The Parlour Brings The Party

As everyone in the area knows, The Parlour, located at 1119 North Main St. in Providence, has been keeping the people of RI entertained for many years now. The Parlour first opened its doors on November 1, 2012. Gregory T Rourke and Aaron Jaehnig — who had worked together for years at The Living Room — partnered with Robert Yeremian on the idea of opening a club that celebrated diversity. This diversity would come in the form of people gathering for music, food, and beer. When The Living Room closed, that’s exactly what the three of them did.

After seven years, the partners split ways and Rourke and Leah Anderson took over as owners of the nightclub. They have stayed on the original mission over the years, providing an opportunity for local musicians of all styles of music and all backgrounds. For Rourke, this was a labor of love. Despite the long hours and challenges, The Parlour has become a success. When the pandemic hit, the community rallied around The Parlour and helped them through the hard times.

Rourke has made The Parlour a place of inclusivity and safety for all people to entertain and be entertained. The place has truly been a blessing to the Providence music scene. Rourke is very conscious of giving back to the community and on June 22, that’s exactly what he intends to do when The Parlour hosts a block party, open to all.

“About a year ago,” states Rourke, “Leah found the Music In Action grant online through Live Music Society that we could apply for. We were told to come up with an idea for a community event that would aid the community and help sustain our small independent live music venue. Our idea was to bring awareness to the opioid epidemic, promoting the use of Narcan, and also to be a part of the North Main Street revitalization that has been spoken of in recent times. We want to let people know how the revitalization will impact their businesses and residences, and give them a chance to be heard.”

In addition to bringing attention to the opioid epidemic and the North Main St. revitalization, it also allows The Parlour to give guaranteed rates for musicians playing the event, instead of just playing for what is made at the door.

“We are grateful to the local music scene and bands for their support,” said Rourke, “And this is a chance for us to give back, which is very important to us.”

The block party will include local artists and a few national acts as well, such as The Skatalites. The originators of ska music, The Skatalites will be celebrating their 50th anniversary on this tour. Akrobatik will be performing as well as Slurp. The national acts were the cornerstone of bringing this event to fruition.

This block party has also been an important step in cultivating a relationship with the City Council. At least one member of the Council will be on hand for the festivities.

The block party will begin at noon and the outdoor segment of the day will last until somewhere between 7 and 8pm. In addition to the music, there will be face-painting for the kids as well as a fire truck for them to check out. Outdoor games, such as cornhole, will also be available to patrons.

As Rourke says, “The grant was given in order for The Parlour to do something extraordinary involving music and community that will ultimately help sustain the business. Through the grant we were able to buy the equipment necessary to put on the block party.”

The local acts will be performing on a stage set up in the back lot, and there will also be a small stage on the porch for DJs and acoustic acts to perform between bands. Between 8 and 9pm, the show will transition indoors where the national acts will take the stage.

This block party is not the end of major events for The Parlour either. In August, they will host a reggae block party in association with the Reggae Take Over. Then in late August or early September, The Parlour hosts Shiza Fest, which is an event held in memory of local musician Nick Iddon who passed away two years ago.

Pre-sale tickets will be available on The Parlour’s website, and the link for tickets will also be available on their Facebook and Instagram pages. The outdoor and indoor portions of the show require separate tickets, although VIP packages will be available, which include entry for the day and night shows, as well as a T-shirt, poster, and various other swag.

“We have had a great experience working with the Live Music Society and are excited to bring our customers a great experience,” Rourke said. “Keep June 22 open on your calendar, because this is going to be a great show.”