Photo Essay: The Upper Crust
Rocque and Roll: Lord Bendover (guitar, vocals), Count Bassie (bass, vocals), the Duc D’istortion (guitar, vocals) and Jackie Kickassis (drums)
Spoken Award Winners 2026
Photo by Lillian Karboski. Favorite Free Verse Spoken Word Ashley HosaRunner-up: Jeff Daniellian Favorite Social Justice Spoken Word Erik AndradeRunner-up: Mx Asher Favorite Youth Poet Angel CruzRunner-up: (by one vote) Josselyn Wolf Favorite Poetry Event Apothica's Monthly Poetry NightRunner-up: Afroverse Favorite Producer...
SUMMER THEATER PREVIEW: There’s no shortage of summertime fare at R.I. community theaters and professional playhouses
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...
Godzilla: 70 Years of Fame, Misunderstandings, & Property Damage
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...
Summer Fun Map
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...
OEight at Track 15
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...
Roots Report
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...
Wild Rock Dove: The new Ravi Shavi record and its want to “Misbehave”
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...
Why ask Can You Go Home?
“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...
2026 Music Award Winner Writeups
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...
The Wait Is Over … Disney’s The Lion King returns to the Providence Performing Arts Center
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...
MEASURE FOR MEASURE: What Would You Wouldn’t Do?
“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...
Town Hall Unites Community: Everyone hates an AI data center
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...
Mindfully Thermia: How a new local restaurant inspires its patrons to take it slow
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...
Summer is Happening: Here's what you don't want to miss
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...
Rent Destabilization: Providence City Council fails to override Mayor Smiley's rent stabilization veto, but the fight is not over
“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...
ON THE COVER: Chenlu Hou
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...
News Analysis – Iran War Update: The world faces deadlines only weeks away
[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...
MOTIF’S 2026 RI SPOKEN AWARDS
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...
KIMBERLY AKIMBO is Playing at PPAC Now Through May 10 and It May Just Be “Your New Favorite Musical” (Hollywood Reporter)
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...
A Time Capsule from the 90s in 2026: ‘92 Winona and their Punk Inspiration
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...
John Faraone's Newest Record, The Waves: How his kid brain allowed for the art of self-expression
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....
Roots Report
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...
Impossible Tasks: On fifth album, Adynata, Vudu Sister burnishes hope in the darkness
(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...
You Don’t Have To Go Far: Providence’s Gallery Night shows the art was here all along
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...
MAKING POINTS WITH THE MOTTS
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...
First things first: Rhode Island's 250th anniversary on May 4 celebrates something important, we just aren't sure what.
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...
Pothole Construction Season a Sign of Spring: RI DOT seeks public help finding where to repair
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...
ON THE COVER: Mish
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...
The Impossibility of Satire: Trump-world is an inherent self-parody
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,...
MOTIF’S 2026 RI SPOKEN AWARDS
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,...
Stuff to Do
The Joe Moss Band Tours RI
One fine winter’s morning my good friend and owner of Cady’s Tavern, Robin Tyo, called to tell me she was having The Joe Moss Band come from Chicago to play at her tavern in Chepachet. “You’ve got to come check him out,” she said. I said I’d try my best to get there, but because […]
High Society: The Cannabis Chronicles, Episode 1
Over the past two years, I have had the pleasure of interacting with a variety of individuals who share the common goal of ending marijuana prohibition. Do not be mistaken, however, as even though these individuals find themselves on similar crusades, their definitions of victory differ. These differences can be categorized into four basic categories: […]
Get Your Kink On at the Flea!
The Fetish Fair Fleamarket is coming back to Rhode Island! It will take place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick from Feb 13 – 15. Originally developed in Boston, this flea has been around more then two decades. It happens twice a year and it is the biggest fetish festival in all of New […]
Sex Q&A: All About Kegel Balls
Like with many new exercise programs and tools, Kegel balls could benefit from an FAQ. The Center for Sexual Pleasure and Health answers some of those “Who can I even ask about this?” questions. From sex toys to fantasies to how to tell your kids about the birds and bees, we’ll supply the answers you […]
Flowers in the Snow at the RI Spring Flower and Garden Show
Are you dreaming of color our snow-covered landscape hasn’t provided in months? If so, you’re in luck because the Rhode Island Spring Flower and Garden Show returns to the Convention Center Feb 19 – Feb 22. This year’s show invites attendees to come in from the cold and dream of spring while exploring hands-on gardening […]
2nd Story’s Witty Seminar
Creating art isn’t easy. Creating great art can be even harder. In Seminar, now playing at 2nd Story Theatre through Feb 22, four aspiring novelists gather for a seminar where they receive critiques from a famous literary figure. Izzy (Tania Montenegro), Martin (Ara Boghigian), Kate (Erin Elliott), and Douglas (James Lucey) sit on sofas in […]
Don’t Miss the Sixth Annual Providence Children’s Film Festival
Last year, I planned on attending Providence Children’s Film Festival (PCFF) and even showed all the preview clips to my boys so they could select their favorite (Moon Man). Sadly, we missed out on getting tickets because they sold out – quickly – and even my Motif creds couldn’t get me a pass. Many of the other […]
Lunar Notes Feb 5-18th 2015
Aries: You feel like you have been living your life within a whirlwind and although the social whirl continues, there will be pockets of time and space for you to slow down, wind down and catch your breath. Some behind-the-scenes stuff is going on; whether it is internal or external, this stuff has you asking questions. Hidden […]
Doug Woolverton Honors Miles Davis in Newport
Doug Woolverton will take some time off from his “day job” to present a “Tribute to Miles Davis” at the Jane Pickens Theater in Newport on Feb 19. Woolverton is best known as the trumpet player for Rhode Island’s legendary Roomful of Blues. Woolverton was born in Trenton, N.J., and moved with his family to […]