Weekly Rochester Events #308: Princeton's Jersey Quakers

Thursday, December 2, 2004

Thursday was Thanksgiving as you may well know. I opted to go to a friend's house. I got there early ... a bit after noon ... and was discouraged from assisting in the kitchen because I had inadequate culinary experience: one of my hosts is a pastry chef, and judging by the desserts, a good pastry chef. To alleviate my anxiousness to start eating and to ease social relations, I started drinking. I basically made a smooth ascent (descent?) from modest drinking with a barely detectable buzz all the way to thoroughly drunk by 2 a.m. — and with the requisite blank spots in my memory. Although most of the group — the "burners" [people who had been to Burning Man (The Man, Black Rock City 2004, NV)] — are pretty resilient when it comes to violating social conventions, I have some concerns about the omissions in my memory and what exactly I was saying.

Nonetheless, it has been a while since I caused physiological abuse to myself in that manner ... abuse which became apparent on Friday. Not a hangover per se, but more of a general hit-by-a-truck malaise. Of course, this was the day I agreed to meet up with my old Schalmont High School (1 Sabre Dr., Schenectady) physics, chemistry, and electronics teacher Paul Tyner. Hell, I was surprised the guy was still alive: he retired the year I graduated from high school (that is, the same year Die Hard, Rain Man, Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach, and Mac and Me were released) so I figured he was getting pretty old. Thankfully, he's as vibrant and irreverent as I remember. He's pretty old, too.

Saturday I got to try out Ly Lou's Pearl of the Orient (489 South Ave.) ... it was a small crowd — just Ben and I — but the place wouldn't have supported more than about 10 people, so I guess that was good. The food tasted great ... I had chicken afritada which is "chicken marinated in soy sauce and cracked peppercorns, then sauteed in generous helpings of homemade tomato salsa with sweet bell peppers and fired potato wedges," served over steamed rice [not that I found the menu online and cut-and-pasted.] The service ... well, I guess they're more accustomed to take-out orders, so it was a bit lacking. Also, although it tasted great, it was a bit disconcerting that all three pieces of chicken had fractured bones, leading me to wonder if the chickens were slaughtered with a baseball bat. Regardless, like I said, it all tasted great. The Filipino cuisine [don't ask me why Filipinos live in the Philippines, or why "Philippine cuisine" is also grammatically correct] is a blend of oriental styles, with plenty of rice and potent spices, and Pacific Island styles, which (based solely on what I know about Hawaii) emphasizes sweeter fruits (pineapple, sweet peppers) and milder spices.

Anyhow, on Monday, the Emerging Filmmakers (for New York State filmmakers) show was great at The Little (240 East Ave.) Every once in a while, there's just a great batch of short films and this night was one of them ... credit due to Karen vanMeenen for her apt eye to give the show continuity. Right off the bat was 17-year-old Sal Piazza's Sleep ... (to Dream) which had an eerie dreamlike quality that transcended its rough-around-the-edges feel. Sam Zalutsky's Smear presented a unique tangential twist on the old "homophobia means you're a closeted homosexual" concept — that, and the way teenage boys "discovering" girls conflicts with boyhood friendships. Richard Matson's The Duke of Goo is a peculiar romanticized view of big-city nightlife and the interplay of social circles. On-camera action shows a somewhat unusual nightlife world while continuous narration is provided in metaphoric prose to amplify the eeriness. Finally, Barely Audible by Katherine Copeland Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi, and Vivian Wenli Lin is, similarly, a poem narrated over visuals, but this time the poem is one of social commentary about the inner-city poor and their spiraling descent to hopelessness and the visuals amplify the frenetic tone of the reader's voice.

Let's see ... I still have some space to fill. Last week I also got to see Sideways at The Little (240 East Ave.) I thought it was a great movie. It was particularly haunting for me because I'm just like the Miles character when it comes to dating and women. The gist of the film is that Miles — the best man to Jack who's getting married in a week — takes Jack on a wine tour around California. Jack is out to have his last fling of freedom but Miles is judgmental of it because of his own repressed sexuality. One of the most touching scenes is when Miles and Maya (his love interest) are sipping wine and Miles outlines his preference for the pinot grape — essentially citing everything about himself in the process. Miles' failure to steer with the conversation toward romance reverberated in my own experiences way too well.

In general, I liked that the two lead characters represented elements of personality present in everyone, but managed to come across being reasonably well developed. I hate it when one-dimensional characters are given quirky traits then set loose with one another ... it's what I didn't like about Box of Moon Light which is similar in theme, but the characters have no existence outside the movie. I felt like I got to see a little bit of the continuum of Jack and Miles' lives. The ability to capture and relay the moment and feeling between Miles and Maya — and its dissipation — is a testament to the film making.

Then again, maybe the movie sucks and I'm just scared to death that I'm too much like Miles.

