CITY August 2021 by CITY Magazine

NEWS. ARTS. LIFE. | AUGUST 2021 | FREE | SINCE 1971 WHAT ALES ME

URBAN LANDSCAPE

OUR TOWNS

A DOG-FRIENDLY BREW PUB FOR DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

TEN COLORFUL YEARS OF WALL/THERAPY

THE PINBALL WIZARDS OF EAST ROCHESTER

HERB’S

HELPING

HORN

HOW A NIGHT IN JAIL ON BOGUS CHARGES LED RPO TRUMPETER HERB SMITH TO MENTOR YOUNG BLACK MEN

INBOX WANNA SAY SOMETHING? CITY wants to hear you rant and rave. Your feedback must . . . . . . be no more than 250 words . . . respond to CITY content . . . be engaging CITY reserves the right to edit for accuracy, length, and readability.

Send your rants and raves to: feedback@rochester-citynews.com

CITY, 280 State St., Rochester, NY 14614 (ATTN: Feedback) REIMAGINING OUT ALLIANCE I was very interested to read David Andreatta’s article in the July edition about the state of the Out Alliance (“Reclaiming Pride”). I also would recommend listening to the June 30 “Connections” program on WXXI News, hosted by Evan Dawson. Its panel included current Out Alliance Board President Luis Burgos, former Out Alliance Executive Director Scott Fearing, and former Out Alliance senior staff member Tamara Leigh. I think Tamara had a good suggestion to reimagine the Out Alliance as a coordinating agency to foster the growth of nascent organizations like Rainbow Seniors ROC and others that have sprung up to fill the void left by the collapse of the Out Alliance. I myself imagine the Out Alliance modeling itself on organizations like the United Way or Lifespan. Those organizations act as coordinating agencies whose function is to put people and organizations in touch with one another based on expressed need and to facilitate their funding efforts. In the past, the Out Alliance tried to be all things to all LGBTQ+ people. It was stretched too thin and did not have the financial resources or in-house experience to conduct all the programs that were on its plate. It wanted to be the LGBTQ+ organization, never mind that the African-American LGBTQ+ community never felt very welcome there. It started as a white gay man and white lesbian organization, and only very late in the game started 2 CITY

AUGUST 2021

acknowledging that racism, sexism, and transphobia had existed within the organization and the community at-large for decades. Once again, it was too little, too late. Hopefully, a reimagined Out Alliance will acknowledge and communicate the mistakes of the past, and take concrete and transparent steps to avoid them in the future. Phil Darrow, Henrietta DON’T FORGET ROCKY’S I enjoyed Gino Fanelli’s article “Lyell avenue, a very ‘Little Italy,’ and a neighborhood at a crossroads” in the July edition of CITY. He was wrong about one thing, though. The nowclosed Roncone’s was not the last Italian restaurant in the area. Rocky’s on Jay Street is still open. Patricia Patterson, Rochester

opportunity to profit. Here is the list of only corporate vendors they chose, and the locations of their headquarters. 1. Applegreen, Dublin, Ireland (to which the bulk of profits will flow). 2. Chick-fil-A, Atlanta, Ga. 3. Popeyes, Miami, Fla. 4. Shake Shack, New York, N.Y. 5. Dunkin, Canton, Mass. 6. Panda Express, Rosemead, Calif. 7. Burger King, Miami, Fla. 8. Starbucks, Seattle, Wash. 9. Panera Bread, St. Louis, Mo. So, from the NYS Thruway Authority: in your face NYS farmers, local restaurants, managers, taxpayers, etc.! We cater to fast food corporate interests. This must be opposed. Allen Grieco, Henrietta WHAT’S IN A NAME? I appreciate David Andreatta’s commentary in the July issue of CITY regarding the Rochester mayoral primary (“Order and decency return to City Hall”). I feel he erred, however, in mentioning the nicknames of the Mayor Lovely Warren’s accused husband’s associates. The reference struck me as derogatory and racist to imply that these nicknames indicate poor character and criminality. People need to be judged on their actions and not their names. Kathleen FitzPatrick, Pittsford

CHICK-FIL-A AND THE CORPORATE CASH-IN As referenced in CITY’s July 12 online article “LGBTQ lawmakers say no way to thruway Chick-fil-A,” the NYS Thruway Authority has announced that it will be demolishing and replacing all 27 rest areas to “bring them to the modern age.” These robust wooden buildings were built a mere 30 years ago, yet the state plan to squander $115,000,000 of our money to demolish and rebuild these perfectly good buildings. Forget about a flavor of New York, farm to table, healthy choices, or giving local area restauranteurs the

CONTEMPT FOR TEMPEH? It’s odd when a reviewer feels obliged to slam something good in order to praise something else. David Raymond doesn’t feel obliged to criticize Bruce Springsteen before he praises a Bartók concerto. Yet in “Desperately seeking salad — and six spots that do it right” Rebecca Rafferty must put down a perfectly fine food like tempeh in order to exalt vegetables. Why? How is her dislike of tempeh in any way relevant to this piece, or serve its purpose? William Pruitt, Irondequoit

NEWS. ARTS. LIFE. AUGUST, 2021 Vol 49 No 12 On the cover: Photograph by Jason Milton 280 State Street Rochester, New York 14614 feedback@rochester-citynews.com phone (585) 244-3329 roccitynews.org PUBLISHER Rochester Area Media Partners LLC, Norm Silverstein, chairman FOUNDERS Bill and Mary Anna Towler EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT themail@rochester-citynews.com Editor: David Andreatta News editor: Jeremy Moule Staff writer: Gino Fanelli Arts editor: Daniel J. Kushner Life editor: Rebecca Rafferty Calendar editor: Katherine Stathis Contributing writers: Roman Divezur, Marc Gabriel, Geary Ann Lewin, J. Nevadomski, Emmarae Stein CREATIVE DEPARTMENT artdept@rochester-citynews.com Creative director: Ryan Williamson Designer/Photographer: Jacob Walsh ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT ads@rochester-citynews.com Sales manager: Alison Zero Jones Advertising consultant/ Project manager: David White OPERATIONS/CIRCULATION Operations manager: Ryan Williamson Circulation manager: Katherine Stathis kstathis@rochester-citynews.com CITY is available free of charge. Additional copies of the current issue may be purchased by calling 585-784-3503. CITY may be distributed only by authorized distributors. No person may, without prior written permission of CITY, take more than one copy of each monthly issue. 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. Member of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia and the New York Press Association. Copyright by Rochester Area Media Partners LLC, 2021 - all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, photocopying, recording or by any information storage retrieval system without permission of the copyright owner.

@ROCCITYNEWS

IN THIS ISSUE OPENING SHOT

League night at the Rochester Pinball Collective in The Piano Works Mall in East Rochester. PHOTO BY MAX SCHULTE

NEWS

BEST OF ROCHESTER: THE RE-ENTRY EDITION

ARTS

LIFE

Now that you’ve had time to become reacquainted with all your favorite people, places, and things around town, celebrate them by casting a ballot.

Advocates for refugees say Rochester has less to offer refugees these days, and hope a new city office can help. BY GINO FANELLI

Jurassic Farms has become an unlikely woodsy getaway for live music in Rochester.

BY GINO FANELLI

BY DANIEL J. KUSHNER

BY JEREMY MOULE

DOWN ON THE FARM

REVEL IN THE DETAILS

REFLECTING WHAT MATTERS

Artist Ong Siraphisut wants you to take a breather on East Avenue. BY REBECCA RAFFERTY

WHAT ALE'S ME FOR DOG-DAY DRINKS, TRY BRINDLE HAUS

Looking to belly up to the bar with a furry, four-legged friend? This Spencerport craft brewery is your best bet.

BY DANIEL J. KUSHNER

In Rochester’s red-hot housing market, renting is cheaper than buying everywhere. But buying has its benefits. RETAINING ROCHESTER’S REFUGEES

HERB’S HELPING HORN

How a night in jail on bogus charges led RPO trumpeter Herb Smith to mentor young Black men.

BY DAVID ANDREATTA

RENTING VS. BUYING IN A SELLER’S MARKET

ON THE COVER

SUMMER SOUPS

In August, soup is a dish best served cold. Try these three recipes and chill out. BY JUDA NEVADOMSKI

RANDOM ROCHESTER

THE PINBALL WIZARDS OF EAST ROCHESTER

Rochester Pinball Collective iss a mélange of analog pleasure in a digital world. BY DAVID ANDREATTA roccitynews.com

CITY 3

WELCOME

Best of Rochester: The re-entry edition

omething happened in Rochester around May. Or rather, a bunch of things started happening. Maybe it was June. The months remain a Blursday. The point is, sometime in spring Rochester awoke from its pandemic-induced slumber and, suddenly, there was something to do every day and night of the week. Look no further than CITY’s calendar of events to see what we mean. There was live music and theater. There was baseball. There were movies. There were dinners with friends, indoors and outdoors. There were summer camps for kids. There were baby showers and weddings. There was a reason to get dressed in the morning. Yeah, that reason was going to work, but still, it was . . . something. The dam of pent-up energy began to burst when CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walenski said in May, “If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic.” By the time Gov. Andrew Cuomo said a few weeks later, “It’s time to re-enter society,” Rochester had already burst through the atmosphere and was ablaze with activity. The city was its old self: bustling, hot, beating. All the things to love about life and around Rochester were back. They hadn’t vanished. They were just in perfect hibernation, like Han Solo in carbon freeze. Re-entry could not have come at a better time for CITY’s annual “Best of Rochester” readers’ poll, which opens Aug. 1. Now that you’ve had time to become reacquainted with all your favorite people, places, and things around town — and meet some new ones — celebrate them by casting a ballot. Consider voting a salute to everything that makes Rochester great and a service to those Rip Van Winkle readers who are groggily searching for that best burger, best happy hour, best band, and more. This year, there are 110 ballot lines under six “Best of” categories — Arts & Entertainment, Food, Drink, Recreation, Services, and Who We Are. You don’t have to vote on every line to play, just the ones that speak to you. In case you’ve forgotten how this works, this stage of the poll is the primary — and it’s all online. Pencil and paper are so pre-pandemic. All you have to do is key in your choice on a ballot line at surveymonkey.com/r/C2YJYY2. Primary voting is open until midnight on Aug. 20. When this round is over, CITY staff will tally the thousands of votes and identify the finalists that will advance to the final round in September. We’ll remind you of that when the time comes. Word to the wise: It’s not lost on us at CITY that some of you might be inclined to stuff the ballot box. You can try, but we have our ways of weeding you out. Oh yes, we have our ways. Be sure to follow CITY on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for “Best of Rochester” updates. Tag us at #bestofroc.

David Andreatta, Editor

Thoughts about the new CITY? Tell us at feedback@rochester-citynews.com 4 CITY

AUGUST 2021

PRIMARY POLL August 1 - 20 FINAL POLL September 1 - 17 WINNERS Announced October 1

Best of

Rochester VOTE ONLINE AT ROCCIT YNEWS.COM ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Best Actor Best Artist Best Band (Cover) Best Band (Original)

Best Club DJ

Best Museum

Best Comedian/Comedy Troupe

Best Mural or Public Art

Best Dance Company

Best Solo Musician

Best Drag Performer

Best Photographer

Best Hip Hop Act

Best Published Author

Best Live Music Venue

Best Published Poet

(Large)

Best Art Gallery

Best Live Music Venue

Best Arts Event

(Small)

Best Theater Company CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

roccitynews.com

CITY 5

FOOD

DRINK

Best Bakery

Best Bar to Drink Alone

Best Barbecue

Best Beer Selection (Bar or Restaurant)

Best Breakfast

Best Beer Selection (Store)

Best Burger

Best Coffee

Best Calzone

Best Cidery

Best Candy Shop

Best Cocktails

Best Chinese Restaurant

Best Craft Brewery

Best Deli Sandwich or Sub

Best Distillery

Best Doughnuts

Best Dive Bar

Best Farmers Market Best Fish Fry Best Food Truck Best Global Foods Market Best Ice Cream Best Italian Restaurant Best Late-night Eats Best New Restaurant

Best Karaoke Best LGBTQ Bar Best Pickup Bar Best Smoothies/Juices Best Sports Bar Best Trivia Night Best Winery

Best Mexican Restaurant

Best Wine Selection (Bar or Restaurant)

Best Outdoor Dining

Best Wine Selection (Store)

Best Pizza Best “Plate” Best Ribs Best Sushi Best Thai Restaurant Best Vegetarian/Vegan Best Wings 6 CITY

AUGUST 2021

RECREATION Best Biking Trail Best Bowling Best Camp for Kids Best Cross-Country Skiing Best Day Hike

Best Music Teacher Best Musical Instrument Store

#BESTOFROC

Best Place to Buy Kitsch Best Pet-related Business Best Record Store Best Spa Best Secondhand/Thrift Store

Best Family-Friendly Attraction

Best Tattoo Parlor

Best Fishing Hole

WHO WE ARE

Best Guided Tour Best Outdoor Ice Skating Best Outdoor Swimming Best Pick-up Basketball Best Place to Go Dancing Best Place to Take a First Date Best Place to People Watch Best Place to Play Pool Best Stargazing Spot Best Tobogganing Hill Best Weekend Getaway

SERVICES Best Bike Shop Best Fitness Service Best Florist Best Independent Bookseller Best Haircut

Best Ambassador of Rochester Best Bartender Best Bouncer Best Chef Best Corner Store Best Festival Best Humanitarian Best Media Personality Best Neighborhood Garden Best Podcast Best Radio Station Best Social Justice Organization Best Social Media Account Best Sports Team Best TV News Station

VOTE @ ROCCITYNEWS.COM roccitynews.com

CITY 7

NEWS

SELLER’S MARKET

TO RENT OR

TO BUY? In Rochester’s red-hot housing market, renting is more affordable. (But buying has its benefits.) BY JEREMY MOULE

@JFMOULE

raging seller’s housing market in and around Rochester has made it harder than ever for anyone looking to buy a home to get the one they want. Buyers with deep pockets are swooping in to outbid the competition, paying many tens of thousands of dollars over asking prices. If you’re one of the countless aspiring homeowners who has been scrimping and saving for that down payment only 8 CITY

AUGUST 2021

JMOULE@ROCHESTER-CITYNEWS.COM

to be stymied by skyrocketing demand, you can take comfort in knowing that you’re saving more than you might think — almost no matter where you live. A CITY analysis of median monthly housing costs shows that across every ZIP code in Monroe County, renters spend less each month on housing than homeowners with a mortgage. How much less? About $450, for a difference of roughly $5,400 a year.

The analysis was inspired by a recent report from the online mortgage marketplace LendingTree that showed renting is cheaper than buying in all 50 of the largest metro areas in the country. Rochester didn’t make that cut, so CITY examined the same U.S. Census Bureau data that provided the basis for that study and found the trend held true here. “Not everyone wants to own a home and have all the maintenance

and do the yard work and long-term budgeting to save for a roof and for a furnace and all that other stuff,” said Mary Leo, executive director of The Housing Council at Pathstone, which provides services to homeowners, renters, and landlords in Monroe County and surrounding areas, including a first-time homebuyer CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

PHOTOS BY JEREMY MOULE

RENTING IN...

CHARLOTTE

IRONDEQUOIT

YOU'LL SAVE

(14612)

(14622)

$493

$310

MAPLEWOOD

PITTSFORD

YOU'LL SAVE

A MONTH

(14613)

$154 A MONTH

A MONTH

(14534)

$443 A MONTH

SWILLBURG

CORN HILL

YOU'LL SAVE

(14620)

$443 A MONTH

(14608)

$422 A MONTH

...VERSUS BUYING

roccitynews.com

CITY 9

Median monthly housing costs are lower for renters than buyers with a mortgage across Monroe County. But buying pays off when the mortgage is satisfied. This chart shows popular Monroe County ZIP codes and the differences in monthly housing costs for renters and owners.

