Weekly Rochester Events #330: Two Benedicts Ago ...

Thursday, May 5, 2005

I didn't get out too much last week, in part because I spent quite a bit of time getting the The Bike With 2 Brains project rolling along. I actually got to the point where I could put the wheels on and see what the frame layout looks like. It's kinda funny making a CAD drawing and making parts and then putting it together to get back to what I had in mind in the first place. I added some geeky details and some more photos. I might just get this thing done afterall.

On Saturday, I went to A|V Art Sound Space (#8 in the Public Market, off N. Union St., formerly The All-Purpose Room) to see the opening for Marc-Charles McNulty's sound-and-image show Heimspeki. It was really good. He created digitally distorted photographs that are illuminated from behind and give the illusion of motion in (at least my own) peripheral vision. In addition, he included sculptured ice-like lamps between the artwork as well as a background ambient sound field. It all seems pretty well integrated.

Later that evening I headed to the Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) to see Federico Fellini's La Strada. I hadn't seen it before and I really enjoyed it. The plot follows a free-spirited, childlike woman named Gelsomina who is sold by her mother to a mean, cold sideshow-strongman, Zampanò. The film follows these two characters along their path to hopelessness: not because they are destined to do so, nor because they are deceived, but simply because they choose to follow this course. There's a lot of films that follow a plot where the characters are helpless to do anything but following along a hopeless course — often the audience is provided more information than the characters have, and we know what would be best for them but know they don't know what we do. In La Strada, though, it's more complex. In each decision, we know as little as the characters about what the future holds — for each decision confronting the characters, none of the options reveal any advantage or disadvantage that would help the characters or the audience make an informed choice.

In my own life, I'm trying to keep track of what's going: I'm sure everyone's heard advice to break out of the status quo and you'll find things get better, yet almost nobody does because the status quo isn't all that bad. I got shoved out by being laid off in 2003, and while I could have gone back to the regular working world, I decided that was as good a time as any to try something new since I had enough resources to explore the unknown non-status-quo world for a while and go back if I needed. I took a business class, tried starting one business from it and gave up on it, then worked to start a second business and pretty much gave up on it too. Now I'm playing with the whole "artist" thing and working toward a rather subtle project in The Bike With 2 Brains. Who knew I'd be writing art grants and spending all my time working on a challenging, fun project? In the midst of all this, I'm also getting involved with a rather large project in the city ... I won't go much into it here since it's not ready for critique, but let's just say that it's right up the alley of making Rochester a place to "come to" instead of "be from" when it comes to creative expression. That money is sure to follow, right?

On Monday I was again at the Dryden Theater for the Surprise Cinema. Michael Neault introduced Luis Buñuel's Viridiana. Buñuel is known for his disdain of the Catholic church — as Mike put it, for its seemingly "bottomless hypocrisy." He was invited to return to Spain (Buñuel, not Neault) by then-dictator Francisco Franco — whom he also despised — to make Viridiana on the condition that it passed the country's censors. Well, Buñuel slyly got his subversive point across using innuendo and a scathing plotline. Among many steps to directly antagonize both Franco and the church, he included a scene where beggars pose exactly as in da Vinci's "The Last Supper" — and to put the derisive exclamation point at the end of the sentence, one of the beggars even says she's going to take a picture using a camera from her father, metaphorically paralleling the relationship between Buñuel and Franco. The film essentially dissects the church's view of ideal behavior versus how that ideal is flawed and how it's unrealistic to set such a standard for anyone anyway.

Tuesday I was off to The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) to see the bands there. First up was Donnie Mancurio who does a solo drum show like I haven't seen from anyone else. He's fast, precise, and he keeps things interesting using sounds from a synthesizer, making for an experience like a performer playing a homemade instrument — he reminded me a lot of That One Guy who had a custom-built "magic pipe" with sensors tied to a synthesizer.

Next was Mad Happy for whom I was, as they say (and I might remember for next time) "mad happy" to see them. (Har har ... it's their joke, not mine: don't shoot the messenger.) Anyway, it took me a few songs to warm up to them: something I remember from when they were here in 2002. They stayed pretty much in the hip hop genre using simple beats behind rapped (mostly) and sung (sometimes) vocals. The thing I forgot about is their sense of community: unlike most bands, they really just want to sit around and chit-chat with the crowd — almost as if they were folk singers. Their goal is to get people to talk and to dance ... once you figure that out, you'll have a much better time.

