Here is a list of my favorite/the best protest/sociopolitical songs. It is important that this kind of music is written and heard. Some songs are in your face while some are more subtle. Either way, hear the messages! “Won’t Get Fooled Again” – The Who “Volunteers” – Jefferson Airplane “I Ain’t Marching Anymore” – Phil […]
Okee dokee folks… The Providence Performing Arts Center was bustling on a Tuesday night for the opening night of School of Rock in Providence. All ages filled the PPAC auditorium and even though it was a (regular) school night, junior theater-goers were strongly represented. Many of you may have seen or are familiar with the […]
This issue, the column takes a decidedly bleaker turn (in a good way), as we make our first foray into metal. Maybe you’re lukewarm on the genre. Perhaps it’s the screaming vocals, heavy guitars, and Satan worshiping that scare you away, not to mention those indecipherable band logos. But there are some very accomplished bands here […]
Okee dokee folks… Lately one of my cats has decided that sitting on my lap while I am at the computer is his new thing to do. This makes working on the computer quite difficult, but it makes scratching his head quite easy. When I had dogs they would just lie next to the desk […]
Ed Foster is in short supply these days. If he’s not making music, he’s making lattes that belong in a museum. The attention to detail of one art form is mirrored by the other, and it shows: Ed’s got a solo show at the Columbus on March 29 to celebrate his full-length album release this […]
Tim O’Keefe is an internationally acclaimed producer, composer, performer and DJ, whose work has been featured in films such as the James-Franco directed As I Lay Dying and The Sound of Fury. He also is known for his band Daddy and many other recording and performance outlets. During the month of March, O’Keefe will set […]
It is high time for us to come out of hibernation and take in some classical music, and this spring’s thaw has some excellent choices in store. Our hometown group the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra has several interesting shows coming up. On March 9, they perform live music to the film Star Wars: A New Hope at […]
You wouldn’t think there were many teenagers living in Pawtucket in the late 1960s who were heavily into John Coltrane, Thelonius Monk and Bob Dylan. But then again, Rudy Cheeks (nee Bruce McCrae) has always danced to his own drummer — and quite successfully — which is why he is receiving Motif’s Impact Award for his lifetime […]
Okee dokee folks… I find myself often starting sentences with the phrase, “When I was young.” Just one of the realities of aging, I guess. Anyway, when I was young, when we wanted to start a band we would just ask schoolmates who played the instruments we wanted to have in the group, we met up […]
In the RI jazz community, connections run deep, so with a loss comes profound sorrow. Recently, the jazz community lost one of its most cherished souls, Debra Mann, and the outpouring of both grief and love toward her from across the state has been inspiring to see. Debra Mann graduated from Berklee College of Music in […]