Jeff Spevak
Jeff Spevak has been a Rochester arts reporter for nearly three decades, with seven first-place finishes in the Associated Press New York State Features Writing Awards while working for the Democrat and Chronicle. He has also been published in Musician and High Times magazines, contributed to WXXI, City newspaper and Post magazine, and occasionally performs spoken-word pieces around town. Some of his haikus written during the Rochester jazz festival were self-published in a book of sketches done by Scott Regan, the host of WRUR’s Open Tunings show. Spevak founded an award-winning barbecue team, The Smokin’ Dopes, and believes Bigfoot is real. His book on the life of a Lake Ontario sailor who survived the sinking of his ship during World War II will be published in April of 2019 by Lyons Press.
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2022 was very good for Joywave and Danielle Ponder. We caught up with them at Ugly Duck Coffee on Charlotte Street and discussed their year. Plus, we look back on the past year of Across the Universe column interviews. -
The Rochester band will unveil its musical milestone Tuesday, Dec. 20, at its annual “Biggest Little Holiday Christmas Show” at The Little Theatre. -
The Webster native and Grammy-winning fiddler has been hospitalized for both physical and mental health issues. She's home now, but her ordeal is nowhere close to over. -
As we look inward for our salvation, Across the Universe columnist Jeff Spevak writes, we look at what we're writing and recording here. In our basements, in our studios. We're creating our own music. He hears it in two new local albums. -
After a life of ups and downs, the songwriter from Lima takes their act to where it all began. -
Right now, Danielle Ponder seemingly can do no wrong. Each stop on her current tour is followed by fans raving on social media. You can see and hear for yourself Friday when she returns home to play Water Street Music Hall (NOTE: This show is now sold out). -
Where does Rochester fit in on the Kurtz scale? She’s been here a couple of times, so we must be OK enough — and she returns at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 18 at The Little. -
Spoiler alert: “Merch Table Blues” is probably not a true-to-life, unacknowledged autobiography of Peter Conners as a young man. But the drug-laced tale of a young writer who follows a counterculture band is deeply enriched by Conners years following the Grateful Dead and his experience writing about the band and its followers. -
Katie Morey and Cammy Enaharo are talented musicians, no doubt. But what's with the name? -
As the summer concert scene unfolds beneath the still-visible shadow of COVID, the Campbells have two shows this week.
