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....
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...
Portsmouth’s Rick Wells is truly one of New England’s top jazz drummers. Rick separates himself from other drummers, smartly choosing to be more of an accompanist, rather than a showman soloist. He wisely recognizes that he is hired to complement other members of the group, not to take away from other talents during performances. His softness […]
The hit musical On Your Feet will be presented at Providence Performing Arts Center from January 30 through February 4. On Your Feet tells the inspiring story of pop music superstar Gloria Estefan, who with her husband, Emilio, was responsible for several hits in the 1980s and ’90s, including “1-2-3,” “Conga,” “Rhythm Is Gonna Get […]
I grew up in a restaurant family in New Hampshire, which means that I will happily leave my cozy living room on a dark, snowy Wednesday night in January to attend an open mic night hosted by a musician friend at a bar two towns away from mine. Said friend is Kevin Williams of the […]
Dear C; I’m an attractive, intelligent woman with a wide variety of interests. I support myself as a freelance writer and I’ve read and researched extensively about every subject I’ve been assigned so I never run out of things to talk about. You’d think that all of this would insure that I wouldn’t have any […]
How are you doing on your New Year’s Resolutions? My resolution is to procrastinate less… I decided it would be best if I started really concentrating on this resolution in February. What do you do every day to take care of yourself? Hug and snuggle my dog Emma. What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever tried […]
FRI 26 Patti Smith: Legendary artist reads from her latest work of art, “Devotion.” 8pm. Zeiterion Performing Arts Center, 684 Purchase St, New Bedford, Mass. zeiterion.org SAT 27 – SUN 28 Letter from Birmingham City Jail: A reading of Dr. Martin Luther King’s remarkable letter, his open response to the criticism of southern religious leaders who […]
Motif was saddened to hear that Bucket Brewery is, well, going to kick the bucket. In a statement made yesterday, Bucket said that it will close its Carver Street brewing facility and tap room in mid-March. The statement reads, in part: We at Bucket want to thank our customers, staff, family, friends and vendors for […]
It’s a time of year when a celebration of craft beer made in the Ocean State and beyond takes place. Numerous brewers create rare beers that excite the taste buds and get the senses going. The sixth annual Rhode Island Brew Fest will take place at the Pawtucket Armory on Jan 27 for a sold-out […]
Over the past couple of months, there’s been a band from Boston that has nearly everyone affiliated with the city’s music scene talking about them. They’re known as Matthew Stubbs and the Antiguas, and they have a groovy instrumental sound that fuses psychedelic rock, acid jazz and funky blues. It’s the kind of music that […]
Starting with a breezy, witty and emphatically modern Russian-to-English translation by director Curt Columbus, the Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre production of Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov is a darkly comic and cerebral delight. It could be the best production of Uncle Vanya you’re ever likely to see. One of the epic dysfunctional families of drama slowly […]
