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EDITORIAL
Editor: Leah Stacy
Arts writers: Patrick Hosken, Daniel J. Kushner
Contributors: Kellen Beck, Sydney Burrows, Alex Crichton,Rudy Fabre, Gino Fanelli, Jon Heath, Johanna Lester, Megan Mack, June “CM” McCambridge, Jeremy Moule, Jessica L. Pavia, Mona Seghatoleslami, Abby Quatro, Louis Ressel, Rafael Rodriguez, Racquel Stephen, Katherine Varga
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CITY (ISSN 1551-3262) is published monthly 12 times per year by Rochester Area Media Partners, a subsidiary of WXXI Public Broadcasting. Periodical postage paid at Rochester, NY (USPS 022-138). Address changes: CITY, 280 State Street, Rochester, NY 14614.
10/10, some notes
BY LEAH STACY
When I officially passed my year anniversary at CITY, we began the editorial schedule again, which included our repeating annual themes: Festivals, Finger Lakes and now, Rochester 10. This is a theme we decided to bring back last year as a way to spotlight people who may not otherwise be recognized.
A disclaimer: Rochester 10 isn’t a “Best” list. It’s more like a gratitude list, our way to thank a
group of people making the city a better place to live, work and play. I’ve never understood the ‘30 Under 30’ or ‘40 Under 40’ lists. They feel like popularity contests at best; paid advertisements at worst. With the Rochester 10, we buck that model. College degree doesn’t matter, age doesn’t matter, a company’s expensive table at a gala doesn’t matter. What is the individual doing for the greater community?
What is their legacy?
Let me wax poetic here for a second. As I approach another birthday in my late 30s, legacy has been on my mind. We’ve also been discussing it a lot here at WXXI, as our CEO Norm Silverstein retires this summer
and we welcome a new CEO for the first time in 28 years.
On Monday, July 22, we screened a special edition of “Norm & Company,” featuring Evan Dawson interviewing Norm Silverstein. I also had a chance to sit with Norm and chat about his career journey for this issue. Times have changed in the media for sure, but one thing hasn’t: our lives and careers are comprised of finite time. It’s the one thing we can never make more of, unlike money or friends or connections or projects. Time, and how we choose to spend it, results in our legacy.
As we prepare for the next CEO at WXXI/CITY/The Little Theatre, I hope that is something
we, as an organization, hold to — using our time to build a legacy, following the example of people like Norm, our GM Sue Rogers and, of course, the Rochester 10 cohort.
Here’s to taking the time to leave a legacy.
Cheers, L
Join us for the next CITY Social on Wednesday, August 7 from 5 - 7 p.m. at Radio Social, 20 Carlson Rd. Meet the Rochester 10, grab a copy of the mag, sip a specialty drink (zero-proof, too!) and snack on some of that addictive hummus.
Scenes from the Rochester Pride Festival at Highland Park on Saturday, July 20.
REPORTER: Shaun Nelms, age 48. Vice President for Community Partnerships at the University of Rochester; CEO, Nelms Consulting Group
SOCIAL: @DrNelms (X) and LinkedIn; nelmsconsultinggroup.com
HOMETOWN: Born in Buffalo, resides in Greece
READING: “How We Win the Civil War: Securing a Multiracial Democracy and Ending White Supremacy for Good” by Steve Phillips; “Die With Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life” by Bill Perkins; “Faces at the Bottom of the Well” by Derrick Bell; “Bon Appetit,” “Food and Wine,” and “The Atlantic” magazines; “The Daily Show” on Instagram.
EATING: Flight West in Greece has some of the best food in Rochester. The regular menu is consistently good, but also try “Burger Tuesday” or the featured specialty items prepared from Thursday to Saturday. We stalk their Instagram page for weekly updates. If you are into bourbon, it’s the place for you. Try the fried anchovies at Cure; the OMFG sushi roll at Velvet Belly; oysters at Lento; steak subs at G & G Steakout; and cutlet sandwiches at Cotoletta. Do the wine tasting at Forge Cellars and the mezcal flights at Bitter Honey. The seasonings at Stuart’s Spices are amazing. And source your meats from local farms.
PLAYING: Music: Pete Rock and Common, “The Auditorium Volume 1” (new album alert!); Gregory Porter; Anita Baker; Sade; blues; Jay-Z (my favorite rapper); Charlie Parker; John Coltrane. Podcast:
“Connections” with Evan Dawson. I’m a Buffalo Bills fanatic, and I love watching boxing. I can watch college basketball and play ‘couch coach’ for hours. Movies: “Silence of Lambs,” “Harlem Nights,” “Love Jones.” I love (any) series and movies about vikings. TV shows: “Martin,” “In the Heat of the Night,” “The Office,” “Criminal Minds.”
OBSESSING OVER: I have a fantastic physician, Dr. Wilmot, who was honest about my need to change habits if I wanted to avoid some health conditions that plague the Black community. I hired a fantastic trainer—my daughter Nia—and she created a plan for me, and I have been going strong for a year. I also prioritized my mental health and regularly visited a fantastic therapist, Despina Mitchell. As a result, my numbers are moving in the right direction, and I am back to my college playing weight. I am trying to be a great parent before my kids are all adulting (currently
ages 27, 21 and 17). I am dreading the “empty nester” phase. I love bringing the world together through cooking and hosting. We recently visited Forge Cellars and Kemmeter Wines on Seneca Lake, two of our favorite vineyards, and the weather was perfect. We can create the conditions for a healthy and happy life — who you maintain in your circle reflects the type of life you want to live.
RECOMMENDING: I love going to the Rochester Public Market on Saturday mornings to get oysters, fresh fish, artisan cheese, veggies, and roasted coffee. Visit the Memorial Art Gallery and ask for a tour. The Eastman School of Music has hundreds of shows yearly, and many are free. Bike the Erie Canal on a quiet morning. Apogee Wine Bar is fantastic, and the owner, Simone, is knowledgeable and kind. Try the lamb kebabs at Lucky’s; try the catfish and shrimp combo at
Hooked Fish on Driving Park. The Center for Youth’s annual Rochester Fashion Week is a must-attend and supports a great cause. I can be found roaming the streets nightly during the Rochester International Jazz Festival. The Puerto Rican and Rochester Caribbean Festivals are amazing; the annual Greater Rochester MLK Commission has amazing events. The lamb shank at the Greek Festival is a fave and the jerk chicken at Livies is a go-to meal. Subs from Pino’s in Greece will feed an army, and the pastries and gelato at Oriens Cafe are delicious.
TREATING MYSELF TO: I spend time with my children, Nia, Alexia and Shaun Jr. They are older and have their own lives, but I forcefully wedge myself into their social lives. Also, I get an occasional manicure and pedicure at NV Nails in Greece with my beautiful girlfriend, Dr. Coward. On my days off, jazz is in my ear while fishing and thinking about life.
SHOUTING OUT: Everyone in the hospitality business who creates welcoming and vibrant spaces for an inclusive Rochester. To the “Meeting of the Minds’’ crew which gathers to fellowship while also supporting local businesses: thank you for co-creating the Rochester that we want to be proud of through food and fellowship. Chef Franco Paulino at Flight West, thanks for being masterful in the kitchen. Your care for others shows through your cooking.
Interested in being a CITY R.E.P.O.R.T.S. interviewee? Send an email to leah@rochester-citynews.com.
PHOTO PROVIDED
WXXI’s outgoing CEO of 28 years, Norm Silverstein, reflects on his career journey.
Right place, right time
BY LEAH STACY LEAH@ROCHESTER-CITYNEWS.COM
When Norm Silverstein arrived in Rochester to helm WXXI Public Broadcasting in 1995, he was in his early 40s and expected to be in the role — like others he’d held before it — for perhaps four or five years. He’d never been to Rochester before, and a Washington, DC colleague warned him not to make any jokes about the weather.
“I made the joke once, and that was it,” Silverstein said, “because everybody immediately stopped and looked very stoic.”
He’s well accustomed to that weather (and those wellintended, if poorly landing jokes) now — this month, Silverstein will retire from WXXI after 28 years as CEO and just as many years as a Rochesterian.
What follows is Silverstein in his own words, as told to CITY editor Leah Stacy. From his native New Jersey and reporting from Germany to his public relations tenure at the Maryland State House and, of course, a new journey in Rochester with his wife, Jane, and their two young boys.
LEGACY
Left, Norm Silverstein in a photo for CITY Newspaper early in his career at WXXI. Right, Silverstein before his retirement in 2024. LEFT PHOTO PROVIDED; RIGHT PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMSON
CITY: I want to start at the beginning. Rochester is home now, and has been for almost 30 years. But where did you grow up?
NS: I grew up in Jersey City, but I didn’t stay there. I went to American University, and after that, I was in the Washington, DC area and that’s when I met Jane. We were both working in journalism. I was a reporter for WTOP-FM in Washington, which was the CBS news station, and Jane was working for a small station in Annapolis, so we’d both be in the press room at the Maryland State House.
CITY: Were you a journalism major at American? Was that always the goal?
NS: Interesting story. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do when I was in college — I thought maybe I’d be a lawyer, but I didn’t like what was going on with Watergate. I liked writing, and I had a creative writing professor by the name of Larry McMurtry, who wrote “The Last Picture Show,” oh, and “Terms of Endearment.” When I finished the class, he said, “Your creative writing is OK, but your nonfiction writing is really good. You ought to go talk to the head of the communications department.” So that one little class with Larry McMurtry got me started.
CITY: So a communication degree, then?
NS: I graduated with a political science degree and the equivalent of a second degree in communication. I got lucky again, because the head of the comm department at the time was Ed Bliss Jr., who had been a writer for Edward R. Murrow as well as worked with Walter Cronkite and a lot of other people who formed broadcast journalism as we know it today. And then the class assistant was Bob Edwards (who would later become longtime host of NPR’s “Morning Edition.”) One of my classmates, Susan Zirinsky, ended up being the first woman to head CBS News.
CITY: Wow. This is so much ‘right time, right place.’
NS: Yeah, a lot of all-stars. So I was still in school when I sent a resume to the news director at WTOP-FM
in Washington — not knowing anything about how you do this. I called him up, and he said, “Yeah, I need somebody right now. Are you available?” I jumped in the car and drove to Washington. Had a flat tire on the way, and had to change it. But when I got there, I started working as a production assistant.
CITY: That’s some gumption. Instead of an internship, you just started working while you were still a student?
NS: It was only part-time, but I was able to start learning everything. I always thought being a reporter was the best time. I worked at a few other news stations in Washington getting experience after college, and then I went back to WTOP working as a writer and an editor, but they wouldn’t make me a reporter. As I was finishing up one day — living in Baltimore and working in Washington — they said, “There’s been a big train crash in Prince George’s County, why don’t you swing by and help out Dave.” So I got out there, and there was a huge derailment of Amtrak’s Montrealer passenger train, like 125 people were hurt. And I ended up covering the story because Dave never found the rural area. I fed CBS all night, because I knocked on the door of a nearby house and asked if I could use their phone. And that’s how I became a reporter.
CITY: And you were what, in your early 20s at the time?
NS: Probably 22, 23. Then the 444day Iranian hostage crisis was going on, and I was assigned to cover the families because so many of them were from Washington. The station always said that if the hostages were being freed, they were going to send me over to cover it. And that’s what happened. I was dating Jane at the time, and we were supposed to spend the day together, but I got a call at like 7 a.m., “We hear the hostages may be released, so pack a bag because we might send you over to Germany tonight.” Sure enough, I got a call. I’d never had an overseas assignment. Next thing I know, it’s like 5 p.m. and I’m at Dulles Airport on my way to Frankfurt.
CITY: And Jane understood because she was also in the news?
NS: She thought it was pretty exciting. We obviously weren’t taking the day off after that call. Then I was there for two straight weeks, right? They expected me to report every time the shift changed, so I never got more than a few hours sleep at night because they were always calling me up and there was the time difference. You need to be young to be able to do that.
CITY: Definitely need resilience. And maybe a bit of the journalism bug. Does anyone else in your family work in the media?
NS: My father had a small business, and my mother actually worked for a little newspaper in Jersey City as an office manager. When I was about 15, they hired me as a proofreader. So that was my little taste.
CITY: Aside from journalism, you also had a brief bout as a press secretary, right?
NS: After two weeks covering the hostage situation, I had hoped to get the Capitol Hill assignment, but I didn’t get it. So I decided maybe it was time to make a move, and then
Silverstein in Frankfurt, Germany reporting on the Iranian hostage release in 1981. PHOTO PROVIDED
Silverstein with CITY founders Mary Anna and Bill Towler during the 2019 WXXI acquisition. PHOTO BY KEVIN INDOVINO
I got a call from the governor’s office in Maryland and they wanted to talk to me about being one of the press secretaries. Now, I was a very tough reporter when I was covering the State House, because they always made the broadcast journalists take second seat to the print journalists. That’s what it was like back then. I thought that wasn’t really fair — I was covering this for the major station in Washington, and yet I had to wait ‘til everybody from the print side was able to do their interviews. So I decided I was going to shake it up. I knocked on the door, and the troopers knew me, so they let me in. I walked through the outside office, and the trooper opens the door to the inner office where the print reporters are, and the press secretary yells, “Get him out of here!” And they actually took me by the shoulder and said, “We’ll let you know when you can come in.” I was really ticked, so I called my news director up and then he called the Associated Press, and the AP did a story about it. The governor’s office came out and said, “We’re not going to do that anymore. Everybody gets to go in at the same time.” The story about me getting kicked out of the governor’s office was printed in newspapers up and down the East Coast.
CITY: And then they called to offer you a job.
NS: Right, and I was shocked, because I was never giving the governor a break. I didn’t think I was going to do the job for more than a couple of years. Story of my life. I was deputy press secretary for about four or five years, and when the administration was coming to an end, the governor’s chief of staff said, “There’s a new president at Maryland Public TV, and they could really use somebody like you. Do you want me to write a letter to them?” And I said, “No, that’s OK. I have other opportunities.” Well, he wrote a letter. Next thing I know, I’m getting a phone call, and it’s the first of three two-hour interviews to be the news director at Maryland Public TV. I got hired. And then I got a call from the board chair, who was the vice chair of Johns Hopkins University. And he said, “You know, we really had a lot of trouble with our relationship with Annapolis — the state capital — and we could really use your help before you start this other position.” So I called Jane up and said, “do you think I should just tell them no? I really want to be a news director. I don’t want to wait.” And she said, “Do
it. You can always get another news job. Try it for six months.”
