Weekly Rochester Events #278: Swiftly Penned in the Gulliver

Thursday, May 6, 2004

On an unrelated topic (which I shall make this week's theme—unrelatedness, that is) I think I've figured out that there are basically two kinds of women in Rochester: those who smoke, and those who don't leave the house. I'm only half joking: I haven't done a formal survey, but the odds do tend to stack up that way. From what I've seen from all my time going out, around 90% of women smoke. This doesn't seem to correlate with what, say, the Centers for Disease Control have to say about it—in a report from this year, New York's smoking rates are 19% for women. The only reason I notice is that the one aspect of smoking that really grosses me out is kissing a smoker. I don't tend to mind secondhand smoke (up to a point) or my clothes smelling like smoke (as long as I can set them aside when I get home) or even cigarette butt litter (although sometimes I think about chopping up my garbage into butt-sized pieces and just litter everywhere—just a little bit once every half-hour.) But all I can think about when kissing a smoker is that it tastes like (brace yourselves) the stench of her lungs rotting out. To make matters worse, it takes about 3 days of non-smoking before I won't notice. It's this kind of thing that really bums be out sometimes.

Anyway, last week I didn't get out too much. On Friday I took a second trip to Spy Bar and Grill (139 State St.) and checked it out further. I don't really get it ... it looks like a bar that might be at home out in the suburbs of Greece (largely because of its NASCAR memorabilia and affinity for boldly advertising only the generic American-style beers like Budweiser and Labatt.) For some reason it's become a second hangout for a fair number of the "trendy" (or "wanna-be" if the label suits more) bar-goers ordinarily found at Lux Lounge (666 South Ave.) Maybe that's just because some of the singers from the garage-rock have taken to the Friday night amplified acoustic shows at Spy Bar ... odd, really. After that I ended up stopping by Lux Lounge (666 South Ave.) but going home early to watch Stop Making Sense again. Maybe it's because I don't smoke.

Let me continue my attention-deficit-enhanced monologue and hop over to mention that I started making a gallon of blackberry wine and I apparently did something right because a pretty good number of bubbles are coming from the mix. I assume these bubbles are because of the yeast fermenting the sugar, but it'll be a while before I find out. I'm not sure how long the first batch will take—I have to decant it to a new container so the yeast can start anew (or to "rack the wine" as wine-assholes say) and will probably have to rack it at least two more times before fermentation ceases entirely and it can be consumed. I pasteurized the fruit before putting in the yeast, and I hope that turned the vinegar-forming bacteria into part of the stew.

On yet another topic, I'm gonna bitch about my neighborhood then bitch about the people who bitch about the neighborhood.

First, on Saturday, I walked to Mt. Hope Service Center (1471 Mount Hope Ave, formerly Safelite Auto Glass) at their new location to drop off used oil and to get windshield wipers. I didn't realize they had closed their old location, so I had to walk farther. Anyway, the wipers cost $28 for an 18-inch and 22-inch for my Civic—the price seemed high (and indeed should have been about half that ... I didn't realize because it's been a while since I bought wipers) but I figured I was at least doing a Good Thing and supporting local businesses. Unfortunately they threw my old ones away ... I just brought them for size, but they took them away along with the oil (I assumed the guy wanted to check the size or something.) To add insult-to-injury, they reacted incredulously that I actually wanted my oil jugs back when I asked to have them emptied. Jerks.

The other thing is the The Upper Mount Hope Neighborhood Association meeting on Monday. Generally things went well, except I lost more faith in humanity (particularly people older than me) when a couple people found it necessary to bitch impotently about the dramatic problems on their particular street. In one case, a change in street parking rules led, apparently, to a sharp rise in accidents. So instead of bringing it up rationally and identifying the problem to be either the new parking rules or that people are parking illegally, they just went off and bitched about how someone's going to get killed. Am I really supposed to take the time to listen to some moron whose life revolves around tsk-tsk-ing other people's behavior like you all are doing right now?

There was also a group of people who can't seem to take a shit without someone holding their hand. They live near On the Rocks (1551 Mount Hope Ave., formerly Michael's and before that Trios) and were complaining about the noise and the "terrible element that's invading our fair neighborhood—oh, what are we to do, great and mighty President of the Upper Mount Hope Neighborhood Association?" I'll tell you what to do: go over and find out what's going on in the place, talk to the owners, and work with them to come up with a way to fix the problem. If you just stare out your kitchen window and mutter about how you "just know they're selling drugs over there," you deserve every ounce of drunkard piss on your bushes.

