Come on out April 30th to the German House/The Keg and see and hear performances by some of the most popular bands in Rochester. Whether performing original music or covers, these are some of the finest musicians around, and you can see them all in one place!
Also, an announcement of the first slate of nominees for the Rochester Music Hall of Fame will be made. Be part of history in the making!
yours in music,
Tracy
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Shades of Gray and Lemoncello
I was anxious to hear Shades of Gray, a group which includes excellent musicians whom I have heard in a variety of different bands in Rochester; this is the first time I was going to hear them together. So, on Friday I headed off to Bistro 135 with my friend, Janis, and I was not disappointed!
Mark Balestra on guitar(s); Harry Ford on bass; Emmett Ientilucci on drums; and Mike Pallini on lead vocals and keyboard. I could see (and hear) that Mark was singing backup vocals, and I'm pretty sure Harry was, too. Emmett's back was to me, so I don't know about him, but together they created a sound that was perfectly mixed instrumentally and had lovely vocal harmonies.
I used to go out to hear Mike Pallini when he was the lead singer with Perfect World. I have to admit, I was quite smitten with his style and his gorgeous voice. Hearing him on Friday night, it was obvious that his voice has only gotten better, mellower. When he sang a James Taylor tune, I thought JT was in the room. Was that John Mayer or Mike Pallini? Wish I'd brought my camera.
Shades of Gray - these guys are each excellent on their own, but put them all together, and what a delight! I can't wait to hear them again.
Just before their last set was about done, Janis and I, along with her friend Herminio, headed just down the street to Lemoncello. Herminio insisted. I'm glad he did, or who knows when I would have found this little gem. A coffee shop with pastries and gelato in front, a full bar and restaurant, albeit small, with live music in back, this place was really beautiful. Owners and gracious hosts, Fausto and Massimo Albano, have renovated what once might have been a laundromat (that's what I was told) into something that makes you feel like you've been transported to Italy. The stonework, mosaics (created by Fausto), textured walls - all the custom work - is absolutely beautiful.
Herminio treated Janis and me to Limoncello, of course, which was the perfect way to end the evening. I am looking forward to going back for dinner and dessert.
yours in music,
tracy
Mark Balestra on guitar(s); Harry Ford on bass; Emmett Ientilucci on drums; and Mike Pallini on lead vocals and keyboard. I could see (and hear) that Mark was singing backup vocals, and I'm pretty sure Harry was, too. Emmett's back was to me, so I don't know about him, but together they created a sound that was perfectly mixed instrumentally and had lovely vocal harmonies.
I used to go out to hear Mike Pallini when he was the lead singer with Perfect World. I have to admit, I was quite smitten with his style and his gorgeous voice. Hearing him on Friday night, it was obvious that his voice has only gotten better, mellower. When he sang a James Taylor tune, I thought JT was in the room. Was that John Mayer or Mike Pallini? Wish I'd brought my camera.
Shades of Gray - these guys are each excellent on their own, but put them all together, and what a delight! I can't wait to hear them again.
Just before their last set was about done, Janis and I, along with her friend Herminio, headed just down the street to Lemoncello. Herminio insisted. I'm glad he did, or who knows when I would have found this little gem. A coffee shop with pastries and gelato in front, a full bar and restaurant, albeit small, with live music in back, this place was really beautiful. Owners and gracious hosts, Fausto and Massimo Albano, have renovated what once might have been a laundromat (that's what I was told) into something that makes you feel like you've been transported to Italy. The stonework, mosaics (created by Fausto), textured walls - all the custom work - is absolutely beautiful.
Herminio treated Janis and me to Limoncello, of course, which was the perfect way to end the evening. I am looking forward to going back for dinner and dessert.
yours in music,
tracy
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
What happens on a walk on Park Avenue . . .
Bo and I wanted to take a walk. We wanted something "different," so we decided to hop in the car and head to Park Avenue. We parked at the plaza where Cobb's Hill Pizza and Pasta is, and headed west on Park. A short ways down the street, we came upon a trio - guitar, banjo and fiddle - playing in the park. I'm not one to over-categorize music, but if I had to say, they play Bluegrass, American roots music. Joe Kollar, Dan Forsyth, and Claire Byrne were here wandering the streets of Rochester and playing their music to promote their concert tomorrow night at Water Street Music Hall. Their fourth band member, Jon Doll, will join them then. Driftwood is the name of the band. They were kind enough to give me their CD which I will be playing at home and in the car.
