Weekly Rochester Events #432: College of Perpetual Penance

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Last Thursday I hung out at Monty's Korner (355 East Ave.) with the rest of the crew from Drinking Liberally for a bit then went to The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) When I arrived, Casiotone for the Painfully Alone (also at LiveJournal) was already playing. I still like the first incarnation I saw which was literally a guy and a Casio keyboard, but this time — with a guitarist, violinist, and a Roland — they had a similar stripped-down feel that I definitely like better than with a full band. Also playing was Gaybot who continued their tradition of being a [seemingly] out-of-control absurd non-band. Finally was the debut of The Labrador Hawks who did some good mellow acoustic-rock.

Friday night Ali and I stopped by John's Tex-Mex Eatery (489 South Ave., renamed from Taco John's, formerly Ly Lou's Pearl of the Orient) for dinner. It's been a while but it's still an excellent place to eat. In case you haven't been there in a while either, they have a license for some alcohol — we had the mango mimosa carafe which was really good. After that we caught Pillowfight Accident (formerly Deadly Pillowfight Accident) at Boulder Coffee Co. (100 Alexander St.) around the corner. I had heard they were planning to do a more subdued set for a coffee-shop environment, but by the time we got there, they appeared to be playing quite hard with their flavor of chaotic jazz/rock.

Next, we headed up to The California Brew Haus (402 West Ridge Rd.) for the show there. Worm Quartet started things off, playing to a crowd already familiar with his superfast synth-rock novelty songs. Finishing off the night was Buffalo's nerdy response in the form of Ookla The Mok who do a funny, nerdy, solid rock-and-roll show — with characters in costume and such from comic books and popular media.

On Saturday I had a minor windfall: a check from a retirement account I had forgotten about. It was less than my surprisingly plump donation to the Federal and State governments, but good news nonetheless. That night I headed to the Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) for The Animation Show 2007. I was happy to have enjoyed all the films in the show. Starting off was Rabbit which was a slick animation based on the illustrations from children's books — with floating names above nearly every object. In it, a couple kids discover a magical idol who turns flies into gems so, they try to exploit it to get rich and get their comeuppance in the end. I also liked City Paradise which is a somewhat abstract narrative about an young woman learning the language in a new country, and she discovers a strange world in the pool where she swims. Overtime was a neat homage to animators and puppeteers — particularly, I assume, Jim Henson. In it, a herd of identical frog-like puppets attempts to lovingly reanimate their recently deceased creator. Finally, I greatly enjoyed Don Hertzfeldt's Everything Will Be Ok, the tale of a man whose mental and physical health is apparently failing; told from a detached, diary-like internal monologue, yet shown as an intimate, terrifying experience.

I stopped at Solera Wine Bar (647 South Ave) afterward and had some wine and chatted with the owners. I stopped at Lux Lounge (666 South Ave.) for a drink as well before heading on around the corner to the relatively new Black Pearl Cafe (791 Meigs St., formerly Dicky's) I was surprised to learn they actually opened last November. Anyway, the place is quite nice — not looking much different from Dicky's, actually. The bartender said the owners were shooting for a "thinkers' bar" where people could come together for intelligent conversation. Perhaps an erudite neighborhood pub, if you will. Oh, and their selection of local micro-brews is quite good, too.

On Tuesday I goofed around a bit on the Internet. I wrote my first entry on the Instructables website: a way to replace the DC plug on an Apple iBook silver "yo-yo" power adapter. I think it looks pretty good and it wasn't too hard to do (although the website is really slow for building instructions.) That night I went back to the Dryden for the films there. I thought it was funny that in both animated shorts before the feature — The Case Of The Stuttering Pig and Cracked Ice — characters on-screen mentioned "the guy in the third row". That was me, even though I wasn't even born when they were made. In point of fact, neither were my parents, so it's remarkable that they'd pick me! The feature, It's Only Money was just okay. I was lukewarm on the comedy and I guess I don't really find the physical comedy of Jerry Lewis all that funny — I assume mostly because it's been so overdone by now. I did like hearing him expertly ramble on how television works, especially since it was all gibberish.

