Steadfast Heartbreak: A Conversation with MorganEve Swain of The Huntress and Holder of Hands
Babylon cover art; band photo; image credits: The Huntress and Holder of Hands At a recent record-release concert in Providence, Rhode Island, MorganEve Swain teased a nearly full house that her band The Huntress and Holder...
THE GREAT GATSBY BRINGS JAZZ AGE GLAMOUR TO PROVIDENCE NEXT WEEK
Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade. The party doesn't have to end after Halloween weekend. Keep the festivities going with a trip back to the Roaring Twenties when the North American tour of The Great Gatsby...
Where the Two Oceans Meet: Synergy Brings Art and Science Together at URI
Artwork: AMOC by Ewa Romaszewicz in collaboration with Ambarish Karmalkar, PhD. For many of us, our most common run-ins with the scientific disciplines happen in two places: the classroom or a news headline. I think it’s...
Screech: Platforming the Arts
What does it feel like to be in a room beaming with creative thinkers and artists? What does it look like when a group of motivational, dedicated, hard-working artists comes together? What creative forces can...
Grounds for Celebration: A conversation with Rik Kleinfeldt of New Harvest Coffee Roasters
(New Harvest “It’s Party Time” poster; poster design: Britta Gustafson / New Harvest; photo credit: Sean Carlson) Photos by Ampersand Creative Co. From one former industrial site to another, New Harvest Coffee Roasters has expanded from humble...
Learn How To Homebrew: The Rhode Island Brewing Society
L-R: President Patrick Canary and Secretary Chris Meringolo. Photo by Scott Barnett. Have you ever wanted to homebrew? Yes? I have great news! The RI Brewing Society is holding a “Learn to Homebrew Day.” The American...
Space Cowboy Newt is Turning Heartbreak Into Harp-Pop
When I sat down on a comfy couch at Big Nice Studio in Carrington, RI, for an interview with Space Cowboy Newt, one of the first things they told me was that they’re a rambler....
Proving Day 2026!: Recording Studio Celebrates Talent and Builds Connection
A new chapter for digital recording studio, The Proving Ground, has begun and owner and producer, Dylan Titus, is ready to celebrate two-and-a-half years of operation by putting together an event showcasing artists who have...
Roots Report
Okee dokee folks… Soon we should know whether this country is going to completely fall into fascism, erupt into civil war, or maintain democracy, as it should. A few weeks ago, Tom Morello presented the Power...
Rhode Island Haunts
Swan Point Cemetery. Some of the eeriest places in RI are ready for you to check out, if you dare. As the first crisp, damp breaths of autumn begin to catch at the lungs and the trees...
Open & Closed
Open: Rollers: A new sports bar has arrived in Providence as of June 12. Rollers hosts watch parties, serves a variety of diner-style food and drinks, and offers both private and semi-private party events. The spot...
What else is on the Ballot?: On November 3, Rhode Islanders will have the chance to vote on five bond measures. Here’s a quick guide.
1. Higher Education Facilities Bond Measure -- $275 million This bond would use $165 million to create an integrated health building at the URI campus, open to the public, which would also be used for labs...
ON THE COVER: Mishki Thompson
For cover artist Mishki Thompson of Hopkinton, love helped her conquer a disability and embark on a journey of learning and practicing the art of beadworking, and passing on her Indigenous traditions to the next...
Simsalabim Sabrina: How a ’90s US-sitcom Totally Bewitched Kids in Germany & Austria
It’s 2003, Thursday afternoon, in a quiet little town called Eberndorf, in the deep south of Austria, surrounded by fields, trees, and medieval churches; 10-year-old me is in my parents’ living room, glued to the...
Smuggling in Social Commentary: One actor takes on 12 characters and issues of immigration
Photo by Cat Laine. The logistics, physical, and emotional demands of the production are mind-boggling – one actor spending 80 minutes morphing among 12 characters with unique accents and mannerisms while delivering lines almost non-stop and,...
SAME DIFFERENCE: Finding Survival-Driven Solidarity In A Fractured Society
Henry Nwaru in SAME DIFFERENCE at Wilbury Theatre Group. Photo by Erin X. Smithers. It’s 1993 in Providence. A gang leader from Harlem lands at his ex-girlfriend's apartment in the middle of the night — wounded,...
An All-New, Reimagined “The Bodyguard the Musical” Returns to PPAC October 23 – 25, 2026
A reimagined production of the international, award-winning musical The Bodyguard will arrive at the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC), October 23 – 25, 2026, as part of the Theatre’s 2026/2027 *Encore Series. Based on the 1992...
Bands Battle Fiercely in Great Weather
All photos by Lillian MK Photo. RI Battle of the Bands had a smooth run this year, every performance dodging the monsoons that have plagued past iterations. The year started out with 16 highly accomplished, but...
Roots Report
Okee dokee folks… I mentioned this in my column a few months ago and now it is coming close to being (IS) a major issue. GASOLINE. Before the mango moron started his war of distraction...
WITCHES BREW AND SPOOKY BEERS
We all know that women were the first to make beer, right? It was discovered by accident when grains were used to make other foods digestible. Dried grain was stored and used to make bread....
Haunted Attractions Map
Haunted Attractions 1. Factory of Terror Terror experience for all ages, including a variety of imaginative themes and thorough design. 120 Pearl Street, Fall River, MA 774-415-0153 factoryofterror.com 2. Scary Acres Fall festivities with the main attraction - a three-part terror experience...
ON THE COVER: Nilton Cárdenas
Cover artist Nilton Cárdenas of Cranston refuses to stand still. “I am constantly moving, and creating art,” he says in an interview at Sharks Peruvian Cuisine on Broad Street in Central Falls. And when he’s not...