I didn't have my camera when I first saw (and heard them), so I went back to the car to get it. By the time I caught up with them, they were on the move, looking for a new place to play. I stopped them, and they graciously agreed to let me take their pictures while they played. They were excellent musicians, and they were excited to hear that I would like to write about them in my blog!
If I can get over to Water Street tomorrow night, I'd love to see Driftwood. And, I think you should, too!
Tomorrow, I'll write more about the adventures Bo and I had today while we explored Rochester!
yours in music,
tracy
Monday, April 19, 2010
A Tale of Two Breakfasts
Well, three, really. I had been wanting to try Peaches in Webster as I'd heard good things about it, and I knew it was owned by Charlie - the guy who had owned Charlie Brown's. Charlie Brown's was a diner in the city that had a reputation for good food and good service.
I went with a friend one Friday at about noon time. Even though it was lunch time, we wanted breakfast food. The menu was extensive and looked great. I decided to have Eggs Benedict, the classic version. They had at least ten different versions of Benedict, but I went old school. My friend had a three cheese omelet. We both ordered shredded potatoes. Everything was great, including the service. I hesitate to order Eggs Benedict because, quite often, the Canadian bacon can be a) dry, b) grisly or c) just plain over cooked. What I had that morning was perfect.
Because of my experience on Friday, I convinced Joe to go back on Sunday. It was probably about 1:00 pm, but we both wanted breakfast, and we were both very hungry. The hostess didn't give us breakfast menus, so I had to go up and get one. When the server arrived, she took our orders, but didn't pay attention to the beverages, and then forgot to take the menus, which were quite large. I said, "Do you want these?" And she replied, "Oh, yeah. This is my third double in a row, and I can't wait to go home." I said to Joe, "Wow, I hope she doesn't take it out on us.
The food arrived. Joe had some kind of eggs and pancake combination; I, again, ordered the Eggs Benedict. What a difference a day (or two) makes. The Canadian bacon was a, b AND c. I couldn't cut it with my knife, let alone chew it. I figured when the waitress came back to check on things, I'd get another one or something different. The only problem? The waitress never, never came back. I was so hungry that I took the meat out and started eating the rest. Some other waitress came by and filled up Joe's long-empty coffee cup. I didn't even see our waitress. I thought she might have left. I finished all the english muffin and egg and sat there with the inedible Canadian bacon on my plate. And I was seething. The longer she left us sitting there, the madder I was getting. I finally asked another server if she could send ours over. After a long time, she finally meandered back. She said, "How was everything?" I kept my voice as even as I could, but I was so angry. I said, "If you had even bothered to come over and check on things, I would have told you that the meat was inedible, but you never came back." She said, "Oh, sorry. Do you want some more?" "Not now," I said. She asked if we wanted her to let Charlie know. I said, "Yes." Charlie came over and inspected my dried up old Canadian bacon, and asked if I wanted a new Eggs Benedict. I told him I was full; I couldn't eat another one now. I would have liked another one earlier.
When the waitress came back, she said that Charlie had the check; he was going to make an adjustment. Now, if it were my restaurant, I would have comped at least the one breakfast and given us a small gift card. But no. Charlie gave us $4.00 off my meal, and then proceeded to make me feel like I'd complained without cause and gave us all kinds of excuses about why the waitress never came back. I left with a very bad taste in my mouth, and it wasn't the bacon. I will not be going back.
Yesterday, we went to the Cracker Barrel in Henrietta for a late breakfast. Three of us ordered our meals and then sat and waited. And waited. And waited. Though, this time the waitress was always checking on us to see about our beverages. Finally, about 30 minutes into the wait, she came by and said that she "had the manager on our meals" and apologized for the delay. The manager came with our meals, kind of forgetting bits and pieces, but ultimately we all had what we'd ordered. Then he said he was going to take the cost of one of the meals off the bill. We thanked him very much. They'd been very attentive, apologetic, and were giving us something back. They had us at comping one meal. However, a manager, who was higher up the totem pole than the previous guy, came over and said he was going to comp the whole bill. He apologized profusely, said their goal was 11 - 20 minutes to get the food on the table and they'd failed. Wow. WOW!
