AR TS. MUSIC. CULTURE. SEPTEMBER 2023
FREE | SINCE 1971
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ROCHESTER FRINGE FESTIVAL PREVIEW
CITY’s Jeff Spevak and a cohort of Arts Journalism graduate students from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University offer a sneak peek into a few of the 500+ shows playing at the 12-day fest.
BY
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NELL-
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ALBUM REVIEWS
Our takes on new music from Bad Bloom and Gavin Barry’s Rebel Banjo Circus.
BY DANIEL J. KUSHNER36
DAILY TO DO
For your friends who say there’s nothing to do around here.
BYCITY STAFF
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AUTUMN BEVERAGE FORECAST
New products from Stoneyard, Barry’s via Ireland –and the beers we’re cheers’ing.
BY GINO FANELLI
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CITY VISITS… BILLS CAMP
Because it’s gonna be Buffalo’s biggest season yet, right?
BY NARADA J. RILEYON THE COVER FALL ARTS ROUNDUP
Our team lassoed their top picks for the fall arts season, from visual arts and theater to dance and music.
BY SYDNEY BURROWS,56
CHOWHOUND
Food and bev news you can chew on.
CURATED BY REBECCA RAFFERTY AND LEAH STACY
SEPTEMBER 2023
Vol 52 No 1
On the cover:
Illustration by Jacob Walsh
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We’re lucky enough to have four seasons in this region (some lasting longer than others… looking at you, winter), but it’s the turning of leaves and annual arts opening nights that make the chillier air feel truly magical.
Back to school time always brings a feeling of fresh beginnings, and that’s part of it. A chance to fall (pun very much intended) back in love with the local arts scene. To layer up and head to a pumpkin patch or apple orchard. To dig into new menu changes at local restaurants (squash season for the win).
Our team spent time combing through upcoming offerings in theater, dance, music, and visual art –you’ll find their picks in these pages. We also partnered with the Goldring Arts Journalism program, part of the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, on our Fringe coverage. Many thanks to the graduate student cohort and their professor (and our freelancer), Patrick Hosken for the great preview pieces. Fun fact: Dan Kushner and I are both grads of the program, so it has a special place in CITY hearts.
This month, we’re holding our September issue social at One Fringe Place on Wednesday, September 20 during Trivia CITY, our annual quiz collab with Fringe. Anytime from 7 p.m. ‘til 9 p.m., stop by to say hi, grab something from the onsite food trucks, and maybe even pitch us an arts & culture story.
In the meantime, go buy a ticket (or four) to one of the many local arts picks we’ve spotlighted in this issue.
See you at the theater!
WXXI Members may inquire about free home delivery of CITY including monthly TV listings by calling 585-258-0200.
The Rochester Fringe Festival is turning over a new leaf. Amidst comedians, musicians, acrobats and drag queens, debuting this year at the festival is Craig Walsh’s “Monuments.” The project places the spotlight — literally — on trees in downtown Rochester.
Three trees, anyway. “There aren’t that many,” Festival Producer Erica Fee pointed out, referring to the number of trees downtown. Walsh, an Australian tree-illumination pro (there is at least one out there), is seeking three trees tall enough, and full enough, onto which will be projected videos of three “unsung heroes” of Rochester. The videos, and any evening breeze, will move the faces in a ghostly manner.
“There’s a mathematical equation,” Fee said, “based on how the projector throws light.”
But math is hard. Beyond the nomination aspect of the selection process, it is where the trees are located, in relation to city sidewalks and streets, that is also a consideration for public viewing purposes. “Obviously, we don’t want anyone to get hit by a car,” Fee said.
Apart from “Monuments,” about 30 venues will play host to more than 500 shows during the 12th annual Rochester Fringe Festival, which runs from Sept. 12-23.
The Fringe concept, a whirlwind of high-concept and low-concept artistry, originated in 1947 in Edinburgh. The 12-day festival is the largest multidisciplinary arts events in New York state, and one of 300 official Fringes in the world.
Since its 2012 debut, Rochester Fringe calculates nearly 670,000 people have attended more than 4,500 performances.
Among this year’s new performances is “Corazón,” presented by the Colombian group
Circolombia. It comes to Rochester “fresh from the oven,” said the group’s founder, Felicity Simpson.
Circolombia is the centerpiece of the festival, playing all 12 days in the Spiegeltent, which will be the centerpiece of One Fringe Place,
located at the parking lot at East Main and Gibbs streets. The show is a conglomeration of what Simpson called “high risk contemporary circus” skills. She also described it as “a concert circus,” because of the emphasis on the Latin music that will fill the tent.
“People feel alive when they come out of a Circolombia show,” Simpson said.
“Cirque Inextremiste: Exit” is another free show during the festival’s first weekend at Parcel 5. The French-made spectacle, debuting in the United States at Rochester Fringe, is a blend of hot-air balloon, flying piano, and airborne humans. “Hot air balloon tricks,” said Artistic Director Yann Ecauvre, “never seen in ballooning.”
“It’s a story about freedom,” said Ecauvre. “It’s a group of people who are trying to escape, by air, with a balloon.” He compares it to a scene from the film “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” in which Jack Nicholson takes a handful of residents from a mental institution on a fishing expedition. In “Cirque Inextremiste: Exit,” high-flying hilarity ensues. For how long? That depends on the wind, due to the unpredictability of a hot air balloon (even one tethered to the ground).
For attendees hoping to get their yearly glimpse of Matt Morgan prancing around stage in his underwear, that opportunity may arise. The Las Vegas-based fixture at Rochester Fringe will once again be a significant presence, this time with three shows. The booze-infused Shotspeare returns to the Spiegeltent for five 9 p.m. performances from September 19 through 23, this time ravaging The Bard’s “Othello.” Morgan is also directing “A Nerdy Gay Juggling Show” September 15 through 17 at School of the Arts; and part of a Spiegeltent variety show, “The Comedy Trio Happy Hour in The Meaning of Life” with comedy partners-in-crime Mark Gindick and Ambrose Martos.
Dance duo The Fanzinis come to Rochester Fringe through an exchange program with a festival in Monroe County’s sister County Cavan in Ireland. The show is
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“Ballet Poulet,” which roughly translates to ‘chicken dance,’ and will be performed at both Parcel 5 and the Spiegeltent from September 15 through 17. The other side of the exchange happened in July, when Rochester Fringe Festival sent comedic troupe Bushwhacked to County Cavan for arts festival Cavan Calling.
Bushwhacked, comprised of local duo Kerry Young and Abby DeVuyst, has been a Rochester Fringe staple for years. This time around, they’ll have two shows: “Bushwhacked Backyard Bonfire” returns to the Spiegelgarden with a limit of four audience members (which means it’s sold out by the time you read this); “Camp Bushwhacked” is an interactive camping experience at the Spiegelgarden, also limited with 12 tickets each performance (but all four of a special “boozy version” are sold out, of course).
The Spiegelgarden, at One Fringe Place, also offers nightly outdoor films (opening September 12 with the dog-driven comedy classic “Best in Show”), and 10-minute plays in which actors and their audience are trapped in cars, “Dashboard Dramas IX.” The latter’s companion piece is “Dashboard Dramas After Dark,” described as ‘a slightly racier version’ — and that’s not a reference to race cars.
Tig Notaro will be the comedy headliner at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre on Saturday, September 16 at 8 p.m. The Emmy- and Grammynominated comedian has a wideranging career as a writer and actor, including 14 episodes of the TV series “Star Trek: Discovery.” She has also been a powerful spokesperson in her battle with breast cancer, sometimes working it into stand-up routines. Tickets for “Tig Notaro: Hello Again” range in price from $29 to $97.
All ticketed Fringe shows are available at rochesterfringe.com or by calling 585-957-9837 (an additional phone-processing fee applies). During the festival, tickets are available online, at the venues, and at the Fringe ticket booth at the corner of East Main and Gibbs streets.
BY ANGELA NELL-TASCON
In its world premiere at the Rochester Fringe Festival this fall, “A Nerdy Gay Juggling Show” will showcase performer Jacob D’Eustachio’s talents as he expresses his story through relatable humor. That story, which plays at School of the Arts: Movement Center on Sept. 15, 16 and 17, promises to feature plenty of extraordinary juggling and more. D’Eustachio aims to create a dynamic atmosphere of audience participation, storytelling and comedy. “It is a circus show, but this time it’s my circus show, and it’s a queer, nerdy, quirky, hopefully slightly touching circus show,” he said.
The School of the Arts: Movement Center gymnasium venue will allow D’Eustachio to toss and bounce items of all sorts as well as engage with the audience, creating a truly immersive experience. “We’re all about creating spaces where space doesn’t exist,” said Andrea Gregoire, the school’s art center director. “It’s a unique performance space, one of the few places that have high ceilings for Jacob’s show where his stuff won’t get lost in the rafters.”
Professional jugglers are not often known for discussing queer culture and identity. D’Eustachio may offer a game-changing moment for the circus industry – he hopes that by sharing his story, it reaches others contemplating their identity. “I can talk about being gay, and I can talk about my personal life,” he said. “I can also talk about how juggling is part of my queerness and part of my gay identity and how those things work together and they’re not at war. I think there’s something really powerful with that, and I think
there’s a power in sharing stories.”
D’Eustachio, who is based in New York City, will unveil his captivating routine and self-taught tricks in an hour long performance where he plans to use the stage fully. The metaphor made between the act of physically juggling while balancing the concept of one’s sexuality adds another dimension to D’Eustachio’s show. “It’s not going to be a show about juggling, and it’s not going
to be a show where I talk about juggling. We’re just going to do a really fantastic juggling show,” he said. Fringegoers ages 13 and up are encouraged to attend and share in this storytelling experience.
D’Eustachio is no stranger to the festival – Matt Morgan, who will also star in Shotspeare, directs this show, and their collaboration grew out of working together on “Cirque du Fringe: Afterglow,” last
year’s Spiegeltent headlining act. This year, D’Eustachio plans to bring a little bit of everything to the table, while also being true to himself as a performer. “I want to tell my true story. I want to talk about my gay identity,” he said. “I want to do it in a way where it’s still funny, where it’s still engaging, where it’s still an exciting, great circus show, but in a way where it feels like I’m bringing all of myself.”
BY GLORIA RIVERA
Encapsulating one’s youth into a memoir comes with the difficulty of choosing which details of that life are most important to include. During the Rochester Fringe Festival this year, performer Zoe Walker-Itoh will present “Motha Has Lived: Almost a Memoir,” a story that blends fact and fiction to tell a narrative about love, life, and the New York City disco era. Walker-Itoh is a writer, actor, director, and educator who aims to take a stand in her work, and does not allow the way people perceive her, based on looks or preconceived notions, to determine her worth. Her piece, which runs September 20 through 23 at Geva Theatre Center’s Fielding Stage, is ‘almost’ a memoir – because although some of it may contain embellishments, all of it explores her true self in an era of risk-taking where she was able to be herself.
“Motha Has Lived: Almost a Memoir” was born when Walker-Itoh and her daughter were cleaning out a closet and found photos from NYC in the 1980s. There were photos of people she had loved, people she did not remember, and moments that were filled with so much growth and joy. When Walker-Itoh sat down to write, she said the piece “flowed like water.” Then, when thinking through the best place to display this work, she thought of Fringe.
A Rochester resident, Walker-Itoh has attended many projects showcased by Fringe, but notes she has yet to see one similar to hers.
“I am not trying to be a church lady, somebody’s grandma, auntie to America,” she said. “I am not trying to be a storyteller sitting there in her African garb sitting on a stool spouting prophetic wisdom. I am all of those things, but that is not only who I am.”
Walker-Itoh describes the piece as poignant, but hopes it will also invoke joy and comedic relief in her viewers through a level of authenticity they may not be used to seeing. “There are no roles for me out here that allow me to fully express who I am,” she said, “and I said, ‘I will create my own opportunity to act, be, say, and do exactly what I see fit.’”
Fiona Kyle, Fringe venue manager at Geva Theatre, says the staff views this year’s festival as an opportunity to highlight local artists’ talent. Geva has worked with Walker-Itoh on other projects, and Kyle is excited to continue this partnership. “What I hope [audiences] get out of her performance is what the love of theater can do to your life,” she said, “and how theater can change your life both artistically and personally – and the amount of joy that exists in the performing arts.”
We partnered with a cohort of Arts Journalism graduate students from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University to offer a sneak peek into a few of the 500+ shows playing at the 12-day fest.
“The Painter” is returning to Rochester Fringe Festival for its fourth year, capturing audiences with paint, dance, and music. While dancers perform on Sept. 14, 15 and 17 at School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre, artist and choreographer Corinne Yancone will be onstage with them joining in at times. But for the majority of the production, she will be working on a live painting. “The Painter” started after Yancone returned to Rochester from working as a live painter on a cruise ship around the Mediterranean Sea. Growing up as a dancer, Yancone started teaching at the age of 18 but wanted a way to incorporate both her passions after she got back from her time abroad. When she found out about Fringe, she felt the stars aligned. “Fringe is what makes me feel most alive,” Yancone said.
Every year for “The Painter,” she has created a new theme. Last year, Yancone focused the performance around grief as a way to express herself after the passing of her father. This year’s show will have a similar theme, as she pays tribute to life lessons and grieves both her father and grandfather.
“Grief kind of catapults you into a whole different dimension of reality, you just learn so much about yourself and about those around you and about the world,” Yancone said.