CITY: Good advice.
NS: Yeah. Always good advice from Jane. So I’m there for a certain amount of time, and the head of administration, the number two position at Maryland Public Television, announces she’s retiring. And the president says, “I want you to apply for that job.” And I said, “I want to be head of news and public affairs. I’ve got some great ideas.” He said, “No, I want you to apply for this job.” And I said, “But everybody hates that person. That’s the person who turns down raises.” And he goes, “You’re not listening. I want you to apply for that job.” And I said, “OK, I’ll apply for that job, but if I get it, I want the station to help pay for my master’s degree, because I really needed more background to do that kind of work.” And he said, “OK.”
CITY: Incredible. So you get an MBA
and eventually get recruited here with a young family, right?
NS: Right, part of why we moved was because the schools were better here. Ben was seven, and Lee was four. They became captains of the Pittsford swim team, and they’re in their 30s now, so they’ve pretty much grown up here. And they’ve never let anything go to my head. I’d file a report and it would air later, so we might be driving someplace, and then hear: “Norm Silverstein reports from such and such.” And they would always roll their eyes and laugh.
CITY: Was there anyone who took you under their wing and showed you the city or introduced you to people in the community?
NS: I was only like 40-something years old. I didn’t really know my way around. But I was lucky that one of my early board chairs was Harry Trueheart of Nixon Peabody, and he kind of took me
under his wing. I remember there was an opportunity to go to a weeklong course at Harvard, for CEOs and board chairs, but not for public television, and I said to him, “Would you go to Harvard with me for this course?” And Trueheart actually was a Harvard grad but he said yes. There are still times I go back to what I learned in that class.
CITY: Outside work, what are some of the things about Rochester that you made your own?
NS: People in Rochester don’t appreciate what they have. We immediately discovered Finger Lakes wine country. Jane loves to golf, and she always says how great the courses are here. The medical community was starting to really come into its own. And that was something we felt deserved more coverage, and one of the things that helped inspire us to launch “Second Opinion” with the University of Rochester Medical Center.
CITY: What do you want the next generation of public media to know?
NS: Remember that we started as educational broadcasting, and we still make a huge difference, particularly in kids’ lives. This station has always had a reputation for understanding that public media should always start with education. That’s why I recruited Susan Rogers from Rochester Institute of Technology to be the COO and eventually, general manager. An attorney friend in Washington told me to look her up when I moved here, and I remember writing it down. A year after I started, I saw her present at RIT at 7 a.m. on her birthday, and while they served cake after I went right up to her and said, “Would you like to have lunch?” I hired her immediately. That was 27 years ago.
CITY: What do you hope happens in the next 28 years of WXXI?
NS: I hope XXI continues to grow and be an example for what public media should be; that things we started continue and only get better. People really look up to the station, and I’m really proud that when I go places, people know what WXXI is. And they’ll ask, “How is it so successful?” And I say, “We try things here.”
Silverstein in WXXI's master control room. PHOTO PROVIDED
Four local options for heat-seeking diners
Spice
By Abby Quatro
of life
In the searing summer heat, when the air sticks to your skin, craving something that scorches your mouth seems absurd. Yet, in the world’s hottest corners, spice isn’t an ingredient—it’s a lifeline. Spice tells a story of survival. A relic of ancient trade routes, spice was coveted for its ability to preserve food and mask spoilage. Traders painted the land with chilis, leaving in their wake explosive flavors that forever changed the culinary landscape. Here, heat is neither a flex nor is it wielded like a weapon. Rather, it’s a reflection of community and comfort. Sure, you can cool down with copious amounts of soft serve ice cream, but as is so often the case, ancient wisdom is mirrored by science. Capsaicin (the active component in chili peppers) triggers sweat — AKA nature’s air conditioning. Eating these foods actually cools the body. So, if you can handle the heat, lean in. Let the sweat drip and savor the electric, life-affirming jolt that only the spiciest dishes can deliver.
Young’s Korean Restaurant
120 Mushroom Blvd.
DISHES
> 김치찌개 Kimchi Jjigae: spicy kimchi and pork stew
> 떡볶이 DukBokKi: rice cake in spicy sauce
> 새우야채볶음 Shrimp Yache-BokUm: pan fried shrimp + vegetables in spicy sauce
> 돼지불고기 Pork BulGoGi: spicy pork in special sauce
Spice:
Spicy Korean food doesn’t ask for your attention, it demands it. Each bite levels with layers of fermented, fiery and umami-rich complexity.
Enter kimchi jjigae, a stew that’s alive with heat, bolstered by the crunch of fermented cabbage and rich with a depth that can only come from pork. It radiates with the unmistakable pop of gochugaru, a racy red chili flake with shocking color and fruity nuance.
Then there’s dukbokki: wildly chewy rice cakes that swim in a brilliant red pool of spicy sauce. Here, gochujang is the star. This chili paste is born from the slow fermentation of chili peppers, glutinous rice and soybeans. Each bite is a colossal blend of spicy, savory and sour that lingers long after the meal ends.
Thali of India
3259 S Winton Rd.
DISH
> Chicken Vindaloo, spicy tangy onion and tomato sauce cooked with chicken, herbs and potatoes
Spice:
A wall of aromas hits immediately—garlic, vinegar, chili—a riotous sensory assault that can only mean one thing: vindaloo. This isn’t your timid curry. It’s a full-throttle, punch-to-theface celebration of flavors, a testament to Goa’s eclectic history. Vindaloo isn’t just a dish; it’s an attitude, a rebellious blend of Portuguese technique and Indian soul, unapologetically spicy and impossibly rich. In every bite, you taste the defiance in the heat, the complexity in the chaos.
*Pro tip: The limit does not exist with the spice level here. The chefs show restraint with the chili powder for delicate Western palates, but ask them to bring it and you will not be disappointed.
Everything Iz Good
551 E. Main St. & 1536 North Goodman St.
Dish: Jerk Chicken, rice with oxtail gravy, fried plantains
Spice:
Scotch bonnet peppers reign supreme in this dish. The smoky heat is sealed with the kiss of a charcoal grill, infusing this Jamaican classic with a flavor as fiery as it is unforgettable. Grippy in earthy undertones and packed with a citrus punch, the bite is untamed and echoes the spirit of its island origins.
Szechuan Opera
630 Park Ave.
DISHES
> 麻辣烤鱼 Grilled Whole Fish in Spicy Sichuan Style: hot chili broth, chilis, sichuan peppercorns
> 沸腾鱼 Fish in Hot Chili Sauce: hot chili broth, bean sprout, wood ear mushroom
> 麻辣香锅 Special Dry Pot: spicy hotpot sauce, beef, shrimp, fish, spam, vegetables, tofu, noodles, chili pepper
Spice:
Eating Sichuan food is a journey. Those seemingly innocent little peppercorns are like time bombs that creep into the system. The initial floral tease yields a pleasant buzz (má lá) on the lips and tongue. Then the chilis kick in, crashing like waves and building with each bite. Finally comes the head high. You’re sweating, senses heightened, endorphins flooding your system. It’s a culinary thrill ride that leaves you not just full, but euphoric, hooked on the intensity, already craving your next fix.
A live one
BY DANIEL J. KUSHNER DANIEL@ROCHESTER-CITYNEWS.COM
Music booker Tony Brown, who owns the concert promotion company Live!, has an unusual take on the concept of musical styles and the impact they have on the shows he presents. Brown says engagement — and not genre — is the determining factor in the artists he books. “(Like) if there is a band that I think is cool, and they get a lot of listeners every month on whatever platform,” he said, “there are a lot of factors that go into it.”
Artists Brown has hosted locally include the ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro, New York City jazz ensemble The Bad Plus and cinematic guitaristcomposer Kaki King.
Live! will present two intriguing jazz shows this month: Eastman alumnus and double bassist Ron Carter and his Golden Striker Trio at Hochstein Performance Hall on Friday, Aug. 9 and guitarist Marc Ribot at The Little Theatre performing an original score to accompany Charlie Chaplin’s 1921 film “The Kid” on Thursday, Aug. 22.
Hilary Respass, president and executive director of The Hochstein School, sees Brown as an important cultural contributor. “(He) and Live! are a true gift to us and also a gift to downtown Rochester,” she said. “The artists that he’s bringing into Hochstein Performance Hall are world-class.”
Respass has also been impressed with Brown and his partnership
Tony Brown at Hochstein Performance Hall, one of the concert promoter's primary venues.
PHOTOS BY RUDY FABRE
MUSIC
Concert promoter Tony Brown
is carving out a niche of his own in the Rochester music scene.
with The Hochstein School. “His style is extremely professional, but also cool, very collaborative,” she said. “It’s like we’re doing this together. He’s not simply renting our hall. We’re all part of this.” Brown, 56, also works as a bartender at Hotel Canandaigua and has followed a somewhat circuitous route to the music business. Having grown up in a mixed-race foster family in Westchester County, Brown moved to Rochester at age six when he was adopted by a single mother who was also a classical pianist. As an adult, he worked in advertising production at Gannett for 12 years before deciding to attend Berklee College of Music at age 32.
When Brown arrived in Boston, he studied voice and majored in film scoring and music business and management. He was also a student DJ at Berklee’s radio station, BIRN. After graduation, he became the assistant to the music technology dean at the school before eventually assuming the roles of staff advisor and operations manager at the station. It was at BIRN where Brown began cultivating some of the business relationships he draws on today.
Eventually, he wants to host shows regularly at his own venue. But for now, Live! — currently in its second full year of operation — has consistent partnerships with both Hochstein Performance Hall and The Little Theatre, both of which provide an intimate setting for listening to top-tier musicians.
In the fall, Brown and Live! have more high-profile shows on deck: bassists Christian McBride and Edgar Meyer at Hochstein on Friday, Sept. 6 and singersongwriter Jolie Holland at The Little on Saturday, Sept. 14. Live! shows cater to avid listeners who lean toward a nuanced blend of sophisticated and melodically accessible music. But ultimately, it’s personal for Brown. “It’s how it makes me feel immediately,” he said. “What is the vibe I’m getting from this song?”
“WAKE UP!” BY MICE ADVICE
The exclamation point’s modern usage reportedly dates back to the 14th century. Italian scholar Alpoleio da Urbisaglia introduced it as a means of adding emphasis and emotion to written script.
In music, the symbol has punctuated iconic tunes from The Beatles, Outkast and many more. Add to that list “Wake Up!,” the first-ever EP from Rochester’s Mice Advice, released in July.
Lightly psychedelic but buzzing with energy, the three-song arrival from the mellow pop quartet pairs perfectly with the haze of its midsummer debut. This is music for letting the drapes sway in the breeze.
The first song runs into the second, which in turn melts into the third — a neat trick that presents an uninterrupted listening experience akin to catching the band during a live set. It also reflects the recording sessions, captured in a single day at Ben Morey’s Submarine Sound Studio in early June.
Here’s where the typographical emphasis enters the scene.
The strongest song here, closer “Good Morning!,” shines with the brightness of 1990s pop-rock groups like The Sundays and The Cardigans. But unlike those bands, Mice Advice blurs its melodicism by prioritizing groove (courtesy of bassist Liam Welch and drummer Emily Chesebro) and floral lead guitar lines from Edward McAndrew.
This grounding allows vocalist El Laurette, who also plays guitar, to haunt the upper realms of the sonic range with airy delivery. Opener “Exit 15” features El leaving space for wobbly guitar solos to color outside the lines.
“Couch” perhaps best encompasses the mood of the EP’s trippy cover art, in which a photo of tall flowers and a blue sky continues in on itself in a Droste effect.
As a call to action, “Wake Up!” begins drowsily but ends up delivering a peppy, unexpected and overall fun take on psych-pop. Mice Advice’s debut earns its punctuation.
— PATRICK HOSKEN
“XYZ” BY XYZ
How does live punk energy translate to studio recordings? The query dates back at least 50 years to the genre’s beginnings. A recent test case is “XYZ,” the self-titled debut EP from a local five-piece with members spanning different generations.
XYZ won Girls Rock! Rochester’s 2023 Rock Roulette fundraising talent show, then recorded the EP with Stephen Roessner at his Calibrated Sound studio. Roessner renders the group’s sound in crisp detail without sanding away its green charm.
EP standout “Everything is Awful” boasts buzzsaw guitars that add a heft missing from the song’s live performances. Gentle studio polish allows the sparse, gentle “Trying Times” to take flight as a proper ballad.
Yet Sab, Tessa, Julia, Sherry and Annie — who make up XYZ — thrive in their element of guitar-forward, drum-pounding punk rock that recalls both Patti Smith and riot grrrl dynamics.
Hell no, we won’t go! blares the refrain of the final song, “We Go High,” which also features the group’s name shouted in triumphant confidence.
The EP’s release presents a victory. The band’s five members were blindly paired up during a Girls Rock! Rochester camp. “XYZ” showcases the fruits of their collaboration, honed during workshops on stage performance and DIY approaches to art.
Its six songs demonstrate an array of perspectives. The rhythmic, pianoled “Generation Gap” addresses the differences faced by digital natives and their predecessors (and nods toward the wide age range of the band’s members). Ultimately, vocalist Sherry declares, Inside we are all the same.
“Just a Number,” meanwhile, examines the fuzzy lines at play in May-December romances: Cradle robbin’ kinda sucks.
Throughout the EP, XYZ commits to a core of relentless percussion, solid bass lines and loads of crunching guitar. Crucially, the members have committed to a punk ethos.
“XYZ” sounds scrappy enough to thrive — and to inspire listeners to pick up instruments of their own.
— PATRICK HOSKEN
SUMMER OF U” BY CORAL MOONS
The Canandaigua-via-Boston band Coral Moons’s last album, 2022’s “Fieldcrest,” was a crisp collection of diverse tunes that spanned warm-weather pop jams to sultry soul and R&B ballads, with elements of arena rock and even disco.