And, yes, we WILL most definitely go back to the Cracker Barrel. That was great customer service.
yours in breakfast,
Tracy
I went with a friend one Friday at about noon time. Even though it was lunch time, we wanted breakfast food. The menu was extensive and looked great. I decided to have Eggs Benedict, the classic version. They had at least ten different versions of Benedict, but I went old school. My friend had a three cheese omelet. We both ordered shredded potatoes. Everything was great, including the service. I hesitate to order Eggs Benedict because, quite often, the Canadian bacon can be a) dry, b) grisly or c) just plain over cooked. What I had that morning was perfect.
Because of my experience on Friday, I convinced Joe to go back on Sunday. It was probably about 1:00 pm, but we both wanted breakfast, and we were both very hungry. The hostess didn't give us breakfast menus, so I had to go up and get one. When the server arrived, she took our orders, but didn't pay attention to the beverages, and then forgot to take the menus, which were quite large. I said, "Do you want these?" And she replied, "Oh, yeah. This is my third double in a row, and I can't wait to go home." I said to Joe, "Wow, I hope she doesn't take it out on us.
The food arrived. Joe had some kind of eggs and pancake combination; I, again, ordered the Eggs Benedict. What a difference a day (or two) makes. The Canadian bacon was a, b AND c. I couldn't cut it with my knife, let alone chew it. I figured when the waitress came back to check on things, I'd get another one or something different. The only problem? The waitress never, never came back. I was so hungry that I took the meat out and started eating the rest. Some other waitress came by and filled up Joe's long-empty coffee cup. I didn't even see our waitress. I thought she might have left. I finished all the english muffin and egg and sat there with the inedible Canadian bacon on my plate. And I was seething. The longer she left us sitting there, the madder I was getting. I finally asked another server if she could send ours over. After a long time, she finally meandered back. She said, "How was everything?" I kept my voice as even as I could, but I was so angry. I said, "If you had even bothered to come over and check on things, I would have told you that the meat was inedible, but you never came back." She said, "Oh, sorry. Do you want some more?" "Not now," I said. She asked if we wanted her to let Charlie know. I said, "Yes." Charlie came over and inspected my dried up old Canadian bacon, and asked if I wanted a new Eggs Benedict. I told him I was full; I couldn't eat another one now. I would have liked another one earlier.
When the waitress came back, she said that Charlie had the check; he was going to make an adjustment. Now, if it were my restaurant, I would have comped at least the one breakfast and given us a small gift card. But no. Charlie gave us $4.00 off my meal, and then proceeded to make me feel like I'd complained without cause and gave us all kinds of excuses about why the waitress never came back. I left with a very bad taste in my mouth, and it wasn't the bacon. I will not be going back.
Yesterday, we went to the Cracker Barrel in Henrietta for a late breakfast. Three of us ordered our meals and then sat and waited. And waited. And waited. Though, this time the waitress was always checking on us to see about our beverages. Finally, about 30 minutes into the wait, she came by and said that she "had the manager on our meals" and apologized for the delay. The manager came with our meals, kind of forgetting bits and pieces, but ultimately we all had what we'd ordered. Then he said he was going to take the cost of one of the meals off the bill. We thanked him very much. They'd been very attentive, apologetic, and were giving us something back. They had us at comping one meal. However, a manager, who was higher up the totem pole than the previous guy, came over and said he was going to comp the whole bill. He apologized profusely, said their goal was 11 - 20 minutes to get the food on the table and they'd failed. Wow. WOW!
And, yes, we WILL most definitely go back to the Cracker Barrel. That was great customer service.
yours in breakfast,
Tracy
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Rochester Music Hall of Fame Launch Party April 30, 2010
Rochester Music Hall of Fame Launch Party – Friday, April 30, 2010, at The Historic German House and The Keg
The Rochester Music Hall of Fame is hosting its first event – a Launch Party on Friday, April 30, 2010, at The Historic German House and The Keg, 315 Gregory Street. The doors open to the general public at 6:30 pm, and twelve bands begin performing at 7:00 pm.
Bands scheduled to appear include Paradigm Shift, John Akers, Crescent City Connection, The Cross Roads Project, Redline Zydeco, Small Town, Tinted Image, Spencerport High School Jazz Band, Atlas, Mambo Kings, Prime Time Funk, and The Buddhahood.
Tickets will be $15 in advance/$20 at the door and are on sale beginning April 12, 2010, through Ticketmaster online, Ticketmaster locations at 885 East Main Street, and House of Guitars, 645 Titus Avenue. Tickets will also be available at Aaron’s Alley, the Bop Shop, The Keg, Northfield Music Studios (Pittsford), and The Music Store, Inc. (Webster).
