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,...
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. Want to see your favorite Rhode Island...
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,...
By Lillian MK Photography By Olivia Lunger By Izzy Cooke ...
The Music Awards went off without a hitch this year, and over the course of the evening more than 400 local music lovers dropped by to dance, listen, and cheer on fellow musicians. We'll have...
It’s often said (well, I definitely say this), that some of the deepest conversations and connected moments can happen while one is sitting in a car. This is certainly true for the duo, band, sisterhood...
Image: Olivia Lunger. Local Civil War re-enactor Bill Sherman was having trouble recruiting young people into the hobby, so he hit on a novel idea that is perfectly suited to Gen Z. He immediately telephoned his...
The Continental Congress, befooled. April Fool’s Day originated among the French a few years into the Revolutionary War. Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin had been pleading with them for any sort of assistance. The brand...
If you have been a craft beer lover over this past decade, you may remember when the first Rhode Island Brewery Passport was released. It was changed to an app in 2020. Six years later,...
After attending Chalumeau’s release party for their album BLUE at The Met in Pawtucket last August, I wrote that if you ever got the chance to see them perform live, you should jump on it....
On February 28, after 20 years of being a community staple for first dates, Super Tuesday regulars, and movie fanatics alike, CWTheaters (previously called CinemaWorld) was forced to shut its doors for good. The decline...
Last year, I had a blast and a half working on a fun commercial shoot. I landed the gig because the fella producing, Josh Kirk, asked around to find an actor to portray the client’s...
Photo: Jenn Lombari. @jennlombariphotography ssa lin has been making a local splash like a rockin’ rainstorm after a record-setting blizzard, since releasing her first single, “tallboys,” at the end of 2025. The feedback has been good,...
Here are some hot new local tracks to finish melting the ice. The Hopeless Romantics – “Quiet Kind” The third and final single from The Hopeless Romantics’ upcoming debut album, “Quiet Kind” is also a reworked...
Okee dokee folks… PLEASE stop using AI. The more it knows, the more it grows. We are feeding a beast that will someday destroy us. AI is not your friend, though it may pretend to...
Graphic by Olivia Lunger. ...
Hey idiot, why are you and your friends getting high indoors? Don't you know? We have a planet, a whole, big planet filled with trees, rivers, and critters. The outside world doesn't have to start...
Medical marijuana was legalized in Rhode Island in January 2006, and by May 2022 even recreational sales became legal through state-licensed dispensaries and authorized retailers. Yet it still isn’t safe for medical users to come out of the closet....
Cover artist Elliott Italiano of Jamestown is a self-made glass artist. As a young adult, Italiano's interests centered on fashion, inspiring thoughts of pursuing a degree in luxury marketing and design. He relates to his past...
MAD Magazine cover, Feb 2016: Donald Trump and Alfred E. Neuman We fought a military war; our opponents fought a political one. We sought physical attrition; our opponents aimed for our psychological exhaustion. In the process...
Cover artist Mina Miki of Providence calls her baby blanket her longest friend. “His name is Blankie, but now he looks less like a blanket and more like a piece of tangled silk,” she says....
Only two years ago, Colorado and Washington defied the will of the federal government as they voted to legalize recreational use of marijuana in their states. To date, 23 states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for medical use with many others seeking to follow suit. Municipalities have even taken steps to legalize […]
It is delivery day and Jim Carroll is playing both traffic cop and cheerleader at a food pantry in Greenville as volunteers help unload and arrange thousands of pounds of items that in a matter of hours will be distributed to needy families in the Smithfield area. Carroll has been volunteering since the pantry was founded […]
Summer has been ended by that dastardly fall once again and with it comes cooler nights, crisper days and thoughts of winter on the horizon. But fear not, friendly libator! For I have information for you that will help you enjoy the season and maybe even learn to love it. To start, might I suggest […]
The Wilbury Group opens its fifth season with the Rhode Island premiere of This Beautiful City by Steven Cosson and Jim Lewis. Cosson is the artistic director of The Civilians, a New York theater company that develops their work by interviews, research and community residencies, combining journalism and art to explore current issues. The play, which […]
1. Friday, October 3rd: John Faraone, Thomas Gardner Jr., Able Thought; Fatt Squirrel; $10; 9pm doors / 9:30pm show; 21+ only; 150 Chestnut St., Providence. This is not only a homecoming for Warwick’s own Thomas Gardner Jr., but also celebrates the release of his new album 12:34. Gardner locally cut his teeth performing as singer / […]
Do you want to learn about the best wine pairings in Spain? Experience the flavors of Miami? Explore the geography of Greek food — all while savoring delectable samples and listening to international experts share their knowledge (in lovely foreign accents)? Then you won’t want to miss Taste Trekkers 2014 Food Expo coming to Providence […]
The streets of Providence will run red with Midwest Blood as Expire take over Firehouse 13 on Sunday, October 5. The last time they played Providence was over two years ago, so this is long overdue. With the release of their second full-length studio album, Pretty Low, in June, the band has been touring nonstop. […]
A-Mazing Halloween Party, Escobar’s Farm, 255 Middle Rd., Portsmouth. Arrive in costume and try to find your way through the 8-acre, Wizard of Oz-themed corn maze. Arts and crafts, hayrides, food and more. Oct 26 10am – 5pm. escobarshighlandfarm.com Boo at the Zoo, Buttonwood Park Zoo, 425 Hawthorne St., New Bedford. A spooky train […]
The Counter Productions Theatre (CPT) Company burst into the consciousness of the Rhode Island theater world this year with a bang. At the 2014 Motif Theater Awards, CPT was nominated in six categories, and won in four. Although the CPT just completed its third season in RI, Ted Clement and Christine Fox, the heart, soul […]
Black Lips, this crazy psychedelic garage rock act from Atlanta, Georgia, are going to perform up the highway at The Paradise Rock Club in Boston on September 28 with Montreal punks The King Khan & BBQ Show. I had a chat with co-founder, bassist and co-vocalist of Black Lips, Jared Swilley, about the upcoming show and […]