The 45-minute performance will take the audience on a journey through Yancone’s life from the past few years, starting with grief and navigating into new directions of growth discovered within.
There’s also a community aspect, given the large number of local
dancers involved. Some are from Yancone’s home studio, Performance Plus Dance in Hilton, where she currently teaches. Patty Bellucco, who owns the studio, said she’s thrilled with Yancone’s production.
“We’re just so proud of her and her accomplishments, and we’re thankful the students participating have a new sense of awareness of a different way to express the art of dance,” Bellucco said.
Yancone’s choreography utilizes
a variety of dance styles, from contemporary and jazz to modern and improv, and she allows for her students to have creative expression through her own choreography. The dancers practice from June to September and are from different studios, allowing for the performers to meet new people and work with a different group of girls than they normally do.
Mariana Ruggiero, a 16-year-old junior who has participated in Fringe
with Yancone since the first show, revels in the opportunity.
“Working with so many people who don’t go to your dance studio is so eye-opening (for) many people,” she said. “It really makes you look at everybody else and see what you can pull from those you haven’t seen dance before.”
Employing a mixture of experimental silent filmmaking and live recordings from within a black box theater, “Blowing off the Lake” explores a chilling folk myth local to the Rochester area: the ghostly Lady in White, a mysterious apparition said to roam Lake Ontario’s shores. Between soundless, meandering flashbacks accompanied by character voice overs and static shots of the players onstage addressing the camera, the film dives deep into the legend’s origins, the lady’s perpetual feelings of loss and sorrow, and an original narrative take on why she now haunts Durand Eastman beach.
Martha Schermerhorn, the playwright behind the film’s script, said it is greatly influenced by her own infatuation with folk myths sparked by childhood experiences.
“My father was really interested in what you would call strange phenomenon,” she said. “We used to go on trips all the time to visit places that were supposedly haunted or had some significance.”
Though initially conceived as a play, “Blowing off the Lake” was reshaped into a film after Schermerhorn and director Maria Brandt realized the potential behind its visual depictions of confinement both physical and emotional.
“It’s very poetic and (overlaps) with a lot of repetition that feels like waves,” Brandt said. “(It shows) the way the lady herself is stuck in her own cycle of loss and mourning.”
The film blends elements of cinema and theater together, marking a new experience for both Schermerhorn and Brandt, who each specialize in playwriting. Overall, the two filmmakers feel the medium they chose did the concept justice by allowing it to transcend its theatrical confines. “If we were to do it as a stage version, it would be totally different,” Brandt said. “I think this version you’ll see is not anything that could happen on the stage.”
The experience also charted new territory for actor Christopher C. Conway, who described the film as “fairly unique and abstract.” He stars in the film as a traveling rogue, and was drawn to the project by its timeless, fairy tale-like atmosphere, as well as Schermerhorn’s open-ended script.
“As an actor, it’s all about the text and it’s all about the language,” Conway said. “There was really a poetry that was working in this. You sort of walk this fine line between literal and metaphorical.” Conway’s cat, Cousin Harold, also appears in the film as Old Tom, a feline whose presence recurs throughout the story.
Through its eerie subject matter, Schermerhorn hopes “Blowing off the Lake” will spark viewers’ own curiosity in exploring local myths and the supernatural.
“I hope [viewers] start walking up on Lake Ontario and looking for the white lady,” Schermerhorn said, adding that the legend’s local ties are another point of interest for the film. “These white lady, weeping lady myths happen all over the world on a body of water. It’s just fascinating that Rochester has our own.”
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With increased legislation inhibiting drag expression, the art form needs protection and documentation.
“The History of Drag, Part 1,” a Rochester Fringe Festival show taking place Sept. 23 at the School of the Arts’ Allen Main Stage Theatre, will begin to detail a history long hidden by the mainstream.
According to Gallup, the number of those identifying as LGBTQ+ is on a fast rise. While being queer is often associated with the art of drag, drag rests on the performance of gender norms –and thus, is not necessarily tied to gender or sexuality.
“Drag is the art and celebration of self-expression, regardless of gender,” said Vivian Darling, Miss Gay Rochester 2023 and the show’s host. “Drag does not mock gender; it mocks the stereotypical arbitrary gender roles that society ‘requires’ us to abide by. It celebrates being human.”
There are many misconceptions about drag. It is often considered new, explicit, and inappropriate for children – none of which are entirely accurate. These overgeneralizations are something Darling hopes to remedy through the comedic show.
“The art of drag can be traced back to before the birth of Christianity,” Darling said. “Drag is just performance. A drag entertainer is no more different than an actor. Society has deemed anything other than heterosexuality as ‘sinful’ or ‘deviant’ – drag is not deviant.”
In an effort to reclaim the
narrative, Darling is taking the authority to tell drag’s history accurately. Likewise, Darling establishes the local community’s
presence more than others could. As Miss Gay Rochester 2023, Darling is a community staple and possesses the prowess to
connect, engage, and seamlessly communicate drag’s history.
At least 12 state legislatures have introduced bills to limit drag expression. Some of these are complete bans on the performance, some pertain to the exposure of children to drag, and others outright ban gender nonconformity. Darling is using their platform to fight.
The show’s location at a Rochester school aims to inspire real learning and reflection.
“School of the Arts is an allinclusive community. We support diversity in all aspects of life, but especially in the performing arts,” said Andrea Gregoire, the school’s art center director. “A show like
“The History of Drag, Part 1” is an excellent addition to our lineup as it shines a light on our community’s diverse population and on drag culture and gender expression.”
While comedic, the show is also a chance to educate the public amidst rampant misinformation and fear-mongering that has dealt the community a heavy blow.
“The current state of hatred and appalling legislation pushed toward the drag, gay and trans community [inspired the show’s production],” said Darling. “This show is a very lighthearted, funny look into what drag is. It tells the story of drag and the world from a drag performer’s perspective, all the while not being too preachy, but still making things fun, joyful, and celebratory.”
Queso, cocktails, and Karens are just a few things attendees may experience at Salena’s Mexican Restaurant on Wednesday, September 13 during “Bossing,” an online review show that will take place at the Mexican restaurant as a part of the 12th annual Rochester Fringe Festival.
Kelly Metras and Kelly Bush, two local restaurant owners and the co-creators of “Bossing,” say they’ve wanted a Fringe show centered around local businesses for years, and they thought up “Bossing” after discussing their online reviews together. “It’s something we talk about all the time,” Bush said. “Some of the things that people write…like, holy crap, you’re talking to a human being.” The duo hopes reading these critiques aloud as human beings to a room full of human beings may help bring humanity back into online reviews.
Bush is the co-owner of Marshall Street Bar and Grill and the Union Tavern, and Metras owns Salena’s Mexican Restaurant and Salena’s Taqueria. Although this will be the first time “Bossing” appears as a Fringe show, the women have run Bossy, a local business support group, since 2014. “It’s very difficult to be a small business owner,” said Bush. “Sometimes it’s amazing, but oftentimes it’s a struggle and stressful and difficult.”
“Bossing” will feature online reviews of the women’s restaurants, as well as some provided by other local business owners. The two Kellys will present the reviews to the audience, phrasing and editing so the institutions and sources remain anonymous. “What we want to do is make light of this stuff, but also bring to light how damaging these things can be,” said Bush. “People have this ridiculous view of what it means to be a small business owner. Not a part of a big chain, but a legitimate small business owner with 50 or fewer employees. They just have no idea what it actually is.”
Metras is similarly aghast by customers’ online reactions. “You’d be surprised by some of the insane things on the internet,” she said. “These are local, right? It’s local people in Rochester, sharing about local businesses in Rochester. It’s not just viral TikTok videos. These are legit, homegrown places.”
The women are motivated entrepreneurs with contagious personalities who are excited to bring a local entrepreneurial perspective to Fringe – along with a bit of humor. “I love the reviews where I’m like, ‘That’s not even us, that’s not even something we offer,’” Bush said with a laugh.
With possible categories ranging from ‘another case of food poisoning’ to ‘just for the likes,’ “Bossing” is shaping up to be a lively show built on an austere topic, and the women hope people leave thinking twice about writing negative reviews in the future. “Have fun and be kind,” said Metras. “It’s OK to share your opinion with people, just be mindful of where you’re doing it.”
Two worlds collide for a third consecutive year (2020 doesn’t count, right?) at the Rochester Fringe Festival. “Stand Up for Drag” plans to once more bring Rochester’s best comedic kings and drag queens together for a hilarious, show-stopping event on September 15 and 22 at the Multi-Use Community Cultural Center (MuCCC). Producer and organizer Kevin Markman hopes to bridge gaps and build community at Fringe by sharing good stories, good music, and good laughs.
This year’s lineup brings back fan favorites including comedians Cindy Arena and Joél James and drag performer King Bey. Co-hosting the event is Markman and local drag queen Kyla Minx.
“We started off with a bang our first year. People received it well and asked right after, ‘When are you going to do it again?’” Markman said. “There’s a lot of great artistry and people in Rochester in separate communities, and ‘Stand Up for Drag’ is one way of bringing those communities together.”
The title of the show is a double entendre that alludes to bringing standup comedians and drag queens together, while also taking a stance for the drag community.
Markman was inspired to create this event after a conversation with his best friend, Miranda Marie Sugarbaker (formerly known as Poison Ivy). Sugarbaker is a first-generation Rochester drag queen and was also Miss New York Continental Plus 2015. She now resides in St. Petersburg, Florida.
“I said, ‘I want to do something for Fringe. How about you do something, too, and we get the best of the best to come together and perform at this event?’” Markman said. “And it was just two best friends wanting to do this thing and merge our worlds together.”
Minx, who has been part of the show since its origin, says the one thing attendees can expect from the show is variety.
“Kevin is a cis-heterosexual white man, and King Bey is a nonbinary drag performer. You can’t get two more different people in the same show,” Minx said. “And as for me, I’m just a mouth. I couldn’t tell you what I was going to say. I go into a trance; Kyla takes over, and you just buckle up and hope that you survive.”
King Bey said folx attending should prepare for “laughs and slayage.” Drawing from their Beyoncé-inspired persona, King Bey quoted the singer, “A renaissance is emerging.” King Bey believes this show is especially important following the death of O’Shae Sibley, who was murdered for dancing to Beyoncé’s Renaissance album at a Brooklyn gas station in July.
“This is bigger than all of us to show we can’t be muted and that we have a right to be here,” King Bey said.
Comedian and social media sensation Joél James said spreading love and coming together with all different sorts of people will combat any hate, and he hopes to make the event an escape for people.
“This is just something different,” said James. “I think drag queens are the most funny and fabulous people ever, and us comedians coming together with them could only happen at Fringe. You couldn’t get this anywhere else.”
With his comedic co-hosting hat on, Markman said part of his material will address family, chosen or otherwise.
“Family can be hard but good,” he said.
After all, it’s an event about bringing people together.
laws, which is explained in an illustration by art duo DesiPun (Uday Vir Singh and Kanwardeep Kaur).
There’s also quiet resilience present, in an installation of photographs by Baljit Singh and Kiran Rai of their elders incorporating Punjabi culture into their lives in Canada.
When the exhibition opened in July, the event featured traditional and rock music as well as spoken word performances, including slam poetry about identity by PunjabiAmerican artist Navpreet Singh. He recited “Thank You, Come Again,” a wrenching piece dedicated to his immigrant father.
“Navpreet also created the installation with the clothesline that was almost like a live diorama of what it would be like to have to flee your home and not have time to clean up or take anything,” Singh said. That piece is titled “No Time to Pack,” and is a domestic scene complete with eyeglasses set on an open book. It’s seemingly serene, save the potted plant knocked over by a quick exit.
BY REBECCA RAFFERTY @RSRAFFERTY BECCA@ROCHESTER-CITYNEWS.COMThe fifth-most populous religion in the world has a genderless god and preaches radical compassion. It was founded in 14th-century India as a rebellion against the caste system.
Those are dangerous enough ideas in a world of violently-defended sex and class hierarchies, but Sikhism’s philosophy is not the only thing that gets its disciples singled out. They are the targets of harassment and hate crimes by people prejudiced against Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI), and by people who have mistaken their head coverings as markers of Islam in the renewed waves
of anti-Muslim violence that flooded the world after 9/11.
And though the vulnerable Sikh diaspora spans the globe, they’re at risk in their own home country of India, where more than 90 percent of their 26 million population lives and is among other religious and ethnic minorities that the state aggressively oppresses.
Speaking out about this is dangerous, according to Boston-based filmmaker and artist Ravjot Mehek Singh, who curated “Pardafash - Art from the Sikh Perspective,” an exhibit of work by 11 artists currently on view at UUU Gallery, 153 State St.
The title of the exhibit,
“Pardafash,” is a Punjabi term that means “to reveal the truth.” Together, the artworks present a primer on Sikh culture as well as a lesson in suppressed history through the eyes of people who have experienced trauma directly, or live with the trauma of relatives and friends.
