Weekly Rochester Events #446: Mmmmm ... Bacon

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Thursday Ali and I had some actual plans. We started out with some dinner at Veneto Woodfired Pizza and Pasta (318 East Ave, was 330 East) which did not disappoint — in all a good, hearty meal for the both of us. We went to The Harro East Theatre and Ballroom (155 North Chestnut St.) after that to see Interpol — Ali had won tickets on WBER (2596 Baird Rd.) last month. I was barely aware of Interpol before the show — I knew they were a band that gets songs played on the radio — but little else. I was pleasantly surprised that they did "shoegazer Brit-pop meets American rock-and-roll" for the most part. Also, I was surprised at the Harro East because I ordered a shot of Jim Beam which ended up only being $5 — I was expecting a "Harro premium" on top of the regular "top-shelf premium". Anyway, I also spent some time checking out Interpol's lighting setup. They had several panels of 20x20 color LED's behind frosted panels which they used for pseudo-video. They also had 8 bright backlights, also with LED's — vertical arrays of 18 10x10-ish grids ... the only flaw I detected was a relatively low resolution: it appeared they could only generate about 16 brightness levels so it looked kind of choppy on fade-outs. But hey, at least it's really "eco" because they gave off a lot of light and if each LED is about 0.1 watts, that's only 1400 watts or so or about a third the power of regular stage lights.

On Friday I decided to bike out to see the photography of Garry Geer at The Bop Shop (274 N. Goodman St., in Village Gate Square). I went to lock up in front of Bodhi's Cafe & Lounge (274 Goodman St. N., in Village Gate) but the greeter came out and asked if I wouldn't: apparently the owner gets upset if people lock their bikes close to the tables. I asked about a bike rack and she said, "I think there might be one in back." I had no idea they were so strong proponents of car-culture! I had no issue locking by the Bop Shop, though.

In any case, the photography was okay — as I was once a photographer of bands myself, it seemed he was working with much more light than I'm accustomed to, yet his photos sometimes came out motion-blurred and such. There was one really hot picture of a drummer clearing a cymbal hit and the cymbal had holes, one of which bracketed the face of the guitarist. From there I went to The Image City Photography Gallery (722 University Ave.) to see Sheridan Vincent's Panoramic Rochester work. I thought it was a good, solid show — if a bit unsurprising. I finished off the night hanging out at Solera Wine Bar (647 South Ave) with some friends.

Saturday I started things off with one of my chocolate-banana smoothies at Boulder Coffee Co. (100 Alexander St.) and ran into a couple friends who were also heading to the same show. Since it was at Solo (638 South Ave., behind S & A Food Mart) — essentially an apartment that holds invite-only parties once in a while — we stopped at S & A Food Mart (638 South Ave.) I picked up a 22-ounce Budweiser or a "Bud deuce-deuce" as the kids on the street say. They have an amazing spectrum of booze choices — from Boones to Yuengling and everything in between. Anyway, the show kicked off with Baby Shivers Boutique who I finally got the chance to see. I really liked them and they do what I'd call "motley folk" in reference to the folk-music underpinnings of the band of eclectic instrumentation. Next was Ellul from San Fransisco and they were really nice guys. They did something like synth/acoustic-rock using samples, beats, guitar, and vocals.

Unfortunately I had to take off to go to Ali's friend and coworker's 21st birthday — we arrived at midnight at McGhan's Nearly Famous Pub (11 W. Main St., Victor) and met up with all the friends and family for what turned out to be a thankfully brief period of extremely heavy drinking. Oh, and birthday karaoke too.

Sunday I met up with Rich and his friend Andrea at Flour City Diner (35 Chestnut St., formerly Danny's East End Café) for the irregularly-held brunch. Each time we go there's a new variety of eggs Benedict. This time they apparently ran out of the "plan-A" so "plan-B" was called "Key West Benedict." We figured it couldn't be key lime, but indeed that's what it was — and served over a fish cake (i.e. think crab cake, only with fish). Taking on the Toltec principle that if one has an irrational fear that their course is chosen and they must face that fear, I ordered it. It was definitely unusual but the lime flavor was subdued compared to a pie, and it actually complemented the fish very well.

