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...
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 evidenced by...
“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,...
VOTE HERE! "May your tattoo ink never run dry," as the ancient Portlandian blessing goes, has rarely been more applicable. Motif is proud to partner again with Narragansett Brewery to bring you the RI Tattoo Awards,...
You know what a breathalyzer is. Every adult has some idea of how one works and what safe alcohol levels are. But do you know what a safe level of cannabis in your system is? Do you know how it’s measured? And what’s the equivalent of a breathalyzer for cannabis? The answer, right now, is […]
The Whole World Is Watching That was what protesters chanted at the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago and it has never seemed more true than today. Almost everyone has a cell phone with a camera in it, and things get posted all over social media. If you are an elected government official, you better tell […]
For any of you out there with desk jobs (bows head, raises hand), it’s possible you may have whittled away hours of Excel documentation by listening to online podcasts (*cough*”Serial”*cough*) or YouTube videos. About a year ago, however, I discovered TED talks, which were brief, educational and fascinating, and not only could I pass the […]
What are the chances Rhode Island will be the first New England state to proceed with cannabis taxation and regulation? While there is a push by proponents in all New England states to legalize recreational marijuana, it is my hope that Rhode Island does not go down that path. There are too many unknowns associated […]
Do you believe that cannabis will be legal in RI at some point in our future? For me, the question of legalization is not so much about if but when. The prohibition of cannabis has been one of the great stains on our nation’s history, and has negatively impacted so many people from a social […]
What are the chances Rhode Island will be the first New England state to proceed with cannabis taxation and regulation? I wish that I could say that I was optimistic about passage this year, but I am concerned that pervasive public misconceptions and misinformation will get in the way. The Providence Journal has exacerbated these […]
Mostly known for his work with Montreal indie rockers Wolf Parade, Dan Boeckner is both versatile and enigmatic. With the supergroup Divine Fits, Boeckner joined forces with Spoon frontman Britt Daniel and Sam Brown, who’s the drummer for the Columbus, Ohio, garage punk act New Bomb Turks, to do a project that was heart-on-the-sleeve rock […]
Usually Sunday is a down period during the weekend. You wouldn’t normally spend the evening enjoying a sold-out show, but this past Sunday at the Columbus Theatre was an exception. Precursors to this decade’s indie folk renaissance, The Mountain Goats took hold of the main theater as part of their tour with solo artist William Tyler. It […]
Event Page on Facebook General admission is free at 5pm. VIP tickets, to get in earlier, are now available. Rhode Island has been host to a robust food industry since the 1880s, and the trend has never been more popular. Veterans (including America’s oldest food truck, Haven Brothers) are joined by a regular flow of […]
After several days of controversy, Rhode Island Governor Gina “Flip Flops for Summer” Raimondo announced that the entire Rhode Island Tourism Campaign was actually an elaborate April Fool’s joke. “The media is saturated with nonsense,” Raimondo said in an early morning press conference. “We knew that we’d have to do something really silly just to stand out. “That […]