On the follow-up, “summer of u” — released on July 25 and produced by Andy D. Park — the quartet delves deeper into pop with plenty of ’80s signifiers. Park is an expert at cultivating big sounds, having served as an engineer for everyone from R&B singer Ciara and indie rock sensation Death Cab for Cutie to grunge titans in Pearl Jam.
Led by the earnest and energetic vocals of rhythm guitarist Carly Kraft, Coral Moons has become surgical in its implementation of anthemic pop hooks. The opening title track builds on the merits of the previous album’s “I Feel Alive,” but with a sonic optimism that was missing from the “Fieldcrest” cut.
Park dials up the reverb on the playful, self-deprecating “poser.” Songs like “too high” and “arcade” — with added synths for vibes and texture — seem as if they were written four decades earlier and unearthed mere months ago.
Despite the presence of more overt electronic timbres, the Coral Moons sound remains guitar-driven, steered by lead guitarist Justin Bartlett (Jessica Dobson of the band Deep Sea Diver also contributes guitar). Lyrically, Coral Moons is at its most poignant when Kraft gets introspective, battling doubts to achieve a freedom that comes from self-expression: I wish I had a reason for loving me / I wish I had a secret to set me free, she sings on “secrets.”
This album feels like a momentous step forward for Coral Moons, proving its streamability with catchy, tightly constructed songs produced with hi-fidelity sheen and an ear for what large, live audiences want.
— DANIEL J. KUSHNER
“FREE” BY DAISY CASTRO, ISABEL CASTELLVI, ERIC HEVERON-SMITH
The concept behind a collection of instrumentals called “Free,” released on July 6, is simple: eight improvised compositions performed in a meditative state. Violinist Daisy Castro, cellist Isabel Castellvi and Rochester double bassist and sound engineer Eric Heveron-Smith left all of the creative decisions up to the moment, although the thoughtfulness of the musical construction and the beauty of the melodies give the proceedings a polished glint.
Heveron-Smith’s liner notes indicate that prior to the session that yielded “Free” in Asheville, North Carolina, Castro and Castellvi hadn’t even met one another, let alone made music together. The newness of the collaboration is impossible to determine based on the recording, in part due to a deliberate choice made by the musicians to leave ample sonic space for one another’s ideas.
Without that consideration, the collective sound could have easily devolved into a dense frenzy or a series of inarticulate noises — neither of which would have fit music made for meditation.
The music has a quiet and contemplative nature, but it’s far from an ambient record. The individual melodic lines and interplay between instruments are designed to stimulate the listener, even while producing an overall calming effect.
“Free” comes into its own toward the end.The avant-garde wispiness of “Waltz for Wild Beasts” evolves into rich, evocative playing that revels in the expressive capabilities of the three-stringed instruments. “Edward Watches Fireflies” features expert articulation and a cinematic sensibility.
“Moon Over the Valley” effectively evokes the hypnotic qualities of the sitar without the presence of the instrument itself.
If there is any criticism to be had, it’s that there isn’t much to separate the individual selections stylistically. Then again, the music of “Free” seems designed to be heard in one sitting without interruption. Music lovers who enjoy everything from folk and western classical music to drones and Indian classical music will find plenty to like here.
— DANIEL J. KUSHNER
todo DAILY
Full calendar of events online at roccitymag.com
THURSDAY, AUGUST 1
THEATER
“Henry V”
St. Joseph’s Park, shakeonthelake.org
“Five actors in nearly 40 different roles” is the log line for this Silver Lake-based theater company’s summer take on “Henry V.” Shakespeare’s historical account of the titular ruler has been performed for hundreds of years. But performers from Shake on the Lake troupe aim to inject the material with new life by championing three key qualities: “fun, fast and physical.” Their tour, which brings theater to rural and underserved communities, began in Arkansas and wraps up at St. Joseph’s Park on August 1-2 from 6:30-8 p.m. Tickets are $28.52, with a pay-what-you-can model. A final performance will hit Brockport’s Morgan Manning House on Aug. 3. PATRICK HOSKEN
FESTIVAL
Puerto Rican Festival
Parcel 5, prfestival.com
Salsa, merengue and reggaeton soundtrack this multi-day bash, celebrating its 54th year and running August 1-3. More than 15 performers will take the stage over three days, including headliners like Luis Vargas, Jerry Rivera and Joseph Fonseca. But music is only one part of the Puerto Rican Festival — there are also the local vendors, the Miss Puerto Rico of Rochester pageant, authentic cuisine, the 5K race and more. Friday entry is
free after 5 p.m.; Sunday is free from 12-2 p.m. Online tickets are available ahead of the fest, with VIP tickets for $50. PH
FRIDAY, AUGUST 2
THEATER
Roald Dahl’s “Matilda the Musical”
Smith Opera House, thesmith.org Live musical theater based on the dark but whimsical worlds of children’s author Roald Dahl seems like a winning formula, and in the beautiful environs of Smith Opera House in Geneva, it makes perfect sense. To conclude its 46th season, the Geneva Theatre Guild presents a collaboration between its Main Stage and Youth Theatre troupes. The musical — which opens on Friday at 7:30 p.m. — presents an excellent opportunity to take the family out for live theater at an affordable price. The production runs through Sunday, Aug. 4. $14.93$23.13. DANIEL J. KUSHNER
ART
James Baldwin’s 100th Birthday Celebration
Joy Gallery, 9thfloorartistscollective.com
Not only does Aug. 2 mark First Friday for the month, but it’s also the
100th anniversary of the influential American writer and activist James Baldwin’s birth — making it the perfect confluence of cultural events for Rochester’s 9th Floor Artists Collective to celebrate. With this event, 9th Floor continues to invest in and promote the work of Black creatives in the city while encouraging a more inclusive local arts community. This centennial celebration includes Baldwin-inspired artwork by members of the collective, discussions on Baldwin’s legacy in the fields of literature, social justice and art, as well as refreshments. 6-9 p.m. Free. DK
MUSIC
“Resonance
of the Banned: Ukrainian Composers Unleashed”
St. Mary the Protectress Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, stmarysuoc.org
Here is a chance to experience music by Ukrainian composers, while supporting a project that aims to shine a light on the besieged country’s culture. Ukrainian-Australian violinist and Eastman alum Markiyan Melnychenko and pianist Peter de Jager are playing a concert of Ukrainian classical music, including several U.S. premieres. 7 p.m. $20 tickets (cash only) are available at the door. Proceeds and donations will go to support their project to record these Ukrainian compositions, alongside world premiere arrangements of Ukrainian folk songs.
MONA SEGHATOLESLAMI
ART
Art Jam Market
Boulder Coffee Co., instagram.com/ artjammarket
This monthly music and art show returns with a new showcase at Boulder Coffee, spotlighting hiphop, R&B and funk musicians as well as local visual artists and crafters. Highlights include the mellow cosmic sounds of Goddesstry, the funky and energetic Charli Déas, earthy threads from The Happy Artist, queer comics from Pumkin Gutz Press and much more. The show runs 5-10 p.m. Tickets are $10 pre-sale and $15 at the door. PH
SATURDAY, AUGUST 3
FESTIVAL
Pan Afrikan Festival
Highland Bowl, panaffestival.org
Because the Pan Afrikan Festival aims “to celebrate the heritage and culture of all people from the Afrikan Diaspora” through the arts, organizers have packed in as many artists as can fit. Saxophonist Will Holton headlines the fest, but he’s only one of more than a dozen performers in store, including Jamall Youngblood and Soul of the City and Freddy Colon and the Latin Jazz Quartet. Along with children’s entertainment and play areas, the fest also features a health tent and a beer and wine area for libations. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Free. PH
MUSIC
Amyl and the Sniffers
Asbury Hall at Babeville, babevillebuffalo.com
When Amy Taylor snarls, “I’ve got plenty of energy, it’s my currency” into a microphone, people listen. And if the venue has sound problems, luckily Taylor’s commanding stage presence alone conveys her urgency. With her loud and fast band, Amyl and the Sniffers, Taylor has crafted a can’t-miss live experience, which the Australian band brings to Buffalo via a stop on its North America summer tour. Considering the group also opens for Foo Fighters in stadiums, an old church isn’t a bad place for this kind of imported punk show. $30 advance; $35 day-of-show. Music starts at 8 p.m. PH
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MUSIC
Benny the Butcher
Water Street Music Hall, waterstreetmusichall.live
Benny the Butcher is a rapper-songwriter from Buffalo whose career took off in 2018 right before the release of his debut album. One of the original members of Griselda Records, which included Westside Gunn and Conway the Machine, Benny is known for his raw hip-hop flow. His music catalogue includes features with Snoop Dogg, J. Cole and Jada Kiss to name a few. The rapper also collaborated with the Buffalo Bills to create the Bills Mafia Anthem. The doors for this 21-and-over show open at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $37.74.
RACQUEL STEPHEN
SUNDAY, AUGUST 4
FILM
CatVideoFest
The Little Theatre, thelittle.org
An annual spectacle, CatVideoFest needs no explanation. Seventy-five uninterrupted minutes of cats in all their quirky glory, fit for family viewing. This festival of felines kicks off on Friday, Aug. 3, so Sunday is your last chance to indulge in the kitten vids at The Little until next year. Screenings at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. each day. $10. DK
PHOTOGRAPHY
“Celestial Lights”
Image City Photography Gallery, imagecityphotographygallery.com
“Celestial Lights,” the dazzling multiartist photography exhibition at Image City, was nearly an eclipse-themed showcase before Rochester’s gray clouds doomed local views on April 8. Instead, its glowing colors and landscape scenes, shot through the lenses of 11 different photographers, present new vistas of the aurora borealis and Milky Way. At the same time, the stills work as portals into
each artist’s personal inner galaxy as well. Catch it today, 12-4 p.m. before the walls get refreshed. Free. PH
MONDAY, AUGUST 5
MUSIC
Greensky Bluegrass
Perinton Center Park Amphitheater, greenskybluegrass.com
Combining instruments like banjo, mandolin and upright bass with psychedelic effects, a Greensky Bluegrass performance isn’t your traditional bluegrass show. It’s more like a bluegrass jam session with a stadium rock vibe. The quintet is known for its relentless tour schedule, its devoted following and its live shows, which NPR’s World Cafe described in 2019 as “just wild.” The members say they are a band of brothers who have seen each other through two decades of life’s ups and downs. That’s reflected in their music and on stage, where they also bring what fans say is a killer light show. Doors at 6 p.m, show at 7 p.m. General admission is $37.50. 21-andover “Party Pit” tickets are $75. MEGAN MACK
TUESDAY, AUGUST 6
MUSIC
Bill Tiberio and Friends
Lila’s in the Lobby, lilasinthelobby.com/ music-series
One of the new additions that has sprung up near the Strong Museum of Play is the bar Lila’s in the Lobby. This stylish but relaxed spot for cocktails and food has been adding extra life to Tuesday nights in Rochester with live music, mostly jazz, from 5-8 p.m. each week. You can catch Higher Ground play the series next Tuesday, as well as The Lipker Sisters on Aug. 20 and Bossa Nova Bradley Brothers at the end of the month. Free. MS
If terms like “grain threshing” and “traction engines” feature regularly in your vocabulary, the Pageant of Steam must be your Super Bowl. This year’s big machine festival boasts domestic engines and pumps manufactured in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, a haven for industrial works. Antique tractors will be on display and sawmill demonstrations abound. And of course, the trusty tractor pulls begin daily at 4 p.m. Gates are open 8 a.m.8 p.m. Adult tickets run $10; kids under 12 are free. PH
THURSDAY, AUGUST 8
MUSIC
Snarky Puppy
Lincoln Hill Farms, lincolnhillfarms.com Few bands combine peerless musical talent with exciting and charismatic arrangements quite like Snarky Puppy. Originating from the musical hotbed of the University of North Texas, the ensemble is led by mercurial bassist Michael League and can shift between the worlds of jazz, funk, rock and international folk influences like a chameleon. If you love virtuosic performances, this show is a must. The gate opens for this all-ages concert at 5 p.m. and the music starts at 6:30 p.m. General admission is $52.88 and VIP tickets are $94. DK
THEATER
“The Gin Game”
Bristol Valley Theater, bvtnaples.org The prospect of getting older and living in the United States isn’t a particularly common subject in theatrical presentations, but it is an important one. Playwright D.L. Coburn’s “The Gin Game,” which won the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 1978, centers around an evening of recreation between two residents at a nursing home. The result is both entertaining and insightful. The production opens Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and runs through Aug. 17. $23.04-$48.39. DK
FRIDAY, AUGUST 9
MUSIC
Ron Carter’s Golden Striker Trio
Hochstein Performance Hall, roclive. live Eastman School of Music alumnus and Grammy-winning double bassist Ron Carter has a reputation that precedes him, and then some. A living legend of jazz, Carter was an indispensable performer on iconic Blue Note Records albums for pianist Herbie Hancock and saxophonist Wayne Shorter, and he was also a member of Miles Davis’s second quintet. But Carter is more than just a sideman, with the leading role in his own Golden Striker Trio, which includes guitarist Russell Malone and Donald Vega on piano. Jazz heads, mark your calendars. 6:30 p.m. doors, 8 p.m. show. Tickets start at $43.56.
DK
THEATER
“Night of the Living Dead Live”
MuCCC, muccc.org
Popular readings of George A. Romero’s landmark 1968 zombie film “Night of the Living Dead” single out racism and nuclear-age anxiety as its key themes. The stage adaptation, authorized by Romero himself, leans into the comedy of it all, asking, “How zany would it be to be pursued by the cannibalistic undead?” The answer is, naturally, quite funny and unsurprisingly terrifying. Crow City Theatre’s take also delves into the film’s vast influence. The show runs Aug. 9-17. Tickets are $22-$25. PH
SATURDAY, AUGUST 10
ENTERTAINMENT
EFW presents “Death Wish”
The ROC Dome Arena, facebook.com/ ExtremeWrestlingForce
When I was growing up, Hulk Hogan, Jake “the Snake” Roberts, and The Ultimate Warrior were the heroes of professional wrestling. But there’s a whole new crop of performers waiting in the wings, and they’re not just available for watching on streaming services. You can see the real deal at The ROC Dome Arena’s Minett Hall,
when Extreme Force Wresting puts on a spectacle it’s billing as “Death Wish.” And with wrestlers with names like Nzo and Dirty Dango throwin’ down in the ring, it’s sure to be a hoot. 3:30 p.m. Tickets start at $19.98. DK
NATURE
Perseid Meteor Shower Viewing
Cumming Nature Center, rmsc.org
According to the Rochester Museum & Science Center, this is the only major summer meteor shower that’s visible in Western New York. And with an excellent view from the woods of the Cumming Nature Center in nearby Naples, visitors can learn some basic astronomy and witness the meteor shower through telescopes. 8-11 p.m. Tickets are free for RMSC members, $3 for non-members.