The first thing you’ll notice when you walk into the gallery, though it’s installed on the back wall of the space, is the arresting, larger-than-life painting of a calmly poised Sikh warrior by Sunroop Kaur. These days, that spirit takes the form of championing efforts like the 2020-21 farmers’ protests against new damaging agricultural
When outsiders hear about the 1948 Partition of India — the division of the Punjab state that created Pakistan, and the British empire’s way of salting the earth behind it after India won back its sovereignty — the stories are usually about the turmoil it caused to once neighborly Muslims and Hindus who were suddenly pitted against one another. What is never discussed, Singh said, is the impact on the Sikhs, whose traditional homeland is Punjab. Many Sikhs were forced to flee then, and again in 1984 after Indira Gandhi was killed. She was assassinated in retaliation for ordering the Sikh Golden Temple attack that killed almost 500 civilians, and the world looked away when a series of mob pogroms organized by
government officials murdered 3,000 Sikhs and destroyed many more livelihoods.
“If you can imagine the movie, ‘The Purge,’ where the government decriminalizes hatred against a specific type of person for a select number of days, that is basically what happened in real life,” Singh said.
Singh, 28, works full-time as a documentary producer at The Boston Globe, and this is the first art exhibition she has curated.
Included in the show is her artwork, “Zubani Kahani (The Spoken Story),” about piecing together her mother’s recollection of the 1984 Sikh genocide, which Singh says is simply not discussed.
“And if you do talk about it in India, you’ll probably go missing or go to jail,” she said. “Your family will be questioned, maybe tortured.”
She’s not being hyperbolic. A couple of artists backed out in the
Audition date: 6:30 - 8 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 5 and 6 | Off-Monroe Players | offmonroeplayers.org/news/auditionssorcerer
The Gilbert & Sullivan play, directed by Amanda Lobaugh & Charles Palella, will be presented in November. Auditions are for principal roles only; chorus may sign up at auditions or attend the first rehearsal on Sept 15. Auditions, rehearsals, and performances will be held at Downtown United Presbyterian Church. Open to ages 14+, but cast members under 18 must have a parent or guardian present at all rehearsals. COVID vaccinations are required. Prepare a 16-bar excerpt from the Gilbert & Sullivan canon, preferably for the role you want. Bring your own sheet music; an accompanist will be provided. Dialogue excerpts will be provided for readings after vocal auditions.
Audition date: 6 - 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 26 | Blackfriars Theatre | blackfriars.org/auditionsthe-wickhams
months leading up to the show, fearful of retaliation. Singh cited the broad-daylight murder of British Columbia-based Sikh temple leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, which happened just a few weeks before the exhibition in Rochester launched. The general belief is that Nijjar was killed for his political beliefs, including his call for an independent Sikh nation. Singh said many Sikhs believe it was a hit by the Indian government.
Singh was a child in Connecticut when 9/11 rocked the nation, and she recalls the immediate fallout. Getting called “Osama’s daughter.” People throwing things at her bearded, turbanwearing dad.
“I could go on for days about how it really shattered my self image, how I distanced myself from my own religion,” Singh said. “I used to ask my parents to let me have a Christian name, and be Christian. I didn’t even
know what I was asking for…I just wanted to be ‘normal.’”
Sikh activists describe a dire situation, and don’t often find outlets for their stories. The Indian government is constantly silencing them, they say — calling them terrorists, putting them in jail, or making them disappear. But this hasn’t deterred Singh or the activist-artists she’s working with to disseminate information about the history and culture of Sikhs, as well as the organized efforts to erase them.
“Because of the energy of all the other artists, I ended up speaking up about it a lot more than I anticipated,” she said. “And I am sure that I’m on India’s blacklist today. But what does it mean, to be labeled a terrorist by your home country, and then to feel betrayed by America when we’re called the exact same word here?”
“Pardafash” continues through Sept. 17 at UUU Gallery, uuuartcollective.com.
Directed by Lindsay Warren-Baker. By appointment only; email info@blackfriars. org to schedule. Callbacks will be held from 6 - 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 27. Initial auditions will take place in one-hour increments and consist of cold-reads from the script, which is available at the link below. Bring a headshot, resume, and your calendar to complete the rehearsal conflicts.
Deadline: Sept. 10 | New York State Canal Corporation and The Erie Canal Museum | eriecanalmuseum.org
Seeking three artists in residence for a period of one year, with an emphasis on artists from traditionally underrepresented communities. A $10,000 stipend will be paid in four quarterly payments.
- COMPILED BY REBECCA RAFFERTY
More opportunities are listed online at roccitymag.com
And through Oct. 1 in its Gallery Obscura space, Eastman is exhibiting “Resistance and Rescue: Denmark and the Holocaust,” which tells an underexplored story. During World War II, people of Denmark rescued more than 90 percent of the country’s Jewish residents from the systemic brutality and murder by the Third Reich. The exhibition features Judy Glickman Lauder’s portraits, taken decades later, of Danes who protected or rescued Jews and of Jews who were rescued. Historic in subject matter, the show is a poignant reminder of the human responsibility to intervene in wrongs. Eastman Museum director Bruce Barnes said each portrait comes with a story – and they’re very compelling stories.
BY REBECCA RAFFERTY @RSRAFFERTY BECCA@ROCHESTER-CITYNEWS.COMThe tone of this season’s most important art exhibitions is serious and at times heavy, offering one good opportunity after another to engage with some big issues we grapple with as individuals and as communities. That’s one of the best things about art — more than mere decoration, it provides an arena for saying what needs to be said, and saying it hot (to paraphrase D.H. Lawrence).
This season’s picks aim to prove that art can make a difference. It can move us, and move us to change.
We recommend seeing these shows with your favorite thinker friends and unpacking the contents afterward, over your libation of choice. Keep it going.
The United States got its first Black president when Barack Obama took office in 2009. That same year, The New York Times published photographer Gillian Laub’s documentation of still-segregated social events, including homecomings and proms, in rural parts of the American South. Through Dec. 31 the George Eastman Museum (900 East Ave.)
is exhibiting Laub’s “Southern Rites,” a gutting, multi-decade examination of racism and its enduring effects in America. As Laub bore witness to segregated high school rituals, her project expanded to document the fallout after the police murder of Justin Patterson, the rise of the BLM movement, and the struggle of younger generations to overcome the trauma of the past and present. Accompanying the exhibition through Nov. 5 is the HBO original documentary film, “Southern Rites,” which is screened in the Multipurpose Hall twice daily.
Rochester Contemporary Art Center (137 East Ave., rochestercontemporary.org) opens the season with “Unconditional Care: Listening to People’s Health Needs” (Sept. 1-22), an urgent exhibition of art that involves one of the most pressing political battlegrounds: our bodies. Curated by Ukranian-American artist and writer Katrina Majkut, the
This season’s must-see exhibitions offer entry points for crucial conversations.Gillian Laub’s ‘Southern Rites,’ displayed at Eastman Museum through the end of the year, explores the enduring impact of racism in America. PHOTO BY PROVIDED PHOTO PROVIDED
exhibition showcases recent work by 11 individual artists as well as the direct action group Gays Against Guns, with subject matter ranging from chronic illnesses to pregnancy, gun deaths, and sexual assault. Some of the artworks, including Majkut’s embroidered image of the abortion pill Mifepristone, were censored in the exhibition’s first showing in Idaho due to that state’s so-called trigger law.
The show is packed with complex, challenging works about navigating pressing health issues — often told through the lived experiences of the artists — which RoCo’s executive director Bleu Cease hopes will spark discussions tempered with respect.
“In a world where health is entwined with politics and misinformation, this project serves as a call for empathy, understanding, and action,” he said. Also of note in RoCo’s new season is the 33rd Annual Members Exhibition
(Dec. 1 through Feb. 10) — a great way to get to know more regional artists through their work on the walls and the associated days of artists’ talks.
This fall’s big, flashy show at The Memorial Art Gallery (500 University Ave., mag.rochester.edu) is the infinitely ‘grammable Yayoi Kusama installation, “Infinity Mirrored Room — Let’s Survive Forever,” which will convert the docent gallery into a deep multiverse of mirrored surfaces from Sept. 14 through May 5. You’re gonna see this piece all over social media, and CITY is definitely going to be among those posting. But the MAG is also launching “Represent: Great Women Artists at MAG,” an unapologetically woman-focused exhibition in its Forman Gallery from Sept. 14 through Apr. 14. It’s a celebration of female artists — who are still underrepresented in the art world — and the important perspectives of, you know, more than half of the population. The exhibition showcases recent acquisitions and works drawn from the collection, and links visitors to work by women artists displayed in the museum’s many galleries.
The area’s autumn theatre offerings include goofy comedies, female-centered dramas, adaptations of favorite films, and the chance for local theatregoers to be among the first audiences for exciting new work. Here are a few promising picks:
Nickel Flour at MuCCC | muccc.org
“Clue”
Blackfriars Theatre | blackfriars.org/clue
For those who missed last winter’s sold-out viewing of the 1985 cult classic “Clue” at The Little Theater, a live version will be produced by Blackfriars Theatre. Based on the film, which is based on the murder mystery board game, “Clue: On Stage” is a whodunnit romp set at a deadly dinner party in a fancy mansion on a stormy night. Crack the case of who killed Mr. Boddy, and in what room, and with what weapon, from September 8 – 24.
“The Work Out Room”
Geva Theatre | gevatheatre.org
For a different style of comedy, check out “The Work Out Room,” led by Geva Theatre’s Artist-in-Residence Baron Vaughn. His acting credits include “Grace & Frankie’’ and “Mystery Science Theatre 3000,” but this new comedy series is driven by his more than 20 years as a stand-up comedian. Vaughn will curate comics who will then test out new material each performance – an intriguing new direction for Geva into the realm of
comics. You can see how it all works out on Geva’s Fielding Stage from September 26 – October 8.
“The Moors” Out of Pocket, Inc. at MuCCC | outofpocketinc.com
If autumn leaves and Halloween decorations put you in the mood for a Victorian gothic, you may enjoy Out of Pocket, Inc.’s production of “The Moors” by Jen Silverman. Set in the 1840-ish moors of England, this dark send-up of the Brontë sisters begins when a governess arrives at a remote manor, greeted not by the mysterious Mr. Branwell with whom she’s been exchanging letters, but by his two spinster sisters. Jen Silverman is a delightfully oddball playwright, and you
can take advantage of this chance to see one of her less frequently produced plays at the MuCCC from October 13 – 21.
For a theatrical experience completely unique to Rochester, check out Nickel Flour’s production of “And the Four Last Things” by up-andcoming local playwright Samantha Marchant. Inspired by a Hieronymus Bosch painting, this fantastical tale uses music and actors playing multiple roles to tell the story of an angel and devil deciding the fate of one man’s soul. This wild, original script has received several developmental readings in the past three years and will be fully staged for the first time at the MuCCC from October 26 – November 5.
JCC CenterStage | jccrochester.org/ arts-culture/centerstage
A refreshingly serious approach to fashion, examining the lives of women through what they wear with
intelligence and heart. Based on the 1995 bestselling memoir by Ilene Beckerman and adapted for the stage by screenwriting sisters Nora and Delia Ephron, these monologues address marriage, motherhood, mastectomies, and more. You can try it on from December 2 – 10.
“The Man Who Came to Dinner”
The Company Theatre at Temple Theatre | thecompanytheatreroc.org
Now in its second season, The Company Theatre has tackled some
of the most famous tragedies in the Western canon. This December they’re taking a lighter tone with the farce “The Man Who Came to Dinner.” Film buffs may be familiar with this 1939 Kaufman & Hart play through its 1942 film adaptation starring Bette Davis and Ann Sheridan. In this screwball comedy, a sharp-tongued, overbearing radio personality passing through a small town wreaks havoc on the family who hosts him during the Christmas holiday. It plays December 7 – 17 at the Temple Theatre.
There’s something to pique the interests of every dance lover in the Rochester scene over the coming months. From movement on screen to the holiday classic “The Nutcracker,” local companies and outof-town artists are bringing unique works to life in myriad ways.
For family friendly dance, join the celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ Day with the Allegheny River Dancers or spend an afternoon in a magical world of toys and snowflakes with Rochester City Ballet’s Nutcracker.
If choreographic experimentation sounds inspiring, check out Sarah Friedland’s installation at Visual Studies Workshop or watch the latest works by University of Rochester students. For a unique combo of classical music with
modern dance, mark your calendar for a collaboration between Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and Garth Fagan Dance just after the New Year.
Kicking off the fall season, Borinquen Dance Theatre will perform at Hispanic Heritage Celebration Day at the Memorial Art Gallery. Borinquen Dance, which has been a staple in the Rochester community for over 40 years, highlights Latin/x culture in their empowering choreography. In addition to their dance performance, the day features free museum admission, community tables, and presentations. This year’s celebration will focus on Chile, showcasing its unique culture and style. The theme of the event and performance is Latinos Driving
Prosperity, Power, and Progress in America | Latinos impulsando la prosperidad, el poder y el progreso en Estados Unidos. 12-5 p.m. Sunday, October 1 at Memorial Art Gallery. mag. rochester.edu
The Allegheny River Dancers will celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day with a performance at Genesee Valley
Park. The Allegheny River Dancers are a Native American dance troupe that performs traditional dances of the Iroquois, and they will dance to live music and don traditional regalia. Attendees will have the chance to see dance and musical performances, a sunset ceremony, and Wampum belt display. Also honoring Indigenous Peoples’ Day, E -YAH-PAY-HAH: A
Native American Concert of Music and Dance, featuring the ECMS Wood Quntet and Daystar: Contemporary Dance Drama, will be presented at 3 p.m. on Sunday, October 8 at the Ganondagan Historical Site Auditorium. 11 a.m. Monday, October 9 at Genesee Valley Park. indigenouspeoplesdayrocny. org
The University of Rochester will present their annual dance concert, “Confluence,” at Sloan Performing Arts Center at the end of October. The performance features choreographic works by current students and dance faculty – a great opportunity for up-and-coming dancers to showcase their learned artistry and technique while bringing arts to the campus community. The dance department at Rochester continues to grow each year, and this concert is sure to include some fresh ideas and perspectives from these emerging artists.
