Weekly Rochester Events #456: AKA Spellman

Thursday, October 4, 2007

On Thursday morning Ali and I got to get breakfast together at The South Wedge Diner (880 S. Clinton Ave.) Unlike our previous experience at Highland Park Diner (960 S. Clinton Ave.) the food was cheap and diner-like (whereas Highland wasn't as impressive as its gourmet cost implied). And then skipping ahead, that night I stopped by Monty's Korner (355 East Ave.) with the group from Drinking Liberally. Friday we left to go to Ali's brother's house as their family was about to have another kid. So I missed out on a lot of good shows, but overall I was glad to have been there — it's not everyday that a mom is excited about the convenience of a scheduled cesarian section, which in turn makes it convenient for friends and family.

The baby was due on Monday and Ali and I took a break from the family on Sunday to visit my brother Adam who's now living in Washington, D.C. We stopped for lunch at The Alamo Grill of Georgetown (1063 31st St. NW, Washington, DC) which had some really excellent Mexican cuisine. We got to talking with the waiter who seemed a bit out of place with his Eastern bloc demeanor and accent. He made us guess where he was from, and if we got it right we'd get a surprise; with enough clues, we correctly guessed Georgia. So after dinner he asked if we wanted our surprise, making us promise to "do it" if he brought it out — Ali and I agreed right away and Adam followed. He brought out a glass vessel with a liquid in it and poured it in our mouths — I believe it was homemade tequila, and really excellent stuff at that. Amazingly smooth. Mmm.

Afterward we walked to the Lincoln Memorial which was quite a hike. It was more-or-less as I had remembered from my trip in 1981 or so. Next we stopped at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial which was smaller than I expected ... still quite powerful and very respectfully highlighting just the loss of American lives. The personal touches added by friends and relatives were often quite moving.

We walked to the other side and checked out the Korean War Memorial which was also human, featuring a dozen statues of soldiers on nervous patrol and a wall of images and faces. Adam and Ali compared stories of drizzly-rainy days or night time where the soldiers seem all the more eerie and haunting. Our final memorial stop around the reflecting pond was the World War II Memorial which was more of a celebration of the glory of war, like a traditional memorial. It had no names or faces, just the states, oceans, places, battles, and famous quotes surrounding large fountains.

On our way out of town Ali and I got frustrated at nearly getting lost in one of the poor neighborhoods — we didn't get gas before we came and were running on fumes. We stopped at a station and it seemed okay to me. Some kids were harassing the clerk in the booth for candy and such, but for the most part it was just business. After Ali got hit up for money for diapers and we decided to get going.

On Monday Ali's got a new niece and she and I headed back home from there. We stopped at Wegmans in Williamsport, Pennsylvania for dinner and had a nice time singing along to the radio on the way home, arriving around 11 p.m.

Tuesday Ali and I went to Magnolia's Market and Deli (366 Park Ave.) for dinner. The meal was great — everything was just perfect. Although she decided to stay home, I headed out to The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) for the show. Starting things off was Science vs. Witchcraft ... I didn't recognize them at first but noted them as good chaos-rock; more melodic than average. I wasn't as impressed with J. G. Blizaro who I think of as a good hard-rock band ... they call it "horror movie soundtrack" so their songs are rather long, but hey, if you're into that kind of thing this may be a good band to check out.

But finishing off was Monotonix. They did an awesome, animated, crazy rock spectacle. It was so over-the-top as to be nearly satirical. They started with the drums on fire, spilled beer all over, and moved things all around. The end of the show culminated in them climbing onto the bar — drums and all — and playing from there.