That evening Ali and I went to Paola's Burrito Place (1921 South Ave., formerly Big Dog's Hots) for dinner — always an excellent choice. After that we headed straight to The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) to see La tourneuse de pages (The Page Turner). In it, a girl fails an important piano test because one of the judges distracted her by allowing someone to come in so she could give an autograph. This causes the girl to quit piano and develop a lifelong vendetta. Through an unusually coincidental (and seemingly planned) series of events, she gets employed by the pianist's husband lawyer, then takes care of their son, and eventually becomes the pianist's page turner. By the end, she has shattered the fragile remainder of the pianist's career, caused their son to damage his ability to play the piano, and ruined the marriage. You also realize that, like say Falling Down, that the hero is really a bad person. Unfortunately, she's also impossibly and perfectly evil — perhaps an allegory to the kind of commitment needed to be a suicidal terrorist. But for revenge from something that happened when you were 10? Come on.

I also noticed two technical problems with the film. First, there was a scene where the accomplished pianist is playing a harmonically complex piece. The sound seemed garbled, as if it were processed with MP3-style psycho-acoustic compression that unintentionally removed a bunch of harmonics, making it sound like a jumbled mess. The other was that at a moment when there was an awkward kiss, the awkwardness was enhanced in editing by slowing down the film playback, making for a noticeable stutter with the lower frame rate.

I'm sure nobody else noticed — after all, neither Ali nor her friends mentioned it when we went to The Corn Hill Creamery (290 Exchange Blvd.) for dessert. I had just a basic chocolate cone this time which was excellent, although the more elaborate flavors are definitely better.

On Monday I awoke to a weird dream I thought everyone should know about. [As if anyone has blandly normal dreams.] Basically my parents were moving on August 19 which was (in my dream) 2 days before my brother is (he's actually moving in real life, just not on the 19th). They were going to some thing in Georgia where my dad could work on stuff and earn a stipend. I was suspicious that it was a cult because they had to pay first then earn money later. I went there and waited around a concrete block building then returned again later. The second time a person in a bunny suit greeted me and then took off their mask. We went in and I met these blue creatures: one was a hound-dog looking thing and another alternately looked like a housecat and a lion. Their names were multi-syllabic gibberish so I didn't understand. The cat thing's name dovetailed into the song on the radio when the alarm went off.

Anyway, my brother really is moving. Now the last thing I really need is more excitement in my life right now. After all, Ali and I were going to meet with my brother in Denver on our way to Burning Man but now he's moving — hopefully Sondra will still be living there. Plus there's other news, but I shan't jinx it.

So anyway, on Tuesday, Ali and I finally got a chance to check out Gusto (277 Alexander St.) I had noticed they didn't have pasta which is what led us to Veneto a few days prior, but apparently the do have pasta now — along with the panini sandwiches I saw before. The food is very good and a little cheaper than Veneto.

Afterward Ali headed home and I went back to the Dryden to catch Le casse (The Burglars). It was really good and entertaining — everyone was corrupted by greed, but in a suave, stylish sort of way. I stopped by Solera Wine Bar (647 South Ave) and talked with the guy who hosted the party the other night. He said he's trying to stay low-key because the house-party busting frenzy the city is on is killing all the fun in town. We have suspicions that is why shows at A|V Art Sound Space (N. Union St. at Trinidad St., #8 in the Public Market, formerly the All-Purpose Room) have been moved elsewhere due to zoning violations. If someone asks you why young people are leaving town when the city does so much, just slap them. Please.

Coming up, you may notice that Saturday has four #1 events. That's because they are all awesome. I just wish they were on different days so I could see them all. Then again, maybe I'll try anyway — you know, just like old times.

