Esek Hopkins was born on April 26, 1718 in Scituate to a prominent Rhode Island family. Hopkins became a merchant and sea captain and in 1764, was in command of the slave ship Sally, known for a disastrous 15-month voyage that resulted in the death of 109 out of 196 slaves on board. The tragedy […]
Ken Abrams
Lifestyle Editor Ken Abrams writes about music, the arts and more for What'sUpNewp. He is also an Editor and Writer for Hey Rhody Media. Ken DJ's "The Kingston Coffeehouse," a roots/folk/rock radio show every Tuesday, 6-9 PM on WRIU 90.3 FM. He is a former educator in the Scituate, RI school system where he taught Social Studies for over 30 years.
He is on the board of the Rhode Island Folk Festival and Newport Live (formerly Common Fence Music), a non-profit that brings diverse musical acts to the Newport area.
Posted inStyle & Shop
Independent Bookstore Day returns Saturday, April 27 with specials and events at local bookstores
Bookstore fans – your day is almost here! Saturday, April 27th is Independent Bookstore Day, a day to celebrate and shop at your local independently-owned bookstore. IBD is a one-day national party that takes place at indie bookstores across the country every year. Bookstores large and small around the region have special events planned for […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Rhythm and Roots announces 2024 lineup for Labor Day Weekend festival
The Rhythm and Roots Festival announced its 2024 lineup today. The festival, which takes place annually at Ninigret Park in Charlestown, includes an impressive lineup of headliners Emmylou Harris, Larkin Poe, Drive-By Truckers, and Old Crow Medicine Show. Also on the bill are Ruthie Foster, Shemekia Copeland, Will Evans, Julia Pratt, and Daniel Donato’s Cosmic […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Photo Gallery: 2024 Newport Beer Festival at Fort Adams
Dozens of local and regional craft brewers were on hand to share their brews and more, welcoming hundreds of beer lovers to Newport on Saturday, April 20. The rain stopped just in time for the cannon-fire opening of the 2024 Newport Beer Festival and the sun even peeked out at Fort Adams State Park just […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Concert Preview: Jefferson Starship playing Twin River May 3, we speak to lead vocalist Cathy Richardson
You know the hits, staples of classic rock radio, and soundtrack to many out-of-body experiences. Jefferson Starship, child of Jefferson Airplane, was a top-grossing band in the 1970s and 80s, and continues to tour to adoring fans today. You’ll have a chance to be one of those fans when the band plays a May 3 […]
Posted inNewport County, News, Rhode Island
This day in RI history: April 4, 1866 -George Pierce Baker born in Providence
George Pierce Baker (1866-1935) was a Professor of English at Harvard and Yale and author of Dramatic Technique, a codification of the principles of drama. Born in Providence in 1866, Baker graduated from Harvard University in 1887 and went on to teach in the English Department there until 1924. While there, he established the “47 Workshop,” to provide a forum […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Brewery of the Month: Tower Hill Brewing Company opens in South Kingstown
The Rhode Island craft brewery scene continues to evolve, with several new breweries opening over the past six months. That means it’s time to resurrect our column “Brewery of the Month,” which has been on hiatus for a bit. I visited the brand spanking new Tower Hill Brewery tasting room last weekend, located off Route […]
Posted inHistory, Newport County, News, Rhode Island
This Day in RI History: March 31, 2010, Record-breaking floods devastate the region
Where were you during the flood of 2010? You may recall that the flooding crippled parts of the state and shut down the Warwick Mall and other businesses for months. National Weather Service Photo The National Weather Service explained what happened. Pre-existing elevated river levels and saturated soil conditions from recent heavy rainfall combined with […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
What’s Up Interview: Newport Classical’s Gillian Friedman Fox on the 2024 Newport Classical Music Festival
Summers in Newport are widely known for world-class musical events. Historic festivals like Newport Jazz and Newport Folk certainly attract massive crowds over a pair of mid-summer weekends. However, the festival with the largest number of concerts is the Newport Classical Music Festival, which this year runs from July 4th to July 21. The annual […]
Posted inHistory, Newport County, People & Profiles, Rhode Island
This Day in RI History: March 29, 1927, TV personality John McLaughlin is born in Providence
John McLaughlin was a Providence-born American television personality and political commentator most noted for his public affairs television show The McLaughlin Group. McLaughlin was born March 29, 1927 in Providence where he later attended La Salle Academy. He was ordained a priest after graduating Boston College and later received a PhD. from Columbia University. McLauglin […]
Posted inHistory
This Day in RI History: March 26, 1953 Lincoln Chafee is born
Former Warwick Mayor, US Senator, RI Governor, and presidential candidate Lincoln Chafee has a long and storied political history. Chafee, the son of former Governor John Chafee, began his political career as Mayor of Warwick. First elected in 1992, he served 4 terms. After his father passed away in 1999, Chafee was appointed to the […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Concert Review and Photos: Indigo Girls and Rhode Island Philharmonic outstanding at PPAC
Amy Ray and Emily Saliers, the duo better known as the Indigo Girls, are often mentioned in the same breath as Simon and Garfunkel, Hall and Oates, and the Everly Brothers. Ranked among the best musical duos of all time, their songs have charted on the Billboard Top 40 in every decade since the 1980s. […]
Posted inArts & Culture