Anyway, Bee Eater followed them with one of their best shows I've seen: they managed to keep the energy level high through all the time they had. Closing the night was Voodoo Organist who is a one-man synth-gospel rockabilly band. He basically plays a keyboard set up to sound like a church organ along with a theremin and backed up with a pre-coded beat. His stage presence is slick and professional, and the music revolves mostly around being tempted by the devil — metaphorically — not literally nor particularly religiously.

In the end, I guess "voodoo organist" is as good as any way of describing him.

But to finish off talking about movies, I wanted to single out The Rochester International Film Festival this week which takes place in four showings: Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m. and on Saturday at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Two years ago, I wrote short reviews of the movies before I had seen them based on short-film stereotypes. Last year I reduced the concept further to a single word — an idea that dismally flopped. This year, I intend to redeem myself by spinning the official descriptions into haiku form. So, here's your guide to Movies on a Shoestring as a web page and as a printable PDF file.

Oh yeah, and remember that today is 05/05/05. Impress your friends!*

(* assuming your friends are moronic simpletons.)

T H U R S D A Y

Cinco de Mayo This afternoon from 12:15 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. is Singers of High Note at The First Universalist Church of Rochester (150 South Clinton Ave.) featuring vocalists from the studio of Cecile Saine with pianist Howard Spindler. [source: University of Rochester Events Calendar] [all ages] Ciara Lynn will be at Johnny's Irish Pub (1382 Culver Rd., still smoke-free) starting around 7:30 p.m. [source: Johnny's Irish Pub calendar] The Standard Jazz Quartet will be at Starry Nites Café (696 University Ave., formerly Moonbeans) starting around 8 p.m. [source: Starry Nites calendar] [all ages] This evening at 7 p.m. at Gleason Auditorium in The Rochester Public Library (115 South Ave.) is a meeting to discuss the demolition of Rochester's Abandoned Subway. [source: RocWiki calendar] Tonight at The Little (240 East Ave.) is the premiere of Off Road to Athens at 7 p.m. [source: RocWiki calendar] Over at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 9:30 p.m. is Gravity. [source: Bug Jar calendar] [18+] Tonight at 8 p.m. is the first program of the The Rochester International Film Festival at The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) [source: Eastman House calendar] Pure Kona Poetry Open Mic Night is at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) tonight starting at 7:30. [source: Daily Perks calendar] [all ages]

F R I D A Y

No Pants Day Steel Kingdom, The Dead Set, and Stereotide will be at Water Street Music Hall (204 N. Water St.) starting around 8:30 p.m. [source: Water Street calendar] [all ages] Jonathan Serrano with Paul Smoker, Michael McNeill, Elliott Kirby, and Tony Hiler will be at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) starting around 8 p.m. [source: Rochester Music Coalition calendar] [all ages] Over at Brü Brewery and Restaurant (300 State St., formerly Empire Brewing) starting around 8 p.m. is excellent pure instrumental funk from The Filthy Funk. [source: Freetime] The Skycoasters will be at The Montage Grille (50 Chestnut St.) starting around 9:30 p.m. for the grand-reopening. (And note that I'm only singling this out because the Montage is a cool place, not that I really have any opinion of the Skycoasters.) [source: Montage e-mail] Over at The Ritskeller (One Lomb Memorial Dr., on RIT campus) starting around 10 p.m. is The Exit. [source: RIT Events Calendar site] Tonight at Starry Nites Café (696 University Ave., formerly Moonbeans) is The Jazz Dawgs starting around 9 p.m. [source: Starry Nites calendar] [all ages] Tonight at 8 p.m. is the second program of the The Rochester International Film Festival at The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) [source: Eastman House calendar]

