By Mike Bernola (and Kate Dobbertin)

At 11:05 Thursday night, my friend Tim called.  We were meeting at Tinseltown for the midnight showing of The Avengers, and he was very concerned about getting good seats. I didn’t think he needed to worry–Tinseltown was showing The Avengers on six screens.

How many people could possibly attend the midnight showings?

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2002: Ten years to the day before this phone call, Tim and I attend our first midnight opening–Spider-man.  I convince my mother that I will studiously attend school the next day. Besides, I am 17–I want to feel like an adult.

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2012: Avengers is my first midnight movie in a while, and I almost skip it.  I can’t get off work the next morning. Luckily, Tim’s excellent negotiating skills prevail. Besides, I want to feel like a kid again.

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2002: After loading up with bulk candy, we arrive at Tinseltown promptly at 11:00 PM.  Tim is very concerned about getting good seats.  We join the other fans milling around the breezeway and arcade.  The staff is still prepping the only theatre showing Spider-man.

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2012: I arrive at Tinseltown at 11:20. The main parking lot is packed, so I park in overflow. All six auditoriums are open and buzzing. Theatre 10 is 75% full–luckily Tim’s friend Joe is saving seats.

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2002: The Spider-man crowd is a cacophony of nerd stereotypes. In front of us, two large gentleman discuss the Green Goblin’s glider technology. Behind us, two men with questionable hygiene battle Pokemon on tethered Game Boy Advances.

Fifteen minutes before the start of the movie, someone enters in a Spider-man costume complete with silly string web shooters.  The crowd catcalls with a combination of admiration, condemnation, and self-deprecation.

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2012:  A large majority of the crowd sports well cut superhero t-shirts.  The crowd chatter is interrupted by applause each time a person in costume arrives.  An exceptionally pretty young woman wearing a Captain America mask and miniskirt and holding Cap’s shield attracts the loudest cheers, followed closely by a young man dressed in a Tony Stark inspired t-shirt over arc reactor.

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2002: The crowd is raucous as the trailers begin, talking over a few forgettable previews.  But when the Lucas film logo signifies the start of the Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones trailer, a hush falls over the crowd.  As the trailer ends, the crowd cheer.

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2012: The crowd is raucous as the trailers begin, talking over a few forgettable previews.  But when the Legendary Picture logo signifies the start of The Dark Knight Rises trailer, a hush falls over the crowd.  As the trailer ends, the crowd cheers.

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2002: After the movie ends, the crowd is euphoric.  We bound out of the theatre, swarming with   questions. “In the comics, Peter built his web shooters; why would they make them a part of his anatomy?” “How could they allow Kirsten Dunst anywhere near our beloved Mary Jane Watson?” “Is The Lizard is going to be the villain of Spider-man 2? We did see his alter ego, Doc Connors, after all….”

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2012:  After Avengers ends, my friends and I meet in the breezeway.  The conversation turns to the teaser scene shown after the credits.* A passerby asks us to explain: Who was that guy, and why did some people treat it like a big deal?

* Author’s Note: Never leave before the house lights come on. Ever.

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Harry Potter and Twilight helped to mainstream midnight premiers.  As a result, midnight is no longer the exclusive domain of us nerd and mega-fans.  However, the energy and enthusiasm haven’t changed one bit. While once I was the young guy asking the questions, I am now the old guy answering them.  But as “bed decisions” go, this is one I will continue to make. I’m already looking forward to feeling exhausted after the midnight showing of Dark Knight Rises.

During a recent trip to the record store, Jack White’s blistering single “Sixteen Saltines” came on over the loud-speaker. A hip-hop fan browsing through the latest run of mixtapes took notice:

“Who is this, Hendrix or somebody?” he asked the clerk.

“Um… no. That’s Jack White bro,” the clerk responded.

Then, with equal parts astonishment and respect, the hip-hop fan proclaimed, “Damn. That’s one bad white boy!”

Even hip-hop fans know how good Jack White is. Which makes what he’s been doing the past few years  – forming bands with talented artists who aren’t as talented as him and producing records everyone from Wanda Jackson to Insane Clown Posse – slightly puzzling.

Perhaps it was the need for a new challenge after The White Stripes. Maybe he was bored. Either way, he’s found thankfully found a new muse – going solo and being as badass as he wants to be.

