Choice Concerts
I wonder if "for a good time call The Hot Seats" is written on every bathroom wall in Richmond, Virginia. It should be, and perhaps we can carry on the tradition up here. A highly entertaining band, with songs about sleepover parties of giggling girls, The Hot Seats is just
Choice Concerts
At some point, most of us want to run off and join the circus. Not Roy Book Binder. After a few $5 guitar lessons he ran off with his teacher, the Reverend Gary Davis, on a gig to Chicago, and beyond. That's just the kind of story you'll hear when
Choice Concerts
Walk into any beer joint on a Saturday night and you're sure to find a rock ‘n' roll cover band. They seem to be the mainstay of many palliative pouring places that might otherwise go out of business if it weren't for those weekend riots. What keeps us coming back
Choice Concerts
Jann Klose could be a poster boy for exchange students. Born in Germany, raised in Africa, Jann Klose then jumped across the pond to Cleveland, Ohio, where he was encouraged by his sponsors to put fingers to both keys and stings. Thankfully, he also opened up his pipes, seasoning them
Choice Concerts
"My God that was good...Just tremendous." High praise coming from TV late night talk show host David Letterman. And while musical director Paul Shaffer may be a band's man, Letterman is a bit more personally discerning - many times leaving the stage during performances. That he made a point to
Choice Concerts
A native of Australia, Boyes first hit our shores in 2003, winning the International Blues Challenge. And with Pinetop Perkins' endorsement, comparing her finger picking to Memphis Minnie, she's never stopped running. Described as a "one-woman blues tent revival," Boyes claims your attention like a come-to-Jesus meetin', and there's no
Choice Concerts
Malcolm's songs are simple and poignant, about maidens, battles, hometowns, pubs, and the sea. Typical Scottish fare. What's not so typical is his voice. Like the call of the sirens, Malcolm's voice will mesmerize you, carrying you along on his lyrical voyages. Even if you can't understand a word through
Choice Concerts
America is littered with cover bands. Whether renditions follow the original note-by-note, or are so reinterpreted as to make the model unrecognizable, the versions of the archetype are still surrogate. Greencard - a bunch of limeys torn from the motherland and deposited in these fine parts - began to feel
Choice Concerts
When you mention the accordion, what usually comes to mind are polkas and Weird Al Yankovic. But the instrument is prevalent in modern music if you dig a little. Musicians like the Counting Crows, Tom Waits, Flogging Molly, and Great Big Sea have all incorporated the squeezebox for its
Choice Concerts
With a voice as deep as an oil well and just as slick, Dave Donnelly has pumped classic country into the veins of Rochester on and off for more than half a century. His isn't the line-dancing, sparkle, crinoline petticoat, reception hall-sized production that has come to be known as
Choice Concerts
Don't fear the reaper, but there is a Blue Oyster Cult founder in our midst. John Wiesenthal is one of the starting members of the pioneering heavy metal band. You can hear him in his current role as chair of the guitar department at Hochstein School of Music and Dance
Choice Concerts
They're ba-ack! It used to be that Rochester summers were defined by three festivals - Corn Hill, Park Ave, and Clothesline - with only two of them offering music. Now there are so many local music festivals, with every town and its suburban cousin hosting live tunes tooted
Choice Concerts
A self-taught keyboardist, pianist, and composer most noted for playing venues like the Taj Mahal, the Acropolis, and The Great Wall of China, Yanni will now grace our little arena with his Yanni Voices tour. The tour is a live production of the same named CD/DVD released last year in
Choice Concerts
Sunday may as well be re-named Rochester's "Wizard of Oz" Day, as the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and George Eastman House present a day full of yellow brick road events. Beginning at 2 p.m., movies and music activities will generate the build up for the 3 p.m. concert by the RPO.
Choice Concerts
What if you could just skip the filler storylines and go straight for the meaty musical numbers? Face it, that's what we remember as we leave the theater, humming under our breath. Well, that and the costumes. The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Pops' "Bright Lights, Big City" production brings us
Choice Concerts
So you'll never be an American Idol. So what? Here's a competition that you surely trained for. Remember that pots and pans drum set pulled out of the cupboard? Now you can show off your finesse at bopping the bass drum (stock pot), beating the tom-tom (frying pan), and banging
Choice Events
The presence of the digital-television public service announcement running across the bottom of your TV screen is an indication that not only are you an un-cabled nerd like me, but that your rabbit ears will soon need to hook-up with a new friend or they won't let you play at
Choice Events
There are many reasons why people meet annually - family and class reunions, conventions, holidays, etc. In "Same Time, Next Year" the motivation is a bit different. Two people, married to others, meet once a year to get it on, and in the meantime catch up on the past year's
Choice Events
Forget "Honey, I shrunk the kids!" How about "Honey, I had a mouse!" Such is the plight of Mr. and Mrs. Frederick C. Little when their second child is born. Everything must be adapted for the new wee one, from little clothes to a matchbox for a bed. And imagine
Choice Events
Our drive-thru holiday light shows may be a thing of the past, but that's just an excuse to take an adventurous drive to Onondaga Lake Park in Liverpool for Lights on the Lake. I've heard it's worth the effort. The massive light display even refers to itself as "Central
