Photo by Lillian Karboski. 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 Producer...
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,...
VOTING OPEN NOW! VOTE HERE 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 community. The live celebration,...
Poet Emily Dickinson, who was more than a little odd herself, noted that madness is what society ascribes to those who do not conform: “Assent, and you are sane ;/Demur, — you’re straightway dangerous,/And handled with a chain.” There are, I would argue, three great novels that better than any others captured this theme for […]
What do you never leave home without? Ray bans (at least one of three very special pairs) What’s your favorite book? House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski What’s your favorite movie? Pan’s Labyrinth What’s your favorite thing to do in RI in the fall? Backyard bonfires and hiking in Arcadia! What’s your favorite local beer? Revival […]
The production schedule at a factory in the heart of the Quonset Business Park is unrelenting. Then again, the need for what’s being produced — a ready-to-eat food product for starving children in the hardest hit areas of the world — is equally relentless. Every day half a million small, squishy packets containing a mixture […]
THRU OCT 16 One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Attleboro Community Theatre, Ezekiel Bates Masonic Lodge, 71 North Main St, Attleboro, Mass. A heart wrenching play about a mental institution that’s sure to shock. attleborocommunitytheatre.com See review at motifri.com/oneflew2016 FRI 7 The Motet: A funk, afrobeat and jazz-influenced group. 8pm, Fete Ballroom, 103 Dike St, […]
Simple Questions Phillipe and Jorge may not have old-school, Brylcreemed, part-it-on-the-side Ivy League haircuts, and are not as scrubbed-up and bright and shiny as Hillary’s political advisors, but we can probably give her better input on how to run a campaign than her control freak know-it-alls. How about starting out each day by asking the […]
Low Fidelity – Ready to POP(s) One of my favorite new spots in the city is POP. POP is an “emporium of popular culture” that just has the feel of strolling in and out of decades. I guess one could call it a thrift/antique shop, but to me it’s just a place with a lot […]
What makes Regina Spektor’s music brilliant is the way she puts her natural quirkiness into her songs. It makes her artistic style genuine while creating an interesting take on pop music. There’s also a distinct variety with her material; she can’t be pinned down and her music is never redundant. Spektor has become one of […]
Every year since its 2008 inception, Beervana has been charging ahead of the pack of the craft beer revolution. You won’t find Budweiser, Coors, Miller, Pabst, or any of the adjunct-filled, low ABV, corporate brands at this festival. Beervana isn’t about reaching intoxication. I’ve always described it as a craft beer festival with class and […]
Okee dokee folks … Last month at the Rhythm and Roots Festival in Charlestown I ran into Abigail Washburn just before the reunion set of her band Uncle Earl. Abigail Washburn also is an amazing solo performer as well as musical partner and wife of the banjo master Bela Fleck, and they’ll both be at […]
We’ve assembled a virtual roundtable of Rhode Island brewers to address a few topics for the Big Fall Beer Issue! Our panel of owner/brewmasters (except where noted): Armando DeDona of Long Live Beerworks, Nick Garrison of Foolproof Brewing Company, Michelle Kirms (assistant brewer) of Grey Sail Brewing of Rhode Island, Matt Richardson of Tilted Barn Brewery, Nate Broomfield of Bucket […]