And finally: Wednesday, April 18 represents one whole year with Ali. I don't really believe it myself — I was never one to endure even the most minor of irritations for more than a few months, but here I am: one of those people. It's been excellent so far and I have no doubts it'll continue to be so. [P.S: I love you Ali!]

T H U R S D A Y

This evening at 6 p.m. at John's Tex-Mex Eatery (489 South Ave., renamed from Taco John's, formerly Ly Lou's Pearl of the Orient) is a Green Drinks Rochester meeting. [source: Craigslist Rochester events] This evening from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Rundel Auditorium at The Rochester Public Library (115 South Ave.) is a meeting of The Inventor's Society of Western New York. [source: Rochester Public Library calendar] [all ages] Tonight at 7:30 p.m. at The Asbury First United Methodist Church (1050 East Ave.) is a meeting of The Rochester Genealogical Society featuring Dr. Mike Lacopo discussing Deconstructing Your Family Tree: Reevaluating the Evidence. [source: Rochester Genealogical Society website] [all ages] Over at The Bop Shop (274 N. Goodman St., in Village Gate Square) starting around 8 p.m. is Wilbert de Joode. [source: Bop Shop calendar] [all ages] Kilbourn Hall at Eastman Theatre (60 Gibbs St.) will be hosting another performance by Ossia New Music starting around 8 p.m. [source: Ossia New Music calendar] [all ages] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Muerte de un ciclista (Death of a Cyclist) starting at 8 p.m. According to the Eastman House Calendar, "returning from an illicit liaison, a well-to-do adulterous couple hit a poor bicyclist with their car. Looking to keep their affair a secret, the couple leave the biker to die on the side of the road." [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) will be hosting Olive Drab and The Etceteras, loud, fat/full, fast bar-rock band The Spaces, stoner rock cover band Skull, and Long Lake starting around 9:30 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] [18+] Wicked fun percussive groove-rock from The BuddhaHood will be at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que (99 Court St.) starting around 10 p.m. [source: Dinosaur Bar-B-Que calendar] Pure Kona Poetry Open Mic Night is at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) tonight starting at 7:30. [source: Daily Perks calendar] Tonight at 8 p.m. at Bodhi's Cafe & Lounge (274 Goodman St. N., in Village Gate) is an Open Mic. [source: the proverbial grapevine] Drinking Liberally meets at 8 p.m. tonight at Monty's Korner (355 East Ave.) [source: RocWiki calendar]

F R I D A Y

This evening at 6 p.m. at Condé Photography (650 South Ave.) is an opening for art by R. Scott Oliver. [source: Carbon Records calendar] This evening at 7 p.m. at The Baobab Cultural Center (728 University Ave., formerly on Gregory St.) is the opening celebration for Paintings by Kahsay G. Tsadkan, Kuki Abdiel, and Jerry Hines. The works will be on display through May 3. [source: the proverbial grapevine] Tonight at 7 p.m. at The Rochester Contemporary Art Gallery (137 East Ave.) is the opening of Absence / Excess / Loss which runs through May 20. [source: Rochester Contemporary e-mail] [all ages] This evening at 7:30 p.m. at The Interfaith Chapel at the University of Rochester (Wilson Blvd.) is a discussion titled Islamic Politics and the American Impact in the Middle East by Juan Cole. [source: University of Rochester website] Tonight and tomorrow at 8 p.m. at Shipping Dock Theatre (31 Prince St., new location at Visual Studies Workshop) is another Shipping Dock Unleashed! sketch-comedy and improvisation show. [source: Shipping Dock Theatre website] Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) will be hosting George the Fig starting around 8 p.m. [source: Daily Perks calendar] [all ages] Starry Nites Café (696 University Ave., formerly Moonbeans) will be hosting The Amanda Stone Band starting around 8 p.m. [source: Starry Nites calendar] [all ages] Over at Boulder Coffee Co. (100 Alexander St.) starting around 8 p.m. is a Candlelit Dinner with Walri. [source: Boulder Coffee MySpace site] [all ages] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Les amants réguliers (Regular Lovers) starting at 8 p.m. and again on Sunday at 7 p.m. I gather it's a rather long film (178 minutes) chronicling the Paris student revolts of 1968. [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] At TiLT Nightclub and Ultralounge (444 Central Ave.) tonight starting around 10 p.m. is another burlesque show featuring a Saturday Morning Cartoon Theme. [source: band e-mail] [21+]