October 26 through 28 at Sloan Performing Arts Center. $10. sas. rochester.edu
New York City-based filmmaker and choreographer Sarah Friedland will collaborate with Visual Studies Workshop for their fall salon, “Social Guidance.” The multimedia installation will include Friedman’s work, which explores the relationships of human bodies and moving images. Her films will also be presented alongside a selection of related videos by Visual Studies Workshop. Friedland is no stranger to Rochester, as her impactful digital installation of CROWDS
was displayed at the University of Rochester’s Harnett Gallery in March 2021. A salon at Visual Studies Workshop on November 16 will focus on the ways in which movement and media can reflect and engage with societal expectations. November 15 through December 5 at Visual Studies Workshop. vsw.org
The holiday season wouldn’t be complete without “The Nutcracker,” and Rochester City Ballet promises an enchanting evening at Kodak Hall with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. The classical ballet tells the story of Clara and her adventures through The Land of Sweets. Set to a score by Tchaikovsky and brought to life with the incredible technique and artistry of expert dancers, “The Nutcracker” is a magical experience for audience members of all ages. November 22, 24, 25 and 26 at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. $21-114. rpo.org
Garth Fagan Dance will ring in the new year with a contemporary rendition of “The Rite of Spring” with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. Garth Fagan Dance is internationally known for original modern and AfroCaribbean style, which is demonstrated by its incredibly athletic and technically trained dancers. The company will be accompanied by the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, led by Andreas Delfs, performing Stravinsky’s score. January 11 and 13 at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. $18-115. rpo.org
Rochester and the surrounding area is a wellspring of local musicians, and there’s no shortage of shows highlighting their talent. National concerts of note are fewer and farther between, however. When compelling popular artists do make their way through upstate New York, you’ve got to seize the opportunity. Here are 10 shows this fall season you won’t want to miss.
September 17: Yunchan Lim at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre | eastmantheatre.org
South Korean prodigy Yunchan Lim took the classical music world by storm last year as the youngest-ever winner of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Rochester concertgoers can say they heard him play when he was just 19. 3 p.m. $23-$60.
September 21: Kurt Vile and the Violators at State Theatre of Ithaca | stateofithaca.org
Kurt Vile is a seemingly endless source of endearing songs with a lofi sensibility. On his latest album, “(watch my moves),” a blissful blend of rock, psych-pop, and even country bits shows flashes of Lou Reed, Beck, and Modest Mouse. 8 p.m. $35.
September 22: Ray LaMontagne at Kodak Center | kodakcenter.com
Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Ray LaMontagne brings his mesmerizing take on American roots music back to Kodak Center. His latest album, “Monovision,” is a return to the blues-tinged folk and country style that made him beloved, following intriguing detours into atmospheric pop-rock with spacy ambience and fuzzed-out psychedelia. 7:30 p.m. $49$200.
October 13: Jonathan Richman at JCC Hart Theatre | jccrochester. org/arts-culture
Boston-born musician Jonathan Richman first gained recognition in the 1970’s with his band The Modern Lovers, but his lighthearted sound rooted in early rock ‘n’ roll and doo wop endures. Richman disarms audiences with fun songs like “Vampire Girl,” “I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar,” and “You’re Crazy for Taking the Bus.” 8 p.m. $27-$32.
October 20 & 21: RPO plays “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre | rpo.org
The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra continues its exploration of the Harry Potter film franchise through live symphonic accompaniment. Composer Nicholas Hooper’s score is an eerie combination of darkness and whimsy. 7 p.m. $18-$123.
October 22: FivebyFive with members of Pegasus Early Music play “Old & New: Sephardic Reflections” at Temple Beth El | fivebyfivemusic.com
Rochester’s preeminent contemporary classical specialists in fivebyfive present a poignant collaboration with the Baroque masters in Pegasus Early Music, in a program featuring both historical and new arrangements of Spanish and Portuguese music in the Jewish tradition. 3 p.m. $20 or pay what you can.
October 25: Mudhoney at Photo City Music Hall | photocitymusichall.com
Lovers of the ’90s Seattle grunge scene know not to sleep on Nirvana’s lesserknown counterparts in Mudhoney, whose EP “Superfuzz Bigmuff” was among Kurt Cobain’s top 50 albums of all time.The band’s first single, “Touch Me I’m Sick,” came out in 1988, but there’s plenty of fresh material from this year’s album “Plastic Eternity,” too. 8 p.m. $36.
October 29: Rubblebucket at Babeville’s Asbury Hall, Buffalo | babevillebuffalo.com
Many Rubblebucket fans first became acquainted with the band’s horn-happy pop music — which is often drenched in electronic psychedelia — in 2011 through the delightfully weird song “Came Out of a Lady.” I defy you to leave this party without a smile plastered on your face. 8 p.m. $27-$32.
November 9: Vijay Iyer Trio at Kilbourn Hall | eastmantheatre.org
Pianist Vijay Iyer returns to his native Rochester. His trio will undoubtedly play some selections from Iyer’s 2021 album “Uneasy,” but it’s fair to expect the unexpected as well, particularly when it comes to Iyer’s highly cerebral but tuneful approach to jazz. 7:30 p.m. $32-$45.
November 26: Baroness at Town Ballroom, Buffalo | townballroom.com
The progressive metal band Baroness’s sound is diverse enough to satisfy both unrelenting headbangers who just want to revel in the sludge of it all and listeners who tune for clever melodies and sophisticated arrangements. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. $29.50.
Formerly based in Brooklyn, the now Rochester rock band Bad Bloom makes music that gets under your skin and burrows its way into your brain. The texture is thick and sludgy, but there’s something oddly uplifting about it, too. It could be guitarist Jay Trovato’s chunky power chords on guitar, drenched in distortion and overdrive. Or maybe it’s the quality of Kate Rogers’s alto voice, grounded and shadowy, but sharp enough to cut through the heavy layers of sound and hover over it all in a polished straight tone.
Listeners can hear emo and grunge baked into the sonic cake here, and yet it’s the band’s new commitment to pop melodies and concise hooks that makes the songs transcend their own din.
Previous singles such as “Consolation” and “Automatic” relied on meandering vocals and angular guitarwork to create moody hazes that were big on atmosphere, but lacking in memorable moments.
The band opts to keep things more streamlined on its two latest singles, “Unpopular Opinions” and “Francis the Vampire.” “Unpopular Opinions,” which was released on August 25, launches straight into a spunky guitar lick before a celestial synth line combines forces with a concise vocal melody to make a catchier-than-the-chorus verse with myriad layers of crunchy guitar chords.
Set for release on September 29, “Francis the Vampire” similarly gets to the point with little preamble. In what sounds like a cleverly veiled reworking of elements from Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” a simple, thinly ornamented two-chord progression and a shimmering three-note guitar snippet weave a harmonic fabric over which Rogers’s hypnotic singing can float in the verse and soar in the chorus. The result is a dream pop take on grunge that feels fresh, while also sounding like a welcome ’90s reminiscence.
— BY DANIEL J. KUSHNER
Rochester musician’s Gavin Barry’s debut album “In the Beginning” is tricky to place stylistically. The compositions are rooted in the acoustic guitar, but it would be all too easy — and incorrect — to categorize this as “folk” and move along. Both lyrically and vocally, there’s an undeniable roots reggae influence — with politically charged themes that speak to the unification of oppressed people striving for freedom.
Barry is backed by his band, Rebel Banjo Circus, which is a fun, if inaccurate name. The banjo-less ensemble includes guitarist Benjamin Rybott, Alan “Pyntch” Roberts on bass and backing vocals, and drummer Greg Detwiler. There is an undeniable “live” energy to the 10 songs on “In the Beginning,” and the chemistry between the musicians is palpable.
Despite the emotional synchronicity, the actual musical elements are not always in sync. Roberts’s bass playing sounds slightly behind the beat, rather than on top of it. The use of upright bass as opposed to bass guitar seems to contribute to the cumbersome quality of the sound. Barry’s tunes, especially “Rising Tide,” “Everything,” and “Circles,” are fast-moving and feature densely packed lyrics, so equally nimble bass lines are necessary to keep pace.
Listeners might also be distracted from Barry’s engaging songwriting and conversational approach to vocal melody by the sonic imbalance between instruments. The acoustic guitar is dialed down too low, while the bass consistently overpowers the mix.
“In the Beginning” is an intriguing listen, and as a songwriter, Barry has something important to say. Unfortunately, the rough-hewn recording lacks polish. Barry and Rebel Banjo Circus play the release party at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 7 at Abilene Bar & Lounge. $5 cover. For more info, visit facebook.com/ gavinandpyntch.
— BY DANIEL J. KUSHNER
Produced by WXXI in partnership with the Eastman School of Music, Eastman at 100: A Centennial Celebration looks back at the story of George Eastman and how his vision for a school dedicated to scholarship, musicianship, and an inclusive community campus came to be.
Monday, Sept. 18 at 8 p.m. on WXXI-TV
Filmed over the course of three years, Eastman at 100 follows individual students throughout their academic year, offering a firsthand look at their transformational experiences. Eastman’s story is told through intimate interviews with professors, administrators, staff, community partners, and high-profile alumni, including world-renowned, Grammywinning soprano Renée Fleming ’83 (MM), ’11 (Honorary); Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Kevin Puts ’94, ’99 (DMA); Grammy-winning drummer Steve Gadd ’68, ’17 (Honorary); Grammy-nominated jazz composer and conductor Maria Schneider ’85 (MM); and retired “Voice of the Met” and former WXXI Classical host Mary Jo Heath ’88 (Ph.D.). Emmy award-winning composer and conductor Mark Watters, who is Director of the Beal Institute for Film Music and Contemporary Media, wrote and composed the score for the documentary. Support for this documentary was provided by Dawn F. Lipson.
Saturday, September 30 at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on WXXI-TV
This Old House kicks off the season with a home that needs updating to make it accessible for the whole family!
Twelve-year-old Caffrey has a rare form of muscular dystrophy called Duchenne. Currently, he has trouble with some everyday tasks like getting up the stairs, so his dad happily carries him. However, it’s expected that he will be using a wheelchair in a year or so. This active family of five needs to transform their home to be more accessible, so they’re on a mission to retrofit their home as quickly as possible so that the whole family can enjoy it together. The This Old House team is on it!
This presentation of This Old House is part of Move to Include, a partnership between WXXI and the Golisano Foundation designed to promote inclusion for people with developmental, intellectual, and physical disabilities.
Thursday, September 7 at 4:30 p.m. on WXXI-TV
Sixteen-year-old Faith Guilbault from Baltimore, Maryland, who is visually impaired and has cerebral palsy, is resilient, adventurous, and determined to realize her dreams. Mentored by filmmaker Joyce Chopra, Faith shines a light on her world and encourages us to focus on the similarities rather than differences between people living with and without a disability.
Credit: Courtesy of FILMS BYKIDS
Thursday, September 7 at 5 p.m. on WXXI-TV
Meet Rochester Institute of Technology alumni and furniture maker Wendy Maruyama, who shares her craft and the challenges related to her deafness and disability.
Credit: Courtesy of Denise Kang
Thursday, September 14 at 7 p.m. on WXXI-TV
After an attempt to end her life left her paralyzed, Emma Benoit uses her painful experience and ongoing recovery to help others find hope, while shining light on the ongoing youth suicide crisis.
Credit: Courtesy of Greg Dicharry
Monday, September 11 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV
On September 12, 1974, police were stationed outside Boston schools as Black and white students were bused for the first time between neighborhoods to comply with a federal court desegregation order. The cross-town busing met with shocking violence, much of it directed at children: angry white protestors threw rocks at buses and hurled racial epithets as students walked into their new schools. The chaos and racial unrest would escalate and continue for years. Using eyewitness accounts, oral histories, and rare news footage, this film pulls back the curtain on the volatile effort to end school segregation, detailing the decadeslong struggle for educational equity that preceded the crisis.
Credit: Courtesy of Boston Globe/Getty
Sunday, September 17 at 2 p.m. on WXXI-TV
Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Award-nominee Josh Groban returns to New York City’s famed 6,000-seat theater for an evening of hits, humor, and heart. Recorded in April 2022, the concert is a celebration of the arts and serves as Josh’s love letter to New York City. The internationally acclaimed musician shares personal anecdotes and is joined by a full orchestra to perform his signature hits. Special guest stars include Cyndi Lauper, Denée Benton, New York City Ballet principal dancer Tiler Peck, and more.
Friday, September 22 at 10:30 p.m. on WXXI-TV
This film tells the story of one of the most prominent socialists in American history. Alternately loved and reviled, Eugene Debs emerged as a passionate labor leader when he led the nationwide Pullman Strike in 1894. Later, he helped establish the U.S. Socialist Party, and ran as its candidate for president five times –including once from prison! Covering both his life and career, the documentary explores the political legacy of this controversial and influential progressive.