The Rochester Music Hall of Fame (RMHF) began as a grassroots effort in the spring of 2009. RMHF is a nonprofit organization the mission being to recognize those with ties to Rochester whose talents, efforts, perseverance and creativity have contributed to the creation of musical excellence. Each year new members will be honored through ceremony and celebration and their achievements memorialized to promote an appreciation for the greater Rochester area’s rich and diverse musical history and culture.
Remarks Karl LaPorta, President of RMHF Board of Directors, “In my 40 years in the music business, I have found that that when it comes to music, no matter the differences we all have as individuals, none of that ever matters if we're enjoying musical entertainment together – music makes for common ground for all people. I believe everyone in our community would enjoy a music hall of fame.” RMHF would give Rochester the ability to celebrate and recognize musicians of every genre, entertainment venues, and other people and organizations which have been instrumental to Rochester’s culture of music and its rich musical tradition and history.
RMHF gratefully acknowledges Senator Joseph Robach, Freetime Magazine, The German House/The Keg, Brother Wease, The House of Guitars and St. Vincent’s Press.
Okay, that's all the details. Now, BE THERE!
yours in music,
Tracy
The Rochester Music Hall of Fame is hosting its first event – a Launch Party on Friday, April 30, 2010, at The Historic German House and The Keg, 315 Gregory Street. The doors open to the general public at 6:30 pm, and twelve bands begin performing at 7:00 pm.
Bands scheduled to appear include Paradigm Shift, John Akers, Crescent City Connection, The Cross Roads Project, Redline Zydeco, Small Town, Tinted Image, Spencerport High School Jazz Band, Atlas, Mambo Kings, Prime Time Funk, and The Buddhahood.
Tickets will be $15 in advance/$20 at the door and are on sale beginning April 12, 2010, through Ticketmaster online, Ticketmaster locations at 885 East Main Street, and House of Guitars, 645 Titus Avenue. Tickets will also be available at Aaron’s Alley, the Bop Shop, The Keg, Northfield Music Studios (Pittsford), and The Music Store, Inc. (Webster).
The Rochester Music Hall of Fame (RMHF) began as a grassroots effort in the spring of 2009. RMHF is a nonprofit organization the mission being to recognize those with ties to Rochester whose talents, efforts, perseverance and creativity have contributed to the creation of musical excellence. Each year new members will be honored through ceremony and celebration and their achievements memorialized to promote an appreciation for the greater Rochester area’s rich and diverse musical history and culture.
Remarks Karl LaPorta, President of RMHF Board of Directors, “In my 40 years in the music business, I have found that that when it comes to music, no matter the differences we all have as individuals, none of that ever matters if we're enjoying musical entertainment together – music makes for common ground for all people. I believe everyone in our community would enjoy a music hall of fame.” RMHF would give Rochester the ability to celebrate and recognize musicians of every genre, entertainment venues, and other people and organizations which have been instrumental to Rochester’s culture of music and its rich musical tradition and history.
RMHF gratefully acknowledges Senator Joseph Robach, Freetime Magazine, The German House/The Keg, Brother Wease, The House of Guitars and St. Vincent’s Press.
Okay, that's all the details. Now, BE THERE!
yours in music,
Tracy
Thursday, April 8, 2010
A Little Sneak Peak - Rochester Music Hall of Fame Launch Party
Save the date! Friday, April 30, 2010, at 7:00pm at The Historic German House and The Keg, the Rochester Music Hall of Fame is going to have its first music event - our Launch Party! We anticipate more than ten bands playing at what is sure to be a fabulous party. Stay tuned to find out exactly which excellent Rochester bands will be performing.
Tickets will be available April 14th at Ticketmaster online as well as the local Ticketmaster retail locations at the Auditorium Theatre and the House of Guitars. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Other locations to buy tickets include Aaron's Alley, The Bop Shop, The Keg, and Northfield Music.
The Rochester Music Hall of Fame (RMHF) began as a grassroots effort in the spring of 2009. RMHF is a 501(c)(3) (in progress) nonprofit organization with a mission to: Recognize those with ties to Rochester whose talents, efforts, perseverance and creativity have contributed to the creation of musical excellence. Each year new members will be honored through ceremony and celebration and their achievements memorialized to promote an appreciation for the greater Rochester area’s rich and diverse musical history and culture.
