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...
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...
The actual declaration of Independence was first proclaimed to the people of Newport from this building in July 1776. (Photo by Maureen O'Gorman) It doesn't take long for a person new to Rhode Island to find...
The RI Department of Transportation (RIDOT) announced a major initiative to repair potholes caused by a harsh winter. A new Pothole Service Requests Dashboard site on the web – https://www.dot.ri.gov/travel/potholes.php – allows the public to...
The tattoo artist who goes by Mish, of Fall River, MA, created this month’s cover. “I got the nickname when I was younger, and it just kinda stuck,” she says. Also, it stirs a little...
On the “Weekend Update” satirical news segment on Saturday Night Live. anchor Colin Jost displayed a snapshot of an unhinged rant laced with profanity in the form of a Donald Trump post to Truth Social,...
VOTING OPEN NOW! VOTE HERE 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 community. The live celebration,...
VOTE HERE! "May your tattoo ink never run dry," as the ancient Portlandian blessing goes, has rarely been more applicable. Motif is proud to partner again with Narragansett Brewery to bring you the RI Tattoo Awards,...
Okee dokee folks… Summer is officially here, my least favorite time of the year. Look, Mom, I made a rhyme! It’s the heat and humidity. If it didn’t get so stupidly hot then I might like summer. Climate change is really taking hold on the planet and you can deny it all you want but […]
From clam shacks to high-end restaurants, the lobster roll has become a quintessential item on the menu in RI. In early 20th century New England, fishing folk put lobster meat into buns for convenient meals. A hot buttered lobster roll made its debut at Perry’s Restaurant in Connecticut in 1929. In a decade, a cold […]
The Amazing Royal Crowns @ Nick-A-Nees June 13 Local legends The Amazing Royal Crown triumphantly returned, fittingly on Friday the 13th, for a secret show at Nick-A-Nees in Providence. This was the Crowns first time playing out since 2017, and served as a warm up for their gig at The Sinclair in Cambridge June 20. […]
Let’s be honest — eating lobster isn’t exactly neat and tidy, but that’s half the fun. It’s a hands-on, buttery indulgence that’s as much about the process as it is the flavor. Whether you’re digging in at a beachside shack or bringing the boil to your own backyard, here’s how to tackle a lobster the […]
The Alliance to Mobilize Our Resistance (AMOR) is a grassroots community support network that advocates to make individuals safer in the community where they live. Six organizations banded together quickly after the first Trump administration took over, sensing changes that would soon put people in danger. Their aim is to fight back against detention, deportation, […]
I run early, up hills like San Francisco’s cousin—or stepsister. Not blood-related, but the grime clings the same. Shopping carts gather behind the house, where the snowdrops just emerged, buttercups not far behind. And I run past a coffee shop just opened, selling Jerusalem bagels, and the stones that lead from the playground into the […]
When cover artist Esther Helas of Providence was in high school, her biology teacher caught her drawing in class. One day the teacher, Edwin Yoo, handed her a sketchbook and said, “Do it here,” the digital illustrator recalls. “That changed my life,” Helas says. She became serious about art and, after taking a figure drawing […]
I have found myself tasked with the impossible: find the capital-B, Best calamari in Rhode Island. I’ve definitely had good calamari. I’ve undoubtedly had bad calamari, but have I had the best? Is there such a thing? In late June of 2014 a decree was made: Calamari was named the official fuel of Rhode Islanders […]
There’s something undeniably satisfying about building a meal around truly fresh seafood, the kind that’s handled with care and meant to be the star of the plate. When I’m planning a crudo spread or looking for something unique to throw on the grill, I head to Fearless Fish Market on Hope Street in Providence. Tucked […]
The high-energy, thunderous sounds of the John Allmark Orchestra have a new home at Alchemy in Providence’s Jewelry District. The Orchestra is keeping alive a classic jazz tradition which originated at Bovi’s, an iconic club in East Providence, until it closed its doors ten years ago. Duke Ellington, one of the legendary big band leaders […]
