Weekly Rochester Events #382: Years of the Cockroach

Thursday, May 4, 2006

Last week I mentioned that I got to see The Bell Orchestre on Wednesday. In reflection, although the performance was great, it didn't leave me with a lot to chew on after the fact. Sometimes when I see a show, I'll get songs stuck in my head, or new ideas will sprout from what I saw, but this time it wasn't so. Just something to consider.

Thursday I headed out to The Little (240 East Ave.) around 10:30 or so to see Al Franken deliver his radio show live. I ran into Tom, the facilitator for the local Drinking Liberally group and we met up with Jen who picked up the tickets for us. I was probably one of the only people who had never heard the show before, but it was cordial and fun. I ended up staying for all three hours and it was entertaining and moved right along.

His first guest was Mayor Robert J. Duffy who gave Al the key to the city along with reading a humorous proclamation. He sounded quite a bit like a mayor, but got more conversational as the interview went on. Representative Louise Slaughter was next and gave some insight into what was going on in the Foggy Bottom. After that, Eric Massa was on who is running as the Democratic candidate for the 29th district in the House of Representatives. They guy seemed very sharp and on-the-ball.

Once the politicians were out of the way, author David Cay Johnston was next to be interviewed — he's the author of Perfectly Legal: The Covert Campaign to Rig Our Tax System to Benefit the Super Rich — and Cheat Everybody Else. Next was stem-cell researcher Mark Noble from The University of Rochester (Elmwood Ave. at Intercampus Dr., details on River Campus Map) He pointed out the value of continuing such research and provided an insightful ethical dilemma: there's a fire at a fertilitiy clinic and you must choose between saving 10,000 frozen blastocysts (bundles of stem cells which become fetuses when attached to the uterine wall) or one one-year-old baby. Noble notes that "the number of people who chose the blastocysts is less than one." It's the kind of question that flusters people against stem-cell research because it succinctly demonstrates that everyone knows a baby is different from a bundle of stem cells, despite what pro-life groups say.

Finishing up the show was Robert Manning from RIT (One Lomb Memorial Dr., campus map) who's the author of Credit Card Nation: The Consequences of America's Addiction to Credit (buy it now at Amazon.com!) He noted that MBNA (who are currently funding free admission at The Memorial Art Gallery (500 University Ave., near Goodman St.) to cardholders, interestingly enough) was the #2 campaign contributor to George W. Bush (although OpenSecrets.org says MBNA was first) and how he made it harder to file for personal bankruptcy while people in desperate financial situations are targeted by lending institutions to go further into debt. Just to end on a thorougly depressing note, Manning said that personal debt in America is approximately $40,000 per person.

Relatedly, I've been trying to get one of those pneumatic rust scalers and I really don't want to buy one cheap because it was manufactured by slave labor. The only one I've been able to find online is the Ingersoll-Rand 125 Standard Duty Needle Scaler at Amazon for $147, but I can't confirm its country-of-origin. Anyway, I gave up and went to Harbor Freight (1040 East Ridge Rd., in Georgetown Plaza) on Friday to get their $13 Chinese-slave-made air-hammer attachment, but they were out of stock. In the process, though, I managed to get gasoline 5 cents cheaper than near my house. In all, the 13-mile round trip cost about $1 in gas and I saved all of $0.24 total at the pump. I'm just glad to mostly not drive at all ... well, except the part about almost being killed all the time by the automobile drivers who are trying to save a penny by not waiting for two seconds at the corner of Mt. Hope and Elmwood (you know who you are).

That night I went to The Rochester Contemporary Art Gallery (137 East Ave.) to see the Video Screening and Artist Talk with Geoffrey Alan Rhodes who made the film Tesseract and which he showed again. It was still a terrific fictionalized biography of the life of Eadweard Muybridge. He prefaced the screening with some prior works he had done dealing with the camera and its time-machine-like qualities. He said he was saddened reviewing the animations he made from Muybridge's sequential photographs of people in motion, noting that these are the earliest people in history that anyone will ever see move — prior to those images, all impressions of the dead are static.

