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,...
Once upon a time I was a freshman at Scituate Jr. Sr. High School auditioning for the school play. The play was Sweeney Todd, and I have been in love with not only theater, but Stephen Sondheim ever since. With that background, I was more than a little excited about the Contemporary Theatre Company’s production […]
Memoirs of the Last Sicilian: A One Man Play has one more weekend of performances at Theatre82’s black box space on Rolfe Square and not for nuthin’ — you would be hard pressed to find a better show around these parts for a ten spot. Nick Albanese is a gifted storyteller and comedian, having honed […]
I never thought I’d get to see Davey Crockett eat out the goddess Artemis, but thanks to the magic of theater, the image is indelibly seared into my brain. I don’t know what else I expected going to a play called American Strippers. Especially a play called American Strippers by Kevin Broccoli. Epic Theatre’s latest […]
What does a musician have to do to be considered prolific in 2015? Is it doing a never-ending amount of session work in the studio? Putting out a countless number of albums? Maybe Ty Segall has the answer to that question. Along with a successful solo career, the Los Angeles garage punk wunderkind has been […]
Maud Watts is a hard working mother in early 1900s England who works in a commercial laundry by day while caring for her husband and son by night. Through a series of coincidences and circumstance, Maud finds herself associated with the Women’s Suffrage movement. While Maud at first is merely a curious outsider, the various […]
The Road Weeps, The Well Runs Dry, being presented at Brown University’s Stuart Theatre, is one of the most seriously confused plays I have ever seen. Set in the 1800s, the story is a fictional account of the lives of the Seminole Indians and the Seminole Freedman, which was a band of the Seminole Nation. […]
This short takes a very intriguing concept and very likable actors and swirls them into a surreal and enjoyable 15 minute film directed by RI filmmaker Chris Esper. The script by Rich Camp, based on a story idea by Tom Paolino, follows a young cubicle jockey whose luck is unbelievably good – at the expense […]
Ocean State Theatre Company will be running what’s being billed as “the original amazing race” this month with their latest production, a new stage adaptation of Jules Verne’s classic Around the World in 80 Days. On stage now through November 22 is the epic tale of adventurer Phileas Fogg, who has made a ridiculously large […]
The classic pop and rhythm and blues songs from the 1960s and 1970s are brought to life in the rousing high-energy Motown: The Musical, which opened at the Providence Performing Arts Center on Tuesday. The show is about legendary record executive Berry Gordy, who launched the careers of superstars Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, […]
The backstory of author Leo C. Frisk, Jr is nearly as intriguing as the story itself. Frisk somewhat stumbled into becoming an author. Learning that he was going blind when his son was just 2 years old, he would make up stories for his son, Joseph, with a book in his hand, pretending to read […]