T H U R S D A Y

The Memorial Art Gallery (500 University Ave., near Goodman St.) will have a lecture in the Auditorium this evening starting at 7:30 p.m. featuring The University of Rochester Vice President Paul Burgett talking about Afro-Christian Music: Spiritual Songs of Black Voices. [source: Memorial Art Gallery calendar] [all ages] The new play The Crumple Zone opens tonight at Shipping Dock Theatre (31 Prince St., new location at Visual Studies Workshop) at 7:30 p.m. According to their write-up, "three gay Staten Island roommates come to crisis during one frantic holiday. It runs until the 19th with Thursday shows at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. with a special New Year's Eve show. Note also that this Sunday, December 5 is a special "pay what you can" performance. [source: Shipping Dock Theatre website] [all ages] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing The Ipcress File starting at 8 p.m. Screw James Bond ... Michael Caine makes a much mellower version as Harry Palmer in this mod-era spy-story about a kidnapped scientist. [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] Tonight at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) is the peculiar rock-opera style band Billy Nayer Show starting around 9:30 p.m. and featuring their film The American Astronaut which (as I mentioned on July 29, the last time they were here) mixes a low-budget feel, a 1930's-style image of future space travel, generous amounts of homosexual undertones, and an oddly metaphoric story which could be interpreted as a cross between the past being dead and some alternative interpretation of Christian-styled beliefs. [source: Bug Jar calendar] [18+] 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 Vacarro starting around 8 p.m. [source: band e-mail]

F R I D A Y

Tonight at Paradigm Café (3118 E. Henrietta Rd., formerly Blue Sunday) is the excellent and daring acoustic soloist JoAnn Vaccaro starting around 8:30 p.m. [source: band e-mail] [all ages] This afternoon at First Unitarian Church of Rochester (220 Winton Rd. S.) from 5 to 10 p.m. (and tomorrow from 9 to 3 p.m.) is the Metro Justice Alternative Fair featuring "hundreds of Fair Trade, earth-friendly gifts, many locally produced, that support a just and sustainable world." [source: Abundance Co-op calendar] [all ages] The Annual Holiday Craft Sale is at Genesee Pottery at The Genesee Center for the Arts (713 Monroe Ave.) today from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and tomorrow from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. with unique works for sale from the Genesee Pottery artists. [source: Genesee Center for the Arts calendar] [all ages] This evening at The Rochester Contemporary Art Gallery (137 East Ave.) from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. is an open house of the second-floor studio space featuring Nancy Valle, Jim Williams, Gilbert Cannon Associates and Creations Unlimited. [source: Rochester Contemporary e-mail] [all ages] The new play A Tuna Christmas opens tonight at 8 p.m. (although the show is already sold out) at Downstairs Cabaret (540 East Main St.) The play features two actors playing the roles of the quirky citizens of Tuna, Texas, the 3rd smallest town in the state. This weekend is a show at 4 p.m. on Saturday, a press opening at 8 p.m. on Saturday, and a Sunday matinee at 3 p.m. [source: Downstairs Cabaret calendar] [all ages] Fiend of a Fiend will be at Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: WITR calendar] [21+] Bullwinkles Café (622 Lake Ave.) will be hosting an odd mix of acoustic avant garde with Josephine Foster, Nick Castro, Otono Brujo, and Otto Hauser starting around 8:30 p.m. [source: band e-mail]

S A T U R D A Y

O'Bagelo's, 165 State Street, noon. Brian Rath will be at Abundance Cooperative Market (62 Marshall St.) starting around 2 p.m. [source: Abundance Co-op calendar] [all ages] The Edgerton Model Train Exhibit will have free holiday tours at The Edgerton Community Center (41 Backus St.) from 12 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. [source: City Hall press release] [all ages] 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 Elroy Blue's Dreams + Adventures with DJ Dummy Destroy The exhibit runs through December 19. [source: artsound website] [all ages] Tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Christ Church of Rochester (141 East Ave.) is a performance by Ossia New Music featuring Giacomo Manzoni's Quadruplum, the United States Premiere of Beat Furrer's Presto con fuoco, Karlheinz Stockhausen's Gesang der Jünglinge and Giya Kancheli's Exil with conductor Martin Seggelke. [source: Ossia New Music calendar] [all ages] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing The Agronomist starting at 8 p.m. 15 years in the life of Jean Dominique, a Haitian radio journalist and human-rights activist. [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) will be hosting strange every-band The Peachy Neachys , eclectic rock band (with a new lineup) Kill Myself on Monday, and The Acoustic World Of David And Gregg Funkel starting around 10:45 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] Tonight at Richmond's (21 Richmond St.) is Mynah, and The White Ravens starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: Rochester Music Coalition calendar] [21+] Over at Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:30 p.m. is good fast rock from The Franks, punk-rock/power-rock from The Scarlets, and decent rock band Whatever Mary. [source: Whole Lotta Shakin' calendar] [21+]

T U E S D A Y

National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day (half-staff until sunset) This evening at 7 p.m. at The Rochester Contemporary Art Gallery (137 East Ave.) is a screening of The Worst Possible Illusion: the Curiosity Cabinet of Vik Muniz about artist/trickster Vik Muniz. [source: Rochester Contemporary e-mail] [all ages] Updated: Over at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:45 p.m. is The Neighbors with old-time rock-and-roll from Watkins and the Rapiers (buy their stuff on Amazon.com), Gaybot, and wild experimental jazz jams from TatYana. [source: band e-mail] [18+]