alexander St.) is cover songs from The United Booty Foundation starting around 10 p.m. [source: Freetime] Tiki Bob's Cantina (60 Browns Race, in the Centers at High Falls) will be hosting funk-rock/reggae with Mountain Mojo Authority (click here to skip their annoying flash intro) starting around 10 p.m. [source: Freetime] I should probably go over and check out The Clarissa Room (293 Clarissa St., formerly Shep's Paradise) ... starting around 9:30 p.m. is Master Blend. [source: Freetime] Find the Propaganda Box at The Liberty Pole (Liberty Pole Wy.) again today from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. playing independently produced videos giving an alternative view of political events than the mainstream media. [source: the proverbial grapevine]

S A T U R D A Y

O'Bagelo's, 165 State Street, noon. The Genesee Valley Park Fieldhouse (1316 Genesee St.) reopens today from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. following renovations started in January. Ribbon cutting is at 1 p.m. [source: City Hall press release] Astropimp, heavy metal/groove-rock band The Torsos from Space, modern rock band Numm, and experimental jazziness from Larval will be at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:45 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] Over at Montage Grille (50 Chestnut St.) starting around 9:30 p.m. is jazz band Hard Logic. [source: Montage calendar] Tonight at 9 p.m. is the A|V Art Sound Space Benefit Show — Duos (#8 in the Public Market, off N. Union St., formerly The All-Purpose Room) featuring sounds and videos from DJ evi'thaw, Dummy Destroy, John Saunders, Marc-Charles McNulty, Autumn In Halifax, Mike Bouqard, Scott Valkevich, Unruhe, Chris Reynolds, Chuck Miller, Chad Oliveiri, and Joe+n. [source: artsound website] The new musical revue, After Sondheim opens today at Blackfriars Theatre (28 Lawn St.) and runs through October 23. [source: Blackfriars Theatre website] Tonight at Starry Nites Café (696 University Ave., formerly Moonbeans) is Matt Millecchia starting around 9 p.m. [source: Starry Nites calendar] Tonight at Richmond's (21 Richmond St.) is experimental jazzy groove funk band Oshe with great reggae-influenced funk from Mountain Mojo Authority (click here to skip their annoying flash intro) starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: JamBase calendar for Rochester]

T U E S D A Y

This afternoon from 12:12 p.m. to 12:52 p.m. is another Books Sandwiched In at The Rochester Public Library (115 South Ave.) Today, McQuaid Jesuit High School (1800 South Clinton Ave.) coach Bob Bradley will be on hand to discuss The Perfect Mile: Three Athletes, One Goal, and Less Than Four Minutes to Achieve It by Neal Bascomb. [source: Rochester Public Library calendar] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing several Charley Bowers films from the early 1900's in a show titled Charley Bowers: Master of Comic Surrealism starting at 8 p.m. They'll be showing Egged On, He Done His Best, A Wild Roomer, Now You Tell One, There It Is, Say Ah-h!, and A Sleepless Night. [source: Eastman House calendar] Tonight at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) is hard southern-rock band Halfacre Gunroom, Ninja High School, and Gaybot starting around 10:45 p.m. [source: Bug Jar 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

The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Bakushû (Early Summer) starting at 8 p.m. The parents of a 28-year-old woman seek to marry her off before they retire ... interesting because it's an exploration of the disintegration of the traditional Japanese family unit. [source: Eastman House calendar] Tonight at Kilbourn Hall at Eastman Theatre (60 Gibbs St.) is another Eastman Musica Nova Ensemble performance starting at 8 p.m. [source: Eastman School of Music calendar] The The Green Party of Monroe County Benefit Show will be at Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) with Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad and The Hayseeds starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: JamBase calendar for Rochester] Poor People United meets tonight and every Wednesday at 7 at St. Joseph's House of Hospitality (402 South Ave.) [source: the proverbial grapevine] 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] Find the Propaganda Box on Monroe Ave. at Sumner Pk. today from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. playing independently produced videos giving an alternative view of political events than the mainstream media. [source: the proverbial grapevine]