Let me spell it out even further: since I've been there, it's just a bunch of people having a good time. The problem is that the patrons are generally "good people," but the combination of their personalities and a young, attractive, and inexperienced bar staff who keep the drinks coming as fast as they can be consumed causes people to get drunk and rowdy. If the bar staff was more of the "surly neighborhood bartender" type, cut back on the free drinks, and was more diligent about keeping people from getting blasted, the rowdiness problem would largely go away.

Okay ... sorry about that ... just had to vent a bit.

Among the highlights in brief for the coming week are The Rochester International Film Festival, Paul Flaherty and Chris Corsano et al. at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) on Thursday, The Blastoffs on Saturday, and Mad Happy on Monday, and the WXXI Auction online through the end of the week. But note that I'm only doing super-compact zero-word pre-reviews for those shows so that's all you're gettin'.

T H U R S D A Y

This probably will have little relevance to anyone else, but the RIT (One Lomb Memorial Dr., campus map image) Computer Science Department will be having a retirement reception for husband-and-wife professors Ken Reek and Margaret Reek in the atrium of the Golisano Building, #70 at 3:30 this afternoon. Ken Reek was my professor for ICSG 360, Fundamentals of Computer Science for Transfer Students in 1989, and Margaret Reek was my professor for ICSP 305, Assembly Language Programming in 1990. Since I got A's in both their classes, I figure I should probably show up. [source: RIT Events Calendar site] This evening at The Memorial Art Gallery (500 University Ave., near Goodman St.) at 7 p.m., Peruvian painter Francisco Montes Shuna will speak about his artwork. [source: Memorial Art Gallery calendar] As part of the exhibition of the same name, Alfred University (One Saxon Drive, Alfred, NY) professor Joseph Scheer will be on hand at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) to discuss Night Visions: The Secret Designs of Moths at 6:30 p.m. [source: Eastman House calendar] Tonight at Earthtones Coffee House (1217 Bay Rd.) is very good acoustic soloist Silandara Bartlett starting around 7:30 p.m. [source: Freetime] Over at The Ritskeller (One Lomb Memorial Dr., on RIT campus) starting around 9 p.m. is Twin-A, and/or Rainy Day Crush. [source: CAB calendar] Tonight at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) is Paul Flaherty and Chris Corsano with special guests Steve Baczkowski and Tony Conrad, Coffee, and semi-melodic fast-paced noise from Pengo starting around 9 p.m. [source: Carbon Records calendar] The The Rochester International Film Festival will be at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) tonight and tomorrow at 8 p.m., and on Saturday at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. [source: Eastman House calendar] Star Bar (123 Liberty Pole Way, formerly Tilt and Velocity) will be hosting great funk-rock band Mountain Mojo Authority (click here to skip their annoying flash intro), and Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad starting around 10 p.m. [source: JamBase calendar for Rochester] Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) will be hosting local rock-and-roll legends Eddie Nebula and the Plague, and goofy surf-rock instrumentalists The Isotopes starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: Monty's Krown calendar] Pure Kona Poetry Open Mic Night is at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) tonight starting at 7:30. [source: Daily Perks calendar] Keyboardist and singer Roz from Bullwinkles Café (622 Lake Ave.) will be at Starry Nites (696 University Ave., formerly Moonbeans) starting around 8 or so. [source: the proverbial grapevine]

F R I D A Y

The The Genesee Center for the Arts (713 Monroe Ave.) 2004 Dinner Auction, An Evening With the Arts will be at Riverside Convention Center (123 E. Main St.) this evening from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with auctioneer Carol Ritter. [source: Genesee Center for the Arts calendar] The City of Rochester will present a free concert from The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Eastman Theatre (60 Gibbs St.) You'll need advance tickets (probably) so call ahead and find out. The show is sponsored by New York State Council on the Arts and The City of Rochester. [source: City Hall press release] Over at Johnny's Irish Pub (1382 Culver Rd., still smoke-free) starting around 9:30 p.m. is acoustic cover band The Earthtones (not the coffeehouse.) [source: Johnny's Irish Pub calendar] Tonight at the 1829 Room at RIT (One Lomb Memorial Dr., campus map image) will be Mixed Tape Volume 1, a performance by RIT Comedy Troupe with free gum at 9 p.m. [source: RIT Events Calendar site] A show of photography by Mercedes Fages-Agudo opens today at 9 a.m. at The Sunken Room Gallery at The Genesee Center for the Arts (713 Monroe Ave.) [source: Genesee Center for the Arts calendar] Tonight at 8 p.m. at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) is the Urban-Suburban Slam Poetry. [source: Daily Perks calendar]