Magda León: An Immigrant Woman Full of Fire
Photos by the author. Magda León is more than a multidisciplinary artist; she is an immigrant woman who uses art to explore her identity, her roots, and her connection to community. When I asked her how...
The Art of Giving Back: Nilton Cárdenas Is Creating More Than Art
Photo by Scott Lapham. For the Rhode Island artist, educator and muralist, creativity has become a way to open doors, strengthen community and help others discover possibilities within themselves. For Nilton Cárdenas, giving back does not begin...
OUR HERITAGE. OUR FUTURE.: Guest Editor's Letter
Every Hispanic Heritage Month, we are given an opportunity to look back.We celebrate the pioneers who came before us, the traditions they preserved, the institutions they built, and the sacrifices they made so generations that...
WONDER OF THE WORLD: More Than One Wrong Way To Take The Plunge!
Photo by Dave Cantelli. Ever rummaged through your spouse’s sweater drawer expecting to find argyles, yet instead stumbling across a secret fetish so utterly demented that it immediately sent you bolting toward a new life? Deftly...
Getaway: Drives too slowly, but gets you there
Rachael Warren as Clare. Photo by Mark Turek. If there is such a thing as too much of a good thing, The Getaway Driver at Trinity Repertory Company is it. The world premiere of the two-person play...
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING: Or Maybe Malicious Melancholy, Masked Revelry And Tongue Fencing
Photo by Jesse Dufault. Hark, spectators of the realm! If thy soul doth hunger for a "reverent irreverence" turning a 77-seat black box into a roaring arena of wretched romance, get thee to the Burbage Theatre...
Rudy Cheeks — Passing of a True RI Icon: A personal perspective and remembrance
RI Music Hall of Fame plaque honoring Rudy Cheeks/The Fabulous Motels/The Young Adults. (Photo: Michael Bilow) Much has already been written on the passing Sep 18 at age 76 of Bruce McCrae, who used the stage name...
Grinding On: Changing gears on the espresso machine at Crook Point Brewing Company
Crook Point Brewing Company, 65 Massasoit Ave., East Providence; photo credit: Sean Carlson Over the past year, The Grind has gleamed as one of Rhode Island’s coffee gems. Set up at Crook Point Brewing Company (65...
Stuff to Do
Letter to the Editor: RI’s Infant Mortality Rate
Pregnant Lashonda Hazard walked into Women & Infants on Sunday [1/6/19] because she had excruciating abdominal pain; in her own words, “I am dying.” Acute abdominal pain can sometimes be a symptom of severe and deadly preeclampsia. She said they checked her baby and sent her home. She was very angry that they did not […]
Five Fun Things To Do: Jan 16 – 22
FRI 18 Professor Roots: Reggae, celebrating their 4th anniversary. 6:30 – 9:30pm. The Parlour, 1119 N Main St, PVD. theparlourri.com SAT 19 Rally against Trump and Trump TV: The “Stop Sinclair Broadcast Group — Turn Off 10” grass roots protest will fly flags at the Warwick Mall, at the Greenwich Ave entrance. BYOS (sign) to […]
Mental Health Parity: Local organizations help patients bear the burden of enforcing the law
Since 2008, federal law has required “parity” for most health insurance coverage of mental illness (including substance abuse) on the same terms as physical illness, and many states including Rhode Island impose additional requirements on nearly all health insurance coverage even in cases that would be exempt from federal rules. The Affordable Care Act of […]
Not Only the Good Die Young
Life expectancy is not supposed to decline in wealthy First World countries. As I wrote two years ago reporting that 2015 saw the first decrease since 1993 at the height of the AIDS epidemic (“American Life Expectancy Unexpectedly Declines”, Jan 11, 2017), “Life expectancy is a measurement that summarizes almost everything about quality of life […]
The Great Escape: Little Rhody leads the charge toward helping inmates kick the habit
RI is a small state known for its circuitous politics, but there is proof that when push comes to shove, we can come together and make aggressive changes for all the right reasons. RI is the first state in the nation to put adult prisoners who abuse opiates (ie, have an Opiate Use Disorder (OUD)) […]
Happy New Beer! 2019 brings new places and faces
The new year has ushered in some “new” places to get your beer on. Let’s start with the evolution taking place at Revival Brewing Company. On New Year’s Day, Sean Larkin and his hearty crew took over the upstairs space at 505 Atwood Ave in Cranston that was formerly Brutopia. Revival PR guru Mat Medeiros […]
The Roots Report: Beating a Deaf Horse: Protect those gorgeous lugholes, music lovers!
Okee dokee folks… Sometimes I feel like I am beating a dead horse, err, DEAF horse, when I talk about hearing protection, but it is something that I feel the need to constantly reiterate. A couple of years ago I wrote a column about hearing protection for our health issue (motifri.com/hearingprotection), and as we publish […]
Keep on Movin’: New Year, New You: Resolve to end your music dry spell this year
I’m already toward the end of my annual “go though an exercise routine for two weeks and pretty much give up” cycle. Enough with having a “dry January;” instead of giving up substances, food or a sedentary lifestyles, why not focus on ending your music dry spell and go experience some quality local tunes? Fine. – […]
Got Beer? Flight to Apponaug: RI’s newest brewpub feels like a brewery in all the right ways
It took me far too long to visit one of the RI’s newest and coolest breweries. Apponaug Brewing is a brewpub in a renovated mill building within spitting distance of the Nylo in Warwick. Unlike most brewpubs that look like a restaurant and serve beer brewed on the premises, Apponaug looks like a brewery, smells […]