T H U R 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 Day in Village of Africa. [source: Baobab website] This evening at 7 p.m. at The Memorial Art Gallery (500 University Ave., near Goodman St.) is a video screening of Protest, an episode of the PBS series Art in the Twenty-First Century. [source: Memorial Art Gallery calendar] [all ages] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Valley Girl starting at 7 p.m. and then Night of the Comet at 9 p.m. In the former, a Valley girl must choose between love or friendship — or their approximations in a superficial world. In the latter, two Valley girls must fight off zombies. [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] Among Criminals will be at Boulder Coffee Co. (100 Alexander St.) starting around 8 p.m. [source: Boulder Coffee MySpace site] [all ages] Evil Beaver, and Baba Yaga will be at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 9:30 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] [18+] Tonight at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que (99 Court St.) is good blues-charged rock-and-roll/groove-rock from Buford and the Smoking Section starting around 10 p.m. [source: Dinosaur Bar-B-Que calendar] Tonight and every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the Learning Center at Brighton Memorial Library (2300 Elmwood Ave.) is a meeting of The Rochester Movie Makers Club [source: AIVF Salon Rochester Yahoo! Group] Drinking Liberally meets at 8 p.m. tonight at Monty's Korner (355 East Ave.) [source: RocWiki calendar]

F R I D A Y

If you've got the cash, Artisan Works (565 Blossom Rd.) is hosting their Annual Auction and Fundraiser starting at 6 p.m. tonight. [source: Artisan Works website] This evening from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at The Baobab Cultural Center (728 University Ave., formerly on Gregory St.) is an art opening for the new exhibit titled People in a Torn World and featuring a screening of the warm documentary of a family raising the children of their son lost in war, The Other Side of War by M. P. Mann. [source: Baobab website] This evening from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Genesee Pottery at The Genesee Center for the Arts (713 Monroe Ave.) is Potter's Potluck, a potluck dinner for people to discuss pottery. [source: Genesee Center for the Arts calendar] Tonight from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. is the closing reception for For Drawing Sake, on display at The Rochester Contemporary Art Gallery (137 East Ave.) until October 14. [source: Rochester Contemporary calendar] [all ages] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Which Side Are You On? starting at 8 p.m. Originally intended for British television, the film documents the miners' strike during 1984 and 1985 in the United Kingdom. Followed by Carry On Ken which documents director Ken Loach. [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] Tonight at The Dub Land Underground (315 Alexander St., formerly Whiskey) is awesome, tight, complex rock-and-roll from The VEiNS starting around 9:30 p.m. [source: Freetime] Water Street Music Hall (204 N. Water St.) will be hosting really good reggae dub band Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad starting around 10 p.m. [source: Water Street calendar] [all ages] Dinosaur Bar-B-Que (99 Court St.) will be hosting RedLine Zydeco starting around 10 p.m. [source: Dinosaur Bar-B-Que calendar]

S A T U R D A Y

This morning at 9 a.m. at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) is the October In the Garden Tour. [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Black White + Gray: A Portrait of Sam Wagstaff and Robert Mapplethorpe starting at this afternoon at 2:30 p.m. The film documents the "complex relationship between the innovative museum curator and influential art collector Sam Wagstaff, and the "bad boy of photography" Robert Mapplethorpe — both major forces in the art world". [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Riparo — Anis tra di noi (Shelter Me) starting early at 7 p.m. In it, a couple returning from Tunisia, they discover a stowaway who's trying to start a life in Europe. As the Eastman calendar notes, "Shelter Me explores the tenuous balance between having too much compassion and not having enough, and how sometimes holding someone too close will only drive them further away". [source: Dryden Theater calendar] [all ages] Tonight at The Montage Live Music Hall (50 Chestnut St., formerly the Montage Grille) is A Little Sumpin Sumpin featuring great hard-rock/punk-rock from The UV Rays, excellent surf-rock with a bonus stage show from The Isotopes, good bar-rock/thrash band The Hounds of Hell, well constructed heavy rock/metal from Heatseeker, and Liars and Thieves starting at 7 p.m. to benefit Boarding for Breast Cancer. [source: Freetime] [all ages] Tonight at Boulder Coffee Co. (100 Alexander St.) is fun modern rock/geek-rock band Snmnmnm starting around 8 p.m. [source: Boulder Coffee MySpace site] [all ages] Over at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:30 p.m. is fun, great 1960's-styled rock from The Hi-Risers, and Rocky Velvet. [source: Bug Jar calendar] [21+] Betty's Sing-a-Long is regularly scheduled at Betty Meyer's Bullwinkle Café (622 Lake Ave., a.k.a. "Bullwinkle's") starting around 10 but since September, 2007 people have reported they were closed.

