Members of Meridian with their trophy at the Motif Battle of the Bands, May 2023. (Photo: Eric Barao) Providence-based Meridian was recently crowned the winner of Motif’s first-ever Battle of the Bands. Singer-songwriter Christiana (Chris) Guglietti reported the experience as, “Humbling and sweet and then we were very shocked – we actually won! I was […]
For nearly twenty years, Deer Tick has been a staple of Rhode Island’s music community. Arguably the most popular band that’s come out of the state in decades, their sustained success has never faltered. That being said, the unforeseen speed bump known as COVID made this vehicle buckle a little. It’s been six years since […]
“Without death, there is no life. It’s simply the cycle of our existence. Make the most of the time we have and remember to pay tribute to those who lived with us and before us. Peace and health to you all, embrace life because it can be over in the blink of an eye.” –Don Culp […]
Okee dokee folks… Well, it’s officially summer – my least favorite season of the year. It is my annual obligation to say that. People always find it hard to believe. I like the other three seasons! Fortunately I am not alone in my disdain for this time of year. There are pockets of us all […]
Welcome back to Stop, Rock, and Roll! After a month off, during which time I graduated college and moved back home, I am back and ready to chronicle new local releases, and what a lot of them we had! Here are five songs you should listen to: Vertigo – “B_1” Vertigo have been working consistently […]
Muddy Ruckus – Vacationland Mucky Ruckus is a duo composed of Ryan Flaherty on guitar and Erika Stahl on drums from Portland, Maine. I always kind of liked them live but their recordings were never my bag. It was like we’re doing this roots thing but we also want to rock too. It ended up […]
A few months ago, I sat in the dark Columbus Theater listening to Convinced Friend while thinking about a conversation Austin Wilson and I had had about his record and journey to Providence. We explored the convergence of seemingly unrelated topics: New Orleans, North Carolina, mental health, divinity school, and Quakerism. It seemed fitting to […]
Okee dokee folks… On June 11, the Providence Performing Arts Center hosted a stop of the John Mellencamp Live and In Person 2023 tour. I first saw John COUGAR about 44 years ago as an opening act for Heart. Back then I was not impressed and didn’t care much for the pompous performance of this […]
If you’ve never seen Stefan Couture perform live, then June 10 at Chan’s in Woonsocket is the night to do it. Couture was nominated as one of the best singer/songwriters in Motif’s 2022 poll, and his newest collection, A Brief and Binding Light, clearly shows why. The album will drop on all streaming platforms on […]
Okee dokee folks…Last night, May 30, the majestic Boch/Wang Center welcomed the Finn fellas from New Zealand, Crowded House, for the final night of their US tour. Anticipation filled the room as folks waited for the first notes of this rescheduled show. About this, Neil Finn commented later in the evening, “Thanks for waiting for […]