White’s solo album Blunderbuss is the best album he’s put out since Elephant, The White Stripes 2003 masterpiece. And it’seasily the best album of 2012 thus far.

The album is a mix of rock, folk and country music. White moved his label Third Man Records to Nashville in 2009 and has spent the past couple years focused on producing. The city’s influence is apparent.

Much of the album is filled with country soul and folk-influenced songs like “Hip (Eponymous) Poor Boy,” “I Guess I Should Go To Sleep” and the self-discovery anthem “On And On And On.”

Much of it is reminiscent of the quieter moments from The White Stripes’ records. You even get White opening up a bit about what his recent divorce from British model Karen Elson. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know what “Love Interruption” or “Hypocritical Kiss” are about. Interestingly enough, his voice sounds a bit like Axel Rose on the latter.

However, the standouts moments come during the limited number of times White picks up the electric guitar. But make no mistakes. When he does go electric, it’s to forcefully chop down mountains with the edge of his hand.

“Freedom at 21” is a guitar-driven monster that sounds like vintage The White Stripes, while the shredding towards the end of “Weep Themselves To Sleep” comes a mesmerizing surprise. And of course, there’s  the in your face nature of “Sixteen Saltines,” the most straightforward rock track on the album.

Blunderbuss doesn’t break any new ground for White. It serves more as a collection of variations on the best stuff he’s done over the past decade, which is to say it’s awesome.

At 36 years-old, White is an old soul and, yet, the kind of artist who seems so far ahead of his peers anytime he comes out with something new. Indeed, he’s one badass white boy. And don’t you forget it.

~ Troy L. Smith

[Show as slideshow]

Story and photo by Troy L. Smith

The popularity of photorealism and portrait tattoos has been on the rise in recent years. Still, a search for local artists who have actually mastered the style may only yield a few results.

One of the best Rochester has to offer is Dawn Kelley, artist and co-owner at Lucky Lotus Studio on Elton Street.

Kelley has an uncanny gift for capturing a subject’s realism, whether it’s a photo of a child, an animal, or music icons like Joey Ramone or Jerry Garcia.

The secret to Kelley’s gift lies in the fact that she isn’t a tattoo artist who learned how to do portraits. She’s a portrait artist who learned how to do tattoos.

Kelley was first exposed to tattooing at the age of 13 when she went with her older brother to get his first tattoo. From there, she was hooked.

“It was a really cool experience, being able to do your art and interact with people,” she recalls.

Still, Kelley, who had been into art most of her life, was on a corporate career path after school. She was even offered the opportunity to design for a major advertising company, but turned it down to become a tattoo artist.

Even before tattooing, Kelley would do commissioned portraits. She says her use of graphite in doing portraits transferred well to the specialized world of tattoo shading.

Kelley’s gotten so good at it that she’s currently booked through the fall.

“It came on really quick,” she says. “I’m still trying to get used to it. I’m still trying to figure out how to make the books work.”

Portraits and photorealism tattoos make up about 80 percent of Kelley’s work, but she says never gets tired of doing them.

“I love people and I love their faces,” says Kelley. “I love finding their souls and capturing the things that make them who they are. I never get bored with it. It’s the thing I can’t wait to come in and do each day.”

Story by Peter German
Photo by Chris Cardwell

Steve Argento has a long list of life experiences that would make even Forrest Gump feel unaccomplished.

“I’ve got quite a bit of tags to me,” says Argento. “I’m a disabled vet. I’ve been homeless. I’m a drug addict in recovery. I’ve built a lot, lost a lot and then got diagnosed with prostate cancer.”

Argento’s roller coaster ride began with his stint in the military and culminated with him being diagnosed with stage-three prostate cancer in May 2011. And a lot has gone on in between.

After his service in the military, from 1987 to 1990, Argento worked as a personal trainer, an advisor for Monroe County and even owned his own painting company.

However, in 1994, he found his true calling. That’s when Argento began working for his uncle Ramon Santiago, a famous Rochester artist.

Argento became Santiago’s agent and publisher up until he passed away in 2001. Then, Argento purchased the Ramon Santiago estate to carry on his uncle’s legacy.

Art suited Argento well. He went on to create SC Fine Art and became a rep for more than 20 international artists. However, with success came personal strife in the form of drug addiction.

“I don’t care what anybody says. You cannot recreationally use drugs and operate at 100 percent,” proclaims Argento.