S U N D A Y

Today from 2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. is a What's Up Lecture at The Memorial Art Gallery (500 University Ave., near Goodman St.) featuring Thea Tweet discussing the Portrait of Pierre-Francois Bernier by Jean-August-Dominique Ingres. [source: Memorial Art Gallery calendar] [all ages] This afternoon at 2:30 p.m. at the Dryden Theatre at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) is a screening of Une autre femme (Another Woman) which is about a transgendered woman who returns to Paris serendipitously and seeks her former family when she was a man. [source: Dryden Theater calendar] [all ages] Over at The Flat Iron Café (561 State St.) starting around 5 p.m. is The Matt Valerio Band to Benefit the Family of Lung Transplant Patient, Phil Bridenbaugh. [source: Flat Iron Cafe webstie] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Wang-ui namja (The King and The Clown) starting at 7 p.m. It's about 16th Century Korean King Yeonsan's love affair with an androgynous street performer. [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) will be hosting great black-and-white checkered-print duo who do great dreamland synth-pop Yip Yip, Health, and Crime Novels starting around 9:30 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] [18+]

M O N D A Y

Columbus Day (observed) This afternoon at 1 p.m. at Kilbourn Hall at Eastman Theatre (60 Gibbs St.) is a concert by the Clarinet Quartet of The United States Marine Band ("The President's Own"). [source: Eastman School of Music calendar] [all ages] This evening at 7:30 p.m. in Kilbourn Hall at Eastman Theatre (60 Gibbs St.) is a concert by The United States Marine Band ("The President's Own"). (Tickets are free by mail but required.) [source: Eastman School of Music calendar] [all ages] Tonight at 8 p.m. at Boulder Coffee Co. (100 Alexander St.) is Pure Kona Poetry. [source: Boulder Coffee MySpace site] [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 discussion. H. Peter French will be talking about Ike's Final Battle: The Road to Little Rock and the Challenge of Equality by Kasey S. Pipes. [source: Rochester Public Library calendar] [all ages] This evening at The Gordon Field House at RIT (One Lomb Memorial Dr., campus maps) is a performance by Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, and Amos Lee. [source: JamBase calendar for Rochester] Boulder Coffee Co. (100 Alexander St.) will be hosting Mini Van, and Azure Sky starting around 8 p.m. [source: Boulder Coffee MySpace site] [all ages] Tonight at 8 p.m. is the opening performance of Doubt: A Parable at Geva (75 Woodbury Blvd.) The play runs through November 4. [source: Geva Theatre website] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Staircase starting at 8 p.m. in which two bickering lovers are torn apart when one is called to aid his ailing mother. [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] Tonight at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) is awesome and unique rockabilly-heavy metal band Boxcar Satan starting around 9:30 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] [18+]

W E D N E S D A Y

Updated: Tonight at 6 p.m. is a screening of Cathy Come Home at the Dryden Theatre at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) followed at 8 p.m. by It's a Free World .... In the former, a woman is abandoned by the UK welfare system. In the latter, a woman gets laid off from her job and starts a recruiting agency that succeeds through finding immigrants — and then illegal immigrants. Unfortunately, Ken Loach is no longer able to attend ... usual admission prices apply. [source: Dryden Theater calendar] [all ages] Adam Niewood, and The Rabble Rousers will be at The Bop Shop (274 N. Goodman St., in Village Gate Square) starting around 8 p.m. [source: Bop Shop calendar] [all ages] Tonight at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) is Phosphorescent, Peter and the Wolf, and A Wonderful 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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