ALEX CRICHTON
SUNDAY, AUGUST 11
MUSIC/ART
WAYO Benefit
Second Chance Art Sale and Record Fair
Radio Social, radio-social.com
Since WAYO began broadcasting at 104.3 FM in 2016, the low-power community radio station has put the best of Rochester — crossgenre music, local affairs, everyday storytelling — on the air. But it costs money to keep doing that. To help raise funds for the station, WAYO’s regular art and music fair benefit plays
a huge role. This time, it’s presented by Flour Pail Kids and Needle Drop Records and runs 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Free entry. PH
MONDAY, AUGUST 12
MUSIC
Hanna PK
The Little Theatre, thelittle.org Jackson C. Frank sang that blues run the game; for Hanna PK, the blues put wind in her musical sails. For many years, the piano talent and talented vocalist made Rochester her home base, garnering a loyal local following for her boogie-influenced tunes and inspired performances. Now living down in Louisiana, PK returns for a full-band show at The Little’s Theatre 1. 7:30 p.m. $25 in advance, $30 day-of-show. PH
TUESDAY, AUGUST 13
FAMILY
Mr. Loops
Kennelley Park Gazebo, Perinton, perinton.org
Singer-songwriter Jon Lewis has been a likeable and melodious frontman for local acts Fran and the Jon Lewis Band. But he’s also got a side gig as Mr. Loops, the indefatigable children’s performer who sings sunny tunes about being a friend and eating cheese, among other silly topics about engaging with the world around us. Just when you thought quality kids’ entertainers were going extinct, Mr. Loops proves otherwise. 6:30-7:30 p.m. Free. DK
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14
THEATER
“Bandstand the Musical”
The Rev Theatre Co., therevtheatre.com “Bandstand” is a nostalgic throwback to a post-World War II era when
swing was king and 1940s big bands held sway. With energetic music and choreography to match, the musical tells the story of American veterans who come home with aspirations of being part of the next big swing band. The production kicks off on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. and continues through Aug. 31 at the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse in Auburn. Tickets are $86.50. DK
FILM
“Selena”
The Little Theatre, thelittle.org “Selena” helped launch Jennifer Lopez’s career, but there would be no “Selena” without Selena Quintanilla herself. By the time she died, the young Mexican-American singer had found major success that helped open the door for a future wave of Latin artists (like Ricky Martin and eventually Bad Bunny) to do the same on an even larger scale. This “Selena” screening kicks off the ¡Presente! Latin Film Series and features a performance from the band ELLAS. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $11; $9 for students and seniors. PH
THURSDAY, AUGUST 15
MUSIC
Everclear
Martin Luther King Jr. Park, rochesterevents.com/partyinthepark Though the grunge-pop heroes in Everclear haven’t released a proper studio album since 2015, their place in the ’90s alt-rock canon is solidified. Led by Art Alexakis, the crew followed a familiar path through the turn of the century: punk beginnings, alternative breakthrough, eventual commercial pop success. But even though the band’s sound changed, Alexakis’s ear for great melodies never did. Current
setlists include the radio hits “Santa Monica,” “Wonderful” and “Father of Mine,” which means the show is a sure thing. They’ve also been opening with “So Much for the Afterglow,” a modern heavy-pop classic. Everclear shares the bill with New Orleans trumpeter Shamarr Allen. Music at Party in the Park begins at 7 p.m. General admission tickets are $10.95; VIP passes are $39.95. PH
MUSIC
Black Flag
Photo City Music Hall, photocitymusichall.com
Black Flag is one of the most influential hardcore punk bands ever. Full stop. But let’s be clear here — the Black Flag playing this show is not the band with Henry Rollins, or Bill Stevenson (Descendents, All), or Robo, or Chuck Dukowski or Dez Cadena. This is founder Greg Ginn playing with bandmates who joined no earlier than 2013. But Black Flag was always a revolving door of musicians, with Ginn as the sole constant. The band will perform
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two sets for this show. During the first, it’ll perform the entirety of “The First Four Years,” a compilation of the band’s early singles including “Nervous Breakdown,” “Six Pack” and “Revenge.” The second will be a “Best of the Best” set — it’s not clear what songs that’ll include. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $57 in advance, $67 day-of-show. JEREMY MOULE
FESTIVAL
Rochester Ukrainian Festival
St. Josaphat’s Ukrainian Catholic Church, rochesterukrainianfestival.com
As the war between Russia and Ukraine continues overseas, a taste of Ukraine returns to Rochester. This annual festival, which started in 1973, was launched to introduce Ukrainian arts and crafts, food, music and dance to the Rochester community. Organizers say their goals include preserving Ukrainian heritage while reacquainting Ukrainians with their roots.
6-10:45 p.m. on Thursday. The fourday festival continues through Sunday, Aug. 18. Free. AC
FRIDAY, AUGUST 16
FESTIVAL
9th Annual Big “G” Jam
The “G” Lodge, heydudeafterhours.com Those in-the-know already know that The “G” Lodge in Hannibal is a great place for regional music shows with a festive vibe. And the yearly summer bash known as the Big “G” Jam fits that billing — the 2024 edition features performances from Public Water Supply, The Pickle Mafia, Mike Brown Band with The Untamed and many more across two stages. RV camping ($55.20) and tent camping are also available throughout the festival, which runs Friday and Saturday. Tickets for the
two-day event are $97.88. A pup pass is available for your pet at $33.85. DK
MUSIC
Tedeschi Trucks Band
CMAC, cmacevents.com
Blues rock listeners will know Tedeschi Trucks Band well. Led by couple Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks on guitars, the group combines tasteful musicianship with killer solos in songs that get under your skin in a good way. Soulful stuff that’s perfect for a warm weather show outdoors. The gate opens at 5:30 p.m. and the concert kicks off at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $33.45. DK
SATURDAY, AUGUST 17
FESTIVAL
2024 South Wedge Fest
South Wedge, swpc.org/south-wedgefest-2024
A celebration of a vibrant Rochester neighborhood, the South Wedge Fest has everything you could want in a community celebration: live music from Joe Beard, Candy and Sam Schaeffer Quartette, sustenance from Macarollin’, KO-BQ and others, local artisans, and even a pet parade beginning at Marie Daley Park at 11 a.m. The festival runs through 5 p.m. Free. DK
MUSIC
Violent Femmes
Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards, beakandskiff.com
The penultimate concert of Beak & Skiff’s summer series finds the alternative rock forebears in Violent Femmes looking backward. The Milwaukee band’s self-titled debut album, released in 1983, features staples like “Blister in the Sun” — and
the group will perform the album in full at the apple orchard. 1984 followup “Hallowed Ground” didn’t make as many waves, but it became notable as a rootsy entry in the Violent Femmes catalog. The group celebrates 40 years of that LP during this tour, too. General admission tickets are $60.85. Music starts at 7 p.m. PH
NATURE
Amphibians and Reptiles Weekend
Seneca Park Zoo, senecaparkzoo.org
Hey, show that lizard some love! If you’re a fan of reptiles or amphibians, the Seneca Park Zoo has an event for you. The Amphibians and Reptiles Weekend at the zoo is dedicated to all those types of creatures — lizards, snakes, frogs and the like — that the zoo cares for every day. The weekend is also a fundraiser for two conservation organizations, the Turtle Survival Alliance and Project Golden Frog. Make a $5 donation and you could win a turtle or snake-made painting, or a meet-and-greet with a Burmese python. 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Tickets are $9 for kids 3-11, seniors 63-and-over get in for $11, and regular tickets for ages 12-62 are $12. Zoo members get in for free. AC
CULTURE
Love and R&B BBQ
MLK Jr. Park at Manhattan Square, loveandrnb585.eventbrite.com
Back for a second time this summer, this family-friendly event was created to connect the community through entertainment, food and valuable resources. The objective is to create a fun and safe environment while securing ways to drive home messages of anti-bullying, anti-violence and anti-gangs. The day will be jampacked with non-stop fun in the sun, love, and unity. 3-10 p.m. $28.52. RS
COMEDY
“Dous Dous Dous!”
Focus Theater, focus.theater
Local improv duo Cody Jones and Pat Best (known as “Jonesin’ for the Best”… get it?) take the stage with fellow improv duos during this unpredictable night of comedy. Performers use audience suggestions to make up scenes on the spot. Think “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” in pairs. Who knows what will transpire?
Doors at 6:30 p.m., show at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10; two-for-one for college students with ID. MM
SUNDAY, AUGUST 18
MUSIC
Dogstar
The Vine at Del Lago Resort, dellagoresort.com/entertainment
The Los Angeles rock band Dogstar has a built-in, surefire way to attract new fans: actor Keanu Reeves is its bassist. And let’s not kid ourselves, he has a lot to do with the group’s immediate appeal. But there’s something warm and familiar about Dogstar’s alt-rock sound that stands on its own, irrespective of name recognition. The 21-and-over show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $35. DK
MONDAY, AUGUST 19
FILM
“Name Me Lawand”
The Little Theatre, thelittle.org Presented by WXXI’s Move to Include initiative, this special advance screening of “Name Me Lawand” will make you reconsider what you know about documentaries. This film about a deaf child and his family’s transition from a refugee camp to life in the United Kingdom tugs at heartstrings with its undeniably potent storytelling and stunning cinematography. As Lawand finds his way while enrolled
at Derby’s Royal School for the Deaf, his family is faced with possible deportation, adding to the drama. The movie is presented with open captions. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the movie starts at 6:30 p.m. A panel discussion follows the screening. Free. DK
TUESDAY, AUGUST 20
THEATER
15th Annual Sankofa Festival
MuCCC, muccc.org
Sankofa has been a regular celebration of Black theater for 15 years now, and the festival shows no signs of slowing down. Artistic Director Curtis K. Rivers leads this weeklong presentation of one-act plays. The featured playwrights are Karen Culley, Vickie Hampton, Tarell Alvin McCraney, Rudy Valentino and Richard Wesley. Tickets are $17 in advance and $25 at the door. Matinee/ staged readings are $5. Festival passes are $49.98. DK
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21
MUSIC
Richard Smith
Bop Shop Records, bopshop.com
Bop Shop owner Tom Kohn consistently hosts premier musicians at his record store. And while jazz is the predominant style at these intimate concerts, it’s by no means the be-all, end-all. For this show, English acoustic guitarist Richard Smith brings his consummate fingerstyle approach to a wide variety of genres, including the blues, country, jazz and even ragtime. 8 p.m. $20. DK
THURSDAY, AUGUST 22
“Double Indemnity”
Dryden Theatre, eastman.org
Insurance fraud, but make it sexy (as well as deadly). Billy Wilder’s 1944 film noir classic boasts striking imagery and standout performances from Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck. Miklos Rosza’s musical score captures the romantic and murderous passions of these characters in this chilling, stylish drama. See and hear it on the big screen at the Dryden Theatre as part of its series on The Art of Music at the Movies tonight at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 for students, $9 for members and $12 for nonmembers. MS
FRIDAY, AUGUST 23
MUSIC
JT Cinderella Tour
Water Street Music Hall, waterstreetmusichall.live Known as one-half of the hip-hop group the City Girls, JT is embarking on her first major national tour as a solo artist. The tour is named after her debut mixtape, “City Cinderella,” which features her hit single “OKAY” with a remix by Jeezy. Rochester is currently the third stop on the tour with the doors opening at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $37.74. RS
MUSIC
The Felice Brothers
Hollerhorn Distilling, hollerhorn.com
The music of The Felice Brothers can make for an ideal soundtrack to downing a shot of whiskey. The folk-Americana stylings exemplified in tunes such as “Frankie’s Gun!” and “Wonderful Life” come to mind. And while the country song “Whiskey in My Whiskey” is a bit on-thenose, you get my point. All that to say, the band’s song selection is one reason that Hollerhorn Distilling is a perfect venue for the music. The Felice Brothers’ heartfelt songs with acoustic instrumentation provide the supporting evidence. The New York State band returns to Hollerhorn for this rain-or-shine, 21-and-over event runs from 8-11 p.m. No pets allowed. $33.85. DK
SATURDAY, AUGUST 24
FESTIVAL
Rochester Summer Soul Music Festival
Innovative Field, rocsummersoulfest.com
Before his unforgettable “Thong Song” became a cultural moment, Sisqó led the R&B outfit Dru Hill, and still does. Its latest stop on a summer tour is Innovative Field for the Rochester Summer Soul Music Festival, and the group will be in good company. Headliners also include show-stopping vocalist Regina Belle, who duetted with Peabo Bryson on the pop version of “A Whole New World” and took the song to No. 1, as well as Baltimore duo Ruff Endz, best known for the relentlessly grooving single “No More.” The six-hour fest kicks off at 3 p.m. Tickets are $25$129. PH
FILM
“Better Off Dead”
The Little Theatre, thelittle.org Our societal attitudes toward mental health have thankfully improved greatly since 1985. But the right context and an open mind have made the absurdist dark humor of “Better Off Dead,” presented as part of The Little’s Saturday Night Rewind series, a cult hit in the intervening 39 years. Part of that has to do with a teenage John Cusack navigating heartbreak and despair — comedy gold — and part is the sheer ’80s-ness of the film. Fun fact: Writer-director Savage Steve Holland also animated and designed the beloved Whammy of “Press Your Luck” game show fame. The doors to The Little 1 open at 7 p.m. and the lights go down at 8 p.m. $5-$11. PH
SUNDAY, AUGUST 25
THEATER
“Sweeney Todd”
Pat Collins Black Box Theater, Geneva, theatre444.com
Theatre444 impressed at last year’s Rochester Fringe Festival with its interpretation of the Wonderlandinspired musical “Alice by Heart.” Coming up next from the local troupe is the Stephen Sondheim classic “Sweeney Todd,” directed by Pam Rapoza with musical direction from Meredith Beckley. I can’t wait to see how Theatre444 tackles the scintillating storyline and engaging wordplay that make signature Sondheim. While the opening performances on August 23 and 24 are at 7 p.m., this matinee performance is at 4 p.m. The production runs through Sept. 1. $20-$25. DK
MONDAY, AUGUST 26
NATURE
Field Trip: Summer’s Night Sky
Warner Castle, rochesterbrainery.com Summer is an ideal time to get outside and check out the stars. And Warner Castle in Highland Park, with the adjoining Sunken Gardens, is a magical place to scope out the constellations on a clear night. Science teacher Tyler Lucero — who has worked at Rocky Mountain National Park, Genesee Country Village & Museum and Helmer Nature Center — leads the class. 7:30-9:30 p.m. All ages are welcome. $23. DK
TUESDAY, AUGUST 27
MUSIC
Golden Link
Tuesday Evening Singaround
Rochester Mennonite Fellowship, goldenlink.org
There’s nothing quite like a good sing-along, something that Rochester’s Golden Link Folk Singing Society knows well. The group’s weekly singarounds have taken place in some form since Golden Link’s founding in 1971. Participants can bring a song to play and share, join in with the group, or just sit and listen while you get a feel for the dynamic. Though the session is vocal-centric, acoustic instruments are encouraged. 7 p.m.9:30 p.m. Free. DK
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28
ART
Crafting on the Canal! with Stony Point Art Studio
Corn Hill Navigation Waterfront Center, cornhillnav.org
Take an afternoon to hone your painting skills while being inspired by the beauty and tranquility of the Erie Canal. Jeannine Pelusio from Stony Point Art Studio leads this miniworkshop on intuitive painting. Open to all ages. 1:30 p.m.-3 p.m. Tickets are $40-$45. MM
THURSDAY, AUGUST 29
THEATER
David Mamet’s “Oleanna”
MuCCC, muccc.org
The MuCCC in the Neighborhood of the Arts is a go-to source for compelling local theater, and this production of playwright David Mamet’s “Oleanna” is set to be the latest in that line. Directed by Tom Bigongiari and starring Michaela Buckley and D. Scott Adams, the play follows the story of a student accusing her professor of harassment. 7:30 p.m. Advance tickets are regularly priced at $20 and $15 for seniors and students. At the door, regular tickets are $25 and $20 for seniors and students. The production runs through Sept. 1. DK
CMAC, cmacevents.com
The a cappella outfit Pentatonix is perhaps best known for its Christmasthemed music (though the vocal band’s inclusion of Leonard Cohen’s
10 THINGS
1
Six PBS KIDS series offer American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation. They include Arthur, Alma’s Way, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Donkey Hodie, Work It Out Wombats!, and Pinkalicious & Peterrific. All of them can be accessed on the PBS Kids app.