Save that date!!
yours in music,
Tracy
Tickets will be available April 14th at Ticketmaster online as well as the local Ticketmaster retail locations at the Auditorium Theatre and the House of Guitars. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Other locations to buy tickets include Aaron's Alley, The Bop Shop, The Keg, and Northfield Music.
The Rochester Music Hall of Fame (RMHF) began as a grassroots effort in the spring of 2009. RMHF is a 501(c)(3) (in progress) nonprofit organization with a mission to: Recognize those with ties to Rochester whose talents, efforts, perseverance and creativity have contributed to the creation of musical excellence. Each year new members will be honored through ceremony and celebration and their achievements memorialized to promote an appreciation for the greater Rochester area’s rich and diverse musical history and culture.
Save that date!!
yours in music,
Tracy
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Another Friday night delight - Dinner at Rocco and Music at Dino
We went to dinner at Rocco on Monroe Avenue just past Union. What a delight! The service was great, the food was fabulous! Joe, Tina and Dave all raved about the calamari appetizer (squid's not my thing), and the house-made ricotta with grilled bread appetizer was delish. Three of us had the Caesar salad, which was also very good. Dave and Tina had the striped bass special, Joe had the imported rigatoni with meatballs (presumably not imported!), and I had the lasagne alla pizzaiolo. This was not your usual lasagna. It was not a brick of pasta and meat and heavy cheeses. This was light and fluffy - just the pasta and the house-made ricotta with a touch of bechamel sauce and the red sauce. It was absolutely delicious and did not weigh me down. There was a nice wine list - one side was a $25/bottle list - and we chose a Zaccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, which was absolutely wonderful for everyone's meal.
Rocco is on my list for a return visit - and soon!
We left there and got to the Dinosaur just in time to hear the first notes of Redline Zydeco. And from the very first note, the dance floor was filled! I went to New Orleans in 1999, and the music of Redline Zydeco brought me right back. The only band member I know is Russ Roberts from The Lawnmowers. He really gave his cajun accordion a workout last night! The guy with the washboard came marching through the bar, and the people sitting next to me got to play! He must have known by looking at me that I have no musical ability because he did not even offer me the spoon to play his washboard abs! A fun band, especially for a warm and summery Friday night.
yours in music,
Tracy
Rocco is on my list for a return visit - and soon!
We left there and got to the Dinosaur just in time to hear the first notes of Redline Zydeco. And from the very first note, the dance floor was filled! I went to New Orleans in 1999, and the music of Redline Zydeco brought me right back. The only band member I know is Russ Roberts from The Lawnmowers. He really gave his cajun accordion a workout last night! The guy with the washboard came marching through the bar, and the people sitting next to me got to play! He must have known by looking at me that I have no musical ability because he did not even offer me the spoon to play his washboard abs! A fun band, especially for a warm and summery Friday night.
yours in music,
Tracy
Friday, April 2, 2010
Today is a gift.
This is the kind of day I long for - warm and sunny. A taste of summer. A tease, to be sure, because we'll see more cold days, rainy days - maybe even snowy days - before spring is truly here.
And then, oh, the beauty of it all. Magnolia trees in full bloom up and down Oxford Street. Beautiful pink and white dogwoods lining Fourth Avenue in Fairport. Baby ducklings following their mothers on the canal. Huge, blazing redbud trees, the sweet smell of lilacs and honeysuckle, roses in bloom, warm starry nights - no jacket required. Outdoor music events, dinner at sidewalk cafes, fireworks.
I live for these days.
yours in music,
tracy
And then, oh, the beauty of it all. Magnolia trees in full bloom up and down Oxford Street. Beautiful pink and white dogwoods lining Fourth Avenue in Fairport. Baby ducklings following their mothers on the canal. Huge, blazing redbud trees, the sweet smell of lilacs and honeysuckle, roses in bloom, warm starry nights - no jacket required. Outdoor music events, dinner at sidewalk cafes, fireworks.
I live for these days.
yours in music,
tracy
John Pizzarelli tickets have arrived!
The doorbell rang while we were just waking up. We wondered, "Who the heck is that?" What a pleasant surprise to open the door to a UPS package for me . . . John Pizzarelli tickets! Yay!
yours in music,
Tracy
yours in music,
Tracy
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