Credit: Provided by PBS
Saturdays at 1 p.m. beginning September 23 on WXXI-TV
Chef, author, and award-winning host Pati Jinich embarks upon an exciting and entertaining journey, where each dish serves as a point of departure into Mexico’s rich history and culture. In season 12, Pati invites you to take a deep dive into Yucatan. While there, she explores pink salt harvesting in Las Coloradas, the colonial food and drink of the Haciendas, the legends behind cenotes or deep-water holes, the history behind ancient ruins, and the foods that have been passed down by the Maya. Back at home, Pati will show you how to bring all these ingredients and flavors into your own kitchen.
Credit: Provided by APT
WXXI is a part of so many things that make Rochester and the region amazing, so I’m especially happy and excited to be able to do more to connect people and music and share some of the wonderful opportunities and treasures that are here in our community.”
1. She loves movies –modern, classic, silent, and is happy to be in a place that has such good film/cinema culture.
2. She’s Chair of the Steering Committee for Roc Arts United, a local arts and culture organization that promotes collaboration, accessibility, equity, sustainability, and recognition of the diverse creative community in the Greater Rochester Area.
Mona Seghatoleslami is WXXI Classical’s new Music Director. She is a walking encyclopedia of music and not just Classical music. With Master’s degrees in Musicology and Library Science from Indiana University, it makes sense.
Mona joined WXXI Classical in 2011 as the afternoon host and writer/producer of radio features and long-form programs, including the nationally syndicated A Woman’s World: Women Composers of the Baroque and Rochester Bach Festival Presents St. John Passion. She also hosts Live from Hochstein, the longest-running live broadcast concert series in Western New York.
While she’ll continue hosting weekday afternoons from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on WXXI Classical, in her new role she will secure the future of WXXI’s classical collection by transitioning the 30,000 CDs to a digital file format, work with the radio hosts to shape the sound of the station, as well as assist in the creation and curation of web and social media content.
3. She plays viola in the Roberts Symphony Orchestra and the Irondequoit Community Orchestra.
4. She’s an avid bike rider (and rides to work most days).
5. She books the bands for the Little Theatre Café.
“I came to Rochester because of the opportunity to work at WXXI, being part of a classical music community that is famous around the world because of things like the Eastman School of Music. Since then, I have found so much more that I love here and that makes it home: of course, all the music and arts, both as an audience member and as a participant, but also things like the Erie Canal Trail, the rich history and culture throughout the region, and just getting to meet really engaged, caring, creative people.”
Weekdays from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on WXXI Classical
Steve Johnson has been named the new mid-day host for WXXI Classical. He has been a fill-in host since 2019. Steve has been involved in many online music outreach projects and is the creator of the award-winning YouTube series The Listener’s Guide. He has also collaborated with the Dallas Opera to create their humorous opera synopsis series Opera in Brief. In addition, he has appeared on various podcasts and TV programs promoting public awareness of music. Currently, he is working on his Ph.D. in Musicology at the Eastman School of Music with his dissertation on opera in North Korea.
Saturday, September 9 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on The Route and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on WXXI Classical
The Route and WXXI Classical take to the road on Saturday, September 9 as they broadcast live from the M&T Bank Clothesline Arts Festival. From 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. join Scott Regan and Ryan Yarmel for a special Open Tunings from the Memorial Art Gallery. Then from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. WXXI Classical’s Josh Bassette and Brenda Tremblay co-host the afternoon. They’ll be interviewing some of the artists and guests at the festival while playing some beautiful music.
Friday, September 15 and Sunday, September 24 at 7:30 p.m. on WXXI Classical
Live from Temple B’rith Kodesh: A Rosh Hashanah Service on September 15 is an annual broadcast that celebrates the Jewish New Year, as Senior Rabbi Peter Stein leads the service live from the temple. Then on September 24, WXXI Classical brings listeners Rabbi Stein’s Yom Kippur service.
Sunday, September 3 at 9 p.m. on WXXI News
There’s an idea about how children learn to read that’s held sway in schools for more than a generation — even though it was proven wrong by cognitive scientists decades ago. Teaching methods based on this idea can make it harder for children to learn how to read. In this special, host Emily Hanford investigates the influential authors who promote this idea and the company that sells their work. It’s an exposé of how educators came to believe in something that isn’t true and are now reckoning with the consequences — children harmed, money wasted, and an education system upended.
Illustration by Rachel Sender for APM Reports
An epic love story that transcends time and memory, from the Oscarnominated director of THE MOLE AGENT.
Augusto and Paulina have been together for 25 years. Eight years ago, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Both fear the day he no longer recognizes her.
“Get tissues ready to witness one of the most selfless and patient forms of love that graced our screens, shared and magnified through pockets of joy that Alberdi’s camera celebrates with a generous side of empathy and sense of humor.” – Tomris Laffly, Harper’s Bazaar
Community partner: The Alzheimer’s Association – Rochester & Finger Lakes Chapter, University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), and WXXI and its Aging Together in New York initiative.
7:15 p.m. Monday, Sept. 11
Staff Picks Series
(picked by Shane in concessions)
Tickets available at thelittle.org
“Yeah, I’m thinking I’m back.”
Ex-hitman John Wick comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters that took everything from him.
The 2014 action-packed revenge thriller that launched one of the top modern franchises. Bottom line: Don’t mess with Keanu Reeves’ dog. Shane says: A must-see master work of action cinema … come watch the neon-soaked, broody murder-marathon that revolutionized the way Western action films are made.
Shane adds that this screening is dedicated to the memory of one of the stars of this movie and franchise, Lance Reddick (1962-2023), who has a connection to Rochester as an Eastman School of Music graduate.
(Sudanese with English Subtitles)
7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 13
Tickets available at thelittle.org
Set against Indonesia’s turbulent post-independence years in the 1960s, the story revolves around the domestic life of a woman whose personal life has been completely overturned by the political turmoil.
Full calendar of events online at roccityevents.com
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1
Oakes Estate Winery in the Niagara Escarpment region. The Steampunk Festival is a celebration of both that will include “oddities and curiosities” from steampunk vendors, artisans, and makers. There will be live music, including a performance by satanic ska band Mephiskapheles, and a costume contest — what good would a steampunk event be without folks showing off their carefully crafted wardrobes? The event runs from 3 to11 p.m. and admission is $30 for anyone over 12.
JEREMY MOULEMUSIC
West Herr Auditorium Theatre, rbtl.org
R&B singer Keyshia Cole started her career as a solo artist auspiciously in 2005 with the platinum-selling album “The Way It Is.” The follow-up record “Just Like You” featured three R&B chart-topping singles in the U.S., including “Heaven Sent” and “Let It Go.” Five albums later, Cole continues to be relevant as a purveyor of smooth pop and hip-hop tracks that combine heartbreak with catchy tunes. Bobby V. and Me’lisajema perform in support. Doors open at 7 p.m., the show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $75.
DANIEL J. KUSHNER
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2
FESTIVAL
Leonard Oakes Estate Winery, Medina; oakeswinery.com
Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that leans heavily on futuristic visions of old technology, such as aircraft powered by steam engines. But it also has a devoted following in the cosplay world, where people piece together outfits that look part Victorian, but with engineer boots and various mechanical-looking flourishes. Steampunk is also a brand of hard cider produced at the Leonard
Genesee Country Village & Museum, Mumford; gcv.org
For one day, this charming historic village will become the ‘hoppiest’ place on earth, offering attendees a chance to tour of one of the only working 19th-century breweries in the United States. Hear from costumed interpreters about harvesting and processing hops (one of New York State’s original cash crops), learn how families might have used hops medicinally, and taste 19th-century recipes that include ale made by the village’s historic kitchens. Tickets from $23, general admission tickets will not be accepted for this event.
Callahan Theater, Nazareth University, gcler.org
Grupo Cultural Latinos en Rochester brings Latin Celebration, a LatinX Project to Naz for the first time as part of its 10-year anniversary, creating collaboration with emerging artists that support traditional art and community in the area. The event, which runs 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., will feature Joel Claudio from “America’s Got Talent,” Yo Soy Latina Video Premier by Thalia Pabon, Ensemble Aztlan from Mexico, and folkloric dancing from Colombia, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. Tickets are $10, kids 10 and under admitted free. LS
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3
LEAH STACYInnovative Field, milb.com/rochester Rochester’s Lou Gramm will be signing autographs, throwing out a first pitch, and leading the crowd in “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” The fireworks show will be set to the hits of Foreigner and Gramm’s solo career. And, oh yes, there’s a baseball game, starting at 6:05 p.m.
JEFF SPEVAK
The Great New York State Fair, Syracuse, nysfair.ny.gov/event/joywave/ Rochester’s alt-rockers take a break from touring the world and play a gig a short ride down the Thruway. The music starts at 6 p.m. and the show is included with fair admission – just $6 for adults, and free for anyone 12
years or younger and 65 years and older.
MONA SEGHATOLESLAMIMONDAY, SEPTEMBER 4
cityofrochester.gov/parades
For all intents and purposes, fall kicks off on Labor Day. But it’s more than just a four-day weekend. It’s also a celebration of the reason we have a weekend in the first place: organized labor. Local unions and their members will converge on the parade route, beginning at 11 a.m. at the corner of East Avenue and Alexander Street, before continuing down Main Street and ending at St. Paul Street. Free. DK
Abilene Bar & Lounge, abilene.org
Hanging out at the honky-tonk with a beer and some smart outlaw-esque country seems like a proper way to mark the unofficial end of summer. Sarah Shook & the Disarmers have rightly caught many ears over the past few years, their country grooves and new spin on hard luck songs laced with punk attitude. They’re back in town for a show that starts at 7:30 p.m. (doors at 6 p.m.), with tickets $20 in advance, $25 day of show. MS
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7
Fairport Public Library, fairportlibrary.org
MUSIC
Iron Smoke Distillery, Fairport, ironsmokedistillery.com
Queen Mary, with support from Rochester’s Violet Mary, celebrates what would have been Freddie Mercury’s 77th birthday. Along with the music of Queen, there’ll be a Queen trivia contest and Freddie Mercury costume contest. Admission is $10, it starts at 6:30 p.m. JS
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6
FILM
Dryden Theatre, eastman.org How does watching a Czechoslovakian surrealist comedy sound? In the case of “Daisies,” it should sound exciting. The film, directed by Vera Chytilová, was banned by Czech authorities upon its release. It’s a story about two women named Marie who have become disillusioned with society and steal, commit pranks, and generally mess with everyone they come across. The film has a vibrant but chaotic visual aesthetic and it’s known for being a less than subtle critique of patriarchy, socialism, and authoritarianism. It’s also truly fun to watch. The screening starts at 7:30 p.m. and admission is $11 for nonmembers, $7 for members, and $5 for anyone under 18 and students. JM
A film series to die for. Each Tuesday in September, the Fairport Public Library will show a murder mystery. First up is “The Nice Guys,” a 2016 action-comedy buddy pic starring Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe. The series also includes “Death on the Nile,” “The Fugitive,” “Knives Out” and Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 classic, “Dial ‘M’ for Murder.” The films all start at 2 p.m. JS
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8
MUSIC
Turtle Hill
Folk Festival
Rotary Sunshine Campus, Rush, goldenlink.org
Two days of music, ‘featuring concerts, workshops, singing, jamming, food, friends, and fun,’ presented by the Golden Link Folk Singing Society. The first of the two days is headlined by Carla Ulbrich and Magpie, while Sunday’s schedule includes Andrew VanNorstrand and Zoe Guigueno, plus Joe Crookston. Camping is available. Tickets are on sale through September 7 or can be purchased at the gate; beginning at $15 for daytime, $32 for evening, or $70 for the weekend. JS
COMEDY
Tom Green
Comedy @ The Carlson, carlsoncomedy.com
Before there was “Jackass,” before there was “The Eric Andre Show,” there was Tom Green, whose “Tom Green Show” on MTV in the late 1990s and early 2000s specialized in intentionally annoying man-on-
the-street interviews and all-manner of zany pranks that earned Green a national following. One short-lived and tabloid-covered marriage to Drew Barrymore, one critically acclaimed chronicle of his bout with testicular cancer, and one internet-based talk show on a shoestring later, Green is back where he started: doing stand-up. Green has been around the block, but worth catching when he stops in our backyard. Shows at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. today and Saturday. Tickets range from $35 to $40.