MEDIAN RENT

ZIP (NEIGHBORHOOD)

MEDIAN COST OF OWNING

MEDIAN HOME VALUE

A MORTGAGED HOME

14607 (NOTA, Park Ave., Monroe Ave.)

$865

$1,612

$195,100

14608 (Corn Hill, PLEX, Susan B. Anthony)

$797

$1,219

$96,300

14610 (North Winton, Browncroft / Brighton)

$918

$1,512

$165,500

14611 (Bull's Head, Dutchtown, Genesee-Jefferson)

$893

$974

$56,700

14612 (Charlotte / Greece)

$905

$1,398

$141,500

14619 (19th Ward)

$972

$1,049

$78,200

14620 (South Wedge, Highland, Swillburg, Upper Monroe)

$927

$1,365

$151,500

14621 (northeast Rochester)

$810

$895

$58,300

14450 (Fairport / Perinton)

$1,066

$1,648

$202,800

14472 (Honeoye Falls)

$979

$1,959

$253,600

14526 (Penfield)

$928

$1,743

$206,400

14514 (North Chili)

$1,201

$1,554

$164,800

14534 (Pittsford)

$1,708

$2,151

$262,900

14622 (Irondequoit)

$909

$1,219

$113,600

14626 (Greece)

$1,027

$1,417

$143,900

course. “Renting is a great and important option.” The analysis compared median rents — the figures included utilities and other costs — to the median monthly cost of owning a home with a mortgage. In the Rochester metro, median rent was $899, while the median monthly cost of owning a mortgaged home was $1,350, according to the census data. In the city, the greatest difference between the median rent and the median cost of owning a home with a mortgage was in southeast Rochester, specifically the 14607 ZIP code that covers portions of the Neighborhood of the Arts and Park Avenue, among other neighborhoods, at $747 a month. In the immediate suburbs, the gap between renting and owning was greatest in the 14472 ZIP code that encompasses Honeoye Falls, with the difference being about $980 a month. The pattern held regardless of how poor or wealthy the ZIP code. For example, take the 14621 ZIP code that spans northeast Rochester through Clinton and Joseph avenues and 14620, which covers the South Wedge and Highland Park areas. The median household income was $27,675 in 14621 and $45,885 in 14620. The median home value in the 10 CITY AUGUST 2021

former was $58,300, and $151,100 in the latter. Yet in both places, the data suggests renting is cheaper. In 14621, the median rent was $810 while the median monthly cost of owning a home with a mortgage was $895, a difference of about $1,020 a year. In 14620, the median rent was $927, which is $5,256 cheaper per year than the $1,365 median monthly cost of a home with a mortgage. The annual savings fell in favor of renting in the suburbs, too. In Pittsford’s 14534 ZIP code, the median rent was $1,708 and the monthly cost of owning a mortgaged home was $2,151. In the village of Churchville, the median rent of $923 was $5,676 a year cheaper than the $1,396 the median monthly cost of owning a house with a mortgage. WHY BOTHER BUYING? It may be tempting for renters reading these statistics to wipe the thought of buying a home out of their minds for now, or maybe forever. After all, owning a home is not for everyone. Some people don’t want to be tied down. Others have trouble saving for a down payment. Empty-nesters may not want to deal with the expenses of maintaining a home. Younger people

may want to live in an area where housing stock for sale is hard to come by, such as the heart of downtown Rochester. But buying has its benefits, too — some quantifiable, some immeasurable. For many people, owning a home is part of the American dream. When people buy houses, they have assets that typically appreciate in value over time and can be passed down to loved ones. Home ownership also comes with tax benefits, a peace of mind knowing your landlord won’t change their mind about your living situation, and, for many, a sense of pride. That’s conventional wisdom and the reason why everyone from your parents to government leaders have extolled the virtues of home ownership. “I personally am a big proponent of owning if you can own just because . . . I truly believe it does build wealth over the long term,” said Lanie Bittner, president of the Greater Rochester Association of Realtors. Then there are the monthly savings that come with having paid off the mortgage, when the median costs of renters versus owners flip across the board and, with few exceptions, land squarely in favor of owners. Consider Pittsford, for instance, where renters saved $443 more a month

on average in housing costs than owners with a mortgage. When that mortgage is paid, the data shows that owners save on average $774 a month more than renters. In Rochester’s 14621 ZIP code, where renting was $85 cheaper a month than owning a home with a mortgage, owning a home outright yielded almost $400 in savings over the cost of renting, according to the data. The only place in the immediate Rochester area where monthly housing costs for renters and homeowners without a mortgage was even close, according to the data, was in Honeoye Falls. There, monthly housing costs for homeowners without a mortgage was $942, which was $37 less than the median rent of $979. At the same time, the median home value of $253,600 was the second highest among area ZIP codes, trailing only Pittsford. NOT A COMPLETE PICTURE What the census data does not reflect is how renters in and around Rochester are increasingly finding themselves in a position similar to would-be homebuyers who are priced out of the market. That is to say that rents are rising in conjunction with home prices, and those increases are not evident in the

HONEOYE FALLS

EARLY HEAD START + HEAD START

$980

CURRENT JOB OPENINGS

(14472) YOU'LL SAVE

A MONTH

Administrative Support Specialist Early Head Start Teacher Head Start Teacher data, which was taken from the 2019 American Community Survey, the most recent data available. Last month, Apartment List, a rental listing website that tracks rents in various metros, released an analysis that showed Rochester rents rose just shy of 15 percent between June 2020, when it estimated median rent was $972, and June 2021,with estimated median rent of $1,138. For context, census data showed that median rent in the Rochester metro rose 12.4 percent between 2014 and 2019, to $899 from $800. The metro’s rising rents are linked to the area’s rising home prices, which have been steadily climbing for the past five years, but shot up sharply during the past year. The average home in Monroe County sold for $195,975 as of June, according to the real estate site Zillow, an increase of 18.5 percent from a year ago. According to the Greater Rochester Association of Realtors, the median sales price in the region, which extends beyond Monroe County, was 14.4-percent higher in the first quarter of 2021 than a year earlier. How does that growth look in practical terms? Take a duplex on Lansdale Street in the city’s Swillburg neighborhood that sold in July for $277,000. Three years ago, the same house fetched $182,500. In the Browncroft neighborhood, a house on Yarmouth Road that sold for $335,000 in 2015 went for $495,000 in June, an almost 48 percent increase. The same is happening in the

suburbs. A house on Heritage Drive in Greece that sold for $108,000 in 2012 sold for $205,000 in July. In Hilton, a house on Peck Road that sold for $127,00 in 2020 brought in $220,000 recently. In New York, a home’s assessed value is by law supposed to reflect its approximate market value. When homes sell above their assessed value, the value of nearby properties tends to go up, too. That usually means homeowners will pay more in property taxes, and if they’re landlords they may pass those additional costs on to tenants. “We’ve seen certainly both rents and home prices go up recently, which may not be great for people who are getting into those markets to rent or to purchase, but I personally believe it’s good for Rochester” because people’s properties are gaining value, Bittner said. Bittner added that even though the seller’s market has driven up home prices in Monroe County, house prices here remain below the national average, which the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank pegged at roughly $400,000 in the first quarter of 2021. Leo, of the Greater Rochester Association of Realtors, said that looking forward, the region needs to think about the overall inventory of affordable units for both renters and homeowners. “We have some long-term planning to do in terms of making sure that we have enough affordable, quality housing at all income levels,” Leo said.

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roccitynews.com CITY 11

NEWS

HERE TO STAY

Tote bags from Catholic Family Center, which offers educational and vocational support for refugees resettling in Rochester. PHOTO BY JACOB WALSH

Retaining Rochester’s refugees BY GINO FANELLI

@GINOFANELLI

or upstate cities whose populations have been dwindling year after year, incoming refugees have curbed the loss. The cities’ long-term economic troubles, marked by vacant housing and lowskilled jobs, have made them popular destinations for newcomers. Some 8,100 refugees have sought new lives in Rochester in the last 20 years, for instance. But advocates for them say the shelter, security, and stability they seek as they try to live the American dream have become increasingly hard to come by in Rochester, prompting many who attempted to settle here to seek new lives elsewhere in the country.

12 CITY AUGUST 2021

GFANELLI@ROCHESTER-CITYNEWS.COM

“A lot of refugees come here and then leave,” said Djifa Kothor, a former refugee who now runs Rochester Refugee Resettlement Services, a nonprofit that aids refugees in integrating into American society. “They’re going to Minnesota, Indiana, Nebraska, because there are more jobs available,” Kothor said. “Things like meatpacking plants, places where people can work without knowing English well.” Data provided by the State Department’s Refugee Processing Center makes it easy to know how many refugees resettle in Rochester, or any American city. Tracking whether they move on is more difficult. But the data suggests that, for at

least the last few years, Rochester has been receiving fewer refugees than its counterpart cities across upstate, even those places that are considerably smaller in terms of population and that one might think have less to offer. While Buffalo has consistently outpaced Rochester in refugee intake, cities like Syracuse and Utica have been welcoming refugees at a rate far beyond that of Rochester, according to federal data. In 2019, for instance, Syracuse and Utica received 354 and 201 refugees, respectively, while Rochester took in 119. A year earlier, when Rochester received 133 refugees, Syracuse and Utica resettled 214 and 169, respectively.

Last year, according to the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, which tracks refugees by county, Monroe County received 103 refugees, while Onondaga County took in 186, and Oneida and Albany counties each welcomed 104. “If you’re a refugee, [Rochester] is a good place to come and settle in the United States,” Kothor said. “But when it comes time for you to become selfsufficient, it’s hard.” Advocates for refugees are hoping something called the New Americans Advisory Council will help change that. Created by the administration of Mayor Lovely Warren in July, the council aims to give refugees and their advocacy

organizations a direct link to City Hall to better meet the needs of newcomers. When it is up and running, the council will have 15 members, 10 of whom are to be refugees and five of whom are to represent the five prominent refugee advocacy organizations serving the area — Catholic Family Center, House of Refuge, Mary’s Place, Refugees Helping Refugees, and Rochester Refugee Resettlement Services. “Any government, whether it’s the federal level or the city level, should be positive and supportive of these newcomers,” said Getachew “GG” Beshir, who manages the refugee program for Catholic Family Center. “And the reason is they add value. They bring value to the city. They get employed, they live in city areas that need revitalization, they revitalize those areas, and some of them start businesses, they increase the tax base. There’s a lot of benefit of having new Americans in the community.” A chairperson for the council has already been named in House of Refuge founder Bijaya Khadka, a refugee from Bhutan by way of Nepal who arrived in Rochester in 2009 at the age of 17. Under his guidance, the mayor is to appoint the other members of the council. “This advisory board will be a tremendous help to new Americans coming to the city of Rochester,” Khadka said. “We’re already talking with nonprofit organizations, they are reaching out and asking for suggestions. It’s a positive sign that we’re seeing.” AN IMPENDING SURGE City officials approved the council in July, just in time for an expected spike in the number of refugees resettling in Rochester. While nearly 8,100 refugees settled in Rochester between 2002 and 2019, the last year for which federal data is available, the number of them coming annually plummeted under the administration of President Donald Trump, which capped refugee admittance. An all-time low of 15,000 refugees resettled in the United States in 2020. The year before Trump took office, 896 refugees came to Rochester alone. That number steadily dropped to 184 in 2017, 133 in 2018, and 119 in 2019. In May, however, President Joe Biden raised the cap to allow as many as 62,500 refugees into the country this year, with

Getachew “GG” Beshir, who manages the refugee program at Catholic Family Center, says of refugees, “they bring value to the city.” PHOTO BY JACOB WALSH

a goal of raising the number to 125,000 the following year. Given that Rochester historically receives about 1 percent of the country’s refugee intake, advocates estimate 625 new refugees will arrive here this year, and another 1,250 next year. While Rochester’s refugees come from all over the world, roughly two-thirds have hailed from Bhutan, Myanmar, and Somalia. Refugees from Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ukraine, Liberia, and Iraq have also settled here in significant numbers. Rochester isn’t blazing any new trails with its New Americans Advisory Council. Buffalo, for example, established an Office of New Americans in 2015 to work directly with refugee communities and help them gain access to resources and housing. Still, advocates see it as an important signal that reinforces the city’s commitment to not only working toward helping place refugees into adequate homes and good jobs, but better understanding refugee communities. “I think the council is great, but I hope that there will be a deep

dive into understanding refugee communities, and also understanding that refugee communities are not a monolith,” said Pamela Kim Adams, an assistant case manager for Refugees Helping Refugees. “There’s people from different countries, different languages, different religions, different experiences being in the camps, why they were able to come here, different family situations,” she went on. “Everyone’s story is so unique.” CREATING OPPORTUNITY Advocates agree that Rochester does a good job welcoming refugees and ensuring they get financial support through the Monroe County Department of Human Services. But, they said, it is in finding sustainable housing and work for them that the system begins to show gaps. Most of the work refugees find is temporary and long-term housing is elusive, advocates said. Opportunities for them to learn English — or find work where speaking English isn’t required — are few and far between, advocates said.

Kothor, of Rochester Refugee Resettlement Services, pointed to the county’s Work Experience Program as an example of an initiative with good intentions but one that doesn’t help refugees become self-sufficient. The program offers vocational internship programs that are meant to train people to enter the workforce. “They’re just doing volunteer work for a non-profit somewhere, they’re not learning anything, they’re not building them to be employable,” Kothor said. Catholic Family Center’s Beshir said his non-profit and City Hall have enjoyed a good relationship, but added that Rochester needs a direct line of communication between the refugee community and policymakers. “Having a voice in the City Council, or direct communication with the Mayor’s Office, is important in shaping up some of the benefits and policies to make it better for the newcomers who are in our community,” Beshir said. CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 roccitynews.com CITY 13

He pointed to language barriers as a top issue, both for refugees and city employees with whom they interact, and used police officers as an example. In many cultures, he said, it is standard upon being pulled over by police to exit the car and approach the officer. In the United States, that is an unwise thing to do. Just as refugees should have easy access to services that help them learn English, he said, civil servants should be made more aware that there are newcomers to the city who may not know American customs. “We should be training the police, the teachers, and other city service providers in cultural sensitivity,” Beshir said. “Some of them don’t know that we have a large number of new Americans in the city, and they need some kind of training in order to be able to easily communicate with newcomers and help them.” Agency leaders also emphasized that issues such as poverty, lack of jobs, and violence are compounded for refugees. Their communities can be insular, they may have an inherent distrust of government due to their experiences in their home countries, and they may be more susceptible to becoming targets of criminals in their neighborhoods because of their race or style of dress. Several years ago, Khadka was punched in the back of his head and robbed of his bus pass. In 2014, three men beat and robbed his father as he walked along Lake Avenue. His brother, his uncle, and just about everyone he knew had a similar story. It’s a tale Kothor has seen play out time and time again. “The Burmese and Nepali, I think they are a target because they are more noticeable, whereas someone like me and the African immigrants, they’re not noticeable until you open your mouth and people know you’re not from around here, you weren’t born here,” Kothor said. “But African immigrants do have that same issue, especially in schools where they’re bullied.” He recalled speaking with one refugee in Rochester who longed to be somewhere other than here. “One person came to me and asked, ‘Well, why would you want to stay here?’” Kothor said. “I had a hard time trying to convince him why he should stay.”