2
WXXI-FM 91.5, now known as WXXI Classical, hit the air in 1974 and is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary. The station started as a combination of music and news, but today is dedicated to classical music.
3
The very first program that aired on WXXI-TV was Julia Child’s “The French Chef”. (credit: Paul Child/PBS)
4
you might not know about your public media organization
WXXI News is one of a dozen public media newsrooms across the state that participates in the New York Public News Network, a collaborative reporting effort to provide better journalism for all New Yorkers.
5
WXXI-TV and PBS stations across the country reach more children, and more parents of young children than any other children’s TV networks.
6
WXXI has had three Presidents in the history of the organization: John Porter, William Pearce, and Norm Silverstein. Norm retires this year after nearly 30 years.
8
Many of PBS’s shows originated from books including “Call the Midwife,” “Downton Abbey,” “All Creatures Great and Small, and “Magpie Murders.”
9
The Little Theatre sells more than 22,000 bags of popcorn a year!
7 Mister Rogers’ mother knitted all of his sweaters.
10
NPR’s first program was live coverage of the U.S. Senate deliberations on the Vietnam War in 1971.
WXXI TV • THIS MONTH
Environmental Connections
Fridays at 8:30 p.m. and again Sundays at 11 a.m. on WXXI-TV
The impact of food choices, electrification, the future of rainfall, and the choice of whether or not to have children, this half-hour weekly series hosted by Jasmin Singer discusses what matters — and what should — when it comes to environmental preservation.
Beyond the Bolex
Friday, August 2 at 9 p.m. and again Saturday, August 3 at 4 p.m. on WXXI-TV
In the 1920s immigrant inventor Jacques Bolsey aimed to disrupt the early film industry with a motion picture camera for the masses: the iconic Bolex. Over 90 years later, filmmaker Alyssa Bolsey pieces together the fragments of a forgotten family archive to reveal the epic story of her great-grandfather in Beyond the Bolex.
A Boston (R)Evolution
Tuesday, August 13 at 10 p.m. on WXXI-TV
A Symphony Celebration The Blind Boys of Alabama with Dr. Henry Panion, III
Friday, August 16 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV
This one-of-a-kind performance and documentary with the Blind Boys of Alabama and a full symphony orchestra creates a unique storytelling thread using small vignettes to connect the artists and their songs. They share messages of humanity, peace, and love. This special is presented as part of Move to Include™.
Visit movetoinclude.org to learn more.
Photo provided by PBS
The racially complex American city of Boston confronts its past and future. When a Black female city councilor, once bussed as a child to hostile neighborhoods, is catapulted to Acting Mayor, she breaks 200 years of white male mayorship. Boston’s old school politics are further challenged when the top candidates in the historic 2021 mayoral race are all non-white women.
PBS News Special: Democratic National Convention
Monday, August 19 through Thursday, August 22 at 8 p.m. on WXXI-TV
PBS News provides four days of special coverage of the Democratic National Convention broadcast from the United Center in Chicago as Democrats lay out what’s at stake in this election and unite around their shared values of democracy and freedom.
Pictured: Kim Janey speaking at a campaign rally/Credit: Boston Revolution LLC
Odysseus Returns
Wednesday, August 28 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV
Amateur historian Makis Metaxas claims he found the bones of Odysseus, the hero of Homer’s epic poem, the Odyssey. But the discovery is soon embroiled in controversy, and Makis embarks on his own odyssey to convince the world he is right.
Pictured: Makis Metaxas at sea, near the Gorge of Poros, Kefalonia, Greece/Credit: James Younger/ Revelations Entertainment
John and Yoko: Above Us Only Sky
Friday, August 30 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV
Discover how the couple’s unique relationship led to the creation of the iconic 1971 album Imagine. Directed by Emmy winner and Oscar nominee Michael Epstein, the film explores how the pair’s art, activism, politics, and music led to the creative and personal collaboration that defined an era.
WXXI-CREATE brings together the best in public television’s how-to and lifestyle programs for around-the-clock broadcasts. Every weekend, you can binge-watch episodes curated around a specific theme. CREATE Showcases air Fridays from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on WXXI-CREATE.
Enjoy these showcases in August.
Grill It August 2-4
Bring the heat to your summer menu and master the grill with tips from CREATE chefs in 10 back-to-back episodes that are sure to sizzle.
Very Vegan
August 9-11
Prepare your own plant-based feast with an array of vegan delights from the Jazzy Vegetarian, America’s Test Kitchen, and Conscious Living
Plan Your 2025 Vacation with Samantha Brown
August 16-18
Need inspiration for an upcoming vacation? Samantha Brown has you covered with ten back-to-back episodes exploring places that are sure to top your travel bucket list.
International Inspiration from Milk Street
August
23-25
Whip up delicious dishes inspired by cuisines from all over the world with Christopher Kimball and the team at Milk Street
Labor of Love –Your Legacy List
August 30-September 1
Celebrate the treasures of home with Matt Paxton and his team as they help families keep the memories attached to their homes while they prepare for downsizing on Legacy List
FUN THINGS
TO ATTEND IN AUGUST!
1
Hochstein at High Falls Concert Series
Catch the final two concerts of the season! First up is Bossa Nova Bradley Brothers on Thursday, August 1 Flying Object serves as the series finale on Thursday, August 8. This free lunchtime concert series begins at 12:10 pm in the outer parking lot at 4 Commercial Street, corner of Browns Race. Learn more at WXXI.org/events
4
2
Celebrate the vibrant culture of Puerto Rico with incredible food, music, drinks, and vendors!
The festival, located at Parcel 5, runs from Thursday, August 1 to Saturday, August 3. WXXI will be there on Saturday. Be sure to stop by our booth from noon to 5 p.m.!
CatVideoFest 2024
Saturday, August 3 and Sunday, August 4 at The Little Theatre
The impactful Latin Film Series at The Little Theater celebrates Latin filmmakers in America, inspiring a deeper appreciation of Latin heritage within American culture. The series kicks off Wednesday, August 14 at 7 p.m. with ‘Selena,’ an iconic Latinx film that highlights the enduring legacy of Hispanic-American icon Selena. Learn more at TheLittle.org
SolarFest 2024
Sunday, August 25 from Noon to 4p.m. at GreenSpark Headquarters, 318 Timothy Lane, Ontario, NY
Enjoy delicious food, refreshing drinks, music, raffles, a tour of our solar array and wind turbines, an EV car show, fun and education provided by local sustainabilityfocused organizations, and more.
RSVP at: greensparksolar.com/ solarfest-2024/
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Wednesdays at 8 p.m. beginning August 28 on WXXI Classical
The 2024 season kicks off its 13-episode broadcast season with a program that includes Coincident Dances, inspired by a walk composer Jessie Montgomery took through the streets of New York, hearing everything from Ghanaian dance music and Latin Jazz to techno and English consort music. She asks the orchestra to play the role of a “DJ of a multicultural dance track.”
American Routes
Saturdays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on The Route
The two-hour show, hosted by Nick Spitzer, shares a mix of music as diverse and deep as the country it’s played in, showcasing stories from special guest musicians to explore the shared musical and cultural threads in American styles and genres of music.
WFMT Network Summer Opera Series
Saturdays at 1 p.m. on WXXI
Classical
From Milan to New York, Barcelona to Chicago, WXXI Classical gives you a front-row seat to performances from some of the world’s greatest opera companies and performers. Operas in August include:
• 8/3 Berlioz: The Damnation of Faust (Orchestra National de France)
• 8/10 Verdi: Don Carlo (La Scala)
• 8/17 Dvorak: Rusalka (Opera Royal de Wallonie)
• 8/24 Mozart: Idomeneo (Bavarian Radio Symphony & Chorus)
• 8/31 Puccini: Tosca (Bavarian State Opera) [pictured]
240 East Ave thelittle.org
COMING SOON IN AUGUST
SING SING (opens Aug. 9)
Divine G (Oscar nominee Colman Domingo), imprisoned at Sing Sing for a crime he didn’t commit, finds purpose by acting in a theatre group with other incarcerated men.
CUCKOO (opens Aug. 9)
Seventeen-year-old Gretchen reluctantly leaves America to live with her father at a resort in the German Alps. Plagued by strange noises and bloody visions, she soon discovers a shocking secret that concerns her own family. From NEON, the same distributor as LONGLEGS.
RIDDLE OF FIRE (projected on 35mm film) (Aug. 9-11 only)
Three mischievous children embark on a woodland odyssey in order to retrieve a blueberry pie. Along the way, they evade a gang, encounter a witch and grow closer together as friends.
DIDI (Opens Aug. 16)
In 2008, during the last month of summer before high school begins, an impressionable 13-year-old Taiwanese American boy learns what his family can’t teach him: how to skate, how to flirt, and how to love his mom.
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) (Aug. 16 only)
A year after running over a fisherman and dumping his body in the water, four friends reconvene when Julie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) receives a frightening letter telling her that their crime was seen.
One Take: Sugarcane (Aug. 15 and 17 only)
An investigation into abuse and missing children at an Indian residential school sparks a reckoning on the nearby Sugarcane Reserve. Part of The Little’s One Take Documentary series.
Discover more at thelittle.org (note: showtimes are subject to change)
Food & Flicks: Moonstruck
Tuesday, Aug. 20
Cafe Doors: 5:30pm | Dinner: 6:00pm
Theatre Doors: 7:00pm | Screening: 7:30pm-9:30pm Menu and details at thelittle.org
Join The Little for a very special “Moonstruck”themed menu in The Little Café—prepared exclusively for this event—followed by the film, in Little Theatre 1.
Moonstruck was nominated for 6 Academy Awards— including Best Picture—and features fantastic performances in a timeless romance.
