Okee dokee folks … Before I do anything, I want to send a shout-out and a BIG THANK YOU to all who attended, performed at – and helped run the Rhode Island Folk Festival this year. I will just name a few here – Beth Barron, Allysen Callery, Anthony Loffredio, Jen Long, Dave Carney, Jaimie […]
Okee dokee folks … Music venues seem to be an ever changing landscape in Rhode Island. They come and they go. Some open with big promises of support and shows, but just crash and burn on the runway. Others surprisingly flourish like a weed through the cracks of a sidewalk. Around here, it’s very hard […]
Okee dokee folks… I am a Boomer. When I was young, I was taught the proper response to “thank you,” was “you’re welcome.” I always try to be as polite as possible. I seem to be constantly saying thank you, especially for gigs. Lately, there has been an odd shift in the response to the […]
Okee dokee folks… It’s Only Life After All. I may be a little late to the game with this one, but the documentary It’s Only Life After All has just arrived on Netflix. It’s Only Life After All is a documentary about Indigo Girls. In the late ’80s, their music popped onto the radio, and […]
Okee dokee folks… Many years ago, ok, many, many years ago we at Motif were asked to compile a playlist of songs about summer. The reason for the manys is because I have been writing for Motif for twenty years and it was in one of my earliest columns that I did this. In that […]
Okee dokee folks…’tis the season once again. The season of heat and oppressive humidity. I know that most of you folks out there like it, but not me. The only thing that makes summer even remotely tolerable is music. These days, music is the drug of choice that makes just about everything bearable! Now it’s […]
Okee dokee folks… The other night, on a long drive back from a gig ,my mind wandered. I was thinking about editing podcasts and the fact that I have to listen to myself talk, a lot. I tend to analyze the way I speak and don’t always like it. I used to try to not […]
Okee dokee folks… We are coming up on summer, which is festival season. Folks love festivals. But did you all know that festivals usually operate with a large volunteer staff? While some folks are paid — performers, producers, etc. — most of the day-of-show help is volunteer. Why is it this way? Because if festivals […]
Okee dokee folks… Last issue’s column was about the performers; this time it’s the audience. The other day I read an article about John Mellencamp “going off” on fans for screaming and yelling during a time that was allotted for him to perform quiet, solo, acoustic songs and tell stories. Instead, some drunk, stupid folks […]
Okee dokee folks… Today I was thinking about substance abuse in the music community. I know that big rock stars have always been famous for getting on stage smashed but that is so passé. A lot of folks may never admit to having a problem with substance abuse or even want to discuss it. When […]