First hour: 2023 local music recap
Second hour: What makes a "great" dive bar?
The year is almost behind us, so we at WXXI and CITY Magazine thought we’d take a look back at the music we loved. 2023 gave us new music from popular Rochester singer-songwriters with national profiles – Danielle Ponder and Mikaela Davis. We also got EPs from relative newcomers to the scene – the folk band, Wovenhome, and indie lo-fi act, Georgie. This hour, guest host Daniel J. Kushner and a panel of in-house music experts talk about CITY’s year-in-review music recap, and we listen to selections from the playlist, which features 12 tracks that stuck with us — from hip-hop and indie rock to jazz and Afrofuturist soul. Our guests:
- Mona Seghatoleslami, music director and host of WXXI Classical 91.5 FM
- Jacob Walsh, art director for CITY Magazine
- Ryan Yarmel, music director and host of WXXI FM 88.5’s “The Route”
Then, in our second hour — what makes a "great" dive bar? Cheap drinks? A good pool table? Free popcorn? Someone crying by the jukebox? Can a dive bar be created on purpose, or does it slowly happen over time? And, of course — where are Rochester's most standout divey spots? CITY Magazine editor-in-chief Leah Stacy leads a panel about the local dive bar scene with a handful of folks from the industry. Our guests:
- Karrie Laughton, owner of Lux Lounge
- Nick Lemesis, sommelier for Living Roots
- Fred McCoy, co-owner of the new Bar Bad Ending (formerly the Rosen Krown)
- Bryan Muller, owner of Joey's
- Dan Herzog, management at the new Jack's Extra Fancy (formerly Jack Ryan's)