From there I went to the Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) for a great date movie, Workingman's Death. It was quite good and quite disturbing although I disliked the flashy segment-introductions that made it feel cheap like it was a Discovery Channel documentary. Anyway, I was fascinated the lengths that people go through to make a living and the typically shrug-heavy pride they have in it. The jobs themselves were dangerous both in the lack of safety equipment and in the nature of the work which will significantly shorten every one of the worker's lives — even if they never succumb to accident.

Monday night I went to The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) to check out the bands there. First up was The Instruments who do this mellow, rather trippy, very down-tempo rock-ish folk — at the time I found it quite boring, so I'll have to check them out again when I'm in a different mood. Elf Power, however were like the best parts of pop-rock bands from the 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's all combined into one — a charming demeanor and great guitar work like 1960's pop acts, fine-tuned vocals from the 1970's, a bit of synthesizer work from the 1980's, and a perfection of drum and bass work from the 1990's. I look forward to seeing them around again.

As a final note, I decided to shut down the old HomeCam for a while. It hasn't had anything interesting, well, ever, and it's just needlessly sucking electricity and bandwidth. I figured it'd be a good a time as any to close it down since it's been running for the last 10 years. It stopped being "cutting edge" in about 1998.

Oh yeah ... one more thing: I stopped by the post office at The University of Rochester Medical Center (601 Elmwood Ave.) to mail out a package. I passed by some scrubs-wearing workers enjoying some cigarettes in the mild spring day and had to endure the thick stench of irony as I passed the gigantic blue sign that read, "CANCER CENTER."

T H U R S D A Y

Tonight the New Gallery at The Arts and Cultural Council for Greater Rochester (277 N. Goodman St.) from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. is the opening of High Fiber: A Visual Feast with fiber-art by members of The Weavers' Guild of Rochester which runs through June 9. [source: City Newspaper] This afternoon at 5:30 p.m. is a discussion with Kitty Jospé on A Matter of Blue by poet Jean-Michel Maulpoix at The Memorial Art Gallery (500 University Ave., near Goodman St.) [source: Memorial Art Gallery calendar] [all ages] Tonight's another event from The City Walk at 6 p.m. celebrating "Quatro de Mayo" starting at Spot Coffee (200 East Ave.) and heading to east-end venues. [source: The City Walk website] Over at Starry Nites Café (696 University Ave., formerly Moonbeans) starting around 8 p.m. is folk-rock band Red Branch. [source: Starry Nites calendar] [all ages] Today is the start of The Rochester International Film Festival. In past years I've done some random stuff, but this year I'll just keep it simple and refer to the website for the most part. Tonight is the first screening (each have different films) at 8 p.m. at the Dryden Theatre at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) [source: Rochester International Film Festival website] [all ages] The Midnight Creeps, The Sleazies, and great punk-rock/hard-rock band The UV Rays will be at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 9:30 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] [18+] Pure Kona Poetry Open Mic Night is at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) tonight starting at 7:30. [source: Daily Perks calendar] [all ages] Drinking Liberally meets at 8 p.m. tonight at Monty's Korner (355 East Ave.) [source: RocWiki calendar]

