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...
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 jam band scene in New England is a very talented one. Numerous acts incorporate styles of funk, reggae, folk and progressive rock to capture a feeling that’s contagious. The Boston-born act Dopapod, currently based in Brooklyn, has a vintage style of prog rock that’s uniquely wonderful. They’ll be coming to Providence to get weird […]
FRI 29 Dancing Feeling Ugly Sweater Party: Wear your ugliest Christmas attire and get ready to ballroom dance! Couples and singles welcome. Beginners encouraged. 8 – 11pm, Prices vary. The Dancing Feeling, 2429 Post Rd, Warwick. dancingfeeling.com Something From A Dream – Providence Honors Tom Petty: Rock that won’t back down. 7:30pm. Columbus Theatre, 270 […]
Dear C; The holidays aren’t even over, and already I feel so bloated and disgusting that I can’t stand to look at myself. I keep wearing the same stretch pants with various tunic tops and scarves over them. Nothing else fits. But I feel so left out and sad if I go to a party […]
Caroling is part of the Christmas tradition. Ordinary folks gracing their neighborhood with their own style of holiday cheer is commonplace in many cities. Fox Point on the PVD East Side, one of the city’s neighborhoods with an artistic temperament, is putting their own spin on it. Wickenden Wonderland – Thursday, Dec 21, 6-8pm – […]
THU 21 Chuck and Brad’s Best Christmas Show Ever: A live comedy holiday and variety show inspired by the local music podcast of the same name. 8pm, RI Comedy Connection, 39 Warren Ave, East Providence. ricomedyconnection.com FRI 22 Sparkle! An Outdoor Family Event: Enjoy Blithewold’s marshmallow-roasting-Christmas-carol-singing-cocoa-sipping-strolling-through-the-twinkling-garden-paths-fun-for-the-whole-family event! Free Hot Cocoa! S’mores kits are available for […]
On Saturday, December 30, Tight Crew invite us to meet them at “Magic Kingdom,” but fret not. We don’t have to go all the way to Orlando to join the New Year’s Eve-eve celebratory shenanigans! Instead, the RI-based electronic event production company is transforming The Met at Hope Artiste Village and Breaktime Bowl (1005 […]
MyCompiledThoughts, an artist from Boston, has a transcendent energy that makes him more of an anomaly than a musician. Nothing about him or his music is reminiscent of much that comes to mind. He is not a compilation of his musical inspirations, but an enigmatic soul who drops subtle nods to artists who motivate him. MyCompiled describes his […]
Rhode Island may be the smallest state, but it contains an abundance of green and blue places ripe for investigation. Your two feet can carry you along our treasured bay, through the largest forest between Washington DC and Boston, past the stony remnants of historic New England farm buildings, and among the calling birds of […]
I signed 15 different non-disclosures to screen Star Wars: The Last Jedi. But I knew that this movie needed to be reviewed. How else would people know to go see it? The lights went down. The excitement was overwhelming. The trumpets trumpeted. The scroll scrolled. But as the story began to unfold, it felt … familiar. Not […]
The goal of a 12-step program is not to get you to climb up high enough to jump and kill yourself, but playwright Young Jean Lee seems to employ that as her model for Christianity. Repeated references to going through “doors to God” make the afterlife sound so attractive that Lee presents Christianity as a […]