Djifa Kothor, founder of Rochester Refugee Resettlement Services, says many refugees who settle here eventually leave for cities where there are more jobs. PHOTO BY JACOB WALSH

Rochester Refugee Resettlement Services’s headquarters on Lexington Avenue is strewn with supplies and amenities for refugee families. PHOTO BY JACOB WALSH

14 CITY AUGUST 2021

roccitynews.com CITY 15

ARTS

HEAVY LISTENING

The Rochester record label Sore Ear Collective releases music on CD, vinyl, cassette, and even VHS tape. PHOTO BY JACOB WALSH

HEADBANGERS’ HAVEN The record label Sore Ear Collective wants to put Rochester on the map as a DIY music destination. BY EMMARAE STEIN

rowing up in the tiny town of Hornell in the early-2000s, Jared Johnson didn’t have a lot of resources to explore the underground music scene. He relied on MTV and FUSE programs like “Steven’s Untitled Rock Show” to find up-and-coming punk acts. “There was nothing in Hornell where I grew up,” Johnson says. “So I started a band with friends and we booked and played shows. I feel like that’s carried over, from being 14 in my Operation Ivy and Minor Threat tribute band to being almost 30 and putting records out.” 16 CITY AUGUST 2021

But it was the work of independent record labels that first introduced Johnson to a wider world of music. Compilation CDs put together by labels including Hellcat Records and Deathwish Inc. were particularly influential. On one disc, he could hear Celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys alongside avant-garde ska releases. For Johnson, labels like these provided a space for him to discover bands that may have otherwise remained unknown to him. And they encouraged him to be open-minded about music that was outside his comfort zone. Now, over a decade later,

he has built upon these foundations to create a new label for the next generation of music fanatics. Johnson has come along way since his small-town beginnings, having started his own Rochester-based record label Sore Ear Collective in 2014 with Joe Clark, the guitarist of the local hardcore band Druse. Johnson currently runs the label with support from his partner, Katie Burke. The ethos of the label ties back to the “do-it-yourself ” ethic of selfsufficiency popularized in the 1980s. “The DIY-ethic behind Sore Ear Collective is that if something doesn’t

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exist, you make it,” Johnson says. “If a band that you really like doesn’t have any physical releases, reach out and do it.” At the beginning of Sore Ear Collective, each of its cassettes, vinyl records, and VHS tapes were packaged by hand. After seven years of the label’s existence, Johnson has since outsourced the manufacturing to a company called Cryptic Carousel. “The first release for the label was Druse’s EP, ‘Target Weight,’” Johnson recalls. “We did 35 copies all one at a time. We dubbed them in Joey Clark’s bedroom, folded J-cards and assembled tapes, and then we did 80 more after that.” Since its inception, Sore Ear Collective has put out dozens of releases from bands across the United States. Johnson describes the vibe of the label as “spooky and nasty,” and he incorporates bands from a range of genres that fit the mold. “I’ve tried to make sure that a lot of the artwork and the way we promote the label as a whole is a little bleak-looking,” he explains. “Kind of dark, with black-and-white photocopy imagery, because that’s what I grew up with when I looked at flyers for shows.” While many small record labels struggled during the pandemic, in 2020 Sore Ear Collective had one of its most successful years yet. “Last year was a pretty big year for us,” Johnson says. “We had six or seven releases, which is more than I’ve ever done in a year before. And the one that went really, really well last year was the Undeath VHS.” Undeath has been making waves in the death metal scene on an international level since the release of its debut full-length album, “Lesions of a Different Kind.” Earlier this summer, the band announced a North American tour with Black Dahlia Murder beginning on Sept. 3. Alex Jones, the vocalist for Undeath and Druse, says that the band decided to work with Sore Ear Collective because of Johnson’s commitment and passion to each release. “A lot of times with smaller, more DIY labels — things in Sore Ear Collective’s spectrum — the people can be flakey or uncommunicative,” Jones says. “They don’t have the best interests of the bands that they work with at heart, but Jared is the exact opposite of that.” 18 CITY AUGUST 2021

Jared Johnson of Sore Ear Collective has infused the label with a do-it-yourself ethos. PHOTO BY JACOB WALSH

Jones says that the Rochester music scene needs a catalyst like Sore Ear Collective to get younger kids excited about going to shows. “I think that anything that people can do to entice young people to start bands and start participating in local music is huge,” he says. “There’s definitely a good crop of bands in Rochester, no question,” he adds. “But a lot of them are the same people who have been in bands for the past 10 years, myself included. I think it would be great if there was some new blood injected.” Paul Wolfsblood, vocalist of the Rochester-based hardcore band The Weight We Carry, says the scene’s longevity relies on entities like Sore Ear Collective to encourage musicians to collaborate, regardless of their musical background or affiliation. “Sore Ear Collective is a perfect example of how that should work,” Wolfsblood says. “No one says, ‘They’re this kind of label, or that kind of label.’ They just say, ‘Oh, Sore Ear Collective put it out, so it’s good.’ It makes people listen to stuff that they

wouldn’t have listened to before.” While Sore Ear Collective features several Rochester bands — including The Weight We Carry, Coming Down, and Holy War — Johnson also reaches out to groups outside of the region to encourage collaboration between local and national musicians. When Johnson books a show, the lineup reflects the geographical diversity of the label. One of Johnson’s main goals since starting Sore Ear Collective has been to put Rochester back on the map as a place where DIY bands tour. In the past, he has used the label’s name to put together showcases like “DESTROY ROCHESTER,” a popular event at the Flying Squirrel Community Space that brought national and local acts together. On July 30, Sore Ear Collective came out with its latest crop of releases, which included the debut EP of the black metal band Bat Magic, a VHS from the Philadelphia-based goth-punk band Drowse, and a seven-inch record from the Las Vegas-based hardcore band Close Combat. In the coming months, Johnson

plans on making up for time lost during quarantine, hosting several shows under the Sore Ear Collective umbrella. On Aug. 20, heavy music fans can head to Bug Jar to see The Thrill, Scumfire, Chemical Fix, and Soma Slumber. Johnson also has plans to bring back “DESTROY ROCHESTER” for a third year this fall. As the label grows, Johnson hopes that teenagers who are in the same position he once was can turn to Sore Ear Collective as a space for musical discovery. “My goal has always been to release things that open up avenues for other people,” Johnson says. “A band like Drowse opens up the avenue to some post-rock or goth-punk band that maybe a fan of Drowse hasn’t heard. “That’s really cool to me because they gave it a chance. And that’s what I would do growing up. For me, it all goes back to doing it yourself.”

20 21 AUGUST LINEUP

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE UPCOMING SEASON, OUR COVID-19 POLICY, AND OUR VACCINATION CLINIC, VISIT CMACEVENTS.COM

ARTS

TOOT-ELAGE

Herb Smith and 10-year-old Cameron Terry play together during a Herb’s City Trumpets lesson. PHOTO BY MAX SCHULTE

HERB SMITH LENDS A HELPING HORN TO YOUNG BLACK MEN The new ROCmusic program Herb’s City Trumpets provides mentorship to young Black men. BY DANIEL J. KUSHNER

erb Smith couldn’t sleep the night he spent in Monroe County Jail two years ago. The lights in the holding cell were too bright. To keep himself together until his arraignment the next morning he meditated, practiced yoga, and absorbed the chatter of the men with whom he shared a cell. The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra trumpeter and leader of the 20 CITY AUGUST 2021

@DANIELJKUSHNER

DKUSHNER@ROCHESTER-CITYNEWS.COM

jazz group Freedom Trio was being held without bail on two cockamamie harassment charges following a parking dispute — offenses so minor they are not crimes and would eventually be thrown out of court. Smith, 52, had never been in jail, but he got the impression from the conversations of the men locked up with him that most of them had. Like him, they were Black, but they were

much younger, and their seeming familiarity with their circumstances got him wondering how it was he wound up in college studying the trumpet when he was their age instead of in jail. “It just got me thinking: Why wasn’t I here?” Smith says. “What did I have? What was given to me that maybe these guys didn’t have? It was a real sense of gratitude for myself, but also like, what’s the ingredient, you

know? These guys look just like me — Black, male.” That experience planted the seed for what would become Herb’s City Trumpets — a new music education and mentorship program for young Black boys and teenagers that he operates through ROCmusic, a city-run initiative. The program started in April and now has 17 students enrolled.

Cameron Terry takes direction from Herb Smith during a lesson. PHOTO BY MAX SCHULTE

Family members are welcome at Herb's City Trumpets. PHOTO BY MAX SCHULTE

On a recent summer day, Smith was at School No. 19 on Seward Street in the PLEX neighborhood giving lessons to 12-year-old Jaidyn White and his brother Cameron Terry, 10. That day, he presented them with new trumpets from ConnSelmer, the company that sponsors him. “Get to it, these are yours, man,” Smith told the boys. “Go for it. Brand new horns.” There was a sense of quiet excitement as White and Terry each buzzed their lips together to produce the first notes on their instruments. “I like it,” the aspiring trumpeters said. Black residents of Monroe County are eight times more likely to be behind bars than white residents, and the rate at which they are incarcerated here outpaces the state average, according to the Vera Institute of Justice, a New York City-based nonprofit that aims to end mass incarceration of people of color. In 2015, according to the organization, nearly 69 of every 10,000 Black residents were incarcerated, compared with about 9 of every 10,000 white residents. The practical effect of that reality played out in the conversations Smith overheard while in jail that night in December 2019: What judge do you have?...How many offenses do you have?...This your first one?... Ah, you’re fine...You’ll get off with just a slap on the wrist... How ‘bout you?...How much weed did you have?...Oh, you had that much?...Well, you should be ok. Who’s your lawyer? Oh, that guy sucks. “They knew the whole system,” Smith recalls. “I’m just like, wow. I’m learning from these guys, you know — kind of stuff I really don’t want to learn — but I’m learning from them. And I’m just like, how can we stop this from happening? And that was my thought. “And then at that point, it wasn’t like, I’m going to start a trumpet school. It wasn’t like that at all,” he goes on. “It was just like, what can I do that is not, first of all, self-serving, that’s also not looking down on someone, you know, like ‘Let me come in and help you be a better person’?” Smith had met Armand Hall, the director of ROCmusic — a program designed to give city students access to quality music lessons and additional music instruction — through the Gateways Music Festival. Smith and the Gateways Brass Collective had helped Hall and ROCmusic start its brass instrument program at School No. 12. CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

roccitynews.com CITY 21

Herb Smith works one-on-one with Jeziah Haamid, 13. PHOTO BY MAX SCHULTE

Hall says he had often lightheartedly floated the idea of creating a “trumpet mecca” in Rochester to Smith, whom he envisioned as the man to lead it. But it wasn’t until ROCmusic received a grant through My Brother’s Keeper, a foundation launched by President Barack Obama to address opportunity gaps facing boys of color, that the idea of a trumpet education program for young Black men with a mentorship component started to take shape. “He and I both said, ‘I’ve never been anywhere in the world that my instrument didn’t take me,’” Hall says of Smith. “And that’s what I want for other students.” Hall, who describes Smith as “engaging in every sense of the word,” says that nurturing the students is a vital aspect of Herb’s City Trumpets. The students need to know their teacher and mentor has their best interests in mind. “That then opens the door for 22 CITY AUGUST 2021

deeper learning, deeper connections and more of — what is the word?” Hall says. “It’s not direct mentorship, it’s not mentorship for the sake of mentorship. But it’s, ‘I’m leading by example, and I’m expecting you to meet this example, and we move along together.’” Hall refers to this approach as “the apprenticeship model,” pointing to its success through the growth of American music programs based on El Sistema — the publicly financed music education program that originated in Venezuela in 1975 and famously gave Los Angeles Philharmonic Music Director Gustavo Dudamel his start as a young music student. ROCmusic is one of 121 El Sistema-inspired programs in the United States. While teaching the students trumpet and mentoring them were always meant to go hand-in-hand, Smith was surprised by how strong the mentoring component became.

Smith started playing the trumpet at 9 years old. He began teaching lessons in his early 20s, around the time he graduated from Eastman School of Music and joined the RPO, and has done work in city schools. But, he says, he has never taught so many Black students as he does now with Herb’s City Trumpets. He says it is the first time that he feels like he’s “helping Black people, lifting them up, giving them music.” Smith is the only Black musician employed full-time by the RPO. “Sure, by being there I’m kind of opening up boundaries, whatever,” he says. “But that’s not really, really helping.” For Smith, his mentorship at Herb’s City Trumpets takes on a father-son dynamic — one that he experienced firsthand as a kid growing up in a strong church community in Cincinnati. “There was always men around me that when you went passed them, you straightened up, there was a respect,”

Smith says. “And in my church, it’s like all of the men were your father.” Smith, who has a daughter, says he thinks of his students as his sons. For one student, 16-year-old Colin Burroughs, the program is an experience he shares with his father Richard Burroughs, 57, who sits in on his lessons and learns the trumpet alongside him. For Richard, the goal was to be able to play a duet with his son, but Herb’s City Trumpets has also brought them closer. “What this has allowed us to do is be more open and communicate, just by sharing this experience together,” Richard Burroughs says. “It’s opening up doors, it’s allowing us to converse better, and effectively.” “I feel like we’ve gotten closer,” Colin says. Hall, the director of ROCmusic, says he was initially reluctant to allow a parent to join the program because he wanted to ensure that lessons focused

Herb Smith works with Richard Burroughs, 57, and his son Colin Burroughs, 16. PHOTO BY MAX SCHULTE

on the child. But Hall relented in the case of the Burroughses, reasoning that the father could encourage the son and that their learning together spoke to the community-church vibe that Smith brought to the program. “He’s fabulous, he’s one of those instructors that loves his craft,” Richard Burroughs says of Smith. “He’s dedicated, motivated, he’s inspiring. He wants the participants to engage, perform, and what he’s doing is leading by example. “What I mean by that is he’s come and he’s showing up. He’s given us, well, them, the attitude that if they practice they could learn, and not to be discouraged so quickly. Anything in life, people have to start somewhere.” Hall sees additional value in the father-son dynamic that goes beyond mere trumpet instruction. “For whatever’s going on in that family’s life, there is now a spot where the father and son are a little more equal,” he says. “And that creates a different dynamic when you feel like they have something to give. If he can play something that his father can’t, and make him work on that together, that’s a way deeper relationship. And it empowers both of them to be together more. And so I think that youth voice and youth empowerment is shown in that situation. We try to find ways to do that, so that it’s not always direct teaching.” In addition to trumpet lessons on Mondays and Tuesdays, Herb’s City Trumpets holds a meeting each week in which students perform a tune they’re learning in lessons — “When the Saints Go Marching in,” “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” or “Hot Cross

Buns.” But it’s not just about playing in front of others. It’s also about communicating and sharing with the audience, which is why Smith has the students introduce themselves and the name of the song they’ll be playing. It’s an essential aspect of performance for any musician — one that some of the students had never been asked to do. The group also shares a meal from a local restaurant, frequently cuisine they’ve never had before, and Smith is planning future meetings featuring Black men from various professions to provide additional mentorship. “Whatever your profession is, whatever your vocation is, look around you: Where are there inequities, and how could I personally help that?” Smith says. “And that’s kind of where Herb’s City Trumpets comes in.” The program has received a $65,000 grant from the city as it heads into the new school year. Smith says his eventual goal is for Herb’s City Trumpets to include 50 students. Hall envisions students from Herb’s City Trumpets performing prior to an RPO concert. “I would love to see this selfperpetuating ensemble of trumpet players — young Black boys across ages — as a thing that’s real here in Rochester,” Hall says. “That, you know, some of these kids are going to Eastman or other music schools, and some of these kids are becoming professional jazz trumpet players.”

roccitynews.com CITY 23

MUSIC //

With evolving NYS guidelines for live music, events are highly subject to change or cancellation. It’s wise to check with individual venues to confirm performances and protocols.