SEVEN SAMURAI
(BRAND-NEW 4K RESTORATION)
Sunday, August 18 at 4:30pm Wednesday, August 21 at 6:30pm
One of the most thrilling movie epics of all time, Seven Samurai tells the story of a sixteenth-century village whose desperate inhabitants hire the eponymous warriors to protect them from invading bandits. This three-hour ride from Akira Kurosawa—featuring legendary actors Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura—seamlessly weaves philosophy and entertainment, delicate human emotions and relentless action, into a rich, evocative, and unforgettable tale of courage and hope. Presented in Little Theatre 1 on our 4K laser projector, with a 10-minute intermission.
incomparable “Hallelujah” in its holiday repertoire is irksome). But the quintet with powerhouse pipes has a much wider range than just December fare, as infectious songs like “Happy Now” and the dizzying medley “Home” can attest. “American Idol” alum David Archuleta opens this show at CMAC. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the music starts at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $40.70. DK
FRIDAY, AUGUST 30
ART
RG Miller:
“Tsi Non:we Entewaha’hara’ne / Our Path Forward”
Rochester Contemporary Art Center, rochestercontemporary.org
This poignant exhibition comes from an incredibly personal place for artist and Haudenosaunee Six Nations member R.G. Miller, whose 11-year experience at the Mohawk Institute Indian Residential School inspired the work in his exhibition “Our Path Forward.” At the glorified detention center, also known as the Mush Hole, indigenous children in Canada were sent following separation from their families and communities and forcibly made to reject their heritage. On Friday, the opening day of the exhibition, R.G. Miller and curator Neal Keating will give a talk at 6 p.m. about their collaboration, which stretches back to 2007. The exhibition runs through September 22. Admission is free for RoCo members and $2 for non-members. DK
SATURDAY, AUGUST 31
FESTIVAL
Irondequoit Arts & Music Festival
I-Square, artcenterrochester.com
The second annual Irondequoit Arts & Music Festival is scheduled to take place on Saturday, August 31 at I-Square, 400 Bakers Park. The event will feature dozens of arts and craft vendors, with live music performances throughout the day from Trio Ghidora, Stewie Evans Trio, Ben Rossi, Kara Fink, Omanye Music and Dance Ensemble, The Cool Club & The Lipker Sisters, Rochester’s School of Guitar Tips and Into the Now. The free event runs 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. and is open to all ages. LEAH STACY
Andy Nahas
The Little Theatre, thelittle.org Singer Andy Nahas is well-known in Rochester for pioneering the concept of professional style concerts at nursing homes, and during the pandemic he began to boost his performing presence in mainstream venues as well. With his wide vocal range — thanks to coaching by vocal trainer Don Lawrence (Lady Gaga, Christina Aguilera) — Nahas will perform a diverse list of songs made famous by Freddie Mercury, Roy Orbison, Roberta Flack, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Prince, Frank Sinatra, Nina Simone, Luciano Pavarotti and others. In 2021, Nahas founded MusicPower.org, which funds local and global initiatives that use music as a tool for solving societal problems. He performs in the Little Theatre Cafe from 7 - 9 p.m.; the show is free and open to all ages. LS
MUSIC
Meet the 2024 cohort of CITY neighbors making art –and a difference
There’s an old saying that goes something like, “Give people their flowers while they can still smell them.” In our annual Rochester 10 issue, that’s precisely our aim. In the following pages, we’ve profiled 10 people who are giving back to the community, building a stronger city and making art in different ways. You will find them on stages, in pages, behind-the-scenes, behind the line and creating culture. Like last year, they were chosen through nominations from both staff and contributors.
Read on to meet this year’s cohort, and learn about the ways they’re contributing to our fair city.
Want to nominate someone to the 2025 cohort? Please email leah@rochester-citynews.com for future consideration.
Profiles by:
Kellen Beck
Sydney Burrows
Gino Fanelli
Jon Heath
Patrick Hosken
Daniel J. Kushner
June “CM ” McCambridge
Jessica L. Pavia
Katherine Varga
Portraits by:
Rafael Rodriguez
Sejal Shah
Age: 51
Current residence: Henrietta
Hometown: Brighton
Occupation: Writer; writing teacher
From the highest point on Cobbs Hill, it’s easy to pinpoint where the trees turn into blue skies. Sun bounces off the terracotta tile; the columns feel like Greece or Rome, or just that time in American history where architects became obsessed with the revival of both. Looking down past the undulating stone steps, it feels like the center of the world.
“We were there in every season,” wrote Brighton native Sejal Shah in her latest collection, “How to Make Your Mother Cry: Fictions,” about this spot. “Watching the birders, the butterflies, the lovers… We sat and talked; sometimes we kissed. This was all I needed for a while: a hill, a view.”
While the entire literary collection is not exclusively about Rochester, the city is a pulse in the book, a touchstone to which the narrator returns. Desires to leave, anxieties about returning — and its ability to glom onto one.
It makes sense, considering the author was raised in Brighton, where serious high school publications like “Trapezoid” and “Galaxy” buoyed and built a community that was recently displayed at a Rochester Roots event hosted by Shah and Writers & Books. At the event, five Brighton alums read their work to standing ovations from the crowd.
“I think it was more than we could have hoped for,” Shah said. “I loved being in community with and being able to hear these other writers.”
Since moving back to the area in 2012, Shah has become a beloved name in both the local and international literary scene. Her essay, “Even If You Can’t See It: Invisible Disability and Neurodiversity” — which was neither the start of her disability advocacy and activism through writing, nor its end — was published by “The Kenyon Review” and went viral in 2019. Shah’s debut, a collection of essays titled
“This Is One Way to Dance,” was named a Best Book of 2020 by NPR. Its followup, which was released in May 2024, plays with form, incorporating fiction, poetry, letters and photography.
“She’s able to tell her story and use her unique voice in a way that benefits the narrative,” says K.E. Semmel, who served as director of Writers & Books when Shah taught there. “She’s a writer first and foremost, and a very good one.”
To celebrate its release, she held a packed launch party at the Rochester Contemporary Art Center.
“I think of my book, in some ways, as being a love letter to Rochester and New York City,” Shah said. “Our area is worthy of being written about. Sometimes a place just gets under your skin.”
Shah is not the only writer to be enamored with, or take inspiration from, the city. And yet, local writers often remain hidden from each other.
Albert Abonado, a local poet who hosts open mics at Equal Grounds and has a collection forthcoming with Beacon Press, met Shah for the first time at a literary conference in Boston.
“The literary community sadly remains largely invisible, and for one reason or another fails to receive the same attention as other mediums,” he said via email. “Our writing is part of a larger conversation, and Sejal's work widens that conversation, not only in the content and style of her work, but in her relationships.”
Events like the book launch and Rochester Roots shouldn’t feel rare in a place with such a literary legacy and pulsing contemporary talent — but they do. So Shah, for years, has been championing spaces where this isn’t the case, where slowly but surely local authors are seen and heard.
“(Writing) is a solitary task and journey,” Shah said. “There’s more joy in community. (Build) the table, make space at the table. It’s there.”
— Jessica L. Pavia
Margherita Smith II
Age: 38
Hometown: Rochester
Current residence: Rochester
Occupation: Chef/owner at The Saucey Chef
Margherita Smith, founder of indulgent takeout restaurant The Saucey Chef, wants to be a chef for the people.
“Everybody should be able to eat good, and eating good does not mean fine dining,” she said.
Smith also has a personal and professional philosophy: relentless pursuit. It’s a term the strong-willed chef cemented when she received her first paycheck for a private chef gig, but has embodied since she was a kid sneaking into her mother’s pristine, guarded kitchen to cook.
“If my mom was going to be home at such-and-such a time, I would make sure to leave no trace,” Smith reminisced. “Mind you, she pretty much always caught me, but I just waged on.”
Over the years, Smith’s experience and knowledge grew as she worked at an Italian pastry shop, a pasta shop and a food truck; earned a degree in hospitality from Rochester Institute of Technology; bartended; cooked for private parties; and hosted popup dinners at the former Rosario Pino’s artisan food store. She flexed her networking abilities, learned how to use social media for marketing and embodied self-reliance.
Smith also spent time in the kitchen of legendary Rochester Italian joint 2Vine in its heyday.
“I’ve kept a scratch mentality because of the extra steps we took at 2Vine,” she said. “There’s nothing that we do (at The Saucey Chef) that we don’t do ourselves. That is a grounding principle for the food that we cook: as simple as it could be, we don’t cut corners.”
Corners aren’t cut with hospitality at Saucey either, despite being takeoutonly with clear signage to keep people from coming inside. Smith can list names of regulars off the top of her head and knows what food they like. She’ll even give some especially regular customers a personal text about the next week’s menu if she thinks they’ll want to reserve a plate.
Before opening The Saucey Chef in 2019, Smith started a meal prep delivery service (now dubbed ‘Ripe by Saucey’) focused on healthy everyday food. The idea was born when a friend’s mother was sick and Smith wanted to lend a hand, making pureed soups and other easyto-eat, wholesome meals. The Ripe concept grew and allowed Smith to save up enough money to eventually launch The Saucey Chef without going into debt.
Leslie Pierre-Philippe, an academic advisor at Finger Lakes Community College, met Smith in college. Though they lost touch for a few years, the two reconnected during the meal prep delivery days.
“When she started her restaurant and it was literally just her in the kitchen, I would come by after work and help her finish the night out,” Pierre-Philippe said. “I appreciate her genuine love of food.”
Now a mother of four kids, Smith has built up a business where she can flex her creativity as a chef while simultaneously making an impact on Rochester’s wide community.
“We serve everyone,” Smith said. “If there’s a neighborhood teen who wants to order Saucey, is there something they can afford on the menu? That’s important to me.”
Smith is unabashed in her views on culture and society. Saucey, with its multicultural team, has a working relationship with Ibero, a program from the American Action League that helps empower immigrants and the underserved, including obtaining working papers and finding job placements. During the student-led protests against local colleges’ ties to Israel in the ongoing war against Palestine, Saucey provided food to the encampments in Rochester.
“I don’t think I could be a chef without the elements of being an entrepreneur,” she said, “because I want to do what I want, how I see fit.”
— Kellen Beck
Gentles Farm Market
Selling local fresh fruits and vegetables for over
CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS
PUZZLE ON PAGE 66. NO PEEKING!
Age: 33
Hometown: Far Rockaway, Queens
Current residence: Rochester
Occupation: Artist; musician
Taurus Savant is an artistic jack-of-all-trades. An eclectic singer-songwriter who has performed at the Little Café and the Pittsford Community Library. A painter whose mixed media work, including photography and poetry, has been showcased at Behind the Glass gallery. A resident poet going into his fifth year mentoring youth with Flower City Arts Center’s after school program for RCSD students, the 678 Photo Club.
And he has mastered one form that’s often underrated: the art of showing up.
“Taurus is probably the most supportive person in the Rochester arts community,” says Amanda Chestnut, fellow artist and producer of the chapbook “In This Moment,” which has published Savant’s nonfiction (because yes, he also writes prose). “When you have an event, he’s one of the people you know is gonna show up for you.”
Born in New York City but raised in Rochester, Savant knows firsthand the challenges of making a living as an artist, especially at the intersection of being Black, queer and poor. Growing up, his main exposure to the arts was getting in trouble for doodling in his notebook.
After two rejections from School of the Arts and dropping out of the theater program at Monroe Community College, Savant has followed his whims and passions to make art on his own terms. His self-education began with a childhood love of checking out the Merriam-Webster 2001 dictionary from the library. Now, he sprinkles his easy listening songs with words like “cloying,” “altruistic” and “despondent.”
He finds inspiration for his self-produced music in everyday life, from the robotic “wait” signal at the intersection of Chestnut and Broad to the daily struggles of capitalism. He’s often asked to perform “Bitch, it’s Snowing,” a smooth jazz ode to Rochester winters, regardless of the season.
While Savant’s dream is to survive and thrive by making art, he never loses sight of larger issues affecting the community.
“I move in the sense of equity,” he said. “I move in the sense of making sure underrepresented communities get opportunities to do something that they love and get paid fairly for it.”
While Savant has grace for every artist trying to make a buck, he urges other artists to consider the big picture. When he sees murals on expensive properties, he often wonders if the artist who helped beautify the building can afford to live in it.
This passion led him to be one of the early organizers of what is now Rochester Arts United, a non-profit advocacy group dedicated to sharing resources and opportunities with underrepresented artists. He also was an outspoken advocate with People for Parcel 5 — for those who have enjoyed that green space, perhaps during Rochester Fringe Festival, Rochester International Jazz Festival or just while eating lunch on a sunny day, he’s one of the people to thank.
Savant is also OK with not being everyone’s cup of tea, as long as he’s being true to himself. He fondly recalls going to City Council wearing sweatpants and a hoodie, calling out inequities where he sees them.
“I’m an audacious human being,” he said. “I’m never afraid to ‘say the thing.’”
One of Savant’s proudest moments recently was seeing and hearing reactions to work done by his youth mentees in the 678 Photo Club. He returned to the Gallery Obscura exhibit at the George Eastman House over and over again, eavesdropping on positive feedback from visitors so he could pass it along to the young artists.
“Ultimately, being visible in these spaces shows other people who are likeminded, who share other experiences, ‘you are welcome in this space,’” he said. “I’m growing the proverbial garden so everybody can eat.”
— Katherine Varga
SavantTaurus
Chris Fanning
Age: 38
Hometown: Geneva
Current residence: Rochester’s Neighborhood of the Arts
Occupation: Deputy director at Writers & Books
Chris Fanning walks to work, his eyes on the pages of a book. His commute has become second nature. From his apartment, he follows University Avenue, his feet instinctively navigating every curb and crack in the pavement like a well-worn path. After 12 minutes, he arrives at the three-story brick façade of Writers & Books, closes his book and steps inside.
For Fanning, the Neighborhood of the Arts, also referred to as NOTA, is more than just a zone on a map; it’s home.
“I've always loved this neighborhood; it’s vibrant and diverse,” he said. “It isn't just about the arts; it's about retail, restaurants, museums and community gardens. It’s about culture.”
At the heart of NOTA lies Writers & Books. Fanning began as an intern nearly 20 years ago and now serves as deputy director under Executive Director Alison Meyers, whom he was on the committee to hire.
“She saw the potential in me and what I was bringing to the table,” he recalled. “She said to me, ‘Stop working part-time jobs and come have a career.’”
Meyers said it's a joy and a privilege to work alongside Fanning.
“He is the ultimate team player with the curiosity to explore and take on new responsibilities that advance our mission in countless ways,” she said. “Chris deeply values people of all ages and backgrounds and is genuinely committed to building bridges of communication and understanding through the arts and social justice endeavors.”
As a nonprofit literary center promoting reading and writing as lifelong pursuits, Writers & Books has been exploring the question “What does literature mean to us?” for 40 years.
For Fanning, the answer is simple. “Storytelling invokes empathy and brings us together as people, as a culture,” he said.
Both culture and community resonate deeply with Fanning, who has been actively involved in groups and events from a young age. Growing up in Geneva, he attended a Catholic school where he immersed himself in youth groups and choirs.
“It was a chance to get out and be a part of something,” he said.
During his time at St. John Fisher University, which he attended on a service scholarship, and throughout his early career, Fanning’s passion for curating experiences and working behind the scenes established him as a community-driven events professional. He spent eight years behind the scenes at Entercom Radio (now Audacy) as a public relations representative, followed by four years as an associate producer for the Rochester Fringe Festival. Throughout his tenure at Writers & Books, Fanning has contributed to countless events through volunteering, organizing, pitching in and leading by example.