DAVID ANDREATTABlackfriars Theatre, blackfriars.org
Chances are you’ve played the board game, you’ve seen the campy 1985 film based on the board game, and you’ll laugh out loud at this very fun, very silly adaptation of the classic whodunit franchise. The cast of characters you already know arrive at Boddy Manor for a dinner party, only to find that they’re on the wrong end of a blackmailing scheme. When the lights go out, lots of things — a candlestick, a wrench, a lead pipe, a revolver, a rope, a dagger, and Mr. Boddy’s dead body — go bump in the night, leaving the survivors scrambling to make sense of it all before they wind up like their host. The show opens today at 8 p.m. and runs through Sept. 24. Tickets range from $33 to $40. DA
MOVIE
Parcel 5, rochesterdowntown.com
Come catch last year’s blockbuster sequel to 1986’s “Top Gun” outdoors at Parcel 5. What better way to watch a movie centered around fighter jets than in the open air? The best part, the screening costs nothing. Just bring a blanket or chair and some snacks, but leave the alcohol and pets at home. The site opens at 7 p.m. and the movie begins at dusk, which will be around 7:17 p.m. that day. The showing is part of the Rochester Downtown Development Corp. Series “Movies with a Downtown View.” JM
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 9
Memorial Art Gallery, mag.rochester.edu
This annual festival raises funds for the Memorial Art Gallery, but it’s much more than that. It’s also an opportunity for Rochesterians to revel in local culture and meet the artisans, businesses, and vendors who give the community its distinct flavor. More than 300 artists will make their work available to the public over the course of two days. The festival runs from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, September 10 (MAG member shopping begins at 9:30 a.m. both days). Admission is $6-$8 for museum members and $7-$9 for nonmembers. Children 12 and under are free. DK
Kodak Hall at Eastman Theater, rpo.org
The soprano star comes home, for an evening of opera and Broadway classics with cocktail attire suggested. Tickets begin at $30; or a $400 meetand-greet package unlocks access to a set of pre- and post-concert events with Fleming that includes cocktails, dinner, dessert, and dancing at Mercantile on Main. JS
40
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10
MuCCC, arenaartgroup.org/ exhibitions
A public reception and talk by Rochester-area artists, from 2 to 4 p.m. The Arena Art Group, founded in 1951, boasts more than 60 members whose mission is to “champion exploratory and abstract art.” The exhibition itself runs until Oct. 28. JS
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11
Fanatics Pub, Lima, facebook.com/ fanaticspubandpizza
Texas blues guitarist and singer Carolyn Wonderland plays the intimate Fanatics Pub for one night only. Being in Lima, the venue is sometimes easy to overlook, but it does bring in some good blues names. Tickets for Wonderland are $35. JS
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12
FRINGE
Rochester Fringe Festival Spiegeltent, rochesterfringe.com
The members of this troupe are graduates of a Colombia circus school dedicated to helping young people at risk get out of trouble and into risking life and limb for your entertainment. There’s bad trouble, good trouble, and then there is gasp-worthy good trouble. Critics around the world have described the troupe’s acrobatics as “gravity-defying,” “breathtaking,” and
“jaw-dropping.” The heart-pumping Latin music that accompanies every performance heightens the heartstopping action. This show might be a once-in-a-lifetime act because it was written and choreographed exclusively for the Spiegeltent at Rochester Fringe. All ages; ticket prices vary by date. Shows nightly through September 23. DA
FRINGE
Downtown trees, rochesterfringe.com
The United States has seen the removal of some 100 monuments to Confederate generals and politicians in recent years. Now, this illuminating and luminescent video installation by Australian artist Craig Walsh asks us to consider what it means to honor someone with a monument and who to recognize in such a public way. In the weeks leading up to Rochester Fringe, Walsh challenged greater Rochester to select three “unsung heroes” in our community to be celebrated in a fashion only the artist could imagine: by projecting moving images of them on towering trees downtown. The subjects are in constant motion, their expressions made to feel all the more weighty by the shifting winds that ripple the leaves. The installation runs nightly from 8 to 10 p.m. “Monuments” promises to be one of the most mesmerizing and moving projects of the festival. Free; all ages. DA
reconnectrochester.org
These weekly bike tours are a great way to get out on the road for a few miles and to explore the city with a group and a guide. Each ride covers approximately 7 miles over about 45 minutes. This week’s ride explores neighborhood streets on the East Side of Rochester and meets up at The Frederick Douglass R-Center (999 South Avenue). There are just a few more weeks left to the season to explore more city streets and trails with these rides organized by the City of Rochester and led by Reconnect Rochester and EE Pathways. Grab your bike (and a helmet!) and be ready to roll by 6 p.m. MS
FRINGE
Geva Theatre Center’s Fielding Stage, rochesterfringe.com
Rochester Fringe Festival is at its best when spotlighting unsung local artists who don’t get enough attention. Local artist Chi TheRealist is a triple-threat — a musician, poet, and actor who embraces life’s struggles with every turn of phrase and every outpouring of emotion. Chi is a dynamic performer whose heart-on-his-sleeve aesthetic and focus on resiliency makes audiences hang on his every word. Shows are $20; ages 13 and over. Performances are slated for Sept. 13, Sept. 16, and Sept. 19.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER
Brighton Memorial Library, brightonlibrary.org
The current book up for dissection is Barbara Kingsolver’s “Demon Copperhead,” the ‘David Copperfield of southern Appalachia.’ Register by calling 784-5300 or emailing bmlcurbsidepickup@gmail.com. The discussion begins at 5 p.m. JS
Tower Fine Arts Center Gallery, SUNY Brockport,
From 1919 – 1949 the pulp magazine Western Story published ads in the “Missing Department,” where people wrote in search of vanished spouses, abandoned children, and separated lovers. During the pandemic, artist Ligia Bouton and poet Matt Donovan used the ads and pages of Western Story to make collages, paintings, sculptures, and blackout poems that interrogate the loss and hope of human connection. The exhibition will launch a book version of the project and on Oct. 4, Donovan will be reading from his 2022 collection “The Dug-Up Gun Museum” in Brockport’s esteemed Writer’s Forum. Opening reception is Sept. 14 from 4 to 6 p.m.; the exhibit runs through Oct. 8. Gallery hours are 12 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Free and open to the public. LS
FRINGE
Eastman School of Music:
Sproull Atrium at Miller Center, rochesterfringe.com
Professor of Percussion Michael Burritt directs the Eastman Percussion Ensemble through new compositions, including two he wrote, the show-opening “Fandango
13” and “Tuscany.” Other pieces will be by Eastman alum Ivan Trevino and Austin Keck, who most recently studied contemporary media and film composition at Eastman. The program will also feature Zappa’s wild “The Black Page #1 & #2.” Another drummer on hand, so to speak, will be Eastman alum Larry Abelman, who’s played with groups ranging from The New York Philharmonic and Foreigner to Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughan. The shows are one-day only, at 5 and 8 p.m., with tickets $10. JS
Point of the Bluff Vineyards, Hammondsport, concertsatpob.com Time is running out on warm weather shows in the Finger Lakes this season, but Point of the Bluff Vineyards still has a few outdoor gigs in store this month. One of them is Josh Ritter, another in the seemingly unending parade of accomplished songwriters from the Americana, folk, and rock spheres to pass under the POB Pavilion. Ritter’s style can vary widely from song to song —oscillating between acoustic-based ballads, country-ish toe-tappers, and
atmospheric anthems. At its core, the Idaho native’s music is folk, driven by a passion for storytelling. Ritter turns the dial up on the ambience and layered studio production for his eleventh album, “Spectral Lines.” With that in mind, the vineyard audience is likely to catch the record’s producer Sam Kassirer, along with the rest of Ritter’s Royal City Band, performing alongside him. The vineyard opens to concertgoers at 5 p.m., and the music starts at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show is $55 to $89. Early-access wine tastings and a VIP lounge are also available at an additional charge. DK
The world of extreme metal has been carved up into bushel subgenres and hybrids and After the Burial draws on a few. But the easiest way to describe the Minneapolis band is a cross between frenetic yet focused tech metal and riff-heavy mid-90’s metalcore. That means lots of wild but catchy guitar work — “an uninhibited eight-stringed dual barrage” as the band’s website puts it — and some pummeling yet very clever and challenging drumming. Alpha Wolf
shares the bill. Tickets are $25 and doors opening at 7 p.m. JM
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
FRINGE
Parcel 5, rochesterfringe.com
Kodak Center, kodakcenter.com
Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady bring their long-lived, blues-based rock band to town for an 8 p.m. show, and the band insists this is the last time you’ll see the electric version of these songs. Tickets begin at $43.50.
JS
Bring a blanket or lawn chair and popcorn to munch on as you listen to a thrilling historic yarn — involving early civilization, spirits, murder, success, failure, and a pile of rocks — in the spot where it all went down. This 30-minute spoken word piece (via provided wireless headphones) is a uniquely Fringe episode of Hidden History, presented by Matt Rogers of The Lost Borough — a company that specializes in site-specific pride in the form of t-shirts, prints, and storytelling. Tickets are $18 and the show commences at 5:30 p.m. It repeats on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 5:30 p.m. Ages 13+.
REBECCA RAFFERTYNearly 25 million Americans are in active recovery from alcohol and other substances. If you don’t know what sober people do socially, head to Stewart Lodge in Mendon Ponds for a packed day of activities and chilling. Beginning at noon, ROCovery Fitness will host the first Soberfest: New York State’s Active Recovery Festival, which entails fresh air, family-friendly games, food, music, and recovery resources. Co-presented with several other recovery organizations, the event will wrap in the evening with fireside chats and marshmallow roasting, and an opportunity to camp on site (BYO tents!). On Sunday morning, the ROCovery Fitness 9th annual 5k run/walk and X-Challenge kicks off at 9 a.m. Pre-registration for the run is required. RR
Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, esm.rochester.edu
The pianist made waves in the classical music world just last year when he won one of the world’s biggest piano competitions, The Cliburn, at the age of 18 – the youngest pianist to accomplish that rare feat. That attention was not just for his age, or for his stunning technical ability, but also for the depth of feeling and artistry he brings to his playing. As his international tour winds from Paris to the Kennedy Center and beyond, Lim makes a stop in Rochester to play at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre at 3 p.m. Tickets range from $23-$60. MS
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
Rochester Public Market, give. foodlinkny.org
Foodlink’s largest annual fundraiser features dozens of local restaurants, wineries, breweries, bakeries and specialty food purveyors. Attendees receive a tote bag, festival map, vendor guide, tasting plate and wine glass so they can visit each booth from 6 – 9 p.m., all set to the live music of Something Else. General admission is $75. LS
Fanatics Pub, Lima, shemekiacopeland.com
Copeland grew up in the blues, as the daughter of the late blues guitarist Johnny Copeland. But she has truly blossomed on her own as a singer. It’s a hefty ticket price of $60, but her voice will fill that intimate room. A second show will take place on Sept. 19. JS
SPOKEN WORD
Water Street Music Hall, waterstreetmusichall.live
Rocker, actor, writer, badass. Rollins’s spoken-word performances draw much of their material from his own life, which has been pretty interesting. If you’ve seen Rollins in the past, he packs a lot into those machine-gun sentences, so bring your best attention span this evening. Rollins’s “Good to See You” show starts at 8 p.m. JS
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
Rochester Fringe Festival Spiegeltent, rochesterfringe.com
Theater in the round, with a shot (or four) of whiskey. Matt Morgan and Heidi Brucker Morgan bring a troupe of Shakespearean actors to Fringe with a booze-infused adaptation of the Bard’s “Othello,” an all-new show to Rochester audiences. Grab a drink at the bar and settle into your seat for a wild 90 minutes of (mostly) accurate storytelling. Pro tip: this makes a great Fringe initiation for non-theater goers. Tickets from $28; VIP booths (which seat six) are $156. 21 and over. Shows at 9 p.m. nightly through Sept. 23. LS
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
Central Library of Rochester, gcler.org
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, Grupo Cultural Latinos en Rochester is presenting more than 100 works that highlight the achievements of Latin American artists and the traditions they uphold in various mediums, including papier mâché, textiles, photographs, and sculptures. The exhibition, which will be shown in the Children’s Room on the second floor of the Bausch and Lomb Library Building at Rochester’s Central Library, is a reflection of the vibrant cultural contributions of Latinos in western New York. The show is free and open to the public from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays, until Oct. 15. DK
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
Buntsy’s, Webster, coolclubandlipkersisters.com
As musical partnerships go, the one that brought the retro-vibin’ quartet Cool Club and jazzy vocal trio The Lipker Sisters together is among the most charming you’ll find in these parts. Led by guitarist Rick Hoyt, the band shifts effortlessly through jump blues, swing, and boogie woogie as Maria, Grace, and Elizabeth float three-part harmonies over the top. The charismatic energy and well-honed technical skills of this septet make for an enjoyable live experience that’ll take you back. Just make sure you’ve
got plenty of dance floor in front of you. Music starts at 6:30pm DK
The Theater at Innovation Square, rochesterfringe.com
A one-man, one-day-only show could easily get overlooked at the festival. Enthusiasts of American theater should not make that mistake here. Bookmark this one. Like, right now. This solo play brings to life the obscure six formative years of Tennessee Williams, when he transformed himself from an aimless and unknown writer named Tom into one of the most celebrated American playwrights of the 20th century with a kick-ass nom de plume. Written and performed by Jacob Storms, best known for his recurring role on the Amazon series “Red Oaks,” and directed by Tony Award-winner Alan Cumming, the show has played around the world to strong reviews, won “Best One-Man Show” at the United Solo Festival, and headlined the Tennessee Williams Festival in St. Louis. Tickets from $22, recommended for 13 and over. DA
and children 12 and under are free. The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. DK
Dryden Theatre, eastman.org
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 from 7-9PM in the SPIEGELGARDEN at ONE FRINGE PLACE (corner of Main and Gibbs Streets)
TRIVIA STARTS AT 7:30PM
FREE! PRIZES! TRIVIA!
Test your arts and culture knowledge and toast to our September issue. This free event will include a chance to meet the CITY crew, pitch a story, and stay for trivia. Prizes will be awarded!