ACOUSTIC/FOLK

Amy Montrois. Lovin’ Cup, 300 Park

Point Dr. lovincup.com. Fri., Aug. 20, 6 p.m. John & Mary. Bop Shop Records, 1460 Monroe Ave. boparts.org. Fri., Aug. 27, 8 p.m. Maria Gillard Trio. The Little Cafe, 240 East Ave. thelittle.org/music. Fri., Aug. 13, 6:30 p.m. O’s Pipa. The Little Cafe, 240 East Ave. thelittle.org/music. Sat., Aug. 21, 6:30 p.m.

AMERICANA

Charley Crockett, Joshua Ray Walker. Anthology, 336 East Ave. 484-1964. Wed., Sep. 1, 8 p.m. $20. Chaz & the Dazzlers. The Little Cafe, 240 East Ave. thelittle.org/music. Fri., Aug. 20, 6:30 p.m. The Lonesome Hillside Brothers, Aaron Lipp & Bobby Henrie. Hollerhorn

Distilling, 8443 Spirit Run. Naples. 5312448. Fri., Aug. 20, 7 p.m. $15.

Sarah Borges & The Broken Singles, Nick Young. Abilene, 153 Liberty Pole

Way. 232-3230. Sun., Aug. 22, 4 p.m. $15/$20.

CLASSICAL

Eastman Opera Theatre: Postcard from Morocco. Eastman School of Music, esm.

rochester.edu/live. Aug. 13-Sep. 13.

Pegasus Early Music: Echoes of Orpheus. Downtown United Presbyterian

Church, 121 N. Fitzhugh St. pegasusearlymusic.org. Fri., Aug. 6, 7 p.m. RPO Outdoors: Live @ the 5. Parcel 5, 275 E Main St. rpo.org. Aug. 12-14, 5:30 & 7:30 p.m. The Barber of Seville. Perinton Center Stage Amphitheater, 1350 Turk Hill Rd. Perinton. fingerlakesopera.org. Fri., Aug. 6, 7:30 p.m. and Sat., Aug. 7, 7:30 p.m. Pod seating starting at 2/$70. Tuesday Pipes. Christ Church, 141 East Ave. 454-3878. Tuesdays, 12:10 p.m. Eastman organists. Aug 10: Edith Yam; Aug 17: Ryan Chan; Aug 24: William Porter; Aug 31: Wendy Yuen.

JAZZ

Chris Dingman. Bop Shop Records, 1460

Monroe Ave. boparts.org. Sat., Aug. 28, 8 p.m. Friday Night Flight. The Penthouse, 1 East Ave, 11th floor. 775-2013. Fri., Aug. 6, 7 p.m. and Fri., Aug. 20, 7 p.m. Aug 6: The Jimmie Highsmith Jazz Trio; Aug 20: Chris Wilson, The Bill Tiberio Band, Jerry Falzone & Liars Moon. $20/$25. The Greece Jazz Band. Olympia High School, 1139 Maiden Ln. Wed., Aug. 11, 6:30 p.m. Jazz90.1 Jazz On The Lawn. Rain date: Aug 18. Latriste & Frequency, Paradigm Shift. Photo City Music Hall, 543 Atlantic Ave. 451-0047. Thu., Aug. 26, 7 p.m. $10. Mambo Kings, Bob Sneider Quartet. JCC Canalside Stage, 1200 Edgewood Ave. jccrochester.org/canalside. Sun., Aug. 15, 7 p.m. Mark McGrain’s NOROC Quartet. Bop Shop Records, 1460 Monroe Ave. boparts.org. Thu., Aug. 12, 8 p.m. 24 CITY AUGUST 2021

Nancy Kelly. Lovin’ Cup, 300 Park Pt Dr. lovincup.com. Sun., Aug. 29, 6 p.m. $15. A Night of Big Band Jazz. JCC Canalside Stage, 1200 Edgewood Ave. jccrochester. org/canalside. Thu., Aug. 19, 7 p.m. ECMS Educators’ Jazz Ensemble, New Horizons Jazz Ensemble. $5-$15. Sounds of Music on the Lawn. MLK Jr. Memorial Park, 1 Manhattan Sq. 2857743. Sat., Aug. 14, 1-7 p.m. Bill Tiberio, Jimmie Highsmith, Marco Amadio, Fatima, Hanna PK, Yolanda Smilez, & more. $35.

HIP-HOP/RAP

ROC Jam Live. Parcel 5, 275 E Main St.

rocjamlive.com. Sun., Aug. 8, 2-8 p.m., Sun., Aug. 22, 2-8 p.m. and Sun., Sep. 5, 2-8 p.m.

METAL

Between The Buried & Me. Anthology,

336 East Ave. 484-1964. Sat., Aug. 14, 8:30 p.m. $20.

The Convalescence, Filth, Casket Robbery, Blood of Angels. Montage

Music Hall, 50 Chestnut St. 232-1520. Sun., Aug. 29, 6:30 p.m. $13/$15. Goron. Radio Social, 20 Carlson Road. Fri., Aug. 13, 7 p.m. The Obsessed, The Skull. Montage Music Hall, 50 Chestnut St. 232-1520. Mon., Aug. 16, 7:30 p.m. $17/$20.

ReapR, Vulcan, Protean Fire, Pirate Plague, Shallow Teeth. Montage Music Hall, 50 Chestnut St. 232-1520. Sat., Sep. 4, 7 p.m. $10/$12.

Sodoff, Rotten, Necrostalker, Deathwish.

Photo City Music Hall, 543 Atlantic Ave. 451-0047. Tue., Sep. 7, 8 p.m. $20.

Unleash The Archers, Aether Realm, Seven Kingdoms. Montage Music Hall,

50 Chestnut St. 232-1520. Sun., Sep. 5, 7 p.m. $18/$22.

POP/ROCK

American Acid, The Remakes. Photo City Music Hall, 543 Atlantic Ave. 451-0047. Thu., Aug. 19, 7 p.m. $10.

Amor Alive, Early Retirement, Charity Thief, All Them Squares.. Bug Jar, 219 Monroe Ave. bugjar.com. Sat., Aug. 21, 9 p.m.

Ben Morey & The Eyes, The Heavy Love Trust. Radio Social, 20 Carlson Road.

Sat., Aug. 21, 7 p.m.

Carpool, Cusp, Fernway, Outside Voices.

Bug Jar, 219 Monroe Ave. bugjar.com. Fri., Aug. 27, 9 p.m. $10. Coral Moons, Elsewise. Bug Jar, 219 Monroe Ave. bugjar.com. Thu., Aug. 19, 8:30 p.m. $8. Eric Martin (of Mr. Big), Trixter. Montage Music Hall, 50 Chestnut St. 232-1520. Fri., Aug. 20, 8 p.m. $27/$30. Fox Sisters. 75 Stutson, 75 Stutson St. 75stutsonstreet.com. Wed., Aug. 18, 6:30 p.m. $5.

The Last Of The Duke Street Kings, Blue Envy. Montage Music Hall, 50 Chestnut

St. 232-1520. Sat., Aug. 21, 8 p.m. Bruce tribute. $15/$18. The Local Hang-Ups. Lovin’ Cup, 300 Park Point Dr. lovincup.com. Sat., Aug. 14, 6:30 p.m. CONTINUED ON PAGE 31

INSIDE WXXI PUBLIC MEDIA | WXXI-TV PBS AM 1370/FM 107.5 NPR l WXXI CLASSICAL WRUR-FM 88.5 l THE LITTLE THEATRE

Sunday, August 29 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV Enjoy this musical celebration of the iconic Broadway score written by legendary composer Stephen Schwartz. From the smash hit musical —now in its 18th year on Broadway.

Kristin Chenoweth hosts WICKED IN CONCERT. Credit: Edvin Cobaj/Nouveau Productions LLC

Idina Menzel hosts WICKED IN CONCERT. Credit: Edvin Cobaj/Nouveau Productions LLC

AUGUST 2021

WXXI-TV • THIS MONTH Love Me as I Am

Monday, August 16 at 10 p.m. on WXXI-TV Clear-eyed and intimate, Farmsteaders follows Nick Nolan and his young family on a journey to resurrect his late grandfather’s dairy farm as agriculture moves toward large-scale farming.

Tuesday, August 17 at 10 p.m. on WXXI-TV Straight-talking Australian relationship coach Liz Dore helps six young adults with intellectual disabilities find love and acceptance on their own terms. This film is presented as part of Move to Include, a partnership between WXXI and the Golisano Foundation designed to promote inclusion for people with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities. To learn more visit WXXI.org/include.

Photo: Nick Nolan and his son Credit: Courtesy of Shaena Mallett

Provided by APT

POV: Farmsteaders

The Directors, Season 3

Unforgiveable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson Saturdays, August 21 and 28 at 4 p.m. on WXXI-TV This two-part Ken Burns film tells the story of Jack Johnson, the first African American Heavyweight Champion of the World. His dominance over his white opponents spurred furious debates and race riots in the early 20th century.

Thursdays at 10 p.m., starting August 26 on WXXI-TV The Directors looks at the 20th century’s iconic film directors: the real innovators whose breakthrough direction made film into movies. John Sturges, Stanley Donen, Sidney Lumet, George Stevens, Robert Wise, and John Frankeheimer are profiled. Photo: Director Robert Wise with Christopher Plummer and Julie Andrews from The Sound of Music Provided by APT

Provided by PBS

Your support can have a big impact when you join the WXXI Leadership Circle! To find out how you can become a part of the WXXI Leadership Circle, visit wxxi.org/leadership or call 585-258-0200.

WXXI Leadership Circle Members provide vital funding for WXXI’s high-quality, public media programming and outreach to the community! By making a contribution of $1,200 or more annually, you will join the WXXI Leadership Circle and dozens of other community leaders who are committed to providing a reliable, strong and steady source of income for WXXI’s essential programs and services. Leadership Circle Members also get access to exceptional benefits and opportunities including: • Invitations to special in-person and virtual events and experiences, including Annual Donor Recognition events • Station tours and behind the scenes access to select WXXI productions • Periodic emails with exclusive insider content • Personalized, direct-line communication with WXXI leadership and senior staff, and more!

Past donor events have included (L to R): Italian Chef Lidia Bastianich, NPR’s Robert Siegel, WXXI leadership circle members at a recent event, and Sesame Street’s Carol Spinney.

TURN TO WXXI CLASSICAL FOR MUSIC PERFECTLY TUNED TO YOUR DAY

Concierto Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on WXXI Classical Hosted by Frank Dominguez (pictured), this weekly program – presented in Spanish and English – features Classical music by Latin American and Spanish composers and musicians.

Society for Chamber Music Rochester Sundays, August 8-29 at 2 p.m. on WXXI Classical Rochester’s premiere chamber music ensemble presents a new season of concerts hosted by Julia Figueras and featuring members of the Society for Chamber Music in Rochester (SCMR). SCMR presents Chamber Music concerts featuring musicians of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and the Eastman School of Music as well as selected local and visiting artists. Pictured: Artistic Directors Juliana Athayde and Erik Behr

The Spanish Hour Mondays at 10 p.m. on WXXI Classical Meet the people of the Spanish-speaking world through their music. The Spanish Hour with Candice Agree presents recorded performances featuring Iberian and Latin American composers, conductors and performers. Host Candice Agree combines her musical training from the Eastman School of Music with her training in Spanish and Catalan language to present works from the Iberian Peninsula, the Americas, Mexico, and the Caribbean from the Middle Ages through the 21st century.

Support public media. Become a WXXI Member! Carnegie Hall Live Mondays beginning August 23 at 8 p.m. on WXXI Classical This year Carnegie Hall Live celebrates its 10th anniversary with a look back at some favorite performances from the last decade! The specially-curated 13-part series features orchestral performances by the Bavarian Radio Symphony, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, The Philadelphia Orchestra and the Vienna Philharmonic, and guest artists Thomas Hampson, Leif Ove Andsnes, Marc-André Hamelin, Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason, Yuja Wang and more. 28 CITY AUGUST 2021

Whether it’s television, radio, online, or on screen, WXXI is there with the programs, news, and information – where you want it and when you want it. If you value PBS, NPR, PBS Kids, WXXI News, WXXI Classical and so much more, consider becoming a member. Visit WXXI.org/support to choose the membership that works for you. There are many membership levels with their own special benefits, including becoming a sustaining member.

AM 1370, YOUR NPR NEWS STATION + WRUR-FM 88.5, DIFFERENT RADIO Intelligence Squared U.S.: Changing Your Mind Sunday, August 15 at 9 p.m. on AM 1370/FM 107.5 How do you know that you’re right? Modern business, politics, and even culture, tend to favor strident opinions and decisive action. To “flip flop” may then be construed as ineptitude, or even weakness. So it behooves us to “stick to our guns” and adhere to other well-trodden idioms of the English language. Of course that approach may be limiting. And what if you are actually wrong? Ray Dalio, founder of the hedge fund Bridgewater Associates, sits down for a conversation with host John Donvan to examine what it means to be open to changing your mind, precisely how to do it, and what’s at stake if you don’t.

In Deep: One City’s Year of Climate Chaos Sunday, August 29 at 9 p.m. on AM 1370/FM 107.5 In summer and fall of 2020, amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic, two hurricanes hit Lake Charles in short succession. That winter, the city was hobbled by an ice storm, and just a few months later, devastating flooding killed several people and left many stranded in their cars, fearing for their lives. This special puts these events into context through the lenses of climate change and equity.

Connections with Evan Dawson Weekdays from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. on AM 1370/FM 107.5 and WRUR-FM 88.5 WXXI News’ Evan Dawson talks about what matters to you on Connections. Be part of the program with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or on WXXI News Facebook or Twitter.

Windfall Sunday, August 22 at 9 p.m. on AM 1370/FM 107.5 The United States is poised for the birth of a massive, lucrative, and promising new industry: offshore wind energy. Offshore wind represents one of the world’s sharpest knives in the fight against climate change. It’s also the first time truly massive companies have retooled their entire business models to train their sights at the climate problem. In this episode, we investigate the launch of this brand new American industry, the political chicanery that has delayed it, and how past failures define future success at a time when the government is poised to take real action on climate change.

Afropop Worldwide Saturdays at 2 p.m. on WRUR-FM 88.5 Hosted by Georges Collinet from Cameroon, this radio show is America’s first and longest-lived weekly program on the music of Africa and the African Diaspora. Georges draws on an unprecedented array of reporters, artists, and cultural guides to present an hour that is authoritative, comprehensive, and hugely entertaining.

Ear Shot Subscribe wherever you find your podcasts WXXI News and CITY have come together to bring you a weekly news podcast. It’s called Ear Shot and it shares all the most important, best told, sometimes off-thebeaten-path news stories from your favorite WXXI and CITY reporters. A new episode drops every Friday. Subscribe today! roccitynews.com CITY 29

Palm Springs 8 p.m. Saturday, August 14 and Thursday, August 19 thelittle.org/lostyear Time loops, a millionth birthday party, and an Oscarworthy dance sequence, “Palm Springs” finally travels to the Little Theatre District. Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti star in the best comedy of 2020 — a film meant to be watched on the big screen.

Rochester Teen Film Festival 5:30 p.m. Thursday, August 5 WXXI Public Media and the Little Theatre are proud to sponsor the Rochester Teen Film Festival, a collaborative, juried media competition for youth (13-18 years old) in the Rochester region. The screening and awards ceremony will be held this month!

The Black Cinema Series: Ailey Scheduled to open Aug. 6 Details at thelittle.org

Alvin Ailey was a visionary artist who found salvation through dance. An immersive portrait told in his own words and through the creation of a new commission inspired by his life, “Ailey” fully profiles this brilliant and enigmatic man whowhen confronted by a world that refused to embrace him-was determined to build one that would. A live “Ailey” PANEL DISCUSSION will occur Thursday, August 12 following the 6:30pm screening. The panel includes representatives from Black dance across the Rochester community. Tickets are now on sale at: thelittle.org/bcsailey The Black Cinema Series — a collaboration between The Little and the Rochester Association of Black Journalists (RABJ) — celebrates both documentary and narrative expressions in Black cinema with curated film choices.