This is exemplified by his role as president of the NOTA Business Alliance, a position Fanning has held for a year after spending a decade on the board. By supporting local businesses and getting to know their owners on a first-name basis, he is committed to improving the neighborhood where he lives and works. Fanning views NOTA as a microcosm of Rochester and aims to unify many more neighborhoods for the city's greater good.
“We can pool our resources to help the merchants in all our communities,” he said. “The saying ‘A high tide raises all ships’ is what we’re trying to achieve.”
Perhaps Fanning’s greatest attribute is kindness—it’s his creative pursuit of choice, alongside gardening, of course.
“Showing kindness when I'm on my walks fills my cup,” he said. “Saying hello or chatting with somebody on the street is uplifting. It takes more energy to be angry or closed off and I don't see the value in that. Kindness costs nothing.”
—
Jon Heath
Age: 35
Hometown: Rochester
Current residence: Rochester
Occupation: Artist
Practicing drums amongst the radio hum and cathode ray tube static and whine, there’s a renaissance man in Rochester’s midst. Scar Markham is more than just a musician, but someone creating art in every form, using his skills and materials to uplift other artists in Rochester.
From murals and music to woodworking, sculpture and traditional painting, Markham really does it all, artistically speaking. It’s not at all uncommon to encounter him as part of the band Chores — usually playing at The Bug Jar — or across town scoping out a new project for himself, scavenging vintage electronics to repair.
“He’s constantly engaged, always working on something,” said Jennifer Wameling, guitarist for Chores. “It’s not just art and music, he’s always working on electronics or hunting for vintage things friends would want.”
With a style defined by intentionally shaky linework and half-lidded eyes, Markham’s art is influenced by every part of his life. It would be difficult enough to mistake his perpetually exhausted “little blue guy” character with top surgery scars for anyone else’s work, but Markham’s stylized and shaky line work is by no means random, stemming from the influence of his late grandmother.
“She had Parkinson’s, but she was also an artist and was very talented,” Markham said. “Later in life, when she would draw, it was very wiggly and frustrating for her. I thought she was the greatest, and I thought it all looked amazing and was so wonderful. It’s an homage to her that I put wiggles in my linework.”
While Markham might have myriad artistic endeavors, his music is always the first thing he excitedly brings up, and what he always comes back around to.
“I feel very isolated in my work now, because I work from home,” Markham said. “The only tether I have to the outside community is my music and playing with my band. The music community here is so supportive — we’re all going out to each other’s shows, everybody is hanging out all the time. It’s a very great community.”
A history of collaboration throughout Rochester also shapes Markham’s art. After becoming a part of the local skateboarding community, he began selling zines here in Rochester. As time went on, Markham went on to do more complex pieces, including murals such as the one at the Rochester City Skatepark.
Erich Lehman, owner and curator of the 1975 Gallery, is an avid fan of both Markham’s work and attitude towards collaborating with other artists. For the Rochester Institute of Technology’s current “Sketchy!” exhibit, which Lehman curated, Markham even went out of his way to create an elaborate diorama in order to help showcase another artist’s work.
“Scar’s stuff was already done, and he came back and pitched it as two powerline poles,” said Lehman. “He kept building on it, and built a diorama of these telephone poles, down to little flyers on the poles, literally the next day. His willingness to jump in and do something that benefits another artist — that’s real selflessness.”
Lehman also fondly recounted a story of Markham’s woodworking, where he crafted two boxes from a thin veneer of skateboard wood to bring to life a concept Lehman described as a personal ‘therapeutic device.’
“Scar took a lot of meaning from that project too, in that I would trust him to work on something that is so insanely personal,” Lehman said. “He appreciated the weight of what I was asking him to do.”
Scar Markham
Dr.Vikram Dogra
Age: 71
Hometown: Akhnoor, India
Current residence: Pittsford
Occupation: Radiology professor & founder of Dogra Art Foundation
As a young doctor practicing in Delhi, India, Vikram Dogra kept a small box outside his office. Patients would drop in cash after a check-up. “When you walk out, you could put in whatever you want,” Dogra said. “Two rupees was my fee.”
One day, someone couldn’t pay, so they instead offered a postcardsized painting in the Nathdwara art tradition. This piece, as many in that style do, depicted Shrinathji, a form of the Hindu deity Krishna. Dogra was taken with the work.
Decades later, Dogra — now a renowned radiologist at the University of Rochester Medical Center — owns enough Shrinathji paintings to launch his own gallery.
The nonprofit Dogra Art Foundation, based out of his home in Pittsford, aims to “promote and support South Asian Art in North America,” according to its vision. Central to that are the hundreds of paintings, sculptures and photographs Dogra and his wife, Nalini, have amassed as cultural items and learning tools.
“Diversity, simply as a word, means nothing,” he said. “You won't talk to me unless you understand my culture.”
The work is cataloged in spreadsheets on his MacBook and nearly all have been custom matted and framed by Dogra’s preferred artisan in India.
Notable in the collection are devotional cloth paintings called pichwai, marked by brilliant colors and intricate details. Dogra purchased a resplendent 150-yearold piece that once decorated the Shrinathji temple in Nathdwara from an antique dealer; it now hangs near the banister overlooking his staircase. Dogra manages the foundation in his spare time, which is precious, between his clinical work and duties at the university. As a doctor, he moved around quite a bit before landing in Rochester in 2005. He’s eager to stay another 20 years or longer; the foundation ensures a legacy.
“That's why Rochester is important,” he said. “The longest period where I’ve served has been in Rochester.”
Keen to broaden the area’s international art connections, the Dogras recently brought Indian street artist Avinash Kumar here to paint a geometric mural called “Illusionary Odyssey” on the wall of the Memorial Art Gallery. They paid for his visa sponsorship, gave him a place to stay and even packed a lunch for him every day.
Sarah Jesse, the MAG’s director, said the Dogras’ generosity and hospitality ensures Kumar’s painting — and Indian street art in general — reaches people who may otherwise never be exposed to it.
“Having an artist from another country in residence here in Rochester for an extended period of time is quite cost prohibitive for us,” Jesse said. “They've helped enable a project and an experience for our audiences that we wouldn't otherwise be able to provide.”
To that end, Dogra hopes to continue his partnership with the museum and has helped bring in guest lecturers like Madhuvanti Ghose from the Art Institute of Chicago. He’s also working to get an Indian sculptor’s work installed near Mendon Ponds Park.
Dogra is an evangelist for the art he’s collected and the perspective it can bring. He keeps his gallery open, in his words, “24/7,” but as it’s his home, a quick call in advance is appreciated.
In the entryway, guests will notice a ceremonial lamp decorated with flower petals that Dogra lights every morning while saying a prayer. The metaphor is perhaps incidental, but potent nonetheless.
“Lighting the lamp in Indian culture is very important,” Dogra said, “because light dispels darkness.”
Contact the Dogra Art Foundation at 1-888-598-9935, or dograartfoundation@gmail.com.
— Patrick Hosken
Ruben Laurie MacFarlane Ornelas &
Ruben Ornelas
Age: Vintage
Hometowns: Rochester / New York City / San Antonio
Current Residence: Rochester’s Neighborhood of the Arts
Occupation: Freelance dance teacher; dance maker
Laurie MacFarlane
Age: 58
Hometown: Fanwood, NJ
Current Residence: Rochester’s Neighborhood of the Arts
Occupation: Choreographer; collage artist; and supervisor of volunteers, pastoral care and customer service at Monroe Community Hospital
Dancers and artists in the Rochester dance community — even those who only occasionally dip their toes in the scene — have likely heard of Ruben Ornelas and Laurie MacFarlane. Partners both in life and in their company, Commotion Dance Theater, Ornelas and MacFarlane are also recognized for how they graciously support fellow artists. That includes their establishment of the annual ‘Dances at MuCCC’ festival, the creation of which MacFarlane credits to the encouragement of the late John Borek and interest of local artists.
“We wanted to give people a forum to do their work and have it be seen,” she said. “That’s how you learn and grow and improve in your art form.”
After eight years, Ornelas and MacFarlane passed the reins of the festival to Donna Davenport and Nanako Horikawa Mandrinoa. But its original mission of bringing together dance artists of different styles and aesthetics in one space continues.
Ornelas and MacFarlane each have a unique aesthetic of their own in the form of dance theater. Even though they’re partners, the duo doesn’t work directly together on pieces, aside from bouncing ideas off of one another. Their collaborative work lies, instead, in planning and producing performances under the umbrella of their company.
Hilton native Alaina Olivieri, who teaches ballet at St. Peter's Community Arts Academy and several local universities, still clearly
remembers the first time she saw a piece by MacFarlane years ago. “It was something I’d never experienced before, either as a performer or a viewer,” said Olivieri. “She and Ruben just put themselves out there without caring what anyone thinks.” Their choreography is abstract; Ornelas focusing on a whimsical sense of movement and MacFarlane on storytelling.
For MacFarlane, the environment she creates onstage is as essential as the movement. “Having theatrical elements in place is really important for the performer to develop and embody something,” she said. The costumes, props, scenery, and sound always play a large part in her choreography.
Ornelas focuses on structured improvisation in his creative process, giving space for the artists to make choices. Olivieri has gained a new sense of confidence as an artist and teacher after working with MacFarlane and Ornelas.
“Ruben always says, ‘It’s not a mistake, it’s just the way it’s supposed to be,’” said Olivieri. “And now. I trust myself to make choices, especially in improvisation and exploration. I don’t think I would have felt that way without working with them.”
Those who have seen Ornelas’s work may be surprised to learn that before he was a modern dance theater creator, his comfort zone was in the ballet studio. An injury forced Ornelas to pivot from his career as a professional ballet dancer, eventually landing him in the land of modern dance at Juilliard.
While living and working in New York City after graduation, Ornelas met MacFarlane, who had discovered her own love for modern dance at Bennington College. Together, they lived in multiple cities, while Ornelas studied at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and pursued a career teaching dance.
A job at SUNY Geneseo brought the family to Rochester, where they thoughtfully and passionately built a home in the dance community. “I was quite surprised by the number of people involved in dance here,” said Ornelas. “I value the community and
being able to help bring people together, to support and encourage them.”
The Rochester dance community values Ornelas and MacFarlane as well.
“They keep evolving and creating more opportunities for people in the community,” Olivieri said. “They don’t need to take credit for things, they just want to make and present art. They’re generous people who live humbly and create humbly.”
— Sydney Burrows
Race Eberhardt
Age: 36
Hometown: Pittsford
Current residence: Fairport
Occupation: Actor; clerical assistant
Race Eberhardt is not a superpowered secret agent. But Race Strait, the character he portrays in the upcoming adventure film “Strait Undercover,” boasts those qualities. And since the role of Strait was written specifically for Eberhardt — and then Eberhardt helped develop the character during the filming of the movie — it’s logical to conclude that both Races have remarkable powers.
Eberhardt’s might be his adaptability and confidence on screen. He fell in love with acting at age 10 and has been involved with theater groups in the Rochester region since then. Eberhardt also appeared as an extra in two independent movies, including 2013’s “Bury My Heart with Tonawanda.”
By day, Eberhardt works at Paychex, where he’s been for 15 years. But he’s long been called to the stage in productions by Artists Unlimited, the local theater and choral group that integrates performers both with and without disabilities.
“Strait Undercover,” produced by local video agency Fish & Crown Creative, is Eberhardt’s first-ever feature. His duties on set found him fending off bad guys in the middle of the night and running up a storm. “I loved it all the time,” Eberhardt said.
Filmed over six months in 2022 and 2023 in Greater Rochester with a dozen actors and a professional crew, “Strait Undercover” is, writer-director Ben Gonyo said, quite the step up from Eberhardt’s past work.
“Then you add in the complexity of having Down syndrome,” Gonyo said. “What he's pulled off is an amazing feat.”
Gonyo first met Eberhardt while casting actors for a television pilot. In their initial work before the film, Eberhardt and Gonyo developed a quick rapport. Gonyo would call for another take, and Eberhardt would bust his chops with comments like “Poor baby Ben didn't get what he wanted.”
“I saw something there,” Gonyo said. “I was like, this guy has something about him that's a star quality, if you position it correctly.”
Gonyo set out to create a project that could showcase Eberhardt’s talents. “He said, ‘Race, let’s write you a movie,’” Eberhardt recalled.
Thus was born “Strait Undercover.” It follows Race Strait, a United States Department of Agriculture agent who yearns for a bigger case than the low-level cattle counts and water runoff investigations he’s assigned.
Luckily, Strait can communicate telepathically with the earth, which gives him an edge to solve a much bigger mystery.
On set, Eberhardt — who prefers mini Snickers bars to coffee — didn’t simply endure the eight- and 10hour shooting days, Gonyo said. He shined.
The star brought his penchant for physical humor to the film, which was designed to be a quirky actioncomedy. He also gave Gonyo some marching orders on aspects that didn’t make the final cut: “You save that scene for the sequel.”
Offscreen, the highly motivated Eberhardt is something of a multihyphenate. He knits homemade scarves on a table loom and sells them; the profits go toward sustaining Artists Unlimited programs. He recently returned from Croatia, where he officiated his brother’s wedding.
“Strait Undercover” will ideally make the festival rounds (Gonyo mentioned submitting it to Sundance, among others) after it receives finishing touches, including a musical score and color work. The ideal next step is linking with a major distributor to find as large an audience as possible before a world premiere.
Ultimately, Eberhardt anticipates more onscreen adventures, with or without Race Strait at the helm. “I’m hoping to continue doing it,” he said.
Of course, he’s absolutely rooting for that sequel.
— Patrick Hosken
Anita O'Brien
When Anita O’Brien first started hosting weekly rides with adaptive cycles for people with disabilities, it was progress in the fight for greater accessibility. But it wasn’t enough. She realized it was limiting that the activity was only available once a week and perhaps only if those who needed that accessibility had schedules that coincided with her own. Providing a truly equitable experience for anyone interested in cycling meant making the activity available any day of the week, without the need for special arrangements.
In 2015, this proactive thinking led O’Brien to start Rochester Accessible Adventures, a nonprofit organization that empowers businesses and local governments to provide inclusive services that are readily accessible to those with and without disabilities. Her focus is on the areas of sports, recreation and tourism.