T H U R S D A Y

Tonight at 7 p.m. at The Memorial Art Gallery (500 University Ave., near Goodman St.), Nicholas Zumbulyadis will present a lecture titled The Quest for the Arcanum: The Last of the Alchemists and the Rediscovery of Porcelain. [source: Memorial Art Gallery calendar] [all ages] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing La resa dei conti (The Big Gundown) and Navajo Joe starting early at 7 p.m. — a true double-feature. In the former, a lawman leads a manhunt to catch a Mexican suspected of murdering a child, and in the latter, "Burt Reynolds plays an Indian who, armed with a hatchet and bow-and-arrow, relentlessly pursues the outlaw who scalped and killed his woman." [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] Tonight at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) is Slurblown, disorienting anti-band noise-band Gaybot, and instrumental-cacophonous-rock from Science vs. Witchcraft starting around 10 p.m. [source: A|V Space website] This evening from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Boulder Coffee Co. (100 Alexander St.) is The South Wedge Farmers Market. [source: Rochester Turning] [all ages] 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

National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day (half-staff until sunset) Today from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. is the first day of The Boulder Arts and Music Festival behind Boulder Coffee Co. (100 Alexander St.) featuring The Nate Coffey Band of Heroes, Journey of Jasmine, and These United States then at 8 p.m. it's One World Tribe and a late show with excellent, entertaining stage-show and surf-rock from The Isotopes. [source: Boulder Coffee website] [all ages] This evening from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the gallery at The Arts and Cultural Council for Greater Rochester (277 N. Goodman St.) is the opening reception for Outside the Lines, featuring works from The Mental Health Coalition (320 N. Goodman St.) [source: Arts and Cultural Council website] 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 6 p.m. starting at The Rochester Contemporary Art Gallery (137 East Ave.) is a historical bike tour titled Emma Goldman: Rochester's Most Famous Rebel guided by George Campbell McDade. [source: Obadiah Dogberry Society e-mail] [all ages] Today at Bodhi's Cafe & Lounge (274 Goodman St. N., in Village Gate) starting at 6 p.m. in the courtyard is Hunu? (featuring members from Colorblind James Experience) then at 9:30 p.m. it's Teagan and the Tweeds. [source: Bodhi's Cafe MySpace page] Tonight at 7 p.m. at The Rochester Contemporary Art Gallery (137 East Ave.) is the opening reception for For Drawing's Sake with a special performance by PUSH Physical Theatre. [source: Rochester Contemporary calendar] [all ages] This evening at The Baobab Cultural Center (728 University Ave., formerly on Gregory St.) is a screening of Their Eyes Were Watching God. [source: Baobab website] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing a Japanese monster double-feature consisting of Mosura (Mothra) and Gojira, Mosura, Kingu Gidorâ: Daikaijû Sôkôgeki (Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidora: Giant Monsters All Out Attack) starting at early at 7 p.m. [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] Darneer Dunfore will be at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) starting around 8 p.m. [source: Daily Perks calendar] [all ages] The Flat Iron Café (561 State St.) will be hosting Debbie Kendrick and The Mo' Mo' Betta Bluez Band starting around 9 p.m. [source: Flat Iron Cafe webstie] Over at Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:30 p.m. is solid, good punk from The Sweatshop Boys. [source: Freetime] [21+]

