Weekly Rochester Events #411: Killian's Rensselaer

Thursday, November 23, 2006

Well, as some of you either have done before or will probably do someday, I'm having my parents visit my house for Thanksgiving dinner. [And I swear, someday you will have my parents to Thanskgiving dinner.] The last time we tried it, plans fell apart. This year looks quite promising — I already have a turkey and finished up some pumpkin pies (made from the stringy pumpkin membranes that you're recommended to throw away) which look and smell spectacular. The house is clean and tidy — a rarity in both cases.

So in light of all that stuff going on, I didn't get out to too much stuff.

Wednesday I went to The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) to see Funny Games. It was amazingly dark — the villians were pure evil, delivered with a smile. It was important to see what happens when someone dehumanizes their victims and the kind of cruelty they're capable of, especially when they're otherwise charming and rational. I even shut down partway through out of fear: I couldn't maintain my "suspension of disbelief" and watched it as if it were just people acting. It would be interesting to see how far I could make it through the film without saying, "it's just a movie."

On Friday, Ali and I went to the Dryden together — this time to see Sílení (Lunacy). Well, unlike myself, Ali doesn't tear herself away from a disturbing movie, and this one was quite disturbing. It's about a guy who meets the Marquis de Sade (although he's only identified as "The Marquis" on screen) while trying to go bury his mother and ends up in a lunatic asylum. Well, only that the asylum is being run by the inmates, and when he discovers and releases the original staff, the place becomes even more horriffic — instead of people just not being treated, they are now tortured.

The two films are quite similar. Well, at least they cover the simlar topics like "what is sanity?" and "what is compassion?" But most of all, they are both truly horror movies — identifying some horrible facet of our world that we choose to turn away from. The dare is to watch them like Ali did with Lunacy: to keep your eyes open and believe the characters — although not real unto themselves — are the mirror to a real person somewhere.

On Saturday I had a chance to get to Café Underground Railroad (480 W. Main St.) It's a spectacular venue in that although it's large (probably holding around 200 people) it's also warm and personal. I was there to check out Kinetik~Flo who are this excellent mellow jazz quintet ... they're somewhere between light jazz and wild improvisation, and very energenic. The Cafe offers Jamaican and African dishes and I tried the Ndolé which is this dish with rice, turkey, spinach, peanuts, garlic and some other delicious ingredients ... the kitchen is "open late late" so it's a place to remember for late evening cravings.

After that I checked out Solera Wine Bar (647 South Ave) which is a relatively new wine bar. Ali and I had a few glasses of really top-notch and reasonably priced wines. We talked with the owner a bit who's got a realistic view of the economics, so whether the place grows or not, the plans he has for it sound great.

Unfortunately I spent most of the rest of my free time getting all set for Thanksgiving. Hopefully mine will go well, and I hope all you loyal readers have a good holiday too.

T H U R S D A Y

Thanksgiving Tonight at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 9:30 or so is bands and DJ's in the Thanksgiving Night Shakedown featuring punchy rock-and-roll from Blue Spark and Flame, The Snakes of Tape Hiss, A Wonderful, and Somolian Bonaparte. [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] Drinking Liberally meets at 8 p.m. tonight at Monty's Korner (355 East Ave.) [source: RocWiki calendar] Tonight at 8 p.m. at Bodhi's Cafe & Lounge (274 Goodman St. N., in Village Gate) is an Open Mic.

F R I D A Y

Apparently The Critical Mass Bike Ride is tonight starting at 5:30 p.m. at the clock tower near The Wilson Commons at The University of Rochester (Library Road, #39 on River Campus Map.) to The Liberty Pole (1 Liberty Pole Way) at 6 p.m. and heading through the city from there. [source: the proverbial grapevine] Tonight at 7 p.m. at Irondequoit High School (260 Cooper Rd., Irondequoit) is the premiere of a documentary titled Irondequoit: Lacrosse Town U.S.A.. [source: Animatus Studios e-mail] Water Street Music Hall (204 N. Water St.) will be hosting Groovefest 7 featuring excellent, fun percussive groove-rock from The BuddhaHood, 40 Rod Lightning, Snuka, Richard Iman, jammy, keyboard-enhanced psychadelic groove-rock from The Niche, The Goods, and Kilter starting around 7 p.m. [source: Water Street calendar] [all ages] Thread will be at Boulder Coffee Co. (100 Alexander St.) starting around 8 p.m. [source: Boulder Coffee website] [all ages] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Les temps qui changent (Changing Times) starting at 8 p.m. (and also on Saturday at 5 p.m.) I businessman arranges to be relocated to Tangiers to be reunited with an old flame. [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] Tonight at 9 p.m. at The Flat Iron Café (561 State St.) is Mo' Mo' Betta Blues. [source: Flat Iron Cafe webstie] Tonight around 10 p.m. at Spy Bar (139 State St.) is Karaoke sponsored by their booking agents Polish Soup. [source: RocWiki calendar] [21+] Over at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:30 p.m. is high-energy power-rock from Bee Eater, competent punk-rock from The Pushrods, and excellent satirical gospel rock from The Lobster Quadrille for their last show of the year. [source: Bug Jar calendar] [18+]