(Teams are limited to 6 people, per team, maximum)
EMAIL: BECCA@ROCHESTER-CITYNEWS.COM
This Ridley Scott classic that kicked off an enduring franchise really needs no introduction. An acid spewing xenomorph picks off the crew of the Nostromo and Warrant Officer Ripley, who kicks the alien’s ass in spectacular fashion, as the sole human survivor. Her cat Jones makes it out — a true moment of relief during this thrill ride. I’ve watched this movie countless times and it always feels fresh. Scott and the film’s writers seemed to understand something that a lot of modern horror directors seem not to: what you don’t show is often as scary as what you do show. We’re talking deep unease, building tension, and hard-earned jump scares. The screening starts at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $11 for nonmembers, $7 for members, and $5 for anyone under 18 and students. JM
Hale Auditorium at Roberts Wesleyan University’s Cultural Life Center, roberts.edu/clc
The Roberts Symphony Orchestra picks up where the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra left off several years ago with its popular concerts dedicated to the music of video game franchises such as “Final Fantasy” and “The Legend of Zelda.” For this special homecoming concert at Roberts Wesleyan University, the school’s orchestra takes listeners through memorable music that harkens back to beloved games from childhood, and perhaps even adulthood. General admission and virtual tickets are $25. RWU students
Kodak Center, kodakcenter.com
Over the past 16 years, Ray LaMontagne has released eight studio albums, six of which have reached Top 10 on Billboard’s Top Rock Albums chart and Billboard’s Digital Albums chart. LaMontagne’s 2010 album “God Willin’ & the Creek Don’t Rise” won the Grammy for Best Folk Album, and his vast sonic catalog has been called everything from “a perfect throwback to the lost art of the album-length format,” by Entertainment Weekly to “epic and magical,” by Rolling Stone. The “Just Passing Through Fall Tour” will open with special guest Tomberlin. Tickets from $35.50, bring cash for nearby parking lots or arrive early to find street parking. LS
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 FRINGE
The Spiegeltent, rochesterfringe.com
Goth-folk duo Ellia Bisker and Jeff Morris have been beguiling Rochester Fringe audiences at The Spirit Room with their dark-arts approach to musical storytelling for the last few years. And although Charming Disaster is moving to a bigger stage at the Spiegeltent, its show is bound to be just as intimate and spooky as ever. And what better place for the couple to bring their “Musical Séance” than Rochester, home of the infamous spiritualists the Fox sisters? Charming Disaster regularly dives into the occult and emerges with pearls, as on its latest album, “Super Natural History.” Concertgoers can expect some quality conjuring, and apparently a séance kit included with admission as well. DK
Barnes & Noble, Webster, instagram.com/theottnodswrite
Local author Jessica Ottnod and illustrator Christopher Ottnod (a husband-and-wife team) read from their debut children’s picture book “Lumo’s Wish.” When Alex, a sevenyear-old boy, meets a special firefly, together they go on a magical journey, which shows Alex that only by being himself will he truly find who he is meant to be. This soothing, dreamlike adventure is perfect for bedtime and focuses on the joy of self-discovery. Along with storytime, there will be songs, activities, and a book signing. 10:30 a.m., free. LS
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
Lux Bar, facebook.com/luxlounge666
There is often brilliance in simplicity, and when it comes to rock music, it’s best not to overthink things. Enter Japanese duo The Yayako, whose offkilter, magnetic approach to garage punk is impossible to dismiss. Last year’s EP “Megane Riot” is raw and mesmerizing, with a sound much larger than its straightforward bass guitar-and-drums instrumentation would suggest. It’s like the ’70s never went away. Wunderthink opens. $5 cover. 9 p.m. DK
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
Village of Naples, naplesgrapefest.org
This annual rain-or-shine festival is a hallmark of Finger Lakes living. Nothing says “Fall has arrived” like strolling down Main Street with a wine slushie in one hand and a container of local Concord grapes in the other. With plenty of food vendors and artists selling their wares, there’s something for everyone at the Grape Fest. Sunday’s music lineup includes Rochester artists Kara Fink and Parker Story, Steve Grills & the Roadmasters, and The Mighty High & Dry. The festival is free to attend and runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. DK
Geva Theatre Center, gevatheatre.org
This is your chance to watch comedic sausage being made. Geva’s incoming Artist-in-Residence Baron Vaughn curates this innovative long-form comedy series, where comics test new material on one night and build on what works in their performance the next night . . . and the next night . . . and the . . . you get the picture. This production is one of those worth catching at least twice during its run to see how the performances evolve. Aspiring comics might want to take notes. The series opens tonight at 8 p.m. on the Fielding Stage and runs through Oct. 8. Tickets are $25. DA
SEPTEMBER 27
Cherry Hill Campground, Darien Center, folkfacesmusic.com
Rochester Public Market, cityofrochester.gov/foodtruckrodeo
Circle the wagons for the last food truck rodeo of the season, featuring live music from Big Blue House. Cuisine from myriad cultures abounds at these free community events, and it’s family friendly, too. Bring a chair and fold-out table, or snag an onsite picnic table (limited). Pro tip: walk, bike or carpool, as the parking lots fill up quickly. The event runs 5 to 9 p.m. LS
As summer ends and autumn enters, Folkfaces frontman Tyler Westcott brings his labor of love, Folkfaces Fest — an annual weekend of folkAmericana and camping — to eager music-lovers for the seventh year. As ever, the four-day festival is packed with performances, including that of The Devil Makes Three frontman Pete Bernhard and trad player extraordinaire Bruce Molsky, and two sets each from the big-band folk-punk oddballs in Bella’s Bartok and energetic roots quartet Folkfaces. Other notable acts include Rochester folk icon John Dady with Benny Bleu, New Orleans punk-blues band Yes Ma’am, and avant-garde folk-metal cellist Rushad Eggleston (Rushadicus). Festival basses are $151; puppy passes are $28. DK
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29
Kodak Center, kodakcenter.com
If you’re a child of the ’80s like me, you remember the cinematic cult classic “The Princess Bride.” Its highly quotable screenplay, endearing if somewhat odd sense of humor, and a brilliant cast that included Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Wallace
Shawn, Billy Crystal, and Andre the Giant have all ensured its staying power. The family-friendly Rob Reiner film also somehow managed to be an effective romance, adventure story, and comedy all rolled into one. Fans will watch a screening of the film alongside actor Cary Elwes, who played the hero Westley and will share anecdotes from the making of the film and participate in a Q&A moderated by News 8 WROC’s Adam Chodak. 7 p.m. Tickets start at $42. DK
RIT City Art Space, smallpressbookfair.com
Fans of under-the-radar zines, self-published authors, local indie publishers and more gather every year at the Rochester Small Press Book Fair. This year, lovers of literature can find everything from local vegan food publication Chickpea Magazine to
University of Rochester’s Open Letter Books, a press dedicated to English translations of international novels. With 30 vendors represented, you won’t leave empty-handed. The free fair runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. DK
BY DANIEL J. KUSHNER @DANIELJKUSHNER DKUSHNER@ROCHESTER-CITYNEWS.COM
At 2 a.m. on May 12, 2022, Karl and Melissa Neubauer of Hollerhorn Distilling in Naples awoke to a business owner’s worst nightmare. Their facility, which they opened four years prior, was on fire. After several hours passed and 15 different fire departments responded to the scene, the flames were extinguished but the damage was done.
Hollerhorn’s tasting room, bar, and dining area — as well as 500 barrels of liquor — were destroyed in the fire, likely caused by an electrical shortage in a prep area that housed six coolers and freezers on the first floor of the facility.
Melissa, who oversees Hollerhorn’s cuisine and interior design, says the initial feeling was one of desperation.
“Immediately it felt kind of
insurmountable. How do you start over?” she said. “But the community was so amazing. You start realizing how much this space meant to people here in Naples.”
With the help of a GoFundMe campaign that raised $56,480, Hollerhorn was up and running again in less than a year, albeit in a smaller, temporary tasting room dubbed ‘The
Remedy Room.’ By this June, the Neubauers were starting to host concerts on the distillery’s outdoor stage again. Hollerhorn celebrates its five-year anniversary on September 8 with a show featuring Karl’s Americana band The Prickers, as well as the release of a new single-malt whiskey for the occasion. The distillery’s grand reopening — featuring a new, larger tasting room, a revamped mezzanine area to better accommodate private parties, and new roofs covering second-floor decks — is planned for the end of the month, just in time for the Naples Grape Festival. The Remedy Room will be used to host tastings and private events.
Last year’s distillery fire didn’t only necessitate a new look for Hollerhorn, but new tastes as well. Karl, who is head distiller, created Hollerhorn’s “Phoenix” series with whiskey from barrels that survived the fire. He said the heat from the fire artificially accelerated the aging
After a fire decimated its tasting room, the rejuvenated Naples distillery eyes a grand reopening.
process, resulting in a more maturetasting whiskey. “All that heat pushing to the barrel pushed that spirit into the wood,” he said.
In addition to his signature singlemalt whiskeys — using only malted barley, yeast, and water sourced locally and processed at Hollherorn — Karl takes special pride in his maple spirits like “Old Growth.” With only maple syrup, yeast, and water, he sees the craft liquor as a regional answer to rum and tequila.
Remnants of the fire can still be seen before entering the distillery. A few of the barrels exposed to the flames now form a totem that greets patrons as they make their way up the driveway to the property. Next to the totem is a phoenix bench by Rochester metal sculptor Stacey Mrva.
Although the physical manifestations of Hollerhorn’s rebirth are all over the property, one of the
biggest resets was an emotional one. In some ways, the fire prevented the Neubauers from burning out.
Karl, who has worked at the distillery seven days a week since it first opened five years ago, said being bogged down in work can obscure what’s really important. “It allowed us to step back and say, ‘Alright, for our own health, how do we acknowledge all of that and support that, but also, how do we feed ourselves?’” he said. “‘And how do we, when we, come back, put ourselves more firmly in the center of that community in an active way?’”
For the Neubauers, the answer lies in engaging with their customers to better understand their experience, particularly during special events such as concerts. If that engagement means the owners get to revel in their successes in the process, then that’s added honey to the barrel.
The past year found key local beverage players making big moves, from Black Button Distilling’s new place on University Avenue to the prospect of K2 Brothers Brewing taking over an entire school. As the cooler months come in, Rochester’s bev community is still making moves. Here’s some of the cool things in store from local favorites.
A few months back, Stoneyard Brewing Company head brewer Jeffrey Osborne had an epiphany while standing in a Bug Jar punk show.
Among the crowd were the typical hardcore denizens—folks
in patched-up jean jackets, spiky leather vests, and high-top leather boots synonymous with counterculture chic. And almost ubiquitously in their hands was the usual suspect—High Noons, the wildly popular canned vodka sodas from E&J Gallo Winery.
“I’m watching people scream antiestablishment lyrics in one room and sipping High Noons in the other,” Osborne said. “And I was like … that doesn’t quite jive with me.”
That experience set Osborne on the path to creating his own seltzer brand. It’s not an unheard of project in the world of craft beer. In fact, most breweries in Rochester had at one point or another dipped their toes into the seltzer game, as products like High Noon and White Claw saw
meteoric rises in sales over the past few years. For scope, High Noon, by volume, was the largest spirits brand in the country in 2022, totaling about $1.25 billion in sales.
Comparably, in 2022 the national Brewers’ Association estimated sales for all craft beer in the country at $28.4 billion.
“The more I thought about it, the more I thought that I could do something that was more appropriate,” Osborne said. “‘Alternative’ might be the better word. Something that isn’t deemed for being on a boat, or being at the pool, or healthy lifestyle or whatever.”
Thus, Beelzebubbles was born. Featuring a skeletal fallen angel reaching toward a fruit on the can and a slogan of “it’s fun to do bad
things,” Osborne sought to capture a darker alternative to the sunshine-y image of other major seltzers.
The branding was initially geared towards the local staple punk bar Lux Lounge on South Avenue, although he has yet to get them placed there. Four 70-case batches later, Beelzebubbles can only be sourced from a handful of select bars, including the SagerStoneyard taproom on Sager Drive and Joey’s on East Main Street.
But Osborne is leaning toward cautious, methodical growth for Beelzebubbles.
“I don’t think it’s ever going to have the kind of mainstream success of High Noon or White Claw,” Osborne said. “But I would like to become at least a local or regional player. But also, seltzer is a weird game.”
Like many good stories, the launch of Barry’s Irish Cream started with an unusual phone call. In early 2020, owner of Barry’s Irish Pub in Webster received a call from someone claiming to be an agent for UFC fighter Conor McGregor.
Barry’s was one of the first bars in New York to carry McGregor’s whiskey brand, Proper 12, and were avid promoters of the brand. The man on the phone said Conor liked what they were doing and asked if the couple wanted to come to his upcoming Vegas fight against Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone.
“I thought this was my brother or a relative prank-calling us,” co-owner Danny Barry said. “And before I hung up, I remember thinking, ‘I think this guy’s for real.’”
Shortly after, Danny and his wife, Jessica, were in the crowd at the T-Mobile
Arena, seated alongside employees of Proper 12. McGregor won by technical knockout in 40 seconds, and the Barrys were invited to the afterparty.
It was there they pitched the idea of launching an Irish cream brand, an idea they had been stewing for a while. The Proper 12 folks were able to introduce the Barrys to Robert A. Merry & Co., a Tipperary, Ireland-based liqueur producer.
“They told us if they can’t do it, no one can,” Jessica said.
She’d spent months testing out different batches of Irish cream at home, using her neighbors as guinea pigs.