As executive director of Rochester Accessible Adventures, O’Brien takes an optimistic approach that treats the solution as inevitable, a given. “We can always ask, ‘Why aren't we doing it yet?’ she said. “But I don't find that as productive as ‘Are we ready to start now?’”
Peter Abele, the owner of Erie Canal Boat Company in Fairport, teamed up with O’Brien early on, and by 2016, his business was renting out accessible bikes and kayaks to customers, resulting in a 31% sales increase.
In partnering with Rochester Accessible Adventures, Abele was encouraged by O’Brien’s openness to everyone. “She didn’t discriminate, for any particular reason,” he said.
O’Brien and RAA went to work with more than a dozen additional organizations, such as schools, libraries, small businesses and the towns of Perinton, Victor and Irondequoit. For O’Brien, making spaces accessible to all doesn’t just mean following the Americans with Disabilities Act — the 1990 legislation enacted to ensure accommodations for those with previously limited access to essential services.
There is a difference between an activity being physically accessible to a disabled person and that activity being designed with consideration for the quality of experience that person has. “If I invited you to my party,
Age: 53
Hometown: Gainesville, GA
Current residence: West Irondequoit
Occupation: Certified therapeutic recreation specialist; founder and executive director of Rochester Accessible Adventures
and I know you're coming, It's going to be very clear if I did anything about it,” she said.
O’Brien saw a need in the community for businesses and organizations that provided true accessibility without needing to be asked. Rather than burdening someone who needs access, that business takes responsibility for being inclusive of the entire community, and in turn gets more customers.
“People self-select out of something because they know ultimately there’s going to be hassle,” she said. “And they have to decide, ‘Am I in the mood for a hassle?’”
To remove the potential hassle entirely, O’Brien — together with RAA Inclusion Specialist Dee Mascari — collaborates with Rochester-area organizations over the course of a one-to-three year period, offering valuable training, selfassessment and the implementation of a plan.
Looking ahead, O’Brien is considering expanding RAA’s operations into other regions of New York State such as the Finger Lakes, the Southern Tier and even Long Island. The goal is to reverse the societal tendency to keep people with disabilities hidden and in isolation. Visibility is important, and there’s already been progress in the field of education.
“Generationally, we have more exposure and shared experience in school settings,” she said. “This group of kids will now be looking around them and saying, ‘But hey, why am I not seeing my classmates in these other settings? Why am I not seeing them at summer camp with me?’”
O’Brien’s vision is for Rochester to establish more spaces that are truly inclusive.
“That's the work that we need to do,” she said. “We need to continue it so that everybody is expected everywhere.”
— Daniel J. Kushner
Age: 49
Hometown: Greece
Current residence: Rochester
Occupation: Owner of Krudco.
The year is 1994, an era when skateboarding had been firmly cemented as a subculture lynchpin. That year would also see the release of Plan B Skateboards’ “Second Hand Smoke,” a milestone skate video directed by Jason Lee, better known now as Earl from the TV show “My Name is Earl.” A year prior, director Spike Jonze and skaters Rick Howard and Mike Carroll launched Girl Skateboards, one of the most enduring, well-known and influential skateboarding brands. Skateboarding was hitting its stride, and poised to enter the public consciousness.
Enter 20-year-old Aaron Costa. At that time, he was a college student working on a marketing project. He designed a simple logo, the first marker of a venture celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.
“We made (what was) like a Krudco logo, it was horrible,” Costa said. “But either way, it sparked the idea.”
Costa then went to his father, who owned a tire business in a building on North Clinton Avenue. The first iteration of the longest-running skate shop in Rochester area would start in a 12-by-12 space above the tire business; Krudco opened in August of that year.
“I had a whole whopping $600 at the time, and I did business with two companies first,” Costa said. “It just kind of spread out from there.”
Krudco has found multiple homes since its start on North Clinton, including on Howell Street near the Strong National Museum of Play, on Park Avenue, and its newest home on Mt. Hope Avenue, a stone’s throw from the Roc City Skatepark.
Throughout that time, the shop has been more than just a shop. It’s a meeting ground, a clubhouse, a place where skaters from all walks of life can convene and bond. If you even have passing interest in skating, Krudco feels like home.
Alan Presutti is co-owner and special projects manager for Krudco. He credits Costa for making Krudco a place that has endured the test of time. Not easily, either. Money can get tight, the presence of the internet has taken a bite out of skate shop revenue, and skating itself has gone through its ebbs and flows of coolness.
“There’s been a lot of tough times, but he’s always managed to pull it off,” Presutti said.
Costa himself has gone through his own life changes in the past 50 years. On the morning of the interview for this article, Costa is running late, having to pick up one of his three kids from summer camp. It’s a far cry from the time when he started Krudco, then just a local skater looking to build a place where the different crews around town could comingle.
On the floor space of Krudco, time almost seems to stand still. It may be in different locations, with different brands and different fashion trends lining its walls. But the distinct scent of lubricant still lingers in the air. The same faces, now with careers and families, still popping in the door. And there are still teens, drunk on a youthful passion for skating, milling about. Boxes and rails are set up on the sidewalk outside for impromptu sessions.
Krudco is still exactly what it was meant for, because there’s one thing that’s remained unchanged over the years.
“There’s always one little core group of skaters, the same faces you see over and over,” Costa said. “There’s your little crew keeping it alive, or his little crew keeping it alive.”
— Gino Fanelli
CostaAaron
The Dish
FOOD AND BEV NEWS, GOSSIP, AND GATHERINGS CURATED BY
LEAH STACY
BITE-SIZED NEWS
Beloved Culver Road diner The Golden Fox closed its doors on June 30 after 51 years in business, as owner Corinna Loiacono Kasandrinos was ready to retire — only to reopen by July 5 under new management, with many of the same staff in place (though it seems the website and Facebook have been deactivated). Either way, good news for regular Fox brunchers.
A cheekily branded, fast-casual Korean restaurant, Seoul Drop, has opened at 1900 South Avenue in Brighton’s Shoppes at Lac De Ville. The Instagram-friendly menu features everything from tofu wraps and bibimbap to colorful tiramisu and jiggly panna cottas shaped like cartoon animals. The spot uses all-natural ingredients like cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, kimbap seasoned with vinegar over seed oil and 100% butter in desserts.
In addition to food, they also offer specialty coffee drinks and welcome folks to work and meet at their space. seoul-drop.square.site
Newly opened spot Vinalia Urbana has closed its doors after just three months; the Joy family has moved another of their businesses, Park Ave. Paninoteca, to the 230 Monroe Ave. address. (Time to rename it Monroe Ave Paninoteca?)
WHET YOUR PALATE
Construction is well underway on a structure on East Avenue, in front of the Rockwood Street LA Fitness between Winton and Highland — research (and rumors) point to a forthcoming Chipotle location. Guac is good gym fuel…?
Penfield-based The Magnet Fried Chicken announced they will open a second location in the former Brighton home of Schaller’s, 2747 W.
Henrietta Rd. The brand originated as a food truck — Chick Magnet — during the pandemic. Father-son duo Jeff (a former culinary arts high school teacher) and Riley Christiano later opened a brick and mortar location in the former Penfield Hots location, 1794 Penfield Road, in 2022. themagnetfriedchicken.com
After shuttering last June, Blossom Road Pub, 198 Winton Rd. N., will reopen in fall 2024 as The Boot Room Pub — a soccer bar — under new owners Dan Zambito and John Bourgeois.
FOR THE LOCAVORES
Oceanside Tacos is a new pop-up from the star of our “Dough Maker” video on Instagram, Justin Pyle. He and a few other fellow California transplants are slinging West Coaststyle tacos with minimal toppings; follow their Instagram account for
announcements about the semimonthly pop-ups at the Rochester Public Market. instagram.com/ osidetacos
Another pop-up, Sue D. Sundays, happens the first Sunday of each month and is a little more IYKYK — orders must be placed via text and paid for, then location and pickup time is shared. Judging by the photos on Instagram, it might be worth the extra steps. instagram.com/suedsundays
In addition to finding Westside goto Rubino’s sauces at Whole Foods,
you’ll now be able to find them on select Wegmans shelves: vodka, traditional pasta and tomato basil. A little sauce with a side of Under the Tuscan Sun Garlic Bread? Count us in.
FOOD FÊTES
Celebrate Italian culture at Lincoln Hill Farms on Sunday, August 4 during the Sunday Sauce Festival feat. The Bocce Bash. Helmed by Guglielmo Sauce and friends, the event will include Italian food and drinks, live music, vendors
and a bocce ball tournament. The event runs 12-6 p.m. with free parking and admission, all ages (and leashed, friendly dogs!) welcome. Sign up for the tournament online. lincolnhillfarms.com
On Saturday, August 10, the Seneca Park Zoo and Restaurant Good Luck will present “Sustainable Table,” a showcase of regional farmers and seasonal consumption. In addition to a four-course pairing menu, the evening will feature a panel discussion with Squash Blossom Farm, Firefly Farm, Bedient Farms,
Living Roots Wine & Co. and the Seneca Park Zoo Society. Tickets for the 21+ event are $125 and includes a welcome beverage, meal, panel and donation to the Zoo Society. senecaparkzoo.org
New York Kitchen will host the first annual New York State of Mind Weekend August 9-13. The five-day event will feature a series of intimate and VIP foodie, wine and craft beverage experiences, including renowned TV celebrity chefs, winemakers, sommeliers, master distillers and more. Participants and guests seeking a culinary adventure or simply looking for a memorable night out will enjoy unmatched experiences highlighting New York’s finest food, drink and entertainment. Events range from free to ticketed; more details online. nykitchen.com
Olympic Hopefuls
PUZZLE
BY S.J. AUSTIN & J. REYNOLDS
1. Very, very
5. Rationale (for)
10. Opposite of neither
14. Sequel to a sequel to a sequel to a sequel
19. Chicago politico Emanuel
20. Get up
21. Cartoon light bulb
22. Pain relief brand
23. ** Strategy board game that originated, ironically, in Europe-not Asia
26. Auto body flaws
27. 22-Across alternative
28. Decorative pond fish
29. Cool, in ‘90s slang
31. “_____ for octopus”
32. Texas historical site originally named the Misión San Antonio de Valero
35. TV chef Garten
37. Missourian’s demand
39. Food fight sounds
43. ** La Manche, to Brits
47. Bluesman Clapton
48. Popeye’s _____’Pea
49. Permanent marker brand
50. “That was great!”
53. Catch in the act
55. Totally lost
56. Like some exams
60. ** Ethos of the possibility of prosperity in the United States
63. Trap
65. Siren sound
66. K-6 sch.
68. Homes for fledglings or larvae
69. Dispensary cash dispenser, for short
72. Green, in a way
75. Slow tempo marking
78. Bearded dragon, e.g.
79. Disbelieve
81. Kissers
83. Lumps
85. Prepare for a shower
88. ** Pork product used in eggs Benedict
94. Exxon, overseas
95. Runny part of a breakfast sandwich
97. United
98. Significant cost for many new parents
99. Longtime friends
102. Casual assents
104. Med. insurance plans
105. ** Police dog breed
109. Grand Lodge members
111. Just one little bite
112. Phillipa of “Hamilton”
113. Matching in quantity
115. Luke, to Darth Vader (101-Down alert!)
116. Takes a glance at
119. Poorly
121. Caribbean nation whose capital is Castries
126. Extremely large pickup truck model
128. Olive Garden salad flavorer
132. Kind of fatty acid
133. Man’s name that means “reborn”
134. Confection
135. Oscar winner Blanchett
136. “White and _____” (Weird Al parody of “Ridin’ Dirty”)
137. Middle Eastern ruler
138. Some rec centers
139. The ultimate prize for athletes in Paris this month, hinted at by the country names in the starred clues
DOWN
1. Yacht-terrorizing marine mammal
2. Derisive laugh syllables
3. Send vis UPS, say
4. All: prefix
5. Seasoning herbs that may be green or purple
6. Venue for a winter concert
7. [Not my mistake]
8. Kinda, sorta
9. Search (out)
10. Beach wear purchases
11. Poem of praise
12. Maryland collegiate athlete, familiarly
13. Corned beef dish
14. Stir-fried rice dish
15. The “A” of I.P.A.
16. Widespread fame
17. Post-homework period, before the smartphone era
18. Tanker or tankard
24. It was: Lat.
25. Spring
30. Fireplace receptacle
33. Kitten’s cry
34. Interminably
36. Red-faced
38. Many a soccer score
39. Emmy winner Ward
40. High school dance
41. Caption on breaking news
42. Biting, quaintly
44. Hiking pack contents
45. Possesses
46. Nêhiyawak people
48. Bandmate of Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison
51. Thin out
52. Volunteer’s declaration
54. Spelling contest
57. Carpenter’s tool
58. Works of Picasso y Goya
59. For fear that
61. Moonwalker Armstrong
62. In the style of
64. Having an upturned nose
67. Wise men
69. For two together, musically
70. Heaps
71. Mucky substances
73. Hamburger toppers
74. Clean air org. established by Nixon
76. Alternatives to mums
77. College in New Rochelle
80. Sweeping implements 82 _____-Cone
84. Goldman’s banking partner
86. Most populous city in Australia
87. Soaks (up)
89. Novelist Seton
90. Big name in tractors
91. G.I. garb
92. “Straight _____ the rocks?”
93. Jonathan Van _____ of “Queer Eye”
96. “Well, _____-di-dah!”
100. Network delay
101. “Bruce Willis is a ghost,” e.g.
103. ASAP!
105. Who stabs the beast in “Beauty and the Beast”
106. Star: Fr.
107. Indefatigable shouter
108. Hindu festival of colors
109. Fellow sailors
110. “_____ fair in love and war” 114. Old nutritional fig.
117. Dublin’s land, to Dubliners
118. Academic acronym that has recently been amended to include an “A” for the arts
120. Frilly and delicate
122. Letters on a rescue boat
123. Ta-ta
124. Worldwide: abbr.
125. Elderly
127. Help
129. Buffalo folk rocker DiFranco
130. ‘60s war zone, informally
131. Political gathering scheduled for August 19-22, for short
