Rachael Warren as Diana. Photo by Mark Turek. The Next to Normal audience is exposed to waves of raw emotions drowning your soul and dampening your eyes. You may wish you had premedicated with any of...
Blaq Sav. Photos by Lillian MK Photography. Favorite Free Verse Spoken Word 2026 Ashley Hosa Sending out a big congrats to Ashley Hosa, who came to the Spoken Awards with a multitude of wonderful supporters (shoutout to Ryan!)....
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...
Renowned supporter of local music and arts Lisa Gourley (Sometimes Lisa Gourleyx) passed away on June 15. Reading reactions on social media, you can’t help but notice how often the words “nice,” “kind,” and “photography”...
This beautiful Solstice moment, June 21, 2026 brings the winds of change into our lives. The pivotal points among the planetary movers and shakers of the Zodiac find Gemini, with Uranus and Ceres, reaching across...
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....
Australia has always had interesting music coming out of it. The country/continent has a very strong garage rock scene along with peculiar pop artists and they still worship ‘90s post-grunge act Silverchair like they’re The Beatles. With all of this going on, a new act is rising up from down under and it’s Alice Ivy. […]
Peabody, MA, singer-songwriter Ryan Montbleau has a knack for leaving a lasting impression through melody. The way his lyrics bounce off the chords and strums is astounding and guarantees a wonderful listening experience. His stellar talent has catapulted him to the upper echelon of New England musical acts, and it looks like he’ll be staying […]
During this era of music, it’s easy to disregard innovation. Some people think that every possible style has already been conceived so there’s no chance of discovering something new. Through the nonsense, a band comes along to push the envelope while making sounds that leave the ears in awe. Philadelphia math pop quartet Palm is […]
If history books are anything to go by, movements are defined by the people who lead them. But no movement could move anywhere without its foot soldiers, who fuel the fire. The journey to the mountaintop begins first on the front porch, where communities gather for conversation and pea shelling. It is from their front […]
I’ve been both anticipating and dreading the arrival of this book. I was a huge fan of the first two books in The Merrow Trilogy (Waking the Merrow and Hunting the Merrow), and couldn’t wait to read how the story was going to end. On the flipside, I was coming to grips with the fact that […]
With the sheer number of other horrifying diseases plaguing mankind, most of us have come to think of the flu as just another inconvenience – a few days off from work, a box or two of Kleenex, and some over-the-counter remedies from the drugstore. We’ve forgotten the flu pandemic of 1918-1919 that killed somewhere between […]
FRI 9 – SUN 11 Northeast International Auto Show: New cars, trucks and SUVs will fill the RI Convention Center for the 2018 Northeast International Auto Show. Fri: 12pm – 10pm, Sat: 10am – 10pm, Sun 10 – 6pm. 1 Sabin St, PVD. providenceautoshow.com SAT 10 Cajun & Zydeco Mardi Gras Ball 2018: At this […]
Brown University’s annual Writing is Live festival will be held February 5 through the 11. The event allows playwrights to showcase their unfinished work for audiences. “Each performance day has a different reading or workshop of a new play from one of the playwrights in our MFA playwriting program,” said Brianne Shaw, marketing and box […]
The “outrageous cosmic comedy,” American Strippers, by Rhode Island’s own Kevin Broccoli, received its world premiere as the final production of Epic Theatre Company’s 2015 season. It’s a bawdy but intelligent fantasy, where Greek goddesses throw a bachelorette party for Aphrodite in a Texas strip club run by American legends such as Pecos Bill and […]
Gather Glass: If you’re up for something truly unique and scorching hot, Gather Glass in Providence hosts glass-blowing classes in their studio on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and Saturdays during the day. They offer several different types of classes from paperweights to cocktail glasses. You get to experience the entire glass-blowing process, from choosing your colors […]