AUGUST 2021

MUSIC //

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R&B/ SOUL

Mikaela Davis, Cammy Enaharo. Lincoln Hill Farms, 3792 Rte 247. Canandaigua. Fri., Aug. 13, 6 p.m. $25/$35. Mike & Mel Muscarella. Lovin’ Cup, 300 Park Point Dr. lovincup.com. Fri., Aug. 13, 6 p.m.

25th Annual Rochester Summer Soul Music Festival. Frontier Field, 1 Morrie

Silver Way. rocsummersoulfest.com/. Aug. 27-28. Aug 27, 5-11pm: Tailgate & DJ tribute; Aug 28, 10am-4pm: Free block party; Aug 28, 5-11pm: Boys II Men, Tweet, Sugar Bear & EU, & more. $15 & up. Old School Summer Jam. Auditorium Theatre, 885 E. Main St. rbtl.org. Thu., Aug. 19, 7:30 p.m. The Beat 105.5: Dru Hill, Ginuwine, Montell Jordan, Q & RL. $67.

Overhand Sam & The Bad Weapon, Saint Free, House Majority, Check & Exes. Bug Jar, 219 Monroe Ave. bugjar.

com. Fri., Aug. 6, 8 p.m. $12.

The Story So Far, Movements, Destroy Boys. Anthology, 336 East Ave. 484-

1964. Sun., Aug. 29, 7:30 p.m. $28.50.

The Televisionaries. Radio Social, 20

Carlson Road. Fri., Aug. 27, 7 p.m.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS PUZZLE ON PAGE 54. NO PEEKING! 1

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Volunteers needed: E-cigarette users

Earn $100 by participating in our study!

Two visits ($50 per visit). The second visit will be 6 months after the first. There will be lung function test and blood draw (two tablespoons), saliva, breath condensate and urine collection at each visit.

Call our Research Coordinator at 585-224-6308 if you are interested or if you have questions. Thank you!

roccitynews.com CITY 31

ARTS

INTO THE WOODS

Carlos Merriweather dances as keyboardist, Avis Reese, Sylvia MacCalla, and band perform as part of "SOULSCAPE II" at Jurassic Farms. PHOTO BY DANIEL J. KUSHNER

DOWN ON THE FARM Jurassic Farms has become an unlikely woodsy getaway for live music in Rochester. BY DANIEL J. KUSHNER

ust five miles from downtown Rochester near the airport is a bucolic oasis called Jurassic Farms that has emerged as an unlikely go-to destination for live music. It’s not hard to find if you know where to look, but it’s not exactly on the well-worn path, either. Located at 50 Weidner Road on a stretch of street so desolate in parts that you’d swear a tumbleweed could 32 CITY AUGUST 2021

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DKUSHNER@ROCHESTER-CITYNEWS.COM

roll past you at any moment, its nearest neighbors are a food service company and tire distributor. But well beyond those corporate signifiers is a gate resembling the entrance to a certain fictional dinosaur park, and beyond that is nearly eight acres of private property nestled along the Genesee River. If you don’t feel like driving, you can get there by bike or foot on the Genesee River Trail.

Walking the grounds of Jurassic Farms on a pleasant summer evening, a handful of jazz musicians were playing a small stage on the bank above the river. A few fans had staked out seats on the porch of a tiny house emblazoned with a giant wooden fish sculpture, from which they took in an idyllic, wooded performance space. CONTINUED ON PAGE 34

Jurassic Farms concert booker Siena Facciolo and owner Aaron Rubin. PHOTO BY JACOB WALSH

As New York tip-toed toward a return to indoor shows from the throes of the pandemic, Jurassic Farms became an inconspicuous outpost for scores of musicians looking for an audience. With so few performance spaces located in the woods around Rochester, it is a wonder that audiences found the place. But they did. “People were just absolutely dying to play music in front of any amount of people, anywhere,” says Jurassic Farms owner Aaron Rubin, a local businessman and real estate investor. Local musician Siena Facciolo attended the first show there — a small, unpublicized gathering last October. Craving an opportunity to play live, she performed there soon afterward. “It was outdoors, so it was really the only way that I could perform in front of people,” says Facciolo, who now co-runs Jurassic Farms with Rubin and books the concerts there. “And it was so nice. I was so relieved to be able to perform.” In the beginning, the musicians who played Jurassic Farms performed on the grass. It wasn’t until Facciolo invited Alexa Silverman and her popjazz band The Recall to play that a stage was constructed and musicians from University of Rochester and Eastman School of Music began to show an interest in performing. “It grew really organically,” Rubin says. “And I mean, I’ve never intended on trying to make it look refined, necessarily. I like the idea of keeping it looking like it’s in the woods.” Jurassic Farms doesn’t just look like it’s off-grid. It is off-grid. The composting toilet on site was 34 CITY AUGUST 2021

only just added. Before that, visitors for whom nature called simply made like a bear in the woods. Twenty-four solar panels power a large battery system underneath the tiny house, but the set up suffered a setback recently when a lightning strike damaged the wiring. Rubin sometimes retires to the cozy house — equipped with two guitars on the wall and a mini-upright piano — as an escape from the noise of the city. “You have to be really mindful of how much power you’re using,” he says. “And are you going to have enough? We had one show run out of power because I was not mindful. And we had a backup generator. It was . . . okay.”

Jurassic Farms has presented shows this summer with a diverse array of artists and musical styles. Recent performances included singersongwriter Sally Louise, dynamic soul musicians Zahyia and Avis Reese, pipa player Leah Ou and nyckelharpa player Alyssia Rodriguez, and the rock band Bellwether Breaks. “My goal is to make people feel like they’re at home,” says Facciolo, who can usually be found on concert days greeting visitors and collecting door charges from a table near the front gate. The welcoming environment extends to the musicians. Bands determine their cover charge and all the money goes back to the artists. They’re not charged to rent the space or for the live sound engineer. The cost of running Jurassic Farms is covered entirely by Rubin, who says his computer refurbishment business grosses $5 million a year. “It doesn’t have to be profitable, which is the single biggest thing,” Rubin says. When asked how long he could operate it at a loss, he quickly answers: “Forever.” In addition to his computer business, Rubin owns several properties in the historic 19th Ward neighborhood, having bought all the vacant houses on two blocks, renovated them, and rented them out. A threebedroom house of his goes for between $700 and $900 a month. Rubin, who lives in the 19th Ward,

says he wants to erase the stigma of the neighborhood as an impoverished section of the city that has kept investors at bay. He views Jurassic Farms and another venture of his, a small café on Arnett Boulevard called Bicycle Brothers, as levers to prop up the community and draw people there to see what it has to offer. “There’s a lot of nice people and a lot of families, but there are very few businesses,” he says. Rubin hopes that Jurassic Farms will be a place that meets the creative needs and aspirations of artists, whatever they may be. How that happens is anyone’s guess. But that’s the way Rubin and Facciolo prefer it. “We really like learning on the job,” Facciolo says. “We really like not knowing what we’re doing until we actually do it.” Rubin chimes in: “I have no idea what I’m doing.” He has visions for the place, though. In addition to keeping Jurassic Farms a destination for live music, Rubin imagines cultivating an artists’ retreat, building other tiny houses to be used as Airbnbs, and introducing sustainable farming. Whatever becomes of Jurassic Farms, Facciolo knows what she wants to avoid. “I really do not want it to become a conventional place,” she says. “Basically, I want to follow the needs of the musicians and the artists.”

Pop-folk band Head to the Roots perform as artist Casey Arthur paints live in the foreground at Jurassic Farms. PHOTO BY DANIEL J. KUSHNER

NEW MUSIC REVIEWS

“TUSSIO” BY SAINT FREE On August 6, the Rochester-based multi-instrumentalist Bradley Freedman, aka Saint Free, will bring his album “Tussio” to the city’s airwaves. The artist’s sophomore release is a genre-bending record that teeters between comedy and tragedy. As an expert in character study, Saint Free morphs into the figures represented in his songs with ease and confidence. In his promotional images for “Tussio,” he can be seen donning several costumes, sporting everything from BDSM chains and ropes to a cowboy hat and bandana. The theatrical nature of Saint Free’s persona only adds to the listener’s experience, providing visual context to his zany and jocular storytelling. The first track on the album, “Beauty of All of This,” features rapid-fire guitar licks with an Americana edge. On this song, Freedman’s voice holds a rugged and gravelly tone reminiscent of skate punk bands like The Orwells. As the guitar line revs up behind him, Saint Free delivers a raw commentary on romance and adolescence, shouting, “She was my first girl in the sixth grade / We held awkward, sweaty hands as we skated around that ice rink.” While listeners may presume that “Tussio” is a standard coming-of-age indie record, Saint Free quickly proves that his songwriting knows no bounds. The second track, “Get on My Level,” moves the album into a new direction, incorporating a Sublime-style reggae beat that moves freely among an airy synth and electronic drums. By the third track, it becomes clear that Saint Free does not wish to be contained within a certain stylistic mold or musical framework. In “My Country,” Freedman combines the banjo with a ramblin’-rodeo, Western-style guitar part as he sings out the words, “Bow chicka wow now / You burned my country to the ground / And while you keep on laughing / With your noose around my crown.” The combination of punchy, indie-rock drum parts with austere rockabilly guitar lines creates a sound that recalls the music of alt-Americana artist Shakey Graves. On “Pizza Man,” Saint Free engages in a conversation with himself as extraterrestrial sounds whir on the keyboard behind him. Musically, the song sounds like it could fit in on any grunge-influenced indie album from the mid-2010s. But lyrically, Freedman has created a comical meta-commentary on the pizza man — providing the perspectives of both the hungry stoner and the underappreciated delivery driver. Saint Free continues to flex his skills in obtusely imaginative storytelling with the

following track, “Bond with Bondage.” In this erotic homage to sex positivity, Saint Free’s voice is smooth and sweet, jumping into falsetto to create dazzling background vocals that swell throughout the song. Freedman continues the rockabilly spirit established in previous tracks, and adds additional texture through the use of a call and response pattern, shouting, “Let’s bond with bondage! / (Tie me up when I disobey) / Let’s bond with bondage! / (Ball gags I love to play.)” Saint Free will play the record release show for “Tussio” as a quintet — alongside House Majority, Checks and Exes, and OHS & Bad Weapon — on Friday, Aug. 6, at 8 p.m., at Bug Jar, 219 Monroe Avenue. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased at saintfreemusic.com. — BY EMMARAE STEIN

that she’s on an upward trajectory. “Red Light’s Turning Green” doesn’t disappoint, and nudges her towards the dream. — BY ROMAN DIVEZUR

“BRAIN GREASE” BY AKU

“WHATEVER YOU LIKE”/“PTSD” BY MARC STARR

“RED LIGHT’S TURNING GREEN” BY CLAUDIA HOYSER If you’ve kept up with Claudia Hoyser, you’re aware of “Hoyser Country Monday,” a video series on Facebook that features her band performing cover songs of classic country tunes, some of which have garnered millions of views. Hoyser has built a large fan base online by playing covers and originals, and has supplemented that popularity with regional tours. She’s also branched out as an entrepreneur with her own brands of coffee and coffee whiskey. Her highly anticipated debut album, “Red Light’s Turning Green,” has Hoyser trusting her instincts by putting her music in the driver’s seat. Recorded at GFI studios over a fouryear span, Hoyser co-wrote more than 200 songs while creating “Red Light’s Turning Green.” The songwriting conveys a reflective, emotional side, anchored by a top-notch band and co-production work by Tony Gross. Each of the album’s 14 tracks feels like the right step in finding or shaping Hoyser’s sound. Hoyser excels as a vocalist whose voice can carry songs to greater heights. She swoons and soothes, and that certainly complements such tunes as “Not for Sale” with its bar-raising chorus, or “Outlaw,” which channels an edgy, southwestern cinematic vibe. The standout “Wicked” is the heartbreak tune you would love to hear on the radio. Lyrically, it suggests the pain of life that everyone goes through from time to time. Particularly more artistic than the other tracks, “Wicked” is rooted in a country-soul style and it’s the best of Hoyser’s career. The country musician’s songs suggest

How often is it that Rochester gets to see a diamond shine in the rough? Actually, quite often. But very few of those diamonds are chosen to go on a national tour with another artist from our neighboring city of Buffalo. Rochester’s own Marc Starr will be joining Conway the Machine on the Love Will Get You Killed tour, which begins on Sept. 8. This “bossed up” opportunity for Starr is justified. His original hip-hop music is just shy of 300,000 plays on Spotify, and those numbers are likely to grow as people continue to spread the word that the Flower City has a new “Starr” on the rise. Marc Starr took full advantage of his downtime during the quarantine to create and record music, promote, shoot music videos, and even travel outside of the city to do some major networking. He’s been performing in the local hip-hop scene since he was a jit, and he’s on a mission to become one of the greats to emerge from Rochester through rap. His songs are varied: There’s something for the go-getters and hustlers, the bosses and achievers, but he also makes music for those who have struggled with a lack of money or food, depression, and other similar conditions. Take Starr’s song “Ptsd,” for example. It takes listeners through his personal battle with the condition. “PTSD, get it off me,” Starr says with a dark, deep, and repetitive voice that sounds like a demon being cast out over a gritty bass driven beat. On his newly released single, “Whatever You Like,” Starr raps about having money as a means to living well. “If I got it, you got it,” he says with the backing of a smooth R&B beat. The musician manages to reach two different audiences with “Ptsd” and “Whatever You Like,” respectively. Rochester, you need to add this artist to your favorite hip-hop playlist. Marc Starr’s got next up. — BY GEARY ANN LEWIN

The instrumental four-piece AKU can best be described as an experiment of multigenre madness. Despite having released only three singles, the prodigious Rochester group has already molded its sound and reach. AKU is named for the cartoon demon that battles Samurai Jack in the animated TV series of the same name. The moniker makes perfect sense, considering the fictional villain’s shapeshifting ability and the band’s similarly diverse musical influences. In May, the outfit released its third single, “Brain Grease,” from the upcoming album, “Solipsism.” The newest track draws from strengths of the band’s sonically varied members. There are the sounds of Animals as Leaders and jazz fusion invoked by guitarist Sage Genovese, the groovebased hardcore heard in the bass tones of Ian Fait, and a flurry of solid yet decorative percussion from drummer Marco Cirigliano. The color of the track itself comes from former keyboardist Dan Murphy, whose writing contribution is the driving force behind the track. “Brain Grease” is somehow as heady and sly as the name suggests. The song begins with a proggy jolt, before quickly giving way to the sort of soft-pocket groove you would expect to hear on a Surprise Chef song. The subtle precision of Cirigliano’s drumwork seems to almost float on top of Fait’s bass line, giving listeners just enough time to appreciate this rhythm section before a lead line from Genovese. The melody introduces a wonderful sense of lift, and even the quietest parts of this track maintain intensity. AKU’s technical proficiency never gets in the way of the actual music and for all that’s going on, these textures work in concert with one another. Fait also functions as the band’s audio engineer, which is a clear asset to the group. Even instruments occupying a similar range sound fairly distinct from one another. Though not yet prolific, AKU is one to watch out for. The genre-bending quartet will be playing live at Photo City Music Hall on August 14, with Alex Fortier on keys and new music in the works. With time, they have every tool necessary to spearhead a resurgence of prog-metal in Rochester. — BY MARC GABRIEL

roccitynews.com CITY 35

ARTS

REVEL IN THE DETAILS

A new public art installation on the side of Rochester Contemporary Art Center by Thai artist Ong Siraphisut. PHOTO PROVIDED

REFLECTING WHAT MATTERS Ong Siraphisut has been creating work in response to the pandemic’s impact. BY REBECCA RAFFERTY

@RSRAFFERTY

f you’re walking East Avenue during daylight hours this summer and fall, you might find your eyes drawn to a shimmering wall facing a pocket park off Broadway. An installation of mirrored stickers affixed to the exterior of the neighboring Rochester Contemporary Art Center catches the light in such a way that it makes a glittering almost-mirage that beckons passersby to pause, look closer, and follow the instructions the 36 CITY AUGUST 2021

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work spells out: “BREATHE.” The work, the latest public art installation presented by Rochester Contemporary, was created by multidisciplinary Thai artist Pisithpong “Ong” Siraphisut, who recently relocated to Rochester with his wife and son. “BREATHE” is Siraphisut’s first public art project in this country, and his second artwork made in response to the pandemic. It is scheduled to be on view through Nov. 15.