This Day in RI History: March 25, 1903, musician Frankie Carle born in Providence
Francis Nunzio Carlone (Frankie Carle) was born in Providence on March 25, 1903. A keyboardist in the big band era, Carle was fronting his own band by 1935, when he became known as the “Wizard of the Keyboard.” His most well-known composition was “Sunrise Serenade,” which rose to #1 on the charts in 1938 selling […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Concert Photos: Micky Dolenz of The Monkees charms the Greenwich Odeum crowd with songs and stories
Iconic 60s hitmaker Micky Dolenz of the legendary band The Monkees made a stop at the Greenwich Odeum in East Greenwich on Sunday, March 24, with rare stories about the band along with classic tunes, thrilling the near-sell-out crowd. Backed by a stellar band, and featuring his sister Coco Dolenz on vocals, the former teen […]
Posted inArts & Culture
This Day in RI History: March 23, 1948, Musician David Olney born in Providence
David Olney was born in Providence on March 23, 1948. In the 1970s and 1980’s he was a member of several bands including Simpson and the X-Rays, a band that once appeared on PBS TV’s “Austin City Limits.” A Nashville institution since the 1980s, Olney was best known as an “Americana pioneer” writing songs for […]
Posted inNews
This Day in RI History: March 22, 1966, Martha McSally is born in Warwick
Former Arizona Senator Martha McSally was born on March 22, 1966 in Warwick, RI. She attended Bay View Academy and later received a B.S. in Biology from the United States Air Force Academy as well as a Master’s Degree from the JFK School of Government at Harvard University. As an Air Force pilot, McSally flew […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
What’s Up Interview: Adam Levin, Artistic Director of RI Guitar Guild announces Spring concerts
You may be familiar with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra or Newport Classical, but there’s another organization gaining widespread recognition in local classical music circles. We’re talking about the Rhode Island Guitar Guild, a non-profit organization that presents concerts and workshops with internationally acclaimed artists and educators in unique Rhode Island venues. This spring, the […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Ticket Giveaway: Chris Spedding Trio with Anton Fig playing Colony House Friday, March 22
Guitar great Chris Spedding returns to Newport for a concert on Friday, March 22 at the Newport Colony House. We’ve got a pair of tickets to give away courtesy of Newport Live. To enter, e-mail Ken Abrams at mrabrams11@gmail.com by Noon on Thursday, March 21, for your chance to win. More about Chris Spedding: March […]
Posted inThings To Do
Save the Bay cuts the ribbon on the new Hamilton Family Aquarium
Newport’s newest family attraction, Save the Bay’s Hamilton Family Aquarium, was unveiled earlier today in a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by aquarium staff, state and local dignitaries, invited guests, and enthusiastic students from Thompson Middle School. Hamilton Family Charitable Trust President Chekemma J. Fulmore-Townsend officially cut the ribbon alongside Save the Bay Executive Director Topher Hamblett, […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Concert Photos: Jax Hollow brings hot guitar grooves to the Jamestown Arts Center
Nashville-based singer/songwriter/guitarist Jax Hollow rocked her way through a nice set of original songs (and one notable cover) on Saturday, March 16, at the Jamestown Arts Center in a Newport Live concert. She played several from her debut album Only the Wild Ones, as well as several new songs she plans to record in the […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
St. Patrick’s Day Weekend begins with AOH Pipes & Drums and AOH Men’s Singers at Midtown Oyster Bar
The 2024 St. Patrick’s Day weekend kicked off in style at the Midtown Oyster Bar Friday afternoon March 15. The celebration featured a performance by the Ancient Order of Hibernian’s (AOH) Pipes & Drums and AOH Men’s Singers. A packed house was there to support the two organizations, with funds raised going directly to the […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
What’s Up Interview: Jim McCarty, drummer in The Yardbirds, band playing Narrows Center March 21
He’s set the beat for some of the all-time greats – Clapton, Beck, and Page – all once members of the pioneering 60s British Invasion band The Yardbirds. The blues/rock band may be best remembered for its guitarists, but Yardbirds co-founder and drummer Jim McCarty, one of the driving forces responsible for the band’s distinctive […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Providence Performing Arts Center announces 2024-25 Broadway season
Providence, RI – J.L. “Lynn” Singleton, President and CEO of the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC), and Joseph W. Walsh, Esq., Chairman of PPAC’s Board of Directors, unveiled PPAC’s 2024/2025 Broadway Season at a press conference in the theatre’s Grand Lobby. PPAC 2024-25 Season Announcement (Photo: Ken Abrams)PPAC 2024-25 Season Announcement (Photo: Ken Abrams)PPAC 2024-25 Season […]
Posted inPeople & Profiles
This Day in RI History: March 13, 1799 -Oliver Shaw born in Newport
Oliver Shaw was one of the first important American classical composers. Due to a childhood accident and later a case of yellow fever, he was totally blind when he composed many of his most notable works. His works included many references to local places including “Taunton,” “Bristol” and “Trip to Pawtucket.” Shaw also composed numerous […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Ticket Giveaway: Rising star Jax Hollow playing the Jamestown Arts Center Saturday, March 16
Rising Nashville star Jax Hollow is playing the Jamestown Arts Center on Saturday, March 16, and we’ve got a pair of tickets to give away to the show courtesy of Newport Live. To enter, e-mail Ken Abrams at mrabrams11@gmail.com with “Jax Hollow” in the subject line by 5 PM on Thursday, March 14. The winner […]