Skyler Shields (Kenickie) and the cast of the Theatre By The Sea (Wakefield, RI) production of “Grease” running thru July 18, 2026. Photo by Mark Turek. “A-wop-bop-a-loo-bop! A-wop-bam-boom!” BY ALISON O’DONNELL ON JUNE 27, 2026 Grease is the...
Heat Advisory in effect from July 14, 11:00 AM EDT until July 15, 08:00 PM EDT At Providence, a Heat Advisory is effective Tue, Jul 14, 11am, to Wed, Jul 15, 8pm. Afternoon temperatures/heat indices are...
Isham, Sheila. Teth (#8 Creation Series). 1972. Acrylic spray on canvas. Newport Art Museum, Newport, RI. (Image courtesy of the Newport Art Museum.) Quite some time ago, I read a quip that the art of diplomacy...
As an international student a year into Rhode Island, yet still only a breath into America, I finally found a question that I might be able to answer – this is my continued exploration of: What...
Tucked inside the historic Harrison Steam Complex in Providence's Olneyville neighborhood, Siren Spirits is redefining what a visit to a distillery can be. Equal parts neighborhood gathering place, cocktail destination, and craft spirits experience, this...
Music makes beer taste better? In 2016, Vrije University in Brussels, Belgium, conducted a study that showed scientific evidence that music has an impact on our taste of beer. This study concluded that lower audible...
Cold Chocolate. Okee dokee folks… Well, summer is here and for me, summer is HELL! A few years back I wrote a song about my disdain of Summer for the Empire Revue’s “Cool” show. Here are...
America, the focus of this issue, runs on wealth. So here’s how to get yourself some. It’s the perfect opportunity to launch a new column aimed at helping non-one-percenters with financial matters. Feel free to...
...
“Foreigner.” I find it a harsh word that I hate seeing applied to others. Yet applied to myself, it’s the only word that half conveys how baffling I find this country at times. I’d like...
In his final year at college, cover artist William Schaff truly learned what it was like to work in a studio. “I developed a course of study in general fine arts with one of my...
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...
To play along with the fun of the Motif Tattoo Issue, we asked local beer professionals to tell us about their [mostly] brew-related ink. Let’s roll up some sleeves… At Newport Storm, co-founder/brewmaster Derek Luke has the Hurricane symbol from the brewery’s logo on his arm. Theresa Malafronte, the Storm PR/events coordinator, says, “He got […]
Doctors have been regarded as superheroes and omnipotent beings, as trusted saviors and givers of life. The doctor has also been reviled as a blood-sucking pill pusher with a luxury lifestyle financed on the back of inflated fees. The truth is that physicians are as varied as the patients they treat … and today, the […]
Displaying his own collection of spider, skull and deep sea creature tattoos, musician and promoter Justin Marcotte gears up for his next big event: The Providence Tattoo & Music Fest 3! “This event is a big game changer for me,” said Marcotte. “I got the idea from when my band Joint Damage played the Rock […]
In December, Providence was introduced to Brooklyn-based composer/saxophonist Angela Morris and her group Rallidae. After watching their inspiring performance, I had the chance to speak with her briefly and found her thoughts on music to be as interesting as her performance. So we arranged to have a longer interview in which we could discuss her journey, […]
On February 25, The Naked Magicians come to The Vets in Providence, bringing with them the only R-rated magic show in the world, which is a sexy combination of comedy, mind blowing magic and of course, some nudity. I was lucky enough to have a one-on-one with the charismatic duo Christopher Wayne and Mike Tyler […]
After a long and heated debate, the US Senate voted to confirm Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama) to be our next attorney general. As our nation’s highest law enforcement officer, Sessions will be in charge of determining federal enforcement priorities, meaning he will at some point have to grapple with state versus federal medical and […]
Just moments after my quest for caffeine was realized, I was preparing myself for another late night homework session at my alma mater. My tattoos were the last thing on my frazzled mid-finals mind while pouring sugar into my coffee, but evidently not the last thing on the mind of the guy standing next to […]
At the risk of making a commercial jingle break out, who else out there could use a break? 2016 seemed to be the year nothing could go right, and 2017 is looking to be the direct-to-video sequel. We all just had quite a bit of snow dumped on us, and in general the weather is […]
Few people don’t enjoy barbecue, and Great Northern BBQ Co, a local food truck bursting with awards and style, is definitely worthy of your meaty endeavors. Smoking meat is a perfected food science with a long rich history. Its sultry, low and slow cooking method really gives the thick hearty cuts that fall-off-the-bone, melt-in-your-mouth kind of texture […]
I once won a burger-eating contest called Attack The Stack, which involved me eating a hamburger the size of my head. That burger was a product of Chomp restaurant in Warren, which is THE BEST place to go in RI for a novelty, giant or “normal” (but optimally superb) burger. Even though this level of […]
