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,...
With the presidential race heating up, the rhetoric and insults are reaching a fever pitch. But, Ocean State Theatre Company’s current offering, the musical 1776, charmingly shows that such bickering and heated exchanges are nothing new to American politics. Detailing our founding fathers’ efforts to achieve independence from the British crown, OSTC, under the direction […]
Phuck Big Pharma Hats off to our old pal Senator Weldon Shitehouse for co-sponsoring a bipartisan bill in the US Senate that would provide better and more effective policies and programs to deal with opioid addiction. The opioid epidemic is currently flying fast and furiously in the country of late, thanks to the overprescription of […]
Sage Francis This is a gem of a show that is flying under the radar with acclaimed hip-hop artist Sage Francis coming to The Knickerbocker in Westerly. Sage Francis has accomplished a ton with his most recent release, 2014’s Copper Gone, which came out on his own Strange Famous Records. This show also includes one […]
With March comes the promise of spring and warmer weather. But for area dance fans, it also looks to be a month chock full of performances. Festival Ballet Providence gets things started Friday, March 4, with the second installment of their popular Up Close On Hope, a dance series presented in the company’s intimate Black […]
1. Friday, March 4: DMX; $36 advance / $40 day of; All ages; Lupo’s, 79 Washington St, Providence. What should one expect going to see DMX, ’90s rap icon, in 2016? If I were to make a pie chart, I would put it at a 5% chance of brilliance, 50% chance of medocrity, 20% of […]
The first time I saw an electric meter run backward was in the late 1970s in a loft in New York City’s Chinatown. It was, how you say, highly illegal. The creative tenant who rented the loft was simply sucking off Con Edison’s electric supply to the building in a way that actually looked like […]
In life there is irony in everything if you look closely enough. For example, getting a boot on your car and you’re wearing boots on your feet. Perhaps even a dog biting you in the ass while you’re walking around in the Mianus neighborhood of Greenwich, Connecticut. Ok, maybe that last one is a little […]
Ah, the brewpub. Just the word can have an effect on the dedicated beer nerd. A good brewpub can spark the imagination of the homebrewer, allow future master brewers to perfect their craft on a small scale, or just be a fun, cozy little spot to try something new and different each week. Providence has […]
Okee dokee folks… Officially we have about three weeks until spring. It may be hard to tell when it does arrive because of the screwy winter that we have had thus far. Flowers were blooming in the snow and bugs were buzzing. One day it was t-shirt weather and the next it was nine below. […]
In a remote section of Western Coventry the foundations for 10 wind turbines are taking shape. Three of them are projected to produce enough electricity to save the town of West Warwick, and its taxpayers, $40 million over the next 25 years. “We’ll be the first town in the state of Rhode Island — I […]