S A T U R D A Y

Today from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and spillover to tomorrow (featuring air bag detonations) is WagonFest 2007 at North Star Auto Sales (1127 Waterloo-Geneva Rd., Waterloo) featuring full-size American-made V-8 station wagons. [source: the proverbial grapevine] There's a Bagel Brunch at the playground next door to Writers and Books (740 University Ave.) every Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. [source: sign] [all ages] Today from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Boulder Coffee Co. (100 Alexander St.) is day two of BoulderFest. Check the schedule for specific showtimes of bands like the great motley-folk of Baby Shivers Boutique, 1960's-style rock from St. Phillip's Escalator, satirical gospel from The Lobster Quadrille, nerdy accordian, guitar, drums, and tuba rock from Snmnmnm, and fun, cruel, angry punk-rock from Eddie Nebula and the Plague along with a late show featuring awesome, tight, complex rock-and-roll from The VEiNS. [source: Boulder Coffee website] [all ages] Today from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. is The Main Game (W. Main St. and Plymouth Ave. to State St.) [source: City Hall press release] Today at The Jewish Community Center (JCC) (1200 Edgewood Ave.) at 8 p.m. is the opening of Bat Boy, the Musical which runs through August 5. [source: RocWiki calendar] Tonight at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) is The Mad Tea Party starting around 8 p.m. [source: Daily Perks calendar] [all ages] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Real Life starting at 8 p.m. In it, Albert Brooks plays a documentary filmmaker trying to do a movie about a real-life family. I really wish I had the time to go see this — if I can't make it I'll certainly rent it because Brooks' work has proven itself to be deeply funny. [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] The American Association of University Women (AAUW) (494 East Ave., at the Perkins mansion) will be hosting The Perkins Mansion Concert Series featuring The Varnish Cooks, The Alpine Black, Laurence Sugarman and Friends, and Laurie Anne Hunt starting around 8 p.m. [source: band e-mail] Over at The Flat Iron Café (561 State St.) starting around 9 p.m. is Ralph Scicchitano, and then after-hours starting at 1 a.m. it's The Quinn Lawrence Trio. [source: Flat Iron Cafe webstie] Tonight at Bodhi's Cafe & Lounge (274 Goodman St. N., in Village Gate) is solidly good singer Kalu James and friends starting around 9 p.m. [source: Bodhi's Cafe MySpace page] The Dub Land Underground (315 Alexander St., formerly Whiskey) will be hosting excellent percussive groove-rock from The BuddhaHood starting around 9:30 p.m. [source: band e-mail] Great, tight modern-rock/cover band The Meddling Kids will be at The Baird Road Pub (1226 Fairport Rd., Fairport) starting around 10 p.m. [source: band flyer] Awesome punk-rock from The Blastoffs, excellent lightning-fast rock-and-roll from The Motorpsychos, and good punk-rock from The Emersons will be at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] [21+] Tonight at Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) is punk-rock/bar-rock from Burning Daylight, All the Tired Horses, and really good, dynamic acoustic soloist Jesse Sprinkle starting around 10:30 p.m. [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

The Boulder Arts and Music Festival concludes today from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. behind Boulder Coffee Co. (100 Alexander St.) and features artists such as Devall Music, good, fun punk-rock band The Flour City Knuckleheads, excellent acoustic-and-more from Ian Downey is Famous, great punk-rock/hard-rock from The UV Rays, and chaotic attention-deficit rock/funk/jazz from Gaylord along with a late show with excellent instrumental-cacophonous-rock from Science vs. Witchcraft. [source: Boulder Coffee website] [all ages] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Nuovo cinema Paradiso (Cinema Paradiso — The Director's Cut) starting at 2 p.m. and again at 7 p.m. After his childhood projectionis friend dies, a man recalls his love affair with the cinema. [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] Over at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:30 p.m. is J Break, Una Slim, and DJ Leigh Hobart. [source: Bug Jar calendar] 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]

M O N D A Y

Tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Kilbourn Hall at Eastman Theatre (60 Gibbs St.) is The Summer Strings Faculty Recital. [source: Eastman School of Music calendar] [all ages] In theory, there is another Emerging Filmmakers Program tonight at The Little (240 East Ave.) at 9:15 p.m., but I haven't heard anything about it so your guess is as good as mine. As soon as I get the details I'll post the films. 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. Boulder Coffee Co. (100 Alexander St.) will be hosting Speakeasy, and Azure Sky starting around 8 p.m. [source: Boulder Coffee website] [all ages] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing No Down Payment starting at 8 p.m. in which several marriages are examined in the context of a 1950's prefabricated housing suburb. [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) will be hosting Beat the Devil, and Handsome Jack starting around 9:30 p.m. [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

Today is another event in the Wednesday Noontime Concert Series at Aqueduct Park (E. Main St. and Graves St., by the river) from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. featuring The Metro Vibe. [source: City Hall press release] [all ages] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Breakfast at Tiffany's starting at 8 p.m. [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] Tonight at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) is Mike Tamburo, The Tusk Lord, Stone Baby, and Oliver/Reeg starting around 10:30 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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