S A T U R D A Y

O'Bagelo's, 165 State Street, noon. Abundance Cooperative Market (62 Marshall St.) will be hosting Mike Baker, Neelu Chawla, and Jon Greenbaum starting around 1 p.m. [source: Abundance Co-op calendar] [all ages] This afternoon at Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) is Mrs. Skannotto, The Levar Burtones, pretty good ska from Just for Kix, and Random Establishment starting around 1 p.m. [source: band flyer] [all ages] Tonight at German House (315 Gregory St.) is The Rochester Custom Brew & Music Festival featuring music from great reggae band Mountain Mojo Authority (click here to skip their annoying flash intro), excellent pure instrumental funk band The Filthy Funk, very good jazzy instrumental 3-piece Doja, jazzy funk instrumental Cerulean City, complex keyboard-enhanced groove-rock band Oshe, The Umbrella People, and The Beat Beggers starting around 7:30 p.m. [source: Freetime] Tonight at Water Street Music Hall (204 N. Water St.) is The Glengarry Bhoys starting around 8:30 p.m. [source: Water Street calendar] [all ages] Over at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) starting around 8 p.m. is Phil Marshall. [source: Daily Perks calendar] [all ages] Over at Richmond's (21 Richmond St.) starting around 8:30 p.m. is The Surge. [source: Rochester Music Coalition calendar] Tonight at 4 p.m. and again at 8 p.m. is the last programs of the The Rochester International Film Festival at The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) [source: Eastman House calendar] The Lyres, surf-rock influenced punk-rock from The Priests, and The Lost Marbles will be at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:45 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] [21+] Starry Nites Café (696 University Ave., formerly Moonbeans) will be hosting Matt Millenchia starting around 9 p.m. [source: Starry Nites calendar] [all ages] Today from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. is the Rochester Regional Invention Convention at Rochester Museum & Science Center (657 East Ave.). [source: Freetime]

S U N D A Y

Mother's Day V-E Day Today at 2 p.m. at Shipping Dock Theatre (31 Prince St., new location at Visual Studies Workshop) is the last performance of Elizabeth Rex. [source: Shipping Dock Theatre mailing] Fiddler's Three will be at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) for the Spring Musicale at 3 p.m. [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] Today's Mother's Day Special at The Memorial Art Gallery (500 University Ave., near Goodman St.) is free gallery admission for moms. [source: University of Rochester Events Calendar] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Le journal d'une femme de chambre (Diary of a Chambermaid) starting at 8 p.m. In honor of Mother's Day, Luis Buñuel takes us along on a journey of a maid who discovers a world of fetishistic sexuality. [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] Starry Nites Café (696 University Ave., formerly Moonbeans) is hosting their weekly Open Mike Poetry tonight at 7 p.m. [source: Starry Nites calendar] [all ages]

M O N D A Y

A|V Art Sound Space (#8 in the Public Market, off N. Union St., formerly The All-Purpose Room) will be hosting Clouds Crossing, USAISAMONSTER, and Colonel Parmisan starting around 10:45 p.m. [source: artsound website] [all ages] Link Wray, and surf-rock influenced punk-rock from The Priests will be at Milestones (170 East Ave.) starting around 10 p.m. [source: Whole Lotta Shakin' calendar] Apparently there will be Argentine tango dancing at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) tonight with Agustin Ramos from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. [source: Daily Perks calendar]

T U E S D A Y

This afternoon from 12:12 p.m. to 12:52 p.m. is another Books Sandwiched-In in Gleason Auditorium at The Rochester Public Library (115 South Ave.) featuring Bob Koch, Dean Emeritus of The University of Rochester (Elmwood Ave. at Intercampus Dr., details on River Campus Map) discussing Stephen Greenblatt's book, Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare. [source: Rochester Public Library calendar] [all ages] Updated: Tonight at 7 p.m. in the Auditorium at The Memorial Art Gallery (500 University Ave., near Goodman St.) is a screening of Identity through Art: Six Rochester Asian American Artists along with three other documentaries: Kites and Other Tales, Discovering Angel Island: The Story Behind the Poems, and The Bhangra Wrap. Tonight at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) is Houston Bernard, a disorienting blend of spoken word, electronic effects, and repetition from Gaybot, and Roger Houston starting around 9:30 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] [18+] Tonight on Radio8Ball is excellent guitar/violin duo T. Griffin Coraline who play emotionally "observant" songs on somewhat subtle but familiar topics starting around 9 p.m. [source: band e-mail] 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] [all ages]

W E D N E S D A Y

Over at A|V Art Sound Space (#8 in the Public Market, off N. Union St., formerly The All-Purpose Room) starting around 9 p.m. is Carpentry and Reeg/Tunis. [source: artsound website] [all ages] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Der Blaue Engel (The Blue Angel) starting at 8 p.m. Just before the rise of Hitler in Germany comes the story of a nightclub singer and temptress — the film being singled out as an excellent example of costume designers' craft. [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] 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] [all ages]