Weekly Rochester Events #337: Note to La Salle: China is Way Farther West

Thursday, June 23, 2005

Although this past week was pretty busy, I really didn't get out to see many shows. Saturday was a wedding for a couple friends of mine and after spending the morning setting up, the day at the wedding, the afternoon packing up, and the evening at the after-reception reception, I was pretty tired. I valiantly attempted to go see the bands at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) but — although the mind was willing, the flesh was going to fall asleep any minute. By the time I got home, I ended up just sleeping in my clothes.

The really cool show, though, was on Tuesday. Now, I tend to try and pick at least one thing for the "pick of the week" with the icon each week ... sometimes there's a couple things, but more often than not, I just look for the best bet. This week I took a bit of a chance on the Tuesday show at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) I had only actually seen Jason Anderson play once before and that was over two years ago as Wolf Colonel.

However, the show ended up being great. I mean really really great.

When I got there, about 20 people were already there. This is pretty unusual for a Tuesday ... and apparently they were all under-21. I heard there was a lot of interest from people under 18 about Kimya Dawson for some reason. Anyway, The Tight Phantomz started things off. They weren't even going to be in the area this particular night, but they happened to be in town and got the gig lined up. They do this really good, loud, high-power rock/punk-rock music with a ton of "false-finishes" to the point you can't even tell each song ends and begins.

Next, Strand of Oaks brought things back to the ambient-acoustic level that everyone expected the show to be like. They do this really good, mellow vocals, guitar, keyboard, and drum work ... it borders on ambient sometimes, but the lead singer keeps things just a bit over the line toward traditional acoustic.

The highlight for me was Jason Anderson, though. And I mean, not just because his name is Jason. He started out with a song intertwined in a monologue about how their truck broke down and they ended up missing two shows, so he wanted to really make this one count. I felt it was sincere.

Anyway, rounding things out, Kimya Dawson was losing her voice from singing karaoke earlier in the week. Nonetheless, she sings some really good, interesting, witty acoustic stuff with her own style — sometimes up-tempo, sometimes down-tempo, but always uniquely Kimya.

Before I get back to Jason's performance, I should mention (as if you didn't already notice) that I stuck the old webcam in the sidebar. Pretty much continuously, I have had it up-and-running since January 20, 1997. However, it's been tucked away in some obscure corner of this site and not many people even go look at it.

So anyway, why this guy? I mean, what makes him so different from any other guy standing in front of a crowd with a guitar and sporting a beard and wearing a baseball cap? At first, I thought it had to do with him not being able to make any real money — he already got his share of our $6 (or $8) at the door and, since he only gets around here every 2 years or so, it's not like he's going to create some kind of reliable fan-base that he can tap into for his financial needs. Heck, even if you throw in CD sales on the tour, it probably will barely be enough for gas.

Now, I've seen lots of bands get up and tell the crowd to move forward, or to dance more, but for some reason it just didn't seem sincere. I'm really having a hard time figuring out what it was about this particular guy on this particular night with this particular crowd. I think it had to do a lot with his willingness to put himself "out there" ... he really seemed to give a lot emotionally — beyond the mechanics of storytelling his travel woes, the way he explained his ideology was thoroughly heartfelt. I mean, he was open ... he was honest about what he was feeling.

And his sentiment (in general) is something I agree with: that the experience of seeing (or rather, participating in) a performance is something special. It's important to me to see someone say something because they need to say it. If you think about it, it's really possible for just about anyone to create a song — like any art, they can learn the established techniques and use them to create something that is appealing or otherwise expresses some idea or emotion. But it is quite another thing to look inside oneself and dig up a message and use those same learned skills to make something that both reflects and conveys the idea inside.

I want to also mention Drivers Wanted which opens this weekend at The Little Theatre (240 East Ave.) I decided to post a review on IMDb and I had a tough time explaining why I liked the film so much. See, it isn't polished: it does not have that Hollywood sheen that we have come to expect from movies these days. However, it overflows with real warmth — not the traditional movie kind of warmth (like I wrote about in the review) where a carefully calculated set of lighting, script, direction, and music create a facsimile of what we experience as human warmth. Rather, Tim Beideck's movie has a genuine warmth. He gives his characters respect — he looked at this job of "food delivery" not with disdain, but with admiration. Real admiration, and this is what comes across. It's Tim's honest-to-goodness warmth in his daily interactions with people that comes through the film.

That said, it's a movie that almost everyone has some suggestion of how to "make better." Sometimes the exposure is a bit dark, or the camerawork is a bit clumsy, but that's the film that Tim made. By the end, though — as long as you're you're willing to let that stuff go and just live the film — for some reason you'll leave the theater and feel good.

T H U R S D A Y

Tonight's Party in the Park at The High Falls Festival Site (Browns Race and Commercial St.) starting around 5:30 p.m. features tight modern blues/rock band Chris Duarte Group with James Cotton. [source: City Hall press release] Deadly Pillowfight Accident, FMGreen, really good 1980's rock-perfection-style band Tiger Cried Beef, high-energy (but somewhat uninteresting) rock band The Russians, and punchy rock-and-roll from Blue Spark and Flame will be at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting right at 8 p.m. (the bands swear they'll start right at 8. Right.) [source: Bug Jar calendar] [18+] Starry Nites Café (696 University Ave., formerly Moonbeans) will be hosting Chris Squire starting around 8 p.m. [source: Starry Nites calendar] [all ages] Tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the Curtis Theatre of George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) is a lecture titled Edward Weston: 'The Thing Itself' by David Wooters. [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] Johnny's Irish Pub (1382 Culver Rd., still smoke-free) will be hosting Stand starting around 9:30 p.m. [source: Johnny's Irish Pub calendar] Over at Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:30 p.m. is great sounding punk-rock from The Staggers, and Reno Divorce. [source: GaragePop Records website] [21+] Pure Kona Poetry Open Mic Night is at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) tonight starting at 7:30. [source: Daily Perks calendar] [all ages] Tonight, Friday night, and Saturday night at 9:30 p.m. is the River of Light laser show at The High Falls Gorge (Pont De Rennes Bridge.) [source: City Hall press release] [all ages]