“They loved us,” Jessica laughed. The secret ingredient came when Jessica remembered advice from her mother-in law for making the best chocolate chip cookies—add more vanilla. An extra dose of extract into the cream, and the Barrys had their winning recipe.
“My jaw dropped, I was just like, ‘this is it,’” Danny said.
Barry’s Irish Cream is expected to officially launch in September. It will be produced entirely in Ireland, its base liquor distilled by the Boann Distillery in the town of Drogheda.
Because of the shift to producing a liqueur brand, Barry’s Irish Pub will close its doors in September, after 12 years in business. It’s a bittersweet moment for the Barrys as they enter a new enterprise, and a new chapter of their lives, but like the Webster venue, Danny said the dream is for the Irish cream to capture the spirit of an Irish pub where people laughed, cried, and found a sense of community.
“That was kind of our mantra, this is going to represent all of the great people who have come in, all of the memories that are made in a place like a little Irish pub,” he said.
Mystic Hues from Grow Brewing Company
There was once a time where you could drop a single raspberry into a sloppy lactobacillus-inoculated wort, and beer nerds would throw you a goddamn parade. Now, every brewery seems beholden to having at least one pulp-laden soured smoothie on tap. Far be it from me to question the invisible hand of the market, but I can’t help but feel with every sip of viscous pineapple-marshmallow-colada-choco-surprise that we’ve strayed too far from God.
Mystic Hues is a breath of fresh air: a simplistic, perfectly executed kettle sour ale robustly showcasing an array of tropical and pine notes of Nectaron and Riwaka Hops. A beautiful, understated beer.
Pineapple Yuzu Kind from Three Heads Brewing Company
The past few years have been a rollercoaster ride for Three Heads’s flagship IPA “The Kind.” There was their COVID-era Rohrbach-collab Kind Kitty; the light version Tiny Kind; the 9% big boy in big cans Kinda Hazy; and now, Pineapple Yuzu. Brewers have a recent love of yuzu (essentially a Japanese lemon, for the uninitiated). In this iteration of The Kind, it offers a zesty tartness contrasted by upfront sweet, tropical colors, and finishing with that classic Kind bitterness.
Flanders Red Ale from Copper Leaf Brewing Company
Brewer Clay Killian at Pittsford’s Copper Leaf came out of the gate in early 2021 with an impressive array of honest, no-fooling wild ales. Unreal. Crazy choice. Holding true to that heritage, this take on a love-or-hate Belgian style is on point. An acetic masterwork that may scare off the novice palate with its unforgiving tartness will reward the brave with notes of cherry, oak, and candied stone fruit deep beneath the surface.
Strike Gently from Fifth Frame Brewing Company
Twilight hits a stillness as the last remnants of the autumn sun’s ambers and fuchsias fade over the horizon. You take a deep breath, the hints of foliage and sweet pine mingling with the woody musk of campfire smoke to create a final punctuation on the end of the day, and the summer season. It’s warm and cold. It’s quiet but brimming with life. It’s a really good smoked lager that comes in big ass steins at Fifth Frame.
In early August The French Quarter Cafe opened at 534 W. Ridge Road, where the Irish bar McGinnity’s Restaurant and Party House closed in June after almost 50 years in business. This is the fourth move for French Quarter since its founding in 2008 on Arnett Blvd., followed by stints in the Park Ave. neighborhood and downtown in the historic Brewster-Burke House. The restaurant serves Cajun and Creole cuisine, such as smothered deep fried catfish and crawfish étouffée, po’ boys, New Orleans hot chicken, fried okra, and more. Lunch hours are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, and dinner hours are 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Thefqc.com
Cassie’s Citchen and Catering opened at 163 State St. in early August, offering comfort food items like barbecue chicken, pot roast with carrots and potatoes, baked mac and cheese, collard greens with smoked turkey, and dirty rice. The spot offers dine-in and take-out, and there is outdoor seating and an event space as well. Cassie’s is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Thursday, and Friday, and from 1 to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. instagram.com/cassies.
citchen
River Street Sandwich Makers opened in the South Wedge in the former Harry G’s New York Deli And Cafe location at 687 South Ave. The new deli’s moniker is a nod to the historic name of South Ave., and it offers hot and cold sandwiches and salads, as well as sides and bottled beverages. The menu has lots of standards, but notable items
include the smoked salmon egg salad sammie, the bulgogi (marinated beef, kimchi, gochujang mayo, asian bbq sauce, and asian slaw), and the Roc City cheesesteak (shaved steak, gorgonzola cream sauce, caramelized peppers, and onions). Hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. Riverstreetsandwich.com
Just across the way from River Street Sandwich Makers is the former Solera & Cheshire, soon to be Martine, 647 South Ave. It will be a solo cocktail bar venture from Chuck Cerankosky, a coowner of Good Luck, Cure, Jackrabbit Club, Radio Social, and Lucky’s, with bar manager Will Cornfield. Think two levels of craft cocktails, with a closely curated wine and beer list, and a DJ booth upstairs. instagram.com/martine_ kocktails
The Grove Chop House, an upscale steakhouse from SCN Hospitality specializing in woodfire-cooked meats, will open at 260 E. Broad St. It’s part of the growing collection of businesses ringing The Grove, a newly-branded patio-like gathering space between Tower280 and the Butler/Till Building. It will join the wine bar Unwine’d, Branca Midtown, and other businesses in the two buildings. scnhospitality.com
A sister restaurant to Geneva’s Kindred Fare, Lila’s, has opened in the brand new Hampton Inn & Suites in the Neighborhood of Play. With the catchphrase “meet me in the lobby,” Lila’s encompasses an indoor dining and entertainment space with a fireplace, art gallery, and outdoor patio. Standout menu items include a daily oyster selection with lambrusco mignonette, a caramelized vidalia onion dip, and a host of local wine and beer on the list. Lila’s is open from noon to 10 p.m. daily, with a martini hour 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. lilasinthelobby.com
Also coming to The Grove this month is a nightlife spot for the Dungeons and Dragons set. After more than a year of bringing pop-up game nights to Rochester businesses, Dice Versa is opening a board game lounge at 280 E. Broad St. It will host events, have games on hand, and serve drinks and food. There’s a lot of focus on high-tech gaming these days, so it’s cool to see the in-tandem rise of the old-school analogs. Diceversagames.com
In the CITY magazine neighborhood of High Falls, local news folk rejoiced to hear that Happy Gut Sanctuary is currently building out the former Fina’s Cafe at 229 Mill St. Happy Gut, an award-winning, AAPI-owned fermented tea bar and cafe which serves house made kombucha, pour over coffee, and food will relocate from the Hungerford Building in the Public Market District. The owners are currently running a crowdfunding campaign for $100,000 to finance the move. linktr.ee/happygut
Upscale South Wedge restaurant The Cub Room, owned and operated by former NYC restaurateurs Greg and Jodi Johnson, announced in early August a projected takeover of the former Bank of America space at 58 Main Street in the village of Fairport. A Starbucks is planned for next door. thecubroomroc.com
Black Button Distilling commissioned Rochester bitters company Fee Brothers to create the Citrus Forward Gin BarrelAged Citrus Bitters, which was released in late August. The new variety joins dozens of Fee Brothers’ bitters products and continues the company’s upward trend of new releases. The blend is an obvious component for gin cocktails, but a dash in a seltzer or juice would add a refreshing zing as well. Feebrothers.com
Low-waste health food and home goods
store Marilla’s Mindful Supplies opened in late August at 661 South Ave. Owner Marilla Gonzales founded the business in 2019 in Geneva, NY, where customers buy items in bulk using their own containers. Marilla’s offers bulk dry food items and organic personal and home care items in plastic-free packaging, supplements, and healthy grab-and-go items. marillas.com
or this month’s CITY Visits, we decided to expand our concept of what this feature looks like – tapping freelancer Narada J. Riley to document Buffalo Bills camp at St. John Fisher University for a few days. Are we a sports magazine? No. But the Buffalo Bills are an undeniable part of our local culture, inspiring everything from menu items and watch parties to social media accounts (here’s lookin’ at you, @brotherbill716) and spin-off merchandise.
A Bills game day is sacred in Western New York, bringing together families and friends over hot Buffalo chicken wings (side note: we’re team blue cheese) and breakable folding tables. So fire up the Fantasy draft picks, and raise a glass of Genny to this year’s season. Let’s go, Buffalo! Find more photos and interviews from Bills camp at roccitymag.com.
ACROSS
1. Angst
6. Hey, over here!
10. Sing a siren song, say
15. Reverberation
19. Less talkative
20. Songs for one
21. Inuit domicile
22. Heavy hammer
23. ** British band with the 1992 album “[Fe]ar of the Dark”
25. ** Like one who will rarely pum[P b]rakes
27. Fruity drink advertised as an alternative to “the purple stuff” in a classic ‘90s TV ad
28. Oscar and Tony, for two
30. Engl., e.g.
31. Qualifying words
33. Docs you might see on Animal Planet
35. Bee Gees surname
39. Requests a reversal
43. Afore
45. Board game you might apologize for winning
48. Fair hiring inits.
49. ** The peak of quality, or a monetary system that once had an [Au]dacious backing
52. **City nights are often adorned with its [Ne]bulous radiance, signaling open doors
54. Consumes harmfully
55. Loaf on the couch
56. African nation that is 0.6% water despite being situated on a major river
58. How police might act, after “on”
59. Weighty book
60. The G of “G&T”
61. Med. scan that can be a trigger for patients with claustrophobia
62. Fish that are crammed tightly into tins
64. Blew
67. Actor who portrayed Scrooge opposite Kermit
69. Sampled
70. ** California hub where tech dreams grow and startups [Si]zzle with potential
BY S.J. AUSTIN & J. REYNOLDS
73. Conquering Hun
77. “Save Me” singer Mann
78. “Avengers _____”
83. Portland, ME sports team whose logo is a seal holding a bat
85. Diploma alternative
86. Simpsons character who hasn’t had a speaking role since 2017
87. Fortuneteller
88. You have to play the one you’re dealt
89. What chickens come home to do
91. “Star Trek” extras, for short
92. Michael Jackson Jr., to Macaulay Culkin
94. Follower of Jason, whose journey is an [Ar]chetype in mythological tales
96. ** [Ag]grandized symbols of one’s fortunate birthright
99. Family member: Abbr.
100. Drain
102. Word in many a California city’s name
103. Try to get through intuition
104. First Black actor to earn a million dollars for a single film (“Stir Crazy”)
106. Clumsy dumdums
108. “B _____ boy”
109. Nike competitor
112. Amasses
115. Tell the teacher
120. ** The [Sn]azzy epicenter of movie magic and celebrity glamor
124. ** Not a [Cu]te snake, but one with a venomous bite
126. “Ah, ok”
127. Goofed
128. Sphere of expertise
129. “West Side Story” seamstress
130. Degrees for many profs
131. Younger Obama daughter
132. Make smoother-or more coarse
133. Opportunity for a beekeeper
1. Parisian pals
2. Spiritual guide
3. Words after bring or pass
4. Neighbor of Miss.
5. Fort Hood, e.g.
6. Fig. on a tire sidewall
7. Ingredients for a “Graveyard” drink
8. Plethora
9. Oldest daughter on “Bob’s Burgers”
10. Accent that appears over some Spanish Ns
11. Discharges
12. Style guideline for English papers
13. Pea holders
14. Vegan staple
15. Face With Steam From Nose or See-No-Evil Monkey
16. Pet whose picture is often shared online on Saturdays
17. Tint
18. Aged
24. Grown-ups
26. Delivery person?
29. One who uses the hashtag #vanlife
32. Grp. checking carry-ons
34. Electronics company that produced the Walkman
36. 1982 pop hit with a guitar solo by Eddie Van Halen
37. Inscription on a chalky candy heart
38. Soaked (up)
39. Banded ornamental stone
40. Addr. that FedEx can’t deliver to
41. Pleasantly round
42. Famed Ford flop
43. Biblical starter home?
44. Unreliable newspaper
46. They add up to make a set
47. Twirls
50. GPU manufacturer with nearly $27B in revenue in 2022
51. Stem (from)
53. Blokes
57. Actress Lollobrigida
60. Toothpaste type
61. Lion-like, in a way
63. Comedian Martha once called the Female Bob Hope
65. Nobel Institute city
66. Schematic
67. Glowing balls of ice
68. Pass, as time
71. Smokes
72. Baton Rouge sch.
73. Enharmonic of G-flat
74. Ripper
75. Like hair in need of brushing
76. “_____ Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That”
79. Windows forerunner
80. Spanish kisses
81. Hotelier Helmsley or singer Lewis
82. Surrealist Max
84. Gazpacho or minestrone
86. 4-wheelers
90. Eponymous role for Tom Hanks in a 2022 adaptation
91. “Mr. Blue Sky” band, to fans
92. Google Workspace, under a previous name
93. Guests may be welcomed with them
95. Guts
97. Name hidden in “cocktail sauce”
98. Some O-linemen
101. Hebrew name for the divine
105. Desert respites
107. Hollywoods Henry, Jane, or Peter 108. Poplar with “quaking” leaves
110. Dots in la mer
111. Gillette razor brand
113. Some HDTVs
114. Nickelodeon title character
116. Defrost
117. Trillion: prefix
118. Hideout for a villain
119. Dutch cheese
120. Sharp part of a needle
121. “Or so”
122. Actor Beatty 123. Hosp. locales
125. Tampon alternative
