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 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,...
FRI 3 Lewis Black: America’s one and only angry funny man! The long-time “Daily Show” correspondent brings his trademark funny and thoughtful rants to the PPAC stage. 8pm, 220 Weybosset St, PVD. See our interview at motifri.com/lewisblack Felix Brown Band: Famed Newport dance band throws a mid-winter banger in anticipation of warmer times. 9:30pm, Ocean […]
Okee dokee folks… Welcome back to the Dark Ages. Here is a brief synopsis of what went on then: economic and cultural deterioration, ignorance and lack of reasoning, disease, corrupt religion and superstition, and a general backwardness. The only way to stop this from progressing is to resist and revolt. Why am I putting this […]
So, you met a great woman/man/whatever you’re into over the holidays and after trading some flirty texts and a couple of actual phone calls (“It’s so real, we even talked on the phone. It’s like an old-school courtship! I feel like I’ve known him/her forever.”) you decide to meet up. Nothing serious or crazy, […]
It was a weird world in 2016, and 2017 is showing to be weirder still. It’s a time where outright lies are called alternative facts, and your local friendly paper is owned by a major international media conglomerate. They all push a view, but who’s standing up for you and not someone’s profit margin? There has […]
I didn’t want to come on too strong. I wanted to woo without seeming desperate and be assertive, yet not clingy. I wanted to casually mention we both favored the western omelet at West Side Diner without revealing that I’d stalked her Instagram. Tell her we read the same books and both really seemed to […]
The Three Stooges Phillipe and Jorge recently had a chat with a nationally acclaimed author who happens to be a Brown graduate and now lives in Washington, DC. One of the first questions out of his mouth was, “Does Rhode Island still have all those sleazy politics in government?” Our response was, “How does three […]
It may have been the largest number of people ever to visit the Wickford Junction Train Station: That opening day back in 2012 when the US Secretary of Transportation proclaimed the $44 million project a success, even before the first train had officially taken off. Instead it has been an albatross for the state of […]
Although the exact origin of condoms is debated by archaeologists and historians, Greek mythology alludes to their first use back in 150 AD, when, according to legend, Minos, the first king of Crete, used a goat’s bladder to serve as a female condom. One can only hope that the female was human. The oldest condoms […]
The eagerly awaited North American tour of the National Theatre production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time rolls into Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) February 7 – 12. The Tony Award-winning play by Simon Stephens, adapted from Mark Haddon’s best-selling novel, arrives with plenty of praise for the production’s innovative choreography, […]
Darklands Shoegaze rockers to their core, Darklands craft melody out of fuzz-ridden noise. Darklands’ sound owes much to the noise pop of My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive and that early ’90s English noise guitar scene. I’ve always dug that adventurous style of guitar playing where the sound drives the song. Badlands have an EP, St. Thaddeus, […]
