Weekly Rochester Events #303: Cadillac Came to Detroit

Thursday, October 28, 2004

See, I was thinking about the current political climate and how everything seems so black-and-white, particularly things like, "If [Bush|Kerry] wins, the whole country will go to hell."

It's not like that ... here's why: considerateness is a uniquely human trait.

We — as humans — are unique in our expectation of considerateness. We actually care that the world isn't fair ... that it rains when we don't want it to ... that other people in the world might not have enough to eat ... that someone failed to hold open a door for us. For any other species, it's just given that the world is not fair, but for us, it's actually an issue.

"So what," you may say, "this has nothing to do with the current state of the world." No, really, it does.

Ok, consider what we think of when we think of the "unadulterated" world — aside from rocks, air water, and animals, it is society — and that is people. Organizations, corporations, and governments are just things we have constructed. The only thing in society that is real is people.

Remember shortly after September 11, 2001 when your neighbors were your brothers, the people of New York were your brothers, and your countrymen were your brothers? Well, that was the truth: the petty fighting we have now is a falsehood. Every person you ever see is your brother (or, well, your sister, but I was on a roll with old-school masculine-dominated English.) It goes hand-in-hand with considerateness.

From another direction, consider technology. Do you answer your phone when it rings (cell phone or land-line)? Are you compelled to do it? Will you shirk your current conversation to obey the call of the machine? Don't you think that is just letting the technology run you instead of you running the technology? And how about "your life?" Are you a slave to your job? Are you constantly running on a schedule — running as fast as you can all the time? And for what, really? Do you feel you have to? Is there some devil forcing you to live like this?

Do you see what I'm getting at? (Did you notice the shitload of questions in a row? Did you really? Are you a slave to the questions? ... er ... I mean, let me get back to my point.) The rules and conventions and behaviors we have are things we have made should not be our masters — we are their masters, and by extension, this is true of our organizations, corporations, and governments.

However all this stuff we made is the adult version of the boogeyman (adult as in "grown up," not as in "pornographic," pervert) They are the things that keep us awake at night because they are "going to get us." Someday we're going to write the wrong thing on a website and before you know it, the CIA is dragging us away from our compute

Ha ha ... just kidding.

We may think we're living in the titular 1984, but we're still far from it. We still have families and friends and neighbors whom we communicate with, care about, assist, listen to, and are helped by. Big Brother isn't even a person, just a concept: a fictitious monster we make ourselves believe to stay afraid ... to prevent us from taking risks and speaking our mind.

So what I'm getting is that — no matter what the outcome of the election on November 2 — there is still an endless supply of hope. Institutions are destroyed and rebuilt (or, as the kids say, refactored) governments can be fixed, and oppressors never win.

Just keep treating everyone as your brother.

T H U R S D A Y

In the Curtis Theatre at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) is another Wish You Were Here lecture with photographer Sally Mann discussing her book What Remains at 6:00 p.m. [source: Eastman House calendar] At The Memorial Art Gallery (500 University Ave., near Goodman St.) tonight, Nancy Norwood will discuss George Eastman as Collector at 7 p.m. [source: Memorial Art Gallery calendar] Tonight at 8 p.m. The Rochester Visual Studies Workshop (31 Prince St.) will be showing the documentary Hijacking Catastrophe: 9/11, Fear & the Selling of American Empire [source: Visual Studies Workshop e-mail] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Blackenstein starting at 8 p.m. Blaxploitation can leave no stone unturned. [source: Eastman House calendar] After Sondheim closes tonight at Blackfriars Theatre (28 Lawn St.) [source: Blackfriars Theatre website] The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) will be hosting rock/electronic/viola band The Wills Wilde, excellent experimental jazz from TatYana, and Malformation starting around 9 p.m. [source: Bug Jar 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] Tonight at Murph's Irondequoit Pub (705 Titus Ave., formerly Irondequoit Town Lounge, next to the House of Guitars) is an Open Mic hosted by the talented acoustic soloist JoAnn Vaccaro starting around 8 p.m. [source: band e-mail]

