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,...
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,...
Rhode Islanders are privy to many celebrations of the arts, not the least of which is the film festival. We have a growing number of specialized film festivals and one of the more interesting ones is coming up soon. On Sat, Jun 27, Merging Arts will present the seventh incarnation of their Womanimation! film festival at […]
The three-day weekend of Jun 19 – 21 will mark the ninth annual East Coast Derby Extravaganza (ECDX) in Feasterville, Penn – a nonstop roller derby event that features A-teams, B-teams, junior and men’s leagues, domestic and international. Surrounding the three rinks, fans will be coming out to watch 50 bouts consisting of WFTDA sanctioned […]
Anyone who’s had more than three craft beers in their entire life has had an IPA. The style has become such a phenomenon that not only does every single brewery have a signature IPA, even the reluctant Boston Beer Company now has at least two variations on their signature IPA, both a session and an […]
Athletic Dad FRI 19 Narragansett Bay Half Marathon and 5k: A beautiful run along the bike path with views of Narragansett Bay. 7am – noon, Starts at Pierce Memorial Stadium, East Providence. nbhalf.com SAT 20 22nd Annual Buzzards Bay Swim: Celebrate clean water with more than 300 individuals, families and teams, ages 12 – 83! […]
Pride Festival on South Water Street – Saturday Daytime RI Pride will host a daytime festival on South Water St all day long on Sat, Jun 20 that is free and open to the public. Festival goers will be treated to a variety of informational and fun booths and displays. Food trucks, food vendors, organizational […]
Okee dokee folks … Some days I am brain dead. Maybe most days. Today I definitely am. The sun has already started melting what little amount of brain cells I have functioning in my head. Last weekend I was out working on a garden. What was I thinking? I don’t like sun. I honestly feel like […]
It was a busy and productive weekend last month as dozens of volunteers fanned out across the southern part of RI to tackle construction projects that the owners of nine homes could not afford to do themselves. Neighbors Helping Neighbors RI is the outgrowth of a Faith in Action group based out of St. Andrew Lutheran […]
New Henhouse for the Fox So, it looks like former house speaker Gordon Fox is headed for federal prison (aka, “a Bud-I vacation spot”) for a few years. He got caught being a Vo Dilun General Assembly politician (i.e., pocketing over $50,000 in bribes and looting his own campaign fund for over $100,000). Accepting the […]
Ocean State Theatre Company kicked off their summer season with Richard Dresser’s Rounding Third. And, while it has many funny moments, it falls a bit short of being a home run. Perhaps a solid triple. This baseball version of The Odd Couple pits the loud, gruff, “winning is everything” little league coach Don, played by veteran […]
When I walked into Piemonte Pizza & Grill late one Tuesday night, I didn’t walk into an ordinary pizzeria; I was welcomed into someone’s home on the other side the world. Three of my friends and I were coming from the gym, sweaty and starving, just as the clock approached 9:30pm. Since Piemonte closes at […]
