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,...
I’ve long contended that the overwhelming factor that accounts for the consistent increase in college tuition at about three times the rate of inflation over at least the past 30 years is, paradoxically, the availability of financial aid: By increasing the supply of financial aid money, the government created a perverse incentive for colleges to […]
Young Max is the last member of his family who still believes in Santa Claus and the magic of Christmas, but when taunted and mocked by friends and even family, he turns his back on Christmas. Unfortunately for Max’s family, and the whole neighborhood apparently, Krampus is coming this year and he’s bringing a bag […]
A look into the Whalers Brewing Company in Wakefield RI. This isn’t just a brewery that sells growlers to the public, it’s more than that. Since its inception the locals have done everything they can to help get theses gentlemen off the ground with their brewery. The atmosphere inside the brewery is relaxed, the facility is […]
Ah, A Christmas Carol … who doesn’t know and love this holiday chestnut from one of its many incarnations? Whether your favorite adaptation stars Michael Caine, Mr. Magoo or Patrick Stewart, we all happily revisit this age-old tale of that one fateful Christmas Eve when miserly Ebenezer Scrooge is visited upon by the ghosts of […]
Tucked away in woods of Exeter, RI is a brewery like none other. The Tilted Barn Brewery started when there was a hop shortage a few years back and the owners, Matt and Kara Richardson, decided they wanted more for home brewing purposes. Very quickly one thing led to another and the next thing they knew, […]
Okee dokee folks … I had the opportunity to check out the Tedeschi-Trucks Band/Shawn Mullins show at the Providence Performing Arts Center this past Saturday night. Mullins opened the night with a solo acoustic set. The Georgia-born performer accompanied himself on guitar as he played songs from his recently released CD, My Stupid Heart and […]
Mixed Magic Theatre’s production of Driving Miss Daisy is powered by some outstanding performances and smooth direction by Ricardo Pitts-Wiley. The setting is Atlanta, Georgia, in the 1940s. An elderly Jewish widow named Daisy Werthan (Melanie Stone) crashes her car, which prompts her son Boolie to hire a chauffeur to drive his mother around. Boolie […]
Trinity Repertory Company has delivered a first-rate production of playwright Wendy Wasserstein’s Pulitzer Prize-winning The Heidi Chronicles, and Angela Brazil delivers a winning performance as Heidi Holland, an art historian who is perpetually searching for fulfillment. Directed with a lot of polish by Vivienne Benesch, the story follows Heidi over the course of three decades, […]
With the help of the internet, it’s fairly convenient for the typical music fan to dive into different music scenes around the country just by search through a few genres and clicking on a couple of tags. For example, take Chicago’s garage rock community. Countless bands have come out of The Windy City over the […]
There are some experiences that are so painful they find a way to sink into our souls. In The Love of The Nightingale, the darkest parts of human nature are laid bare in the world of ancient Greece. Playwright Timberlake Wertenbaker has created a harrowing portrait of the battle between the sexes, adorned with symbols […]