Eventually he got clean, fueled by a desire to make good on the faith his uncle and others put in him. Argento celebrates those people in the form of ink that takes up a good portion of arms.

“It’s a collection of things that represent people in my life who have passed away done by some very talented artists,” says Argento. “Tattoo artists were always artist to me, but now they are getting the credit for it. The human skin is a canvas you cannot throw away.”

While art has helped Argento fight addiction, his battle with cancer has helped him give back. Argento had surgery last August and his cancer remains in remission.

Just a few months after his surgery, in November, Argento opened Ramon Santiago Studio on Atlantic Avenue. Now, virtually everything Argento does goes towards charities like Camp Good Days, ARTWalk Rochester or the Veteran’s Outreach Center.

“I’ve made a decision in my life,” he says. “Based on all of my experiences, the one constant is going to be to give back to the community.”

For more on Argento and his gallery, visit RamonSantiago.com.

Mark Ippolito has a dream for the Rochester comedy scene.

“My goal is to get some of these big name comedians who are able to fill big theaters into our room,” says Ippolito, director of operations at The Comedy Club in Webster. “That way, you’re within talking distance of your favorite comedian.”

Ippolito nearly got his wish last June when comedian Patrice O’Neal stopped by the club for a weekend’s worth of performances.

At that time O’Neal, who Chris Rock and Dane Cook call “one of the best ever,” was on the verge of filling massive arenas. O’Neal was coming off of a standout performance during the Comedy Central Roast of Charlie Sheen.

However, just five months after his appearance in Rochester, O’Neal had a stroke and died.

“He was the most amazing comedian,” says Ippolito. “He destroyed the room when he was here. It was an absolute blessing. Out of all my years being in this industry, that was my favorite weekend.”

That’s certainly saying a lot. Ippolito has been in the comedy business for 17 years and has seen a ton of acts. He got his start working at the box office at Rochester’s Comix Café before working his way up to manager.

When the Comix Café closed and plans began for a new comedy venue, Ippolito was the ideal candidate for the job. When The Comedy Club opened in September 2008 things were tough, but business has picked up.

“This particular year and a half has been the most beneficial,” says Ippolito. “I’ve reached out to all my old contacts at the Comix Café. Comedians who I knew before they were big names now know I have a pretty cool room and are very receptive to coming here.”

Ippolito has lined up comedians like Jim Norton, Tom Green and Andrew Dice Clay in recent months. He recalls a particularly hilarious moment during Green’s set last September when the comedian reacted to a cobweb falling from the rafters.

“He made that Tom Green face everyone knows and just held it,” Ippolito says. “The room wouldn’t stop laughing.”

Such moments have served The Comedy Club well. Business has been booming; something Ippolito hopes will continue.

“My vision has always been the same,” he says. “Keep it simple with a great room and great talent on stage. Keep the drinks and food priced cheap, and everyone comes in and has a good time.”

[Show as slideshow]

A quick look through Gina Marcello’s collection of Instagram photos shows a woman consumed by her dog, boyfriend, card games and food with varying levels of nutritional value: Fruity Pebbles (check), Pringles (check), a green substance that may or may not be Jell-O (check).

So what’s the secret to how she manages to maintain her hour glass figure after all that food?

“I don’t really know because I don’t work out at all,” says the 22-year-old waitress at Murphy’s Law Irish Pub. “Maybe it’s because I am one of the most energetic people I know.”

We recently spent some time with Marcello and after seven super-energetic minutes, we’re a believer.

Do you get hit on a lot at work?
Umm… I’m a lady at a bar. What do you think? It’s actually pretty annoying, but I always appreciate a good compliment.

Is it mostly old creepy men or young obnoxious guys? Any women?
Oh, all three! Guys, girls, girls with boyfriends. Those are the most flattering

What is your favorite social networking site and how do we find you?
I have Twitter (@ginamarcello) and this app called Instagram, which is, unfortunately, just an iPhone thing. I hate Facebook and haven’t had one for a while now.

What do you do for fun?
Drink. Drink. Drink, and, uh, drink! With a whole ton of shopping mixed in there too. I spend A LOT of money. Also, if I’m not working, I’m constantly with my friends and I wouldn’t have that any other way. I have one of the best friends a person could ask for.