S A T U R D A Y

Over at Water Street Music Hall (204 N. Water St.) starting around 8 p.m. is They Sleep They Dream, East Avenue, Madison, and December's Halo. [source: Water Street calendar] [all ages] Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) will be hosting Jim Drew starting around 8 p.m. [source: Daily Perks calendar] [all ages] Over at Starry Nites Café (696 University Ave., formerly Moonbeans) starting around 8 p.m. is Amanda Stone. [source: Starry Nites calendar] [all ages] Tonight at Boulder Coffee Co. (100 Alexander St.) is A Painted Mayor starting around 8 p.m. [source: Boulder Coffee website] [all ages] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Singin' in the Rain starting at 8 p.m. A Technicolor™ classic ... [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] Tony Cruz will be at The Flat Iron Café (561 State St.) starting around 9 p.m. [source: Flat Iron Cafe webstie] Over at A|V Art Sound Space (N. Union St. at Trinidad St., #8 in the Public Market, formerly the All-Purpose Room) starting around 9 p.m. is George Steeltoe Ensemble, R£V£R§£ M©¥†=™ (Reverse Mouth), Joe+n, and Tinnitustimulus. [source: A|V Space website] The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) will be hosting very good metal from Sulaco, Baba Yaga, great punk rock/hard rock from The UV Rays, and Bathtub Shitter starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] [21+] Tonight at Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) is the opening reception for The Metal Ink Art Show featuring great one-man guitar/synth drum stoner rock cover band Skull, excellent, tight heavy-rock from Low Ton, and well constructed heavy rock/metal from Heatseeker. I suspect the bands will start around 10:30 ... [source: Freetime] [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 at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. in the Herdle Fountain Court at The Memorial Art Gallery (500 University Ave., near Goodman St.) is another Going For Baroque performance on the Italian Baroque organ featuring Robert Kerner. [source: Memorial Art Gallery calendar] [all ages] Today at 2 p.m and again at 7 p.m., the Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing The Muppet Movie. I mean, how can you miss this? [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] This afternoon starting at 3 p.m. at Water Street Music Hall (204 N. Water St.) is Erna's Hope, A Benefit for Ovarian Cancer featuring host Joanne Brokaw and good modern-rock cover band Perfect World, Boys Lie, good bar-rock band The Jennifer Heieck Band, Jeff Cosco with Cindy Sams, No Boundries, The Dig Project, The Highway Beautiful, Setiva, Hip Toss, and The Cold Heart Method. [source: Water Street calendar] [all ages] This afternoon at 3 p.m. at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) is a Holiday Musicale featuring Tim Schramm on the Aeolian Pipe organ. [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] Tonight at The Flat Iron Café (561 State St.) is The Dan Bennett Trio starting around 5 p.m. [source: Flat Iron Cafe webstie] Tonight and every Sunday at Boulder Coffee Co. (100 Alexander St.) is a Comedy Open Mic with Matt Rohr at 7:30 p.m. [source: the proverbial grapevine] [all ages]

M O N D A Y

This evening around 7 p.m. at Writers and Books (740 University Ave.) is another Wide Open Mike featuring Norm Davis. [source: Writers and Books calendar] [all ages] Tonight's entry in the Emerging Filmmakers Series at The Little (240 East Ave.) at 9:15 p.m. is unique in that some of the films are quite long — between there's a 30-minute and a 40-minute entry. The films are Let's Have Tea by Pepsy Kettavong, The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Michael Sporn, Summer Longings by Gerry Szymanski and Sideshow by Lisa LaBracio. [source: the proverbial grapevine] 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. This afternoon at 5 p.m. in the Gamble Room at The Rush Rhees Library in The University of Rochester (Library Rd. at Intercampus Dr., details on River Campus Map) is a discussion by Ellen Koskoff titled Theorizing Women and Music: The Big Picture. [source: University of Rochester Events Calendar] Tonight at Water Street Music Hall (204 N. Water St.) is Senses Fail, Saosin, and Bleeding Through starting around 7 p.m. [source: Water Street calendar] [all ages] Tonight at The Little (240 East Ave.) at 7 p.m. is Rochester Young Professionals' Movie Night with this evening's screening of Keeping Mum preceded by a meeting in The Little Theatre Café and followed by coffee and a discussion at Java's (16 Gibbs St.) [source: Rochester Young Professionals calendar] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Beggars of Life starting at 8 p.m. ... Hobos on the lam with Louise Brooks ... a silent film with Philip C. Carli on piano. [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] Updated: Triglactagon, and Red Tag Rummage Sale will be at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 9:30 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] [18+] Tonight at 7 p.m. at The Flat Iron Café (561 State St.) is the Hot as Fire Spoken Word / Open Mic. [source: Flat Iron Cafe webstie] Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) is hosting an Acoustic Open Mic featuring JoAnn Vaccaro from 8 to 10. [source: Daily Perks calendar] [all ages] Autumn In Halifax will be playing at The Little Theatre Café (240 East Ave.) tonight starting around 8.

W E D N E S D A Y

At 5 p.m. today at the Hartnett Gallery in The Wilson Commons at The University of Rochester (Library Road, details on River Campus Map) is a reception and public lecture titled General Idea and Their Image Virus by AA Bronson with related artwork, Vision = Life: AIDS Posters on display by Edward C. Atwater. The exhibition runs through December 20. [source: University of Rochester Events Calendar] This evening from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., RochesterCares will be at Foodlink (936 Exchange St.). [source: Rochester Young Professionals calendar] Today from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at, The Rochester Winos will be at Solera Wine Bar (647 South Ave) for a presentation of Italian wines by proprietor John Fanning. [source: Solera Wine Bar website] This evening at 7:30 p.m. at Writers and Books (740 University Ave.) is a Celebrating Writers, a tribute to Stanley Kunitz. [source: Craigslist Rochester events] [all ages] The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) will be hosting very good, jazzy instrumental band Doja starting around 9:30 p.m. [source: Freetime] 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] Tonight at Milestones (170 East Ave.) is another The Comedy Block Party starting almost promptly at 8 p.m. Tonight at Café Underground Railroad (480 W. Main St.) is a Spoken Word/Poetry night starting around 9 p.m. [source: the proverbial grapevine]

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