The stickers are small diamond shapes that simulate the tiles of a mosaic, not unlike those found on temples and other buildings in his native Chiang Mai, a city in northern Thailand. At first glance they are seemingly abstract, but offer unexpected depth. They reflect the greenery of the park, the red sandstone of nearby Christ Church, the gray of the streetscape, the fleeting images of pedestrians and cars — and

you, if you’re facing them head-on. Only upon focusing on the negative spaces between them and their sheen does the work’s hidden directive to take a breath become evident. “It reminds us of what we missed, and won’t take for granted: seeing ourselves in the landscape,” Rochester Contemporary Executive Director Bleu Cease says of the piece. CONTINUED ON PAGE 38

“BREATHE” alludes in part to the impact of COVID on the respiratory system and to the metaphorical feeling that we can breathe again as we inch toward normalcy. It is also a nod to the toxic air quality from the wildfires Siraphisut left behind in Thailand. Some viewers have connected the word to the social justice movement chants of “I can’t breathe,” originally in response to the police killing of Eric Garner in 2014 and, more recently, to the deaths of George Floyd and Daniel Prude. “That’s there, too,” Siraphisut says. Siraphisut, 42, says his life experiences have influenced his outlook and his work. After the birth of their son in 2019, Siraphisut and his wife decided to immigrate to upstate New York to raise their new family, with Siraphisut hoping to focus on making art. They were motivated by a combination of the poor air quality and increasing political tensions in Thailand and the fact that his wife is originally from Pennsylvania. They moved into their house in Rochester in March 2020 as the pandemic took hold. “We planned to go out for St. Patrick’s,” he says. “A week later, that was it — lockdown.” Stuck at home, and with arts supplies stores closed, Siraphisut began making portraits of his son using materials he had on hand: paper and a charcoal drawing kit. “Observing the birth of my baby, the drawings became my personal therapy to cope with the pandemic and social distancing,” he wrote in an artist statement. “But every day, I couldn’t resist reading the news. From drawing Birth, I began to draw its reflection — Death.” For the remainder of 2020 he created portraits of public figures, including many prominent artists and thinkers, who had died from COVID-19. He called his collection of more than 200 portraits “Turmeric & Charcoal,” after the materials he used. Turmeric powder, with its vibrant yellow-orange stain, is traditionally used for cooking and medicine, and represents health and healing. Charcoal alludes to ashes and death. About a third of the monumental work was featured in Rochester Contemporary’s “Last Year on Earth” 38 CITY AUGUST 2021

Thai artist Ong Siraphisut installing his mural "BREATHE" which is made of mirrored stickers that reflect the park, city buildings, and viewer. PHOTO PROVIDED

exhibition in early 2021. Much of Siraphisut’s work revolves around connecting with other people. Before he left Thailand, he created the 2019 work “Elephant in the Room,” which was an image of a white, life-sized Asian elephant on a red background of hammerprinted teak leaves on a huge linen canvas. The design was inspired by the flag of Siam, the former name of Thailand, and is linked to the country’s monarchy and hierarchy. Siraphisut says the work considered the question: What would it be like if everyone was equal? Back in 2006, when he was just 26, he founded ComPeung, the first independent artist residency program in Thailand. The endeavor, he recalls, exposed him to scores of artists from

around the world who represented a variety of disciplines, ages, genders, and backgrounds. They lived and worked together, and he formed strong friendships with many of them. Siraphisut has traveled widely, counting more than 20 countries he has visited in Asia and North and South America over the past 20 years. He made collaborative public art in some of those countries, including constructing a house made from earth in Japan. Raised by a devout Christian father and a devout Buddhist mother, Siraphisut says both faiths formed his spirituality and sense of self. When he was about 8 or 9 years old, he recalls, his mom sent him to live the life of a monk for three months — a practice he says is not uncommon among Thai parents. “You wake at 5 a.m., you wear

these robes, and you go to sleep in a tent,” he recalls. “I found it very tough and very memorable, and it helped shape me.” Siraphisut says that during the lockdown, he and his family were grateful for the natural spaces and parks in the region. Before creating “BREATHE,” he spent some time in the park it faces, tucked between the church and the streets. “‘BREATHE’ is my attempt to bring people to think about what we forget,” he says. “To breathe, to be alive, and take time to reflect on how lucky we are.” See more of Ong Siraphisut’s work at siraphisut.com.

VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS [ Opening ]

Dansville ArtWorks Gallery, 178 Main St. Dansville. Bettina Frost: A Little Bit of Everything. Wednesdays-Saturdays. Aug 6, 5-6:30pm: Opening reception. Through Aug 28. 335-4746.

Main Street Arts, 20 W Main St. Clifton Springs. Love Songs | Eternal

Ephemera. Tuesdays-Saturdays. Through Sep 17. mainstreetartscs.org.

Memorial Art Gallery, 500 University Ave. Young Salut (Aug 15-Aug 2022) |

67th Rochester-Finger Lakes Exhibition (Aug 15-Oct 17)| Tony Cokes: Market of the Senses (Aug 29-Jan 9). WednesdaySundays. Aug 20, 6pm: Young Salut artist talk. 276-8900.

RIT City Art Space, 280 East Main St. Proclamations in Black, White, &

Red (to Aug 29) | Sarah Kinard, Joshua Enck (to Sep 26). Thursdays-Sundays. cityartspace.rit.edu.

Rochester Contemporary Art Center, 137 East Ave. Arena Art

Group 70 | Stewart, Sarasota, 2003. Wednesdays-Sundays. Through Sep 19. Sep 3, 6-9pm: Opening reception. rochestercontemporary.org.

UUU Art Collective, 153 State St. Dante Cannatella. Aug. 8-Sep. 8. 434-2223.

The Yards, 50-52 Public Market.

Saints Preserve Us. Aug. 13-22. Aug 13, 6-9pm: Opening reception. theyardsrochester.com.

Film

ROC Archive Pop-Up. Times Square

Building, 45 Exchange Blvd. Fri., Aug. 6, 4-8 p.m. 6pm talk. 454-9391. Rochester Jewish Film Festival. Through Aug. 8. Virtual & in-person screenings. Dryden Theatre and JCC’s Hart Theater, Canalside Stage, & PopUp Drive-In. $10 & up. rjff.org.

Summer Film Series: Empty Meal.

Visual Studies Workshop, 31 Prince St. vsw.org. Thu., Aug. 12, 7 p.m.

Readings & Spoken Word

Visiting Authors Series. 7:30 p.m.

Virtual Writers & Books. Aug 3: Alex McElroy; Aug 5: Meg Kearney; Aug 12: Leslie C. Youngblood; Aug 14: Mike Bond; Aug 17: Jeannine Ouellette; Aug 19: Cheryl Boyce-Taylor; Aug 24: J. Robert Lennon; Aug 28: Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati; Aug 31: Danielle Geller; Sep 2: Piper Sledge wab.org.

Comedy

Abby Feldman. Sun., Aug. 8, 8 p.m. Photo City Music Hall, 543 Atlantic Ave $15/$20. 451-0047. Hardwood. Fri., Aug. 20, 6 p.m. Lux Lounge, 666 South Ave Album release party $5. helloitshardwood.com. Jeff Allen. Mon., Aug. 9, 7 p.m. Comedy @ the Carlson, 50 Carlson Rd $40. 426-6339. Shane Gillis. Thu., Aug. 5, 7:30 p.m., Fri., Aug. 6, 7 & 9 p.m. and Sat., Aug. 7, 7 & 9 p.m. Comedy @ the Carlson, 50 Carlson Rd $10-$15. 426-6339.

Dance Events

Womba Africa Drumming & Dance.

Wed., Aug. 4, 6:30 p.m. The Little Cafe, 240 East Ave. thelittle.org/music.

Theater

Camping With Henry & Tom. Aug 20-

28: Thurs.-Sat., 7:30 p.m. & Sun., 2 p.m. MuCCC, 142 Atlantic Ave $12/$15. muccc.org. The Doctor’s Dilemma. Aug. 5-14, Thurs.-Sat., 7:30 p.m. & Sun., 2 p.m. MuCCC, 142 Atlantic Ave Classics Theater $15/$17. muccc.org. Hedwig & The Angry Inch. Fri., Aug. 6, 8 p.m., Sat., Aug. 7, 8 p.m. & Sun., Aug. 8, 7:30 p.m. Smith Opera House, 82 Seneca St . Geneva Geneva Theatre Guild $10 & up thesmith.org.

Jason Ostrowski: Boogie Down Brunch.

Sun., Aug. 22, 10:30 a.m. & 12:15 p.m. OFC Creations Theater Center, 3450 Winton Pl $35 & up. ofccreations.com. Neat. Select dates, Aug. 18- Sep. 3. Bristol Valley Theater, 151 South Main St $15-$36. bvtnaples.org.

Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash. Aug 3- Sep 12: Tues-Sun. Geva

Theatre, 75 Woodbury Blvd Through Sep 12 $25 & up.

‘S Wonderful: An Evening with George Gershwin. Select dates, Aug. 19 - Sep.

axomhome.com 661 south ave

3. Bristol Valley Theater, 151 South Main St bvtnaples.org. Theresa Caputo. Sun., Aug. 29, 3 p.m. Kodak Center, 200 W Ridge Rd. $ 37 & up. kodakcenter.com/events. roccitynews.com CITY 39

ARTS

VISUAL INTERVENTION

A Wall\Therapy mural on Pennsylvania Avenue by German artist Andreas von Chrzanowski, who paints as “Case,” is titled “Am mut hangt der Erfolg (Success depends on courage).” FILE PHOTO

PAINTING THE TOWN Ten years of murals have transformed the urban landscape in Rochester. BY REBECCA RAFFERTY

@RSRAFFERTY

round the corner from Geva Theatre Center, a gigantic glass whale appears to leap from a cinderblock wall. On Pennsylvania Avenue behind the Rochester Public Market, a swimmer wearing inflatable armbands clings to a mermaid with rainbow scales. Colorful pictures and patterns brighten the footpaths along the El Camino Trail. A large-than-life fox peers out from an alley in the South Wedge. A portrait of a young boy praying to an image of Frederick Douglass adorns a building on Joseph Avenue. 40 CITY AUGUST 2021

BECCA@ROCHESTER-CITYNEWS.COM

It seems there are monumental murals and smaller public paintings at every turn in Rochester. But that wasn’t the case before Wall\Therapy changed the face of the city. This summer marks 10 years since the quiet founding of what became Wall\Therapy, the street art festival that was quickly embraced by people in every facet of the city, brought internationallyknown muralists to town, and elevated the careers of some local artists. The endeavor, founded by a local doctor and financially backed by private

donations and small businesses, has left a mark of more than 135 murals, annual weeklong celebrations of installations, and street art conferences of film screenings, academic discussions about street art and political movements, and creative workshops. Erich Lehman, the initiative’s lead curator, says plans to commemorate the decade are being organized for 2022, which organizers mark as the official 10 year anniversary because Wall\ Therapy wasn’t called such until

An untitled 2015 mural by Brittany Williams on Joseph Avenue FILE PHOTO

Wall\Therapy founder Dr. Ian Wilson at the Troup Street mural where the seeds of the annual festival were planted in 2011.

FILE PHOTO

2012. And the pandemic made organizing a festival this summer impossible. “It’s a year of getting our bearings,” Lehman says. ‘A VISUAL INTERVENTION’ Most people became aware of Wall\ Therapy in 2012, the year that artists from Spain, Germany, Belgium, South Africa, California, New York City, and Rochester painted dozens of murals around the city. But the initiative’s true roots are in 2011, when Ian Wilson, a radiologist who grew up in Brooklyn exposed to and participating in New York City’s graffiti culture, organized a handful of artists to paint a few murals on a long wall on Troup Street and beneath a railway overpass near the Rochester Public Market. Then, Wilson called it a “visual intervention.” Today, Wall\Therapy defines itself as “an art and community intervention project, using public murals as a means to transform the urban landscape, inspire, and build community.” “I wanted to get the city to realize it can be more than it is,” Wilson said.

A detail of Rochester-based artist Sarah C. Rutherford’s 2013 mural on the side of Natural Oasis on Monroe Avenue. FILE PHOTO

Murals are perhaps the most apparent evidence of a city’s artistic culture. Wilson knew he wanted to see large-scale murals all over town, but his first step was to test the waters by bringing together local and international artists for a quiet project. Through a mutual friend, he connected with South African-based artists Faith47, Freddy Sam, MakOne, and DALeast, to collaborate with Rochester artists Shawn Dunwoody,

Kurt Ketchem, and members of the graffiti crew FUA Krew on a mural on Troup Street. They dressed up a drab, low wall with a simple message in block letters: “BELIEVE.” Between each letter were illustrations by the artists meant to inspire. A kid joyfully soaring through the air. A child daydreaming in astronaut gear. Text that read: “We must teach our kids to dream with their eyes open.”