What’s your drink of choice?
Jameson! And I indulge anytime there’s a bottle around me!

During your cover shoot we had you pretty bare. What usually wear?
Well let’s just make sure readers know I wasn’t too bare. I had nipple covers on! But other than that I have a trendier little style to me. Obey is my favorite brand of clothing. I wear both men’s and woman’s clothes.  I like to play dress up. That’s what being a girl is all about. You can find me one day in a dress and heels and the next day in an oversized tee with some combat boots on, which is always an awesome outfit.

What kind of music are you in to?
Literally everything but country. I can’t stand that shit.

Who’s your male flavor of the month?
No flavor of the month here. I have an all-time favorite that hasn’t changed and that would be my man Shia Labeouf.

What makes you melt?
When I’m sleeping and my boyfriend reaches his hand down in the middle of the night to hold mine. It makes me heart drop every time.

Have you kissed a girl or two? If so, was it drunk fun or do you enjoy kissing girls?
I’d say it’s mostly drunk fun. Hi mom.

What is your favorite tattoo?
If I could say my whole left arm I would, but since it’s not finished yet I have to say the tiny little heart that’s right under my left collar bone. It means something very special to me for a special someone.

~ story by Victor Gomez
~ photos by Chris Cardwell

Her left wrist showcases a collection of geckos she likes to call her totem, a spiritual emblem that best matches her own free-spirited soul.

“Some people just have connection with certain animals,” says McAuliff. “For some it may be an eagle. For others it’s wolves. For me it’s geckos.”

McAuliff has had at least one gecko as a pet since she was 18. And her love for the nocturnal lizards isn’t the only thing she was into pre-fad.

Yoga has been McAuliff’s discipline of choice for the past 12 years; way before it became a trendy thing to do. She currently teaches yoga three days a week at Prana Yoga in Fairport.

McAuliff’s passion led her to start iRoc Yoga (iRocYoga.com), a website bringing the Rochester yoga community together. McAuliff uses the site, which launched a year ago, to blog about yoga, promote workshops and organize a variety of charity events.

“We have a yoga community here in Rochester that all loves to give back,” says McAuliff. “It’s just in our nature. Everyone does something in their own pocket, but we’ve never come together to do something as a full community.”

Last June, McAuliff helped organize an event that brought yoga enthusiasts together to do 108 sun salutations (it’s a yoga pose) in support of the Bivona Child Advocacy Center. The event raised nearly $2,000 for the center.

iRoc Yoga’s most recent event was a 90-minute yoga improv session on Sunday, April 1 at bush Mango Drum & Dance on Elton Street. The event supported the Mary Cariola Children’s Center.

McAuliff plans to spend the next year growing out iRoc Yoga, assuming she can fit it into her busy schedule. When she’s not doing yoga, McAuliff works full time as a communications specialist for wine company Constellation Brands in Victor.

McAuliff’s role as a young professional by day and free spirit by night is an interesting paradox. Though, she has a nice way of reconciling it.

“I’m too yuppie to be a hippy, but not yuppie enough to be yuppie,” she says with a laugh. “I’m just me.”

~ story by Kaitlin Mesmer
~ photo by Chris Cardwell

Ideabox/IKEA Prefab Home
If you’re like me, you’ve probably thought, “Wow. What would it be like to have my whole house furnished by IKEA?” Well, ask and you shall receive. Oregon-based company Ideabox has come up with the perfect home designed around IKEA furniture. I like to call it a prefab wonderland. There is a bedroom with an attached bathroom, a 745 square-foot living room that leads into an open kitchen, a car port out back and two storage units off the side of the house. Just think of it as your own European-style flat, designed to your liking. And at $86,500, it brings a whole new meaning to the IKEA slogan “Affordable solutions for a better living!”
www.ideabox.us

Nokia Lumia 900
Nokia has taken a very lax approach to the smartphone over the past few years, but they have come out swinging with this next release. The new Nokia Lumia 900 will be launched on AT&T platform and pushing the Windows7 format. It has a 4.3 inch display, LTE capabilities and an 8-megapixel camera bundled in a sleek design. Oh, and it gets better. This phone won’t be $200 (or $150 with a $50 mail-in rebate). Its manageable $99 price tag is perfect for first time smartphone buyers. Good job Nokia, good job.
www.nokia.com

Dr. Martens and Pendleton Boots
Looks like the whole world of fashion has embraced the Native American print this year, so why not long-running boot company Dr. Martens? With the help of Pendleton Woolen Mills, Dr. Martens is bringing you this amazing boot for the fall/winter 2012 seasons. It’s a must have in the DreSays book.
www.drmaretns.com

Chinatown Dreamtruck
This one is for all you taggers out there who have dreamed of hitting a white box truck in the middle of china town. This new toy being put out by the Kidrobot company will allow you to do just that without having to hunt down that rare white truck and risk the consequences of getting caught.
www.kidrobot.com

For more of What Dre likes, visit DreSays.com.

