Quick, name five alternative bands.
If you answered with Coldplay, Linkin Park, Incubus, Three Doors Down or Nickelback, speed thee to a mall.
I'm talking about real alternative — the kind you don't hear on a soundtrack to an Adam Sandler movie. The kind that's so outside the mainstream and original that you're not even sure you like it at first, but after a month of pondering and another listen, it changes your entire outlook on humanity.
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It may surprise you that Rochester, a town with a decidedly “classic rock” exterior, has a decent alternative and independent music scene thriving beneath the surface.
Whether you want to see local or national acts perform, snag an out-of-print Pixies import or hear a new track by The Mars Volta on the radio, there are options right here for you to appease the indie gods.
See IT
The Bug Jar
219 Monroe Ave., 454-2966
Some places make you feel exponentially cooler upon entry.
The Bug Jar is definitely one.
Covered with trippy art and awash in a space-age/punk/underground cool, the intimate bar is one of Rochester's premiere live alternative music venues.
“We're definitely one of the best places to see alternative bands in town,” says owner Aaron Gibalski, 32. “We've got one of the most diverse music selections you'll see.”
The Bug Jar also hosts “Indie Night,” spinning independent and alternative music, from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Thursdays.
Upcoming shows:
Stinking Lizavetta, 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26. $6.
Electric Eel Shock, 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 2. $6 ($8 for 20 and younger).
Shonen Knife, 8 p.m. Thursday, March 3. $8.
Water Street Music Hall
204 N. Water Street, 325-5600
Water Street Music Hall hosts so many national and local artists that owner John Chmiel opened a second venue, The Club at Water Street, adjacent to the hall in 2001.
While the band performing on any given night might play anything from death metal to reggae, one of the most consistent attractions is the influx of alternative bands that stop through town.
Names such as Hey Mercedes, Glassjaw, Something Corporate and Ween have graced the marquee in the past, and the venue will host several “can't miss” concerts over the next few weeks, including the Sub City Take Action Tour in March, featuring Sugarcult, Anberlin, Hawthorne Heights and more.
Upcoming shows:
Straylight Run, 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 20. $6.
This Day and Age, 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 2. $6.
Hot Rod Circuit, 3 p.m. Saturday, March 5. $8.
Buy IT
House of Guitars Inc.
645 Titus Ave., 544-9928
Stocked beyond the brim with nearly every instrument and album you can think of, the House of Guitars, a 41-year-old Irondequoit institution, separates itself from impersonal chain stores with a treasure trove of new and used, rare and discontinued materials.
“I order at least one of everything,” says owner Armand Schaubroeck. “And we have stuff that's been out of print for years.”
The selection brings in a far-reaching clientele.
In the February issue of Revolver , Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley named the House of Guitars his favorite guitar store. “They have pretty cool shit there,” he raved.
LakeShore Record Exchange
370 Park Ave., 244-8476
Thanks to the Lakeshore Record Exchange, it can be legitimately argued that Rochester is the home of alternative music — the Web site, at least.
Anyone in the world who goes to www.alternativemusic.com lands at the site of the ultrahip Park Avenue store, which grabbed the domain name during the infancy of the Worldwide Web in 1995.
Stocked with a deep selection of everything alternative, from Appleseed Cast to Zwan, if Lakeshore doesn't have it, it's probably sitting on some high school cheerleader's dashboard.
“We cater to people that have obscure tastes,” says manager Leilani Swafford, 31, of Rochester.
“We learn from our customers and vice versa.”
Hear IT
WBER-FM (90.5)
381-4353
Owned by the Board of Cooperative Educational Services and staffed mostly by volunteers, indie radio doesn't get anymore independent than WBER.
“We don't have to follow national trends or pay attention to ratings like other stations,” says station manager Joey Guisto, 32.
The weekly broadcast he hosts, Indie Show , was even nominated this year for a Plug Independent Music Award.
The station gives Guisto freedom to devote airtime to what he calls a “growing” alternative scene in town.
“I always like to have at least one local band in rotation at all times,” he says.
Alternative shows:
First Impressions , 8 to 10 p.m. Tuesdays
Indie Show , 8 to 10 p.m. Wednesdays
Universal Buzz Radio (a syndicated show featuring live performances), 9 to 10 p.m. Thursdays
