The founder of the long-standing hipster-ish West Side restaurant Julians hadn’t been involved directly with the restaurant in quite some time. But his legacy persisted. A larger-than-life personality, you never knew at what event Julian...
By Olivia Lunger By Lillian MK Photography ...
Favorite Color Tattoo Evan Olin, Powerline Tattoo Runner-up: Luis Bold, Unicorn Ink Favorite Black & Gray Ryan Dowden, Dark Ritual Runner-up: Luis Bold, Unicorn Ink Favorite Black & Gray with Color Steven McDonough, Secret Safe Tattoo Runner-up: Rachel WS, Rachel WS Fine Art...
By Lillian MK Photography By Olivia Lunger ...
Photo by Lillian MK Photography. Favorite Free Verse Spoken Word Ashley HosaRunner-up: Jeff Daniellian Favorite Social Justice Spoken Word Erik AndradeRunner-up: Mx Asher Favorite Youth Poet Angel CruzRunner-up: (by one vote) Josselyn Wolf Favorite Poetry Event Apothica's Monthly Poetry NightRunner-up: Afroverse Favorite...
Congratulations, you survived the record-breaking Blizzard of 2026. With the anticipated arrival of clear skies and warm temps, how will you be spending your well-earned, much-needed downtime this summer? If you’re adventurous, you could explore some of...
Artwork by Bob Eggleton. Godzilla has been a cinematic icon for over 70 years. However, there are important themes around the monster that have gotten lost with international audiences. There is no gigantic monster that has had...
Tie-dye by Spun Laundry. BEACHES Atlantic Beach Park: Family beach, amusements, kiddy rides, snack bars, antique 1915 carousel, batting cages, bumper boats, go-carts, mini golf, game room, waterslides, gift shop, beachware and an ocean-view cocktail lounge. 321...
Photos by Lillian Karboski. Every time you listen to a song, there is always something more than the words or catchy melody. On Friday, May 1, right in the heart of downtown Providence, an extraordinary group...
Okee dokee folks… Rising costs of everything is what’s on my mind this month. It really should be on everyone’s mind. The main things I will talk about here are gasoline and concert tickets. One...
Photo: Christopher Mongeau. Ravi Shavi, a band that has been around since 2011 and started as a moniker for Rafay Rashid’s music project, has evolved and become more rooted in its creative approach and performance, as...
“Can I go to X?” is the question 2 Feet 2 Bucks has answered with “Yes” dozens of times, where X = place worth going out of your way to, to take a walk, short...
We sat down a few months ago with one of the organizers of RI’s Deportation Defense Line. The Defense Line’s origins are organic and multifaceted. No one person is in charge of it. No one...
Artist of the Year: Favorite Song: Favorite Music Video: NOVA ONE; "chlorine" by NOVA ONE; "chlorine" - NOVA ONE (Dir. Frankie Ferrari) nova one: “nova won!” Providence’s own nova one won (!!) four 2026 Motif Music Awards: “artist...
Photo by Matthew Murphy. The North American tour of Disney’s The Lion King last played the Providence Performing Arts Center in 2017. After nearly ten years, The Lion King is back astounding Providence for a limited...
“Judge not, that ye be not judged” (Matthew 7:1). This is the core theme behind William Shakespeare's darkest comedy, Measure for Measure, one of Shakespeare’s most exciting, underperformed and underappreciated plays, currently presented by Burbage...
Smithfield, RI: A town known for its forests, trails, ponds, and well, wealth. An unlikely location for a potential AI-Data Center, one may think. Yet, this rural community, despite data center construction being illegal under...
This is the story of visiting Providence’s newest Rotisserie and Bistro, Thermia, and being so intrigued by its menu and feeling so welcomed by the staff, that I went twice in one week! To give...
Check out extensive listings for every show we could find this season. But some are bigger or just fundamentally represent summer in our eclectic, hyperactive, tiny-yet-overachieving state. Here’s a selection of special events to keep...
“Industry wants us to believe the sky will fall if there’s reform," said Council President Rachel Miller. "But for working families, the sky is already falling..." Council President Rachel Miller (Ward 13) “In front of you is...
The eggplant piece featured on the cover of Motif is the first completed work in Chenlu Hou’s Garden series, making it a perfect fit for this issue’s theme of Summer. A low-fire terracotta sculpture, airbrushed and...
[See prior update: motifri.com/iran-war-update-01] The Iran war cannot continue as it is for much longer, and this is a result of simple math. Time is running out for energy and food supply US Consumer Price Index for All...