~ by Mike Bernola and Kate Dobbertin

Whether you’re a red-headed Irish lad or just wish you were every March 17, we’d love to help you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a great film.  Here are ten of our favorite Irish and Ireland-inspired movies.  They all go great with corned beef, cabbage, and one-too-many pints of Guinness. 

Warning:  If you watch them all, be prepared to sign up for the Brendan Gleason fan club .  We didn’t plan it, but he’s in 5 of the 10 St. Patrick’s Day movies on this list.

The Boondock Saints
Guns, divine dictates, and lots of whiskey – need I go on?  Irreverent and hilarious, The Boondock Saints is the quintessential St. Patrick’s Day movie.  If you don’t own a copy, just head to the nearest campus — it plays in dorm rooms across the country on March 17.

The Guard
Love Boondock but just a little sick of it?  Try The Guard, a cheeky whodunit set in Galway. I hate to bring English films into this conversation, but if you’re a fan of Snatch or Lock, Stock, and 2 Smoking Barrels, you won’t be disappointed.

Secret of Kells
The beautifully animated Secret of Kells is a magical St. Patrick’s Day movie for kids and adults alike.  The film embodies the conflict between folklore and Christianity — two cornerstones of Irish culture.  Irish history nerds will rejoice, but you don’t need to be one to enjoy this film.

Breakfast on Pluto
Ah, Ireland in the 90s — ripe with terrorism, prejudice, and enough laughs to knock you off your barstool.  Breakfast on Pluto is the perfect black comedy for St. Patrick’s Day.  Cillian Murphy gives the performance of a lifetime as an unstable transgender individual on a search for the mother who abandoned him at birth.

Leprechaun: In the Hood
What St. Patrick’s Day movie list could ignore the worst horror franchise of all time?  If you’re looking to go (awesomely) bad this March 17, skip the (almost) good Leprechaun and the (just plain) awful Leprechaun 2 in favor of 2000′s (awfully) fantastic Leprechaun in the Hood. It’s the pot of gold at the end of a terrible movie franchise.

Gangs of New York
You may think Gangs of New York fits in the mob movie genre — it’s violent and intense, directed by Martin Scorscese, and has “gangs” in the title.  But Gangs departs from Casino and Goodfellas in that it is not about the inner workings of organized crime; it’s about the Irish immigrants’ struggle for acceptance in a city that just wants them back on their boats.

The Departed
Mike hates when Americans equate Boston with being Irish, but there is no denying Martin Scorsese’s Oscar-winner is a legitimate choice for a St. Patrick’s Day film.   And this time, you’re not being deceived; The Departed is a card-carrying mob movie.

The Crush (a short film free on Youtube)
Only have 15 minutes before heading to the pub for St. Patrick’s Day festivities?  Spend it watching this darling story of a young Irish boy who falls madly in love with his school teacher.  It’s one of those Oscar-nominated short movies we’re always raving about.

Whiskey on a Sunday (Flogging Molly documentary)
Note:  You can buy this hard-to-find DVD on Amazon or borrow it from Netflix, not available on streaming. 

Quickly think of your St Patrick’s Day playlist. How many Flogging Molly songs are included? If you’re under twenty-five, you’re doing it wrong.  The documentary Whiskey on Sunday was created from footage of the bands’ tours; you may be familiar with the live album of the same name.

My Left Foot
As St. Patrick’s Day movies go, My Left Foot is an artsier choice.  The film is based on the memoir of Irish artist Christy Brown, whose Cerebral Palsy allowed him to control only one extremity–his left foot.  (Originally, Mike referred to this as “one of Daniel Day Lewis’s great performances,” but Kate thought that statement was a bit redundant.)

War Horse
Just kidding.  War Horse is terrible.