S A T U R D A Y

V-E Day O'Bagelo's, 165 State Street, noon. Today is Chef's Day at The Rochester Public Market (280 Union St. N.) from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. It looks like I might not be too hungry for O'Bagelo's today. [source: the proverbial grapevine] A show titled Avant-Tard by Jack Zazlo opens tonight at 7 p.m. at The All-Purpose Room (#8 in the Public Market, off N. Union St.) [source: All-Purpose Room calendar] Apparently today is World Fair Trade Day so get out to places like Canaltown Coffee Roasters (1805 East Ave.) and get some fair-traded stuff. Today is the start of the new exhibit Machines of Memory: Cameras from the Technology Collection at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) Ê [source: Eastman House calendar] Over at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) starting around 8 p.m. is Mike Kaupa Trio, sponsored by WGMC Jazz Radio (90.1 FM and 105.1 FM.) [source: Daily Perks calendar] The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) will be hosting awesome punk-rock from The Blastoffs, more great rock from Low Ton, The Vapids, and okay punk-rock from The Emersons starting around 10:45 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) will be hosting pretty good punk from The Pushrods, and Plan 607 starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: Freetime] Tonight at Acme Bar & Pizza (495 Monroe Ave.) is even-paced jazz-oriented rock from Thought starting around 10 p.m. [source: Freetime] Millennium (2235 Empire Blvd.) will be hosting modern rock and cover songs from Better Days starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: Freetime] Over at Fat Moe's (4419 Dewey Ave.) starting around 10 p.m. is clever, funny cover band Four + None. [source: Freetime]

S U N D A Y

Mother's Day Over at The Penny Arcade (4785 Lake Ave.) starting around 6 p.m. is Nora, A Life Once Lost, Psyopus, and A Day Without Rain. [source: WBER calendar] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing The Bridge on the River Kwai starting at 5 p.m. War's pretty insane, eh? [source: Eastman House calendar] Over at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:45 p.m. is The Deadly Snakes, and punk-rock from The Bloody Hollies [source: Bug Jar calendar] At The All-Purpose Room (#8 in the Public Market, off N. Union St.) tonight, they'll be screening Das Kabinett des Doktor Caligari (The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari) with a new soundtrack by Vincent Calianno performed live at 8 p.m. [source: All-Purpose Room 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] Starry Nites (696 University Ave., formerly Moonbeans) will be having Aura Readings today from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. then their own breed of Poetry Nite from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. [source: Freetime]

M O N D A Y

From 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. today at The Rochester Public Library (115 South Ave.) there will be a Rochester Red Cross (50 Prince St.) Blood Drive so stop by and pour your heart out. [source: Rochester Public Library calendar] Regionalized modern musicians with elements of hip hop, rock, techno, and experimental, Mad Happy, and Donnie Mancurio will be at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 8:30 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] Over at Verb Café at Writers and Books (740 University Ave.) tonight is the 2,000 Word Club Open Mike starting around 7 for free. Anyone can show up and read up to 2,000 words. Hosted by writer Len Messineo. [source: Writers and Books calendar] Over at Montage Grille (50 Chestnut St.) starting around 9 p.m. is Dave Rivello's 12-Piece Jazz Ensemble [source: Montage e-mail] Excellent experimental jazz band TatYana will be playing tonight at Alexandria Mediterranean Cuisine (120 East Ave., formerly Aria) starting at 10. [source: the proverbial grapevine]

T U E S D A Y

Tonight's another Rochester Poets Reading and Open Mike at Verb Café at Writers and Books (740 University Ave.) starting around 7 p.m. ... hosted by painter and writer Donna Marbach Tonight at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) is pretty good eclectic rock band Kill Myself on Monday, and high-energy but largely uninteresting rock band The Russians starting around 10:45 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] 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]

W E D N E S D A Y

Verb Café at Writers and Books (740 University Ave.) is having their Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgendered Open Mike tonight starting at 7 p.m. hosted by Dennis Rosenbaum and author Patricia Roth Schwartz. Tonight at Spot Coffee (East Ave. and Mathews St.) is Payne Beach starting around 8 p.m. [source: Rochester Music Coalition calendar] Tonight at Montage Grille (50 Chestnut St.) is another Big Drum: Songwriters in the Round featuring Kate Silverman, Tim Clark, John Cianciola, and Jim Gombatto starting at 6 p.m. [source: Freetime] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Morte a Venezia (Death in Venice) starting at 8 p.m. A dying artist's final days mirror the end of the Enlightenment era in Europe. [source: Eastman House calendar] 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] Poor People United meets tonight and every Wednesday at 7 at St. Joseph's House of Hospitality (402 South Ave.) [source: the proverbial grapevine]