Rather Nice is an indie pop band made up of some rather talented musicians. Joe Johnson leads the pack with vocals and rhythm guitar, supported by lead guitarist extraordinaire Mike Tenreiro, with Nick Reagan holding the beat down on bass, Oliver Littlefield rocking out on drums, and Carlos Fragoso adding sonic texture on trumpet. Together, […]
Kevin Bacon and his brother Michael will be bringing their band, The Bacon Brothers, into the Greenwich Odeum on Friday, July 16. I had the opportunity to speak with Kevin via phone last week in advance of his show. John Fuzek (Motif): We actually played a show together quit a while back. You played in Newport, […]
Okee dokee folks… This bit is going to annoy 14% of you folks. Who are these 14%? Smokers! Because I haven’t been many places in the past year and a half, I haven’t really had to deal with cigarette smoke, but now that things are opening back up I again have to contend with this […]
I spoke to David Lee Black (founder/photographer) and Jamie Lyn Bagley (performer/marketing and collaboration consultant) of the Providence Drum Troupe. The troupe uses drums to bring people together in joyful spirit and to connect in a meaningful way, and when I met them, I felt like I had been introduced to a magical group of […]
Richard’s Rock & Roll Alphabet Like most good and bad ideas, the genesis of the new book Richard’s Rock & Roll Alphabet happened in a bar — Patrick’s Pub to be exact. It was there that Robert Blunt asked renowned photographer Richard McCaffrey if he had photographs of musicians that spanned the entire alphabet Blunt’s […]
Every week, I’ve been doing a deep dive into cultural issues, usually theater-related, that are bothering me or that deserve a second look. But who needs another thinkpiece, right? I host two weekly programs on my theater company’s Faceboook page (Facebook.com/EpicTheatreCo) where I ask guests what has been keeping them creatively engaged or excited, and […]
Alex Mazzuchelli, aka Taki Brano, is one of my favorite Rhode Islanders. Born, bred and raised in Providence, he’s a true Rhode Islander who has chased his dreams of being a musician, a mixing engineer and a sound engineer. “I always loved music. I started piano lessons at 7 or 8, and I was kind […]
After the successful release of his debut alt-pop EP John last fall (with his first single “Rumors” at almost 30k streams), John Phelps is back at it — this time, with a cinematic concept video for one of his catchiest R&B-inspired songs. “The Frame” explores the aftermath of a long-term relationship, depicting what happens when […]
There hasn’t been a whole lot to report on over the past few months in regards to the Rhode Island jazz scene, but all that is changing. Here is a quick list of few confirmed dates of gigs happening around town. The fantastic local singer Tish Adams has a couple concerts lined up — with […]
I write this as I’m about to head off to a concert, hopefully the first of many this summer, and it finally feels like the pandemic cloud is lifting. This month, I take a look at two compelling takes on modern folk. Will Orchard — I Reached My Hand Out It’s been over three years […]