Voting is now closed -- Join us to see who was selected Wednesday, May 276 – 10pmMyrtle, East Providence Join us for the 4th annual Motif Spoken Awards! We are excited to be returning to Myrtle to celebrate RI’s spoken word...
Ann Morrison and Marcus Phillips in the National Tour of KIMBERLY AKIMBO. Photo by Joan Marcus KIMBERLY AKIMBO is a musical with a lot of heart, a lot of wit, and a lot of rave reviews...
Processed with VSCO with 6 preset When Steve DelMonico (vocals/guitar) approached John Faraone (drums) with an impossibly unique band name, there was no way of knowing that 10 years later they’d be sitting at Nolan’s with...
Photo: Dave Rezendes. John Faraone: a man of many bands, many instruments, and one poetic voice. While John wouldn’t call himself a poet, I certainly believe that his lyrics are simply stanzas waiting to be printed....
Photo by James Brooks. Okee dokee folks… I have referenced the Jethro Tull song, “Too Old to Rock & Roll, Too Young to Die,” A few times in my 22 years of writing for Motif, and...
(Photo credit: Keith J.G. McCurdy, from the cover art of Vudu Sister’s Adynata; photograph of the art installation LO SGUARDO - Humanitas - Physis by sculptor Igor Mitoraj at the Neopolis Archaeological Park of Siracusa...
Mount Pleasant. Elmhurst. The Valley Arts District. These are all neighborhoods whose offerings I thought I knew well, having worked in and around Providence over the last few years. But you can certainly miss a...
Buddy Mott. Once upon a time, if you wanted a tattoo, one of the things you could do was traipse to Newport from any of the four corners of the world and get yourself a tattoo...
It’s been far too long since I checked in with Proclamation, our wonderful brewers in Warwick who brought us this past year’s Rhode Island Comic Con official brew. I regret that I have significantly fewer opportunities to immerse myself into the great wide beer world than I used to, but that just means I have […]
This month, we bring you Let’s Die, a new album from Providence outfit Snowplows. The band was formed in 2012 and is made up of former members of doom noise outfit Mast and mainstay indie rockers The Brother Kite. The often eclectic sound is born out of an arrangement in which there is no frontman, […]
As we noted a coupla issue ago, the folks at Narragansett Beer are looking into launching a multi-purpose attraction – a brewpub/taproom with other beery elements – in the building (owned by Brown University) next to the Hilton Garden Inn near India Point Park in Providence. A hearing for a special use permit was held on May […]
Providence Roller Derby has been skating strong this season with their travel teams, the Rhode Island Riveters and the Killah Bees. After winning two of their three games at the Siege of Central New York, the Riveters were coming in hot to the Thayer Arena in Warwick on April 27. In a double header against Connecticut’s All […]
I had the chance to talk with Korey Pimental and Taylor Corbett ahead of their opening of The Glass Horse Project’s The Shape of Things. Our conversation follows. Marilyn Busch (Motif): Talk to me about your group — The Glass Horse Project. How did that come about and who else is in this group with […]
On the afternoon of March 15, 1999, Northern Irish lawyer Rosemary Nelson reversed her silver BMW out of the driveway alongside the house where she lived with her husband and three children and headed toward Belfast. She did not get far. Moments later, Nelson braked at the foot of the hill on which her home […]
Weenie Wizard is a PVD-based artisanal hot dog stand that offers a constantly shifting array of meat, veggie and carrot dogs with highly original and creative toppings. Created by Michele Fryer and Luke Tabor, aka the Fantastical Food Group, The Meat MAGICIANS, as they are known, have expanded from their speakeasy-esque DIY origins in 2014 to being […]
THU 16 Leah Popovic/ Annafaith Jorgensen/ Luca Simeone: Concert featuring three Wakefield up-and-coming singer-songwriters. 7pm. Pump House Music Works, 1464 Kingstown Rd, Wakefield. fb.com/pumphousemusicworks Chuck and Brad Podcast Live: Celebrating their 400th show. That’s a lot of podcasts! 8pm. Comedy Connection, 39 Warren Ave, East Providence. ricomedyconnection.com THU 16 – SUN 19 SENE Film Festival: […]
“Our goal from the beginning has been to create a space for performing artists to create art that they truly care for and to tell stories about who we all are. We never intended to have a specific mission other than that.” CPTC’s Artistic Director, Ted Clement As theater companies in Rhode Island come […]
One would think that after the appalled responses that Cranston received some months ago, the rest of the school districts would learn: Stop singling out kids for what they can’t control. The Warwick School Department recently rolled out a new rule stating that any student with a lunch account that has yet to be paid […]
