Thursday, July 11, 2002

JayceLand's Weekly Rochester Events #183: Considering a Move to Memphis

This weekend I'll be down in New Jersey near Philadelphia. I'll be staying at the Best Western Independence Park Inn (235 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA) and I'll hopefully get a chance to check out Philly's nightlife. The hotel is right around the corner from The Khyber (56 S. 2nd St., Philadelphia, PA) which I'm told is a really cool place to go. For those of you who are staying around, stay away from my house! Oh ... er ... I mean I won't be at O'Bagelo's this weekend. When I get back I want to try and catch The Sluts on Sunday, though, but who knows if I'll be here early enough.

What else ... Ah yeah ... I'm working on this social theory. After that near-fiasco with the laptop I bought last week, I started to think that everyone seems to be meaner to one another than average. There's a number of factors at play, including--and probably significantly so--the miserable May we just had weather-wise as well as the somewhat bleak economic situation. However, I have a theory that it all goes back to 9/11.

Right after the terrorist attacks last September, everyone was sort-of in a state of collective shock for a few weeks. Then, as things settled down a little, everyone started being really kind. And I mean kind to everyone. Throughout September, October, and November, it seemed like this good-will toward men thing had really taken hold. As December and January rolled around, though, it seemed like people were more-or-less back to pre-September-11 levels of kindness and stayed there until probably around March or April.

I think what happened next is that people started to be mean to eachother. I guess I've noticed that, myself included, everyone's fuse is just a little shorter these days. You might notice that people are more selfish than average. Or maybe people in service industries are a bit less helpful. Whatever it is, there seems to be a dip in the average level of interpersonal kindness.

Now, if I'm right, in the beginning few weeks of August, it should seem that people are behaving pretty much as they had before. I don't know if I'll even be able to tell anymore ... but my point is that unlike something tied to the poor economic situation (which I suspect will continue through at least September based on some weird gut instinct) or that the weather will stay pretty miserable (assuming this year has a lot of absurdly hot days to go) people will calm down a little bit regardless of those things. Who knows.

F R I D A Y

The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Maelstrom starting at 8. A Canadian film about a coincidence-filled romance narrated by a dead fish. Tonight at Mercury Star Lounge (171 St. Paul, formerly Red) is The Flashing Astonishers from Syracuse with Veluxe and Dead Blue Hand starting around 11. In case you're shut in tonight (or tomorrow), check out I'm going to make a drug with my mind on cable public access (channel 15 on Time Warner) at 11:30 p.m. featuring Pisspot the Bunny interviewing local and out-of-town bands.

S A T U R D A Y

O'Bagelo's, 165 State Street, noon. Today is the first day of the Corn Hill Festival in the Corn Hill Neighborhood from 10 to 6. Also tomorrow from 10 to 5. The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Animal Factory starting at 8. The actor/producer, Steve Buscimi will be answering questing and introducing his film about prison life. Tickets are $12 or $10 for members and students. The heavy rock of Bible of the Devil with Midget Whores and Low Ton will be at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:45. Tonight at Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) is the excellent punk-rock band Bee Eater with Lesser of Two and the Philadelphia punk band Richless starting around 10:30.

S U N D A Y

The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Chocolat starting at 8. If you never bothered to see this French flim like me, you can now go see it. Over at The Club at Water Street (204 N. Water St.) tonight is Swampass , the fun fun punk band The Sluts, Section 8, 137 , and the metal band Orodruin starting around 8. Open Jar Jam at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) tonight and every Sunday. Just like on Thursdays, you can see/do/avoid Karaoke with Sugar Bear at Drinks by Mary Dawn (535 S. Clinton) starting around 9. Karaoke with Sugar Bear is back at The Blue Room (293 Alexander St.)

M O N D A Y

Tonight's a metal night at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) with Kalibas , Harakiri , and Commit Suicide starting around 10:45. Trivia Quiz continues at The Old Toad (277 Alexander St.) It all gets started a little after 9. There's apparently a Spoken Word Open Mic Poetry Night at Pythodd Jazz Room at the Heritage House (130 Spring St.) from around 6 to around 10. It used to be on Thursdays but I guess they moved it.

T U E S D A Y

Tonight at Manhattan Square Park (130 Chestnut St.) is a performance of Garth Fagan Dance starting at 6 as part of the Rochester MusicFest. The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing On the Double starting at 8. A soldier slated to arrive at Normandy is instead recruited to impersonate a deceased general. The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) will have a lipsynch band The Hawaii Show and the local modern rock band Veluxe starting around 10:45. As of a few months ago, Java's (16 Gibb Street) still has open mic poetry downstairs starting around 9:30. Tonight from 8 to 10 is an interesting "new-material-only" Open-Mic Comedy Night at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) I think they're making it into a workshop type of environment.

W E D N E S D A Y

The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Zelig starting at 8. Woody Allen creates a character who can transform himself into anyone. Tonight at Mercury Star Lounge (171 St. Paul, formerly Red) is Boston's Lamont with Boston's Quintaine Americana, Rochester's heavy rock band Low Ton and Willie Shutter starting around 9. Weekly karaoke contest with Sugar Bear, at Comix Cafe (3450 Winton Pl.) Tonight at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) is Open Mic Night (for music) from 7 to 10.