JayceLand.com

Weekly Rochester Events #256: Halfway to the Next Power of 2

Thursday, December 4, 2003

I guess there's two changes to the page this week: an addition and a removal. First, it seems that MP3.com is gone. It appears that CNET bought them and has decided to delete the free music library for all the bands that had submitted their work. In response, I removed the MP3 links (and that lovely MP3 link icon I made a while ago) from the various bands and updated the key at the bottom. I also took away the Checked personally by Jayce icon. In its place, I added a "source" indicator for each entry where I can put in the source where I found out about the particular event.

Anyway, I bought the Catching Out DVD from the official website and watched it a couple times in the past week. This is one of the films I didn't get a chance to see at The High Falls Film Festival this year. I did, however, talk with the producer/director Sarah George a few times. It's about the people who hop freight trains, but she described it in the somewhat cryptic phrase, "a meditation on freedom."

See, if someone told you they saw a movie about hopping freights, you might expect to see a bunch of details about the mechanics of the process, like getting past security, where to eat, where to sleep, and how to ride, with some details about several of the people. Catching Out does the opposite and touches on the details only tangentially as it closely examines the personalities of several riders. In some respects, it attempts to answer the question of "why" much more deeply than that of "how."

I guess it's not really "why" that is asked, but what is living?—what is freedom? Most of us just assume that the only way to live is within the gilded cage of society. We're offered limited freedoms and security, and pay with this intangible thing we like to call "responsibility." Before I go off on that too far, let me just ask why do we own anything at all? I mean, consider that you should just be able to go into the woods and make a little shack and eat food that grows in the area—so, to whom, exactly, does your money go to when you pay for your shelter? What exactly is responsibility anyway? Is it worth it?

The film compares the collective knowledge of the audience to the selective experiences of the subjects. That is, most people live life according to the "normal" societal rules (otherwise, everyone would be hopping freights, right?) On the other hand, if you spend your life sitting on freight trains moving from town to town, what's your life like? It's interesting to see the absence of discussion about things that concern the rest of us: money, job, home, career, retirement, taxes, television, movies, etc. Without any of that, what's there to talk about?

I also liked the methods employed. Most of the documentary structure repeats the introduction of another person then alternates between the primary interview and, usually, footage of the landscape out the doors of freight cars. It's unbelievable to see the scenery where there is no reason for commercialization. It's like a "reverse action photograph," in a way: the subject is stationary but the photographer is racing along. There's also several stellar examples of rail-oriented time-lapse photography used to punctuate the segments.

Oh, and the music was expertly selected and top-notch as well.

So anyway, speaking of hopping freight trains, I added a new T-shirt design to the new General Funny section of my CafePress store. Hopefully I'll receive the one I ordered soon ... it's just the "CAUTION: GRAVITY" sign on the back and the JayceLand logo on the front pocket. I think it's pretty funny.


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  • Bubba Ho-tep (at The Little) - Elvis and JFK are alive and are called in to ward off an Egyptian mummy. Really.
  • Honey - Hot Jessica Alba dances around and such showing off her belly a lot and maybe more. Some other stuff happens too.
  • The Last Samurai - A very pretty pseudo-historical document about honor codes and stuff. I've seen way too many Tom Cruise interviews and specials and making of- specials to even remotely want to see this at all.

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The Wills Wilde, Infatuating Lena, and Bel Biv Devoivod will be at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 8:30 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar]

RIT's Signatures magazine will be presenting a Poetry Slam at Java Wally's starting around 7 p.m. [source: Java Wally's calendar]

The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Montparnasse 19 starting at 8. This is a French biopic of the short life of Italian painter Amedeo Modigliani. Short life, poverty ... all the usual artist stuff. [source: Dryden Theater calendar]

The Spaces will be at Java's (16 Gibb St.) starting around 9 p.m. [source: WBER calendar]

There's a lecture tonight at The Memorial Art Gallery (500 University Ave., near Goodman St.) titled The Distanced Mirrors of Memory: Contemporary Artists Respond to Nazi Imagery and Evil presented by Norman Kleeblatt, Susan Rose, and Elihu Rose starting at 7. [source: Memorial Art Gallery calendar]

Excellent funk and rock from Astronomical UnitGarageBand link will be at Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: WITR calendar]

Pure Kona Poetry Open Mic Night is at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) tonight starting at 7:30. [source: Daily Perks calendar]

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Tonight at Rochester Visual Studies Workshop (31 Prince St.) is Rochester Swing Dance Network presenting Jon Seiger and The All-Stars starting around 8 p.m. [source: WITR calendar]

The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Investigation of a Flame about a group of Vietnam war protesters/terrorists who broke into a Selective Service office and burned draft records with homemade napalm, and Which Way is East documenting a trip to Vietnam starting at 8. Filmmaker Lynne Sachs will be on hand to introduce the films and to answer questions afterward. [source: Dryden Theater calendar]

Today from 5 to 10 p.m. and tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at First Unitarian Church of Rochester (220 Winton Rd. S.) is the Metro Justice Craft Fair. [source: Metro Justice mailing]

Tonight is another Eastman Musica Nova Ensemble presentation with conductor Brad Lubman featuring the music of Brown, Cage, and Lubman at Kilbourn Hall in Eastman Theatre (60 Gibbs St.) starting right at 8. [source: Eastman School of Music calendar]

Richmond's (21 Richmond St.) will be hosting groove-rock band (albeit with a good lead singer) Sim Redmond, and ulu starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: Freetime]

Over at Froggy's Bar & Grill (1129 Empire Blvd.) starting around 10 p.m. is modern rock and cover songs from Better Days (or click here to skip their irritating Flash intro). [source: Freetime]

Over at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) is Wide Open Mike with Norm Davis starting around 7:30. Apparently, anything goes. Anything. [source: Daily Perks calendar]

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Checked personally by Jayce O'Bagelo's, 165 State Street, noon.