F R I D A Y

Midsummer Day This afternoon starting at 5 p.m. at the clocktower on The University of Rochester (Elmwood Ave. at Intercampus Dr., details on River Campus Map) is The Critical Mass Bike Ride. [source: the proverbial grapevine] [all ages] Today from noon to 11 p.m., tomorrow from 11 a.m. to midnight, and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. is the Rochester Harbor and Carousel Festival at Ontario Beach Park (Beach Ave.) [source: City Hall press release] Thoughtful spoken-word poetry over avant-garde ambient music from Urknee and Bjürton, and impressive, organic experimental jazz from The Blood and Bone Orchestra will be at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) starting around 8 p.m. [source: Daily Perks calendar] [all ages] Starting at 6:30 p.m. tonight at The Rochester Contemporary Art Gallery (137 East Ave.) is an Art Auction. [source: Rochester Contemporary calendar] [all ages] Spy Bar and Grill (139 State St.) will be hosting loud, fast rock (is this psychobilly?) from El Destructo starting around 10 p.m. [source: the proverbial grapevine] Tonight at The Club at Water Street (204 N. Water St.) is rock band The Atomic Swindlers, Footage, and fun, great surf-rock from The Isotopes starting around 9:30 p.m. [source: Water Street calendar] [all ages] Over at Starry Nites Café (696 University Ave., formerly Moonbeans) starting around 9 p.m. is Red Headed Stepchild. [source: Starry Nites calendar] [all ages] Brü Brewery and Restaurant (300 State St., formerly Empire Brewing) will be hosting really good reggae band Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad starting around 10 p.m. [source: JamBase calendar for Rochester]

S A T U R D A Y

Lunch is still at O'Bagelo's (165 State Street) at noon today. Tonight at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) is talented guitarist and singer Kinloch Nelson, and Kathy Johnson starting around 8 p.m. [source: Daily Perks calendar] [all ages] Over at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:45 p.m. is The Motorpsychos, awesome punk-rock from The Blastoffs, and really good punk-rock (from Ithica) from Whatever Mary. [source: Bug Jar calendar] Tonight at Johnny's Irish Pub (1382 Culver Rd., still smoke-free) is great acoustic cover-band guy John Akers starting around 9:30 p.m. [source: Johnny's Irish Pub calendar] Shrinking Violet will be at Starry Nites Café (696 University Ave., formerly Moonbeans) starting around 9 p.m. [source: Starry Nites calendar] [all ages] Tonight at A|V Art Sound Space (#8 in the Public Market, off N. Union St., formerly The All-Purpose Room) is REEEEEEE featuring Jon and the Whiteys, Ed Downey and Ian Downey, Chad Oliveiri with David Merulla and Joe Tunis, Kenneth J. Meinke, fagottista, DJ Dummy Destroy,and Joe+n all starting at 9 p.m. [source: artsound website] [all ages]

M O N D A Y

Kilbourn Hall at Eastman Theatre (60 Gibbs St.) will be hosting Dave Rivello's 12-Piece Jazz Ensemble starting around 7:30 p.m. [source: Eastman School of Music calendar] [all ages] Tonight from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Starry Nites Café (696 University Ave., formerly Moonbeans) is Holistic Nite featuring Chanting and Drumming by Amber Light International. [source: Starry Nites calendar] [all ages] A madhouse free-for-all on-stage mosh from The Laundryroom Squelchers, Xela Zaid, Leslie Keffer, and Coffee will be at A|V Art Sound Space (#8 in the Public Market, off N. Union St., formerly The All-Purpose Room) starting around 9:30 p.m. [source: artsound website] [all ages] Tonight at 9:15 p.m. at The Little (240 East Ave.) is another in the Emerging Filmmakers Series featuring Fake Reporter, Vermin Supreme by Dawn Zuppelli, Last Two Questions, Rebuttal, and Closing Statements by Benjamin Entner, Braided Roots by Robin Claudell, Sew by Nicholas Gurewitch, Veronica by Seth Hymes, ...To Skin a Cat by Dan O'Berry and Drink by Patrick Smith.

T U E S D A Y

Tonight is another "Trees in Our Neighborhoods" Walks starting at 6:15 p.m. starting at The Rush Rhees Library in The University of Rochester (Library Rd. near Intercampus Dr., #1 on River Campus Map.) [source: City Hall press release] Tonight at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) is The Lobster Quadrille, and Marvin Dioxide starting around 9:30 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] [18+] 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 Dinosaur Bar-B-Que (99 Court St.) starting around 10 p.m. is Jim Suhler and Monkey Beat. [source: Dinosaur Bar-B-Que calendar] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Boogie Nights starting at 8 p.m. Shown here for its great costume work, the movie itself is actually a pretty interesting take on the 1970's porn industry. [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] Tonight at The Club at Water Street (204 N. Water St.) is another Open Mic Wenzdaze with Acoustic Café from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and then Rock-n-Roll Circus starting at 9 p.m. [source: Water Street calendar]