S A T U R D A Y

Today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Community Darkroom at The Genesee Center for the Arts (713 Monroe Ave.) is a Huge Photo Garage Sale featuring new and used equipment for photography. [source: Genesee Center for the Arts calendar] The Magnolia Cajun Band will be at The Bop Shop (274 N. Goodman St., in Village Gate Square) starting at 2 p.m. [source: Bop Shop calendar] [all ages] This afternoon from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at The Baobab Cultural Center (728 University Ave., formerly on Gregory St.) is an illustrated discussion on filmmaking titled The Session — Based on the Feature Film the DROP Squad by David Taylor. [source: Baobab website] Over at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) starting around 8 p.m. is Hunu? (featuring members from Colorblind James Experience). [source: Daily Perks calendar] [all ages] Over at Starry Nites Café (696 University Ave., formerly Moonbeans) starting around 8 p.m. is Teressa Wilcox. [source: Starry Nites calendar] [all ages] Brannon Hungness, and courageously straightforward synth-and-vocals from Roger Houston will be at Boulder Coffee Co. (100 Alexander St.) starting around 8 p.m. [source: Boulder Coffee MySpace site] [all ages] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing How to Survive the 1940s starting at 8 p.m. and again on Sunday at 5 p.m. It's a collection of "films produced by the U.K.'s Central Office of Information from 1946—1950" and "an intriguing and frequently amusing portrait of everyday life in 1940s Britain. [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] The Dub Land Underground (315 Alexander St., formerly Whiskey) will be hosting Taduya, and the return of Rochester's satirical gospel-rock band The Lobster Quadrille starting around 10 p.m. [source: band e-mail] Tonight at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) is Dysrhythmia, Behold The Arctopus, and very good metal from Sulaco starting around 10:30 p.m. [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

Earth Day This afternoon fro 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and again from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at The Rochester Public Library (115 South Ave.) is It's A Mystery, an interactive adventure starting in the Gleason Auditorium, performed by The Mystery Company of the Finger Lakes. [source: City Hall press release] [all ages] High-energy rock from Bee Eater, and Beat the Devil will be at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 9:30 p.m. for Meghan's Going-Away Party. [source: Bug Jar calendar] [18+] 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]

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. in Kate Gleason Auditorium at The Rochester Public Library (115 South Ave.) is another Books Sandwiched-In featuring Donald Bain reviewing The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl by Timothy Egan. [source: Rochester Public Library calendar] [all ages] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing W.R. — Misterije organizma (W.R.: Mysteries of the Organism) starting at 8 p.m. The Eastman House Calendar piqued my interest describing it this way: "The radical 'free love' philosophy of the Austrian-born psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich (aka W.R.) is at the core of this stunning essay film on the correlation between sex and politics." [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] Over at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 9:30 p.m. is The Murder Junkies, They Hate Us, and Whom They Destroy. [source: Bug Jar calendar] [18+] Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) is hosting an Acoustic Open Mic from 8 to 10. [source: Daily Perks calendar]

W E D N E S D A Y

Tonight at 7 p.m. at The Baobab Cultural Center (728 University Ave., formerly on Gregory St.) is a screening of 500 Years Later. [source: Baobab website] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Kaidan (Kwaidan) starting at 8 p.m. — four tales of terror and demons. Eastman House members admitted free. [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] There's an Open Mic for Acoustic Music at Boulder Coffee Co. (100 Alexander St.) tonight around 8. [source: the proverbial grapevine] 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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