The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing The Animation Show twice: once starting at 5 and again at 8. It features: [source: Dryden Theater calendar]

Tonight at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) is eclectic music from GADGarageBand link, really good modern rock from The Tyrones, hard-working rock-and-roll from The IrthlingsGarageBand link, and Darryl Fleming starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar]

I can't believe I'm again recommending Milestones (170 East Ave.) but they'll be hosting Eddie from Ohio (who come with a strongly positive recommendation from my friend Mike who says they're like Moxy Früvous) and Stephen Kellogg starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: WBER calendar]

Tonight at The Club at Water Street (204 N. Water St.) is Jennifer Hartswick Band, and The Trey Anastasio Band starting around 9:30 p.m. [source: Water Street calendar]

Tonight at Downstairs Cabaret (172 West Main St.) is their adult-oriented holiday play The Eight Reindeer Monologues where one of the reindeer accuses Santa of sexual harassment. It looks like it's tonight at 8:30 then starting regularly next week. [source: Downstairs Cabaret calendar]

Chasers (151 St. Paul St.) will be hosting Buzzo All-Star Band starting around 10 p.m. I can't even remember what they're like ... I think it's some derivative of groove rock, but they're one of the staple Rochester bands (Geneseo, technically) that have been around forever. [source: WITR calendar]

Updated: Over at Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:30 p.m. is punk-rock with The Beligerants, tight rock-and-roll with Bee EaterGarageBand link, and even tighter punk-rock with The Blastoffs. [source: Bee Eater e-mail]

Disco and rock covers from The United Booty Foundation will be at Spenders (1600 Lyell Ave.) starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: Freetime]

Tonight at Alexander Street Pub (291 Alexander St.) is modern rock and covers from Better Days (or click here to skip their irritating Flash intro) starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: Freetime]

Montage Grille (50 Chestnut St.) will be hosting award winning percussionists in Cyro Baptista's Beat the Donkey starting around 9:30 p.m. [source: Montage e-mail]

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Fly the flag today.National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day (half-staff until sunset)

The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Seven Brides for Seven Brothers starting at 3. Nothing like self-explanatory titles. Oh yeah, and it's in Cinemascope. [source: Dryden Theater calendar]

Updated: Starting at 2 today at The All-Purpose Room (#8 in the Public Market, off N. Union St.) will be a screening of Uncovered: the Whole Truth About the Iraq War You can register for the event through the MoveOn.org website. [source: All-Purpose Room e-mail]

The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) will be hosting experimental music with Pealed Hearts Paste, Xela Zaid, and Pillage Sunday starting around 9:30 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar]

Dan Liberto (of the The Comedy Company) hosts Open Mic Comedy Night at Duels Café (17 E. Main St.) starting around 7:30 (theoretically.) [source: Duel's Café]

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Over at Downstairs Cabaret (20 Windsor St.) starting around 8 p.m. is Maelstrom Percussion Ensemble. [source: Downstairs Cabaret calendar]

Are you a member of The Memorial Art Gallery (500 University Ave., near Goodman St.)? If so, there's the Members Only Night over there from 6 to 8. Oh, and you should have RSVP'd by the third. [source: Memorial Art Gallery mailing]

Over at Montage Grille (50 Chestnut St.) starting around 9 p.m. is Dave Rivello's 12-Piece Jazz Ensemble [source: Montage calendar]

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Fascinating spoken-word a capella music and phoenetic effects from F'loom will be at Verb Café at Writers and Books (740 University Ave.) starting around 8 p.m. [source: Writers and Books calendar]

Over at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:30 p.m. is excellent beat-driven funk from The Filthy Funk, awesome funk-rock from Astronomical UnitGarageBand link (maybe ... their website only mentions the Krown show on Thursday) and The Best Damn Band. [source: Bug Jar calendar]

Not ready for mainstream 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]

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The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing O Lucky Man! starting at 8. A twisted tale of a young man entering the world of business. [source: Dryden Theater calendar]

Not ready for mainstream 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]
 
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Ok, it's kind of a joke title ... any number is halfway to the next power of two. This one just happens to be the 28th update.



GarageBand link links to a band's page on GarageBand.com which offers reviews and information about bands.

Not ready for mainstream. is an event that is "non-entertainment" for the masses such as practice sessions, open jams, etc.

Fly the flag today. is a day when you should fly the flag according to the Veterans of Foreign Wars calendar.

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