F R I D A Y

Cinco de Mayo No Pants Day Tonight at The Montage Live (50 Chestnut St., formerly the Montage Grille) is The Mambo Kings, starting around 6 p.m. then later it's Atlas starting around 10 p.m. [source: Montage calendar] Updated: This evening at GalleryBlue (277 Alexander St., suite 204) is the opening of the new exhibit Blue Waters from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The show runs through August 26. [source: City Newspaper] Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) will be hosting Marni and Melissa starting around 8 p.m. [source: Daily Perks calendar] [all ages] Tonight at 8 p.m. at Eastman Theatre (60 Gibbs St.) is The Eastman Wind Orchestra and The Eastman Wind Ensemble with conductor Mark Scatterday and guest conductor H. Robert Reynolds performing Steven Burke's Devil's Tale, Husa's Concertino for Piano and Wind Ensemble, Gryc's Masquerade on a Theme by Prokofiev, Freund's Jug Blues & Fat Pickin', Hartman's Serenade, and Grantham's J'ai été au bal. [source: Eastman School of Music calendar] [all ages] Tonight's screening of The Rochester International Film Festival will be at 8 p.m. tonight at the Dryden Theatre at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) [source: Rochester International Film Festival website] Tonight at Verb Café at Writers and Books (740 University Ave.) is fascinating spoken word/a capella music/phoenetic effect band F'loom starting around 8:30 p.m. [source: Writers and Books calendar] [all ages] Bill Welch will be at Starry Nites Café (696 University Ave., formerly Moonbeans) starting around 9 p.m. [source: Starry Nites calendar] [all ages] Damian's (81 Marshall St.) will be hosting solidly good rock/groove-rock band Dudley Dawson starting around 10 p.m. [source: Freetime]

S A T U R D A Y

O'Bagelo's, 165 State Street, noon. This afternoon at 1 p.m. is The Young Writers Festival at Nextstage at Geva (75 Woodbury Blvd.) featuring the works of several young writers. [source: Geva Theatre website] This afternoon at Abundance Cooperative Market (62 Marshall St.) is Deb Domingues starting around 1 p.m. [source: Abundance Co-op calendar] [all ages] The first of two screenings today for The Rochester International Film Festival will be at 4 p.m. this afternoon at The Little (240 East Ave.) [source: Rochester International Film Festival website] The Montage Live (50 Chestnut St., formerly the Montage Grille) will be hosting Linda Stoot starting around 6 p.m. and then later is tight, technical rock from BML, and Ted Eddison starting around 10 p.m. [source: Montage calendar] This evening at 7 p.m. at A|V Art Sound Space (N. Union St. at Trinidad St., #8 in the Public Market, formerly the All-Purpose Room) is the opening of Deep Pop Songs by Patrick Holbrook. The installation will close on May 27. [source: A|V Space website] Tonight at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) is really talented singer/guitarist Kinloch Nelson, Bernie Heveron, Liz Heveron, and Paul Ruske starting around 8 p.m. [source: Daily Perks calendar] [all ages] The second screening of The Rochester International Film Festival will be at 8 p.m. tonight at the Dryden Theatre at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) [source: Rochester International Film Festival website] Tonight at Starry Nites Café (696 University Ave., formerly Moonbeans) is Ian Mutch starting around 9 p.m. [source: Starry Nites calendar] [all ages] Over at Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:30 p.m. is Hünü? (featuring members from Colorblind James Experience.) [source: Freetime] [21+] Over at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:45 p.m. is great, somewhat mellow rock-and-roll from Hinkley, good acoustic soloist Gregory Paul, Food Will Win the War, and really awsome, super loud grinding punk-style rock from The Modey Lemon. [source: Bug Jar calendar] [21+] Tonight's another Betty's Sing-a-Long at Betty Meyer's Bullwinkle Café (622 Lake Ave., a.k.a. "Bullwinkle's") starting around 10.

S U N D A Y

Today from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at The Bop Shop (274 N. Goodman St., in Village Gate Square) is their Spring Record Show. [source: Bop Shop calendar] [all ages] Excellent and daring acoustic soloist JoAnn Vaccaro, Jim Bowers, Tim O'Shea, Nick Humprhey, Teagan Ward, and Sheila Woodin will be at Boulder Coffee Co. (100 Alexander St.) starting around 3 p.m. this afternoon. [source: Rochester Music Coalition calendar] [all ages] A|V Art Sound Space (N. Union St. at Trinidad St., #8 in the Public Market, formerly the All-Purpose Room) will be hosting very good groove-metal band Kalpana, The Fashionistas, Good Friends With Sharp Scissors, and Her Name Is June starting early around 5 p.m. [source: A|V Space website] Over at The Club at Water Street (204 N. Water St.) starting around 7 p.m. is Them vs.Them. [source: Water Street calendar] [all ages] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing A Night at the Opera starting at 7 p.m. A Marx Brothers classic. [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] This evening at 8 p.m. at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) is another Hip Hop Haven. [source: the proverbial grapevine]