That mural was followed by others in future years. There was that boy from Joseph Avenue painted alongside Frederick Douglass by Ecuador-born, New Jersey-based artist LNY. A local waitress became the muse for Canadian artist Jarus’s mural, “Avery,” on a brick silo in the Fedder Industrial Complex on Main Street. Iran-born, New York City-based brothers Icy & Sot painted a massive child drawing dreams into reality in the Neighborhood of the Arts. The mermaid and swimmer on Pennsylvania Avenue was the work of German artist Case, and the translation of its German title is “Success depends on courage.” “Art itself doesn’t fix things, but it can inspire change,” Wilson says. “I wanted the murals to be a constant message to the community about who we are and a reminder of how capable we are.” OPEN HEARTS, WALLETS, AND HOMES Within a couple of years, word about the city’s enthusiasm for the Wall\ Therapy festival had spread among international muralists. A vast web of connections opened for organizers, and Wilson says he then realized his vision was coming to fruition. Wall\Therapy alum and Baltimorebased muralist Andrew Pisacane, whose artistic moniker is Gaia and who has put up work in many cities and curated public art projects funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, says the camaraderie of Rochester’s art community set a welcoming tone. “What truly set Rochester apart from other festivals was the attention to diversity, inclusion, and incorporation of local talent that was sorely missing from the European-dominated street art scene,” he says. “Additionally, Wall\ Therapy acknowledged the public health impact murals have upon their surrounding environment.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 42 roccitynews.com CITY 41

South African artist Faith47 paints “Rhapsody” on the Lofts at Michaels-Stern on Pleasant Street in 2012. FILE PHOTO

The festival even attracted photographer Martha Cooper, who is renowned in graffiti and street art circles for elevating and legitimizing the artform in the eyes of the wider art world. City residents showed their enthusiasm by opening their hearts, homes, and wallets. For several years in a row, organizers held a month-long crowdfunding campaign in advance of the summer festival, and routinely raised in excess of $30,000. Artists from Rochester and abroad donated works to incentivize supporters. City Hall accommodated the projects with the necessary permits. Property owners “donated” walls on commercial and residential buildings for murals that they didn’t approve in advance. They just trusted the process. Visiting artists found warm beds and meals in the homes of Rochesterians. A network of dozens of volunteers donated time to get artists materials and meals. Some global, in-demand muralists agreed to lower commissions than they typically command to paint in Rochester. Dozens of local artists, some of whom had no experience making public art, were paid to make murals. Some of the younger ones found encouragement and direction, and furthered their careers through connections they made. Among the locals are Sarah C. Rutherford, Aerosol Kingdom (then MR. PRVRT), Thievin’ Stephen, and Brittany Williams. Last year, Wall\Therapy quietly financed mini-grants for a handful of 42 CITY AUGUST 2021

local artists who painted walls in the Public Market, off West Main Street, and elsewhere, or to support other artistic community projects. ‘AN ACUTE REACTION’ Not everyone was a fan of every mural. “The audacity of the project,” Wilson says, “is that it was a covenant between the organizers and property owners. There was an acute reaction from some.” One notorious example was the reaction to Belgian artist ROA’s “Sleeping Bears” on St. Paul Street, a black-and-white line painting that generated anger and snarky social media chatter from people who saw something lewd in the mural. Online, the work was derided as “the 69-ing rats,” and a local artist whose loft window faced the mural said at the time that he had kept his shades drawn since it was painted. ROA, whose work frequently depicts animals native to the places he visits, told CITY at the time that he found it interesting that locals didn’t recognize what bears look like, and mistook their long snouts for rat features. He had originally considered adding another bear to the mix, he said, but stopped at two after so many people stopped him working to comment on the sex act they saw. “Rochester got the mural it asked for,” he said. “Sleeping Bears” was defaced in July 2021 by an unknown vandal who sprayed it with gray paint. Other murals also sparked contention. Some parishioners of

Baltimore-based aritsts Jessie and Katey's 2013 painted rug on the El Camino Trail. FILE PHOTOS

Our Lady of Victory, a Catholic Church on Pleasant Street, objected to the imagery Faith47 painted on a wall of the Michaels-Stern building facing the church. “Rhapsody” is a grayscale and golden depiction of a Saint Teresa-like figure with a breast exposed and a dark silhouetted figure flying overhead. A few others generated negative chatter, but Wilson says that was to be expected and that the response to the murals in general was overwhelmingly positive.

Belgian artist ROA painted a much-maligned mural, “Sleep PHOTO COURTESY WALL\THERAPY

“There’s been a response to several of the works, which was just fine with me, because what it did was cause a conversation to take place that wouldn’t have taken place otherwise,” Wilson says. “Art is a very individual thing, and people have a right to

Switzerland-based art duo NEVERCREW painted “Detecting Machine,” a whale-within-a-whale near Geva Theatre Center in 2015. FILE PHOTO

ping Bears,” on St. Paul Street in 2012. The mural was vandalized in July 2021.

express their dissatisfaction.” Organizers say they were wide open to having conversations with the malcontent, and in the few cases where detractors wanted a mural removed, Wilson offered to connect them with the building owners, who are ultimately the “owners” of the art.

“If you think that everything you’re doing is beyond criticism, you probably shouldn’t be doing work in public, period,” Wilson says.

roccitynews.com roccitynews.org CITY 43

LIFE

WHAT ALES ME

Maya, a yellow terrier, stares down a CITY photographer as her owner enjoys a drink at Brindle Haus. PHOTO BY JACOB WALSH

FOR DOG DAYS OF SUMMER DRINKS, HEAD TO BRINDLE HAUS BY GINO FANELLI

@GINOFANELLI

ruth be told, there’s no better drinking companion than a good dog. They’re always down to order food, they don’t judge when you dip into your third barleywine of the evening, and, at least in my case, they’ll seldom walk away when you dive into your inevitable rant about why “The Lonesome Crowded West” is the best Modest Mouse album. In Rochester, there are plenty of places to mingle with pups in the sunshine while you have your brews, but if you’re looking to belly up to a bar with a furry friend, your brewery options are slim. 44 CITY AUGUST 2021

GFANELLI@ROCHESTER-CITYNEWS.COM

For that, Brindle Haus Brewing Company on South Union Street in Spencerport is your best bet. There, patrons are not only permitted to bring their dogs inside, but are actively encouraged to do so. On a recent afternoon, a fourlegged pal could be found in just about every corner of the place. There was Miso, a brown and black mixed breed, lounging on the floor. There was Maya, a terrier, propped up in her owner’s arms. Tucker, a Spaniel, curled up next to the bar. Hanging around for the better part

of the day was Mia, the gray pit bull belonging to the brewery’s husband and wife co-owners, John and Kristine Boothe, who have long been involved in rescuing pit bulls. Last March, their brewery released an India Pale Ale in cans featuring the mugs of 12 dogs at the Verona Street Humane Society, with proceeds going to the shelter. Brindle Haus plans to revive that project again in the coming months. The brewery also sells glassware and other gear benefiting rescues, specifically those that provide service to pit bulls.

“For us, it was always about living the best of your life, and for us, that’s friends, family, and of course, your dogs,” John Boothe said. CONTINUED ON PAGE 46

DRINK THIS NOW: LIL DREAMER by Triphammer Bierwerks 111 Parce Ave., Suite 3A-1, Fairport

Simple, unpretentious, and decidedly Belgian-influenced wheat beer with a panache of estery yeast on the finish, an idyllic crusher in the harsh summer heat. GERMAN PILSNER by Brindle Haus Brewing 377 South Union St., Spencerport

While Brindle Haus caught the fructose-starved affection of Rochester craft beer hipsterdom with their “Brewcy Fruit” fruited sour ale series, it’s the traditionalist roots of the brewery which shine in the taproom. Biscuity, nuanced malts make way for a crispy Hallertau and Saaz hop finish. LEMON TURMERIC LAGER by Nine Maidens Brewing 1344 University Ave., Suite 140, Rochester

A couple years back I spilled a whole jar of turmeric on my countertop and proceeded to wipe it down with water. Dumb move! Don’t do this unless you want to Simpsonify your kitchen. Anyway, this beer is delightfully ripe with zesty citrus notes and subdued spice that is complex yet light, balanced, and endlessly refreshing. TRE KIND by Three Heads Brewing 186 Atlantic Ave., Rochester

Old but new! The latest edition of Three Heads’ beast of a triple West Coast-style IPA heads east a bit with a touch of hazy, New England influence. Deceptively easydrinking for a 10-percent brew and absolutely brimming with notes of candied stone fruit and Haribo gummies, finishing with a viscous, pithy climax.

46 CITY AUGUST 2021

Customers of Brindle Haus are not only permitted to bring their dogs inside, but are actively encouraged to do so. PHOTOS BY JACOB WALSH

While places like Three Heads, Sager Beer Works, and Swiftwater allow dogs on their patios, dogs are verboten inside. Triphammer Bierwerks in Fairport and Nine Maidens on University Avenue had long welcomed dogs in their breweries, but that is in the process of being phased out. Both breweries are planning on opening restaurants in the coming months — and dogs will no longer be allowed inside. (On a side note, having tasted several dishes from Nine Maidens’ test kitchen, the restaurant is something to be excited about.) Triphammer has already stopped allowing dogs in. Scott Denhart, the owner, put an end to it upon re-opening after the pandemicinduced shutdown. As it turns out,

introducing a dog to a roomful of people drinking beer tends to send compliance with physical distancing rules out the window. “It took about two days for me to notice that people aren’t social distancing with dogs,” Denhart said. “They’re going up and petting strangers’ dogs, and I really tried to be as strict as I could with all the rules in here. I didn’t want to get in trouble, I didn’t want to get sick, and I didn’t want anybody else to get sick.” Denhart added that having animals in breweries feels to him like it falls into a legal area where there is no specific guidance. “I’ve had [the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets] in here once a year checking things out, and they saw that I had

doggy bowls and signs on the wall, never said a thing,” Denhart said. “It still doesn’t mean it’s okay.” Executive Director of the New York State Brewers Association Paul Leone offered some clarity on the issue: as it stands right now, allowing dogs inside is up to the owner of the brewery. Brindle is a coat pattern in animals, particularly dogs, marked by subtle streaks of color. As though its name weren’t a dead giveaway for its affection for canines, Brindle Haus baked dogs into its business model from day one. When asked why the brewery intertwined beer and dogs, Boothe offered up a simple answer “They’re man’s two best friends,” he said.

LIFE

CHILL OUT

This chilled avacado and sour cream soup is a Miami-inspired summer dish that’s perfect for hot days when you don't want to cook. PHOTO BY JACOB WALSH

BEAT THE HEAT WITH CHILLED SOUPS In August, soup is a dish best served cold. These satisfying chilled soups are a breeze. BY J. NEVADOMSKI

ugust in Rochester can be grueling. Hot, sticky, sweaty. You know what I’m talking about — those miserable days when it’s 90 degrees outside with 90 percent humidity. When you’re perspiring and worrying about your air conditioner keeping up with the heat. But you’ve still got to eat. On dog days of summer you may not want to move, much less warm up the oven or fire up the grill under a blazing sun. When that happens, it’s time for light and refreshing dishes — like chilled soup. Ice cream and smoothies only go so far. And who wants to eat food that’s hotter than it is outside anyway? These chilled soups are simple to make, healthy, and refreshing, and can 48 CITY AUGUST 2021

be made ahead and stored in the fridge until you’re hungry. The best part? There’s no actual cooking involved. All three pair well with fresh bread, light sandwiches, and a chilled white wine or pale ale. CHILLED MELON & BASIL SOUP SERVES 4-6 A hybrid of French and Italian cuisines, chilled melon soups come in a number of varieties throughout the Mediterranean. Typically served as a summer appetizer, this soup is best in the late afternoon or early evening of a blistering hot day. Some versions combine different varieties of melon, occasionally berries are added, and even hot chili flakes and ginger make an

appearance. You do you. I personally find the minimalist preparation below to be invigorating and delicious.

CHILLED AVOCADO & SOUR CREAM SOUP SERVES 4-6

YOU WILL NEED: 2 honeydew melons (skin and seeds removed, cut into cubes) 1/4 cup fresh basil (stems removed, roughly chopped, more for garnish) 2 fresh limes (juiced, more to taste) 1 teaspoon olive oil Salt to taste

This Miami-inspired soup is cool, refreshing, and earns big smiles. It’s unexpectedly earthy and vibrant on the palate, surprisingly filling, and fun. For those new to the idea of chilled soup, it is a particularly accessible option. You can jazz it up by garnishing with fresh tomato and red onion slices, but this simple version is my favorite.

Combine all ingredients into a blender or food processor and gently pulse until you have a thick puree, finetuning to your liking. Chill for one hour in the refrigerator before serving, garnish with fresh basil leaves, and serve chilled.

YOU WILL NEED: 4 large ripe Hass avocados (skins and seeds removed) 1 English cucumber (peeled, halved, seeds removed and sliced)

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er y s r u County’s Oldest N

Located near Ellison Park 485 LANDING ROAD NORTH (585) 482-5372 Open 7 Days a Week

1 cup vegetable stock (more if thinner consistency is desired) 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar 2 tablespoons lime juice 1/4 cup fresh cilantro (stems removed, roughly chopped, more for garnish) Sour cream (to taste, plus garnish) Salt & pepper (to taste) Combine all ingredients (except the sour cream and a small reserve of cilantro) into a blender or food processor and gently pulse until you have a thick puree, and adjust ingredients to taste. Chill for one hour in the refrigerator before serving, garnish with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkling of fresh cilantro, and serve chilled. TOMATO, CUCUMBER & BASIL ‘SALAD’ SERVES 4-6 This salad, if you can call it that, is a cross between an Italian version of salsa and a chunky Gazpacho soup. Sometimes it’s eaten with fresh, crusty Italian bread for dipping, while in other versions it’s served with bread cubes mixed into the salad just before serving. It also happens to be something my late father used to love making from tomatoes and cucumbers from his garden every summer and was a regular item on the summer dinner table of my youth. YOU WILL NEED: 8-10 plum tomatoes (large dice) 1/2 large red onion (thin sliced) 2 cloves of garlic (roughly chopped) 2 cucumbers (peeled, halved, seeds removed, and sliced) 1/4 cup of fresh basil (stems removed,

Large Selection of Hardy Trees & Shrubs Tomato, Cucumber, and Basil 'Salad'. PHOTO BY JACOB WALSH

roughly chopped, more to taste) 1/4 cup fresh Italian flat leaf parsley (stems removed, roughly chopped) 1 large ball of fresh mozzarella (drained and cut into bite sized pieces) Olive oil (to taste) Splash of water Salt, black pepper, and garlic salt (to taste) Combine the prepared ingredients in a large, nonreactive bowl and gently toss by hand to combine thoroughly, occasionally squeezing to create some liquid. Cover and rest at room temperature for one hour before serving so the flavors marry and the cucumber releases its water. Mix well again before serving. Pairs very well with a thick-crust Italian bread. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Over 3 acres of fresh hardy nursery stock from the common to the hard to find. Annuals • Perennials • Fertilizer Seed • Bulk Mulch Bagged Mulch • Stone Large Selection of Fine Pottery

CloverNursery.com roccitynews.com CITY 49

LIFE

PHOTOS BY MAX SCHULTE

50 CITY AUGUST 2021

RANDOM ROCHESTER BY DAVID ANDREATTA

@DAVID_ANDREATTA

DANDREATTA@ROCHESTER-CITYNEWS.COM

Pinball wizards go for broke in East Rochester

inball players in Rochester have long known that The Strong National Museum of Play houses an impressive collection of machines spanning 80 years of the game’s history. But true devotees of the silver ball around town these days are making their way to an enclave on the second floor of the sprawling Piano Works building on Commercial Street in East Rochester. There, the largest selection of pinball machines in the area opened in June under the umbrella of something called the Rochester Pinball Collective — a business venture of five pinball fanatics who pooled together their private collections of more than 45 machines of various vintages into a mélange of analog pleasure in a digital world. “Business venture” might be too ambitious a description for the collective. Turning a profit would be welcome, the collaborators said, but the real goal is giving greater Rochester a place to play a variety of machines and putting the area on the pinball map. “There’s no money in pinball,” said Jarret Whetstone, 35, one of the collaborators, who contributed four machines to the cause. “The goal here is if we cover the rent, it’s a success. Right now, it’s something like, ‘We’ll keep the lights on.’” On a recent Thursday evening, the lights at RPC, as the place is known for short, were more than just on. They were flashing amid a cacophony of clacking flippers, buzzers, and bells caused by silver balls rocketing and ricocheting off blinking bumpers under glass on their playfields. Casual players tend to view pinball as a frenzied series of random zigs and zags that are more at the mercy of luck than skill. The couple dozen players at RPC knew better. They leaned into their machines, their fast-twitching fingers on the buttons, and intermittently coaxed the ball onto a new path with a jostle of their shoulders and hips. They had each paid a flat fee of $20 for unlimited