F R I D A Y

Tonight and tomorrow night starting at 7 p.m. at Third Presbyterian Church (Meigs St. and East Ave.) is the annual Ghost Walk sponsored by The Landmark Society of Western New York. [source: Landmark Society calendar] The super talented acoustic soloist JoAnn Vaccaro, well-balanced singer/songwriter/guitarist Dee Adams, and Dave Adams will be at Murph's Irondequoit Pub (705 Titus Ave., formerly Irondequoit Town Lounge, next to the House of Guitars) for the Lyric Lounge starting around 8 p.m. [source: band e-mail] Tonight at The Bop Shop (274 N. Goodman St., in Village Gate Square) is The Diplomats featuring Harris Eisenstadt, Steve Swell, and Rob Brown starting around 8 p.m. [source: Bop Shop calendar] This evening starting around 7 p.m. is the Masters of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibitions at The Rochester Visual Studies Workshop (31 Prince St.) featuring Without The Elephants by Heather Wetzel and Torn: Eastern State Penitentiary by Bonk Johnston. [source: Visual Studies Workshop e-mail] Tonight is the opening reception for two shows at The Rochester Contemporary Art Gallery (137 East Ave.) tonight from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. The first of the Maker/Mentor Series features Bill Stewart and Greg Stewart in Stewart & Stewart and closes on December 19. Barbara Fox will also be showing new work concicely titled Barbara Fox's New Work opening in the Lab Space and will close on November 14. [source: Rochester Contemporary e-mail] Tonight at Water Street Music Hall (204 N. Water St.) is The New Deal, and the excellent instrumental funk band The Filthy Funk starting around 10 p.m. [source: Water Street calendar] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing They Live starting at 8 p.m. Wrestler "Rowdy" Roddy Piper stars as a drifter who discovers that aliens have invaded America in the form of yuppies. Plus, you get the famous line, "I have come here to chew bubble gum and kick ass, and I'm all out of bubble gum." [source: Eastman House calendar] Devon Trumell will be at Starry Nites Café (696 University Ave., formerly Moonbeans) starting around 9 p.m. [source: Starry Nites calendar] Excellent rock-and-roll from Bee Eater, Footage, and Oceanside will be at The Club at Water Street (204 N. Water St.) starting around 10 p.m. [source: band calendar] 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) for lunch at noon. Tonight at 7 p.m. at A|V Art Sound Space (#8 in the Public Market, off N. Union St., formerly The All-Purpose Room) is the opening of In Flesh and Spirit: Reflections on our Days of the Dead which runs until November 21 and features artists Sean Chilson, Paul Dodd, Andy Gilmore, Simon Goldfeder, Kathryn Johnston, Adelin Karius, Kate Laux, Eric Daniel Le Roy, Mike Lewis, Mike Twohig and others. The reception tonight will include music at 9:30 p.m. by The Zombie Humano and A Real Knife Head. [source: artsound website] Tonight at Abundance Cooperative Market (62 Marshall St.) is Al Rehn starting around 1 p.m. — according to the Abundance calendar — "playing old timey banjo music." [source: Abundance Co-op calendar] Stella, Renouf, Achilles, and Four Year Strong will be at The Club at Water Street (204 N. Water St.) starting around 6 p.m. Halloween ... costume contest, etc. [source: Water Street calendar] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing S21: The Khmer Rouge Death Machine starting at 8 p.m. Survivors of the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia meet with their torturers to reenact abuses. [source: Eastman House calendar] Downstairs Cabaret (540 East Main St.) will be hosting Nuts and Bolts Improv Troupe (see their site at ImprovAmerica too) starting around 10:30 p.m. after the performance of 7 Sins. [source: Nuts and Bolts e-mail] Over at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:30 p.m. is a Tribute to the 70's Glitter/Glam Movement featuring the awesome punk-rock band The QUiTTERS, excellent rock band The Grinders, great punk-rock/hard-rock (and a little rockabilly) band The UV Rays, awsome, tight, complex rock and roll band The VEiNS, the excellent rock band The Thundergods, very good punk-rock/power-rock band The Scarlets, Pauli Rocco, and Vonken. Rumor has it they might demand you're in costume ... [source: GaragePop Records website] Over at Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:30 p.m. is The Astro Zombies, and The Clockers Work Orange. [source: Monty's Krown calendar] Water Street Music Hall (204 N. Water St.) will be hosting the funk and disco covers of The United Booty Foundation, and The East Coast Connection starting around 10 p.m. [source: Water Street calendar] Starry Nites Café (696 University Ave., formerly Moonbeans) will be hosting Whatsie starting around 9 p.m. [source: Freetime]

S U N D A Y

Halloween Daylight Saving Time Ends -- Set your clock back one hour from 2:00 a.m. daylight saving time to 1:00 a.m. standard time in the wee hours of Sunday morning. "County Fairs" Group Photography Exhibit closes tonight at The Community Darkroom at The Genesee Center for the Arts (713 Monroe Ave.) [source: Genesee Center for the Arts calendar] The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) will be hosting thrashy metal duo 25 Suaves, Nod, great rock-and-roll from Bee Eater, and The Jackals starting around 10:45 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] Tonight at Richmond's (21 Richmond St.) is Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, and reggae-and-DJ band Mountain Mojo Authority (click here to skip their annoying flash intro) starting around 10 p.m. [source: JamBase calendar for Rochester] Over at German House (315 Gregory St.) is The Rochester Rocky Horror Picture Show, "A Rather Tasteless Joke" with music by surf-rock influenced punk-rock band The Priests starting at 9 p.m. [source: GaragePop Records website]

M O N D A Y

Awesome punk-rock band The Groovie Ghoulies, decent punk from The Emersons, and really tight punk-rock from 5 Watt Bulb will be at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 9 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar]

T U E S D A Y

Election Day This afternoon in Gleason Auditorium at The Rochester Public Library (115 South Ave.) from 12:12 p.m. to 12:52 p.m. is another Books Sandwiched In featuring Wilson Magnet High School (501 Genesee St.) teacher George Wolfe discussing Edward Humes' School of Dreams: Making the Grade at a Top American High School. [source: Rochester Public Library calendar] Today is the last day to see the More than Moore: Reviving the Political Documentary at The Rochester Visual Studies Workshop (31 Prince St.) Tonight, they'll be showing a simulcast of election coverage from a variety of networks until late (probably at least midnight.) [source: Visual Studies Workshop flyer] Tonight at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) is Due Now, high-energy rock band The Russians, and fun rock-and-roll band The Earl Cram Revue starting around 10:45 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Seven Chances starting at 8 p.m. Buster Keaton stars as a guy who must get married by 7 p.m. to win $7,000,000. Preceded by Keaton's One Week and both with live piano accompaniment by Philip C. Carli. [source: Eastman House 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

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]