M O N D A Y

V-E Day The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing The Trespasser starting early this afternoon at 1:30 p.m. In it, silent film star Gloria Swanson performs in her first talkie as a stenographer who is jilted by her boss. This is a rare showing of the sound version of the show, made from a nitrate print in the Eastman House collection. [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] Today at 6 p.m. at Nextstage at Geva (75 Woodbury Blvd.) is The Regional Playwrights Festival featuring One of These Days by Johanna Mary Lester, Pea Soup by Nancy Preston Stark, I Like Art by Joseph Sorrentino, Undone by Peter Tonery, and The American Bar by Mark Witteveen. [source: Geva Theatre website] Tonight at 8 p.m. at Kilbourn Hall at Eastman Theatre (60 Gibbs St.) is another performance by The Eastman Musica Nova Ensemble with conductor Brad Lubman performing a new piece by Tod Machover, and Dérive 1 and 2 by Pierre Boulez. [source: Eastman School of Music calendar] [all ages] Bored? Why not check out 1980's DJ night at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 11 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar]

T U E S D A Y

This morning at 7:30 a.m. in the cafeteria overlooking the arboretum in Bausch and Lomb (140 Stone St.) is the Artists Breakfast Group meeting ... anyone interested in art or creativity is invited. Today from 12:12 p.m. to 12:52 p.m. is another Books Sandwiched-In (celebrating their 50th Anniversary) featuring Dr. Pamela York Klainer discussing The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion in Gleason Auditorium at The Rochester Public Library (115 South Ave.) [source: Friends of the Public Library e-mail] [all ages] Updated: This evening at 6 p.m. is an Informational Meeting about the request-for-proposals (click for RFP document) on public art at Corn Hill Landing (290 Exchange Blvd.) [source: City Hall press release] The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) will be hosting The Ghostwriter, and catchy gospel-rock satire band The Lobster Quadrille 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. [source: Daily Perks calendar] [all ages]

W E D N E S D A Y

Today from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Webb Auditorium at RIT (One Lomb Memorial Dr., campus map) is a roundtable discussion titled The Future of Imaging moderated by Advanced Imaging Magazine editor-in-chief Larry Adams. [source: RIT Events Calendar site] This evening at 6:30 at The Arts and Cultural Council for Greater Rochester (277 N. Goodman St.) is another Artist Networking Event titled Artists Working with Kids with Heather Stevenson and Darren Stevenson of PUSH Physical Theatre. [source: Arts and Cultural Council e-mail] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Entre la mer et l'eau douce (Between Sweet And Salt Water) starting at 8 p.m. Another in the Dryden series of early Canadian fictional cinema (interesting because it's rooted in a history of state-funded documentary filmmaking) ... this time, a waitress falls in love with a singer on the rise. It caught my eye because of the note in the calendar, "this priceless portrait of big-city Canadian life in the late sixties is aided immeasurably by the naturalistic approach of famed documentarian Brault, one of the central figures of Quebec cinema." [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] Tonight at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) is The Joggers, and slightly off-balance, complex, hard-hitting, mid-tempo rock band Kill Myself on Monday starting around 9:30 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] [18+] Poor People United meets tonight and every Wednesday at 7 at St. Joseph's House of Hospitality (402 South Ave.) [source: the proverbial grapevine] There's an Open Mic for Acoustic Music at Boulder Coffee Co. (100 Alexander St.) tonight around 8. [source: the proverbial grapevine]

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