Jeanette Fredrick, left, and Stacy Fredrick are fast becoming regulars at the new Rochester Pinball Collective. PHOTOS BY MAX SCHULTE

plays for the next five hours, and they made the most of their money. Machines from the 1970s included the tennis-themed Volley and cardshark High Hand that offered basic features such as 1,000-point bumpers and simple scoring fields that reset after 99,999 and were reminiscent of a flip alarm clock from the era. From the following decade there was Cheetah, about an African tribe

that bestowed its supernatural powers to turn ordinary stones into gems unto a baby cheetah. The game was innovative in its day in that it offered digital sevendigit scoring and gave players up to five extra balls. On the other side of the room was the space-based Flight 2000, one of the first “talking” pinball games of the 1980s. Competitors are told to “Prepare for mission” with the pull of the plunger and can play multiple balls at once. Among the more modern machines was one devoted, curiously, to “The Munsters,” the 1960s sitcom about a family of benign monsters living in suburbia. The game, produced by Stern Pinball two years ago, has elaborate computerized graphics and distinctive hand-drawn art. The collaborators behind RPC — all of them men who make their livings as engineers or computer programmers — figure theirs is the second biggest pinball

arcade in New York, trailing only that at Pocketeer Billiards in Buffalo, which boasts more than 80 pinball machines. Despite its quiet opening and limited hours of operation on Thursday and Saturday evenings, RPC has drawn pinball aficionados from across the state and beyond. In July, it hosted an exhibition tournament that lured the International Flipper Pinball Association’s top-ranked player in the world — Raymond Davidson, who lives in the Chicago area and is a software engineer at Stern Pinball. But RPC appeals to more than the avid pinballer. Everyday adults for whom pinball is nothing more than a shot-and-a-beer diversion will find nostalgia, while younger visitors who have never known gaming to mean interacting with other humans in public will find a revelation. CONTINUED ON PAGE 52

roccitynews.com CITY 51

“There’s a tactile immersive experience to it that’s slightly different from video games and you’re kind of always testing yourself,” said Stephanie Guida, 29, of Scottsville, who was there for the Thursday league night. “Sometimes the ball will do something completely unexpected, or you’ll manage to make a crazy save, and the feeling when you manage to save something from out of the blue, it’s second to none.” About half the machines at RPC belong to Bruce Nightingale, 49, who many in the scene regard as the pinball guru of greater Rochester. The International Flipper Pinball Association has Nightingale ranked 906th in the world out of nearly 79,000 players. Nightingale bought his first pinball machine at the age of 13, when he paid $350 for a glam rock KISS game, and estimates he has owned more than 300 machines over his lifetime. “I’m so crazy that I actually built a dumbwaiter in my house to bring the games up and down,” Nightingale said. Rochester Pinball Collective is an outgrowth of a previous side gig of Nightingale’s called The Silverball Saloon, a former bar in East Rochester that housed most of his personal collection of games and hosted International Flipper Pinball Association events, like the Upstate New York Pinball Championships. It was there that most of the collaborators of RPC discovered their interest in pinball. When the pandemic forced Nightingale and his wife, Kat, to close Silverball last August, he and some regulars began brainstorming ways to showcase their collections again. Rochester Pinball Collective was the answer, and what Nightingale, an engineer at Corning, called an even better incarnation of his “dream” of owning a pinball bar. “I don’t have to deal with the State Liquor Authority,” Nightingale said, only half-joking. The modern pinball machine is a product of the Great Depression, and some of its key features were developed in Rochester. Industry historians generally regard “Ballyhoo,” a table top game introduced in 1931 by the Bally Manufacturing Corp., as the first pinball game, although it bore little resemblance to the machines of today. 52 CITY AUGUST 2021

Bruce Nightingale displays the guts of a pinball machine at Rochester Pinball Collective. PHOTOS BY MAX SCHULTE

There were no flippers or bumpers, but players were required to guide metal balls through a maze of pins surrounding multiple holes, each

worth between 100 and 500 points. A year later, however, Howard Peo of Rochester introduced what was to become the biggest selling countertop

game of all time in “Whirlwind.” According to Roger Sharpe, a writer and pinball enthusiast and historian, Peo’s game introduced such features as curved loops and spring-action kickbacks that are still used as standard components of modern machines. The guts of a pinball machine are, to the untrained eye, a mess of wires, coils, buttons, switches, and relays that together look like a plate of multicolored spaghetti. The underbelly of one, a 1977 game called Eight Ball, was on display in a restricted room at RPC where Nightingale and another collaborator, Zach Frey (IFPA Ranking No. 604), repair machines. In this case, Nightingale was tracing the ground wire from a dilapidated Eight Ball playfield to a new one. Nightingale, for whom his boyhood infatuation for pinball has never flagged, was living the dream. “It’s a dream because you get to live your childhood,” he said. “Most people don’t get to do what they always loved to do. For 37 years, I’ve been able to do what I love to do, I play games. How hard is that?”

ABOUT TOWN Festivals

Barry’s Old School Irish Festival. Sat.,

Aug. 28, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. The Barry Patch, 2668 Brick Schoolhouse Rd . Hilton FB: BarrysOldSchoolIrish. BrewFest 2021. Sat., Aug. 14, 2-6 p.m. Lincoln Hill Farms, 3792 Rte 247 . Canandaigua $60. Flour City Brewers Fest. Fri., Aug. 20, 6-9 p.m. Rochester Public Market, 280 N. Union St. $10/$45. 428-6907. FLX Fermentation Festival. Aug. 14-15. Cumming Nature Center, 6472 Gulick Rd. rmsc.org. New York State Festival of Balloons. Sep. 3-5. Dansville Municipal Airport, 176 Franklin St. nysfob.com. ROC Women’s Fest. Sat., Aug. 7, 12-5 p.m. Parcel 5, 275 E Main St. rocwomensfest.com.

Lectures

The Famous Friendship of Susan B Anthony & Frederick Douglass. Sun.,

Aug. 22, 2 p.m. Granger Homestead, 295 N Main St., Canandaigua. farmingtonmeetinghouse.org. Walking Tour of Historic Hilton. Tue., Aug. 24, 1 p.m. Parma Public Library, 7 West Ave. 392-8350.

Women First: Women’s Suffrage & Equality. Sat., Aug. 14, 11 a.m. Mount

Hope Cemetery, 791 Mt Hope Ave. $12. fomh.org.

Literary Events & Discussions

Jump at the Sun: Community Read & Virtual Conversation. Sat., Aug. 21, 11

a.m. Virtual Writers & Books, online. wab.org.

Kids Events

Concerts for Kids: Mr. Loops. Wed., Aug. 18, 6:30 p.m. Pittsford Community Center, 35 Lincoln Ave. 5851234567. townofpittsford.org/kidsconcerts. Gross-Out Workshop Series. Tue., Aug. 17, 2 p.m. Rush Public Library, 5977 East Henrietta Rd., Rush Aug 3: Slugs & slime; Aug 17: poop & puke. Registration required 533-1370. Iroquois Creation Story & Art. Sat., Aug. 7, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Seneca Art & Culture Center, 7000 County Rd 41 . Victor ganondagan.org. Mud Pie Bakery. Sun., Aug. 8, 12:303:30 p.m., Sun., Aug. 22, 12:30-3:30 p.m. and Sun., Sep. 5, 12:30-3:30 p.m. Cumming Nature Center, 6472 Gulick Rd. $15. rmsc.org. Nature Sunday Experiences. Sundays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m Genesee Country Nature Center, 1410 Flint Hill Rd Mumford $5 suggested gcv.org. A Novel Weekend. Aug. 7-8, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Genesee Country Village & Museum, 1410 Flint Hill Rd Mumford $17-$23. gcv.org.

Panamanian Golden Frog Awareness Weekend. Aug. 14-15. Seneca Park Zoo,

2222 St. Paul St Timed entry $9-$12. 336-7200. RPO Outdoors: Kids Concert. Sat., Aug. 14, 10 a.m. JCC Canalside Stage, 1200 Edgewood Ave. $8/$15. rpo.org. Sunday Funday. Sun., Aug. 15, 1-3:30 p.m. JCC of Greater Rochester, 1200 Edgewood Ave Ages 5 & up $10. 4212000. Trolley Rides. Sun., Aug. 29, 11:30 a.m., 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 & 3:30 p.m. NY Museum of Transportation, 6393 E. River Rd $6-$10. nymtmuseum.org. Under the Sea Dance Party. Fri., Aug. 20, 2 p.m. Chili Public Library, 3333 Chili Ave. 889-2200. Wild Tinker & Ice Cream Social. Sat., Aug. 7, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Tinker Nature Park, 1525 Calkins Rd 359-7044.

Young Citizen Scientists: Life in the Genesee. Mon., Aug. 9, 11 a.m. Seymour

Library, 161 East Ave., Brockport Designed for ages 8-10 637-1050.

Recreation

Yoga in the Pines. Sun., Aug. 15, 10:30

a.m. & 1 p.m. Cumming Nature Center, 6472 Gulick Rd. $18. rmsc.org. Yoga on the Bricks. Thursdays, 9:3010:30 a.m Rochester Public Market, 280 N. Union St. 428-6907.

Special Events

August Tea. Thu., Aug. 19, 1-3 p.m.

Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion, 151 Charlotte St . Canandaigua $25/$30. sonnenberg.org.

Cocktails with the Creators: Jill Barad. Wed., Aug. 11, 6 p.m. Virtual Strong National Museum of Play, online. Former CEO, Mattel Inc $25 suggested. museumofplay.org. Community Garage Sales. Sundays, 7 a.m.-1 p.m Rochester Public Market, 280 N. Union St. Select Sundays through Oct 17 428-6907. Food Truck Rodeo. Last Wednesday of every month, 5-9 p.m Rochester Public Market, 280 N. Union St. Through Sep 29 428-6907. National Silver Ball Tournament. Aug. 13-15. Genesee Country Village & Museum, 1410 Flint Hill Rd Mumford Vintage base ball gcv.org. Outdoor Market. Sat., Aug. 14. The Op Shop, 89 Charlotte St. 730-1157. facebook.com/theopshoproc. Pride Day at the Farm. Sat., Aug. 14, 12-7 p.m. Wickham Farms, 1821 Fairport Nine Mile Point Rd (Rte 250) . Penfield $16.95. PopUpPrideROC@gmail.com. We Will Survive Silent Disco. Fri., Aug. 13, 8 p.m.-midnight. The Penthouse, 1 East Ave, 11th floor $15. 775-2013. ZooBrew. Fri., Aug. 13, 5:30-9 p.m. Seneca Park Zoo, 2222 St. Paul St. $8/10. 336-7200.

ADDICTIONS COUNSELOR CREDENTIAL TRAINING

DePaul’s National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence-Rochester Area has openings for its next Addiction Counselor Credential Training beginning September 7, 2021. Class size is limited. Deadline for registration is August 16, 2021.

Call

(585) 719-3480

today!

Student Applications and an ACCT Informational Brochure may be downloaded from our website.

www.ncadd-ra.org

roccitynews.com CITY 53

LIFE

GO FOR THE GOLD

Across

Answers to this puzzle can be found on page 31

PUZZLE BY S.J. AUSTIN & J. REYNOLDS

1. Scarlet, maroon, and vermillion 5. Continent with the highest and lowest points on Earth

9. Russia’s _____ Mountains

13. Cratchit, to Scrooge

18. Magna _____ 20. Choke (on)

23. Something you can take, have, or save

27. Shuts up, Archie Bunker style

25 29 34

31. Disease it’s no coincidence Lou Gehrig had, for short

32. Came down

82 89

90 97

37. Prez on a fiver 40. Publication format for sci. papers 43. Sam of “Jurassic Park” 45. Word rhymed with “mocha” in a 1999 chart topper 47. Lawrence of Arabia portrayer Peter 49. Satifying email function 51. ** Landmark the Secret Service has forbidden all presidents from ascending 54. Concert site 55. Buenos _____ 56. Container for a doz. eggs 57. Hand: Sp. 61. “Mess with the best, die like _____” 63. Snow removal tool 66. Capture 67. Apportion 70. “_____ sexy for my shirt” 72. When a quick snap may happen in football 74. ** “Roma uno die non est condita” 79. Sneak _____ 54 CITY AUGUST 2021

102

103

116 126

118

124

125

66 73

88 93

100

112

113 120

128

101 106

119

127

105

117

111

110

104

109

39. Failing

35. Pogs and Beanie Babies, e.g.

32 37

55 61

29. Shortened bank statement?

33. Like some teeth and hearts

22. Good name for a friend from France

25. ** Third installment in the “Fast & Furious” franchise

5 19

21. _____ Colada

24. “Famous” cookie icon

107 114

121 129

132

133

134

136

137

138

108 115

122 130

123 131 135 139

80. “Whether times are good ___, happy or sad” (1971 lyric)

102. Resident of the so-called “Chicago of Japan”

126. ** Vodka cocktail served in a copper mug

81. Orate

105. Stockings

129. Trails behind

82. 71-Down, e.g.

106. Less ruddy

131. Stooges

83. In short supply

108. Rank above maj.

132. “When you wish upon _____”

86. Ecstasy

109. LeBron’s team, on scoreboards

133. Jerusalem airline

89. Critter found in the word “separate” (if you spell it correctly)

110. Constellation next to Scorpius

134. Sheltered from the wind or waves

112. Muy, across the Pyrenees

135. Color-corrects photos or videos, say

91. Tulsa coll. named after its founder 92. Apt rhyme for bore 93. Skillful or clever 97. ** Co-star of the reality TV show “The Simple Life” 101. 2001 World Series champs, familiarly

114. 1983 Woody Allen mockumentary 116. The “saddest of all keys,” for short 118. Bruins legend Bobby 120. Molecule part 122. Pasta specification

136. Like Fran Drescher’s voice 137. Prefix with glace or sexual 138. Accessory for Charlie Parker or John Coltrane 139. Gaelic language that is the source of the word “trousers”

Down

63. Word with loan or services

1. LG alternatives

64. _____ polloi

2. Toward sunrise

65. ** Thames spanner

3. Eins + zwei

67. Italian fashion giant founded in 1913

4. Prop for Gandalf 5. Sampras rival 6. Personified “uncle” of the federal government

68. Cowboy, sometimes 69. Last Greek letter 71. Credential for a C.F.O.

7. Composer Stravinsky

73. Aslan’s land

8. Liability’s counterpart on a balance sheet

75. “Whenever!”

9. “I could go either way.” 10. ** One of 8 Summer Olympics host cities “hidden” in this puzzle 11. Composer of the “Tonight Show” theme used during the Carson era 12. Top-10 hit for Eric Clapton in 1972 (and 1992) 13. Software acronym for architects and engineers 14. Old Italian bread 15. Actor Estevez 16. Offer from a diner waitress 17. Stovetop boiler 19. ** Franchise for Dominique Wilkins, first as a star and is now as an executive

76. Middle Earth goblin 77. Big name in U.K. art 78. Dictator Amin 84. Braid pulled tight to the scalp 85. Pop star Grande, to fans 87. Circle 88. Desi of old TV 90. Toll hwy. 92. Winter scourge 94. Org. that regulates I.S.P.s 95. Sport stoppage declared by a ref or an M.D. 96. Fashion inits. 98. Co. to call for a tow 99. “Very, very close!”

26. “One of Us” singer Joan

100. Like 133-Across

28. Gen. Robert _____

101. Small, wooded valley

30. Business casual tops

102. Commissioner Gordon portrayer in the “Dark Knight” trilogy

34. Cow in classic Borden ads 36. Grade school subj. 38. And so on 40. 1990 civil rights law, for short 41. Apiece 42. The “A” of I.P.A. 44. U.S.P.S. deliveries 46. _____ as a cucumber 48. Unit of resistance 50. Main course 52. Song parodied on “Sesame Street” as “Letter B”

103. Triangular South Asian pastry 104. V.I.P. rosters 107. Rented 111. Packing 113. Renewable energy category 115. Crystal-lined rock 117. Student-athlete org. 119. Govern 121. Like plants with stamens 123. Like some detective fiction 124. Demolition supplies

53. Off-road ride, for short

125. Latin 101 verb

55. Roman god of war

127. 109-Across opponent in the 2009 NBA Finals

58. Positive battery terminal 59. Grannies 60. Heeds

128. Flee the law 130. Golly!

62. GPS prediction roccitynews.com roccitynews.org CITY 55

AUGUST 2021

CITY August 2021

Articles inside

Shake Shack, New York, N.Y

Chick-fil-A, Atlanta, Ga

Popeyes, Miami, Fla