Festival season is upon us. Lots of annual fests and more going on this weekend – we’re highlight a few (mostly) free activities around the state. Check out our weekly column “Six Picks: What’s Up in RI this weekend.” Friday: The Gamm Theatre presents Shakespeare’s King Lear, starring Ian McKellen broadcast live from the National […]
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 inArts & Culture
What’s Up Interview: ‘Goodnight, Sweetheart Goodnight’ playwright Darcie Dennigan and composer Niki Healy
A new musical, Goodnight Sweetheart, Goodnight makes its world premiere at the Waterfire Arts Center in Providence on Thursday, May 25. Presented by the Wilbury Theatre Group, the play tells the story of Artemisia Gentileschi, considered one of the greatest artists of the Baroque period. Getileschi is known for her work featuring strong, heroic women, […]
Posted inThings To Do
‘Six Picks’ Music: The best in local music this weekend (May 12-14)
It’s an all-female edition of “Six Picks” this weekend as we honor mothers and all women who rock! (And more!) Check out six of the best concerts around the region in our weekly column “Six Picks Music.” Saturday: It’s a spring homecoming show for Smithfield native Sarah Potenza at The Met Saturday night. The former […]
Posted inThings To Do
‘Six Picks’ Events: What’s Up in RI this weekend (May 12-14)
Get ready for a very busy Mother’s Day weekend with events happening all over Rhode Island. Here are a few good ones in our weekly column, “Six Picks Events.” All Weekend: Celebrate sailing and more and this weekend with nine days of fun at the Ocean Race Stopover at Fort Adams State Park in Newport. […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Ticket Giveaway: Cary Morin Duo at Jamestown Arts Center Friday May 12
A Kennedy Center-recognized duo is coming to town this weekend, and we’ve got a pair of tickets to give away to the concert thanks to Newport Live. To win tickets to see the Cary Morin Duo, e-mail Ken Abrams at mrabrams11@gmail.com. Please put “Cary Morin tickets” in the subject line and leave a phone number […]
Posted inThings To Do
New Music Festival coming to Wakefield May 27
The first Wakefield Music Festival will kick off summer on Saturday, May 27, with multiple bands and entertainers, costumed characters for the kids, barbecue with a Jamaican twist, local brews and the first RiverFire of the year. If you’ve enjoyed Oktoberfest, which caps off summer, the intention of this festival is similar – to bring […]
Posted inArts & Culture, Music & Entertainment, Things To Do
What’s Up Interview: Jazz great Kamasi Washington, playing City Winery and Newport Jazz Festival
Kamasi Washington exists on the cutting edge of jazz. He is the avant-garde, who, along with a group of collaborators, is setting the tone in the jazz world. Like Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman, Washington’s music transcends what came before, pushing the genre’s needle forward. I was fortunate to speak with the Grammy-nominated […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Concert Recap and Photos: Steve and Bokani Dyer Quartet jazz up Newport
The Steve and Bokani Dyer Quartet brought world-class jazz to Newport Live’s Indigenous Music Series on May 5th at the Newport Classical Recital Hall. The band was fresh off a sold-out show at Dizzy’s in New York City, where the father/son-led unit serve as visiting teacher-performers in Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Music Education program. The […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Van Morrison’s concert at PPAC postponed until September 22 and 24
Van Morrison fans, you’ll have to wait a little longer to see Van the Man. The singer’s two-night stand, originally scheduled for May 11-12 at the Providence Performing Arts Center today has been postponed. The following statement was issued by PPAC this afternoon: Providence, RI – With regret, the Van Morrison performances on Thursday, May 11 […]
Posted inArts & Culture, Music & Entertainment, Things To Do
‘Six Picks’ Music: The best in local music this weekend (May 5-7)
Louis Armstrong once noted, “Music is life itself.” We agree .. and in this week’s “Six Picks Music,” we’re living the dream with everything from rock to jazz to classical. Have a great weekend! Friday: There will be jazz in Newport tonight! Tickets are still available for the Steve and Bokani Dyer Quartet, a South […]
Posted inArts & Culture
‘Six Picks’ Events: What’s Up in RI this weekend (May 5-7)
Here’s our weekly round of events happening around the state. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo, the Kentucky Derby, and some nice outdoor weather. Have a great weekend! Friday: Celebrate Cinco de Mayo by the beach with Newport’s best food and drink from Diego’s Cantina and Reject’s Brewery. Diego’s is open at noon with drink specials and […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Ticket Giveaway: Steve and Bokani Dyer Quartet to perform at ‘Newport Live’ show May 5
Get Ready for some world-class jazz in Newport this Friday, May 5. The Steve and Bokani Dyer Quartet will be playing Newport Live’s Indigenous Music Series at the Newport Classical Recital Hall at 42 Dearborn Street. Tickets are available here for the 7:30 show. We have two pairs of tickets to give away to the show. […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
What’s Up Interview: RI drummer Jesse Humphrey of Carbon Leaf, band playing Jane Pickens Friday, May 5
An award-winning band from Richmond, VA is headed to Newport’s Jane Pickens Film and Events Center on Friday, May 5. Best known for 2001’s “The Boxer,” and the 2004 hit “Life Less Ordinary,” Carbon Leaf plays an Americana blend of bluegrass, rock, folk, Celtic and pop. With a dedicated fanbase, they regularly sell out shows […]
Posted inNews
What’s Up Interview: Evan St. Martin of Laden Valley, playing Greenwich Odeum on May 5
A pair of critically acclaimed indie-folk/Americana bands, Newport’s Laden Valley and The Sea, The Sea, take over the Greenwich Odeum stage for a special show Friday, May 5. Both bands are rising stars in the indie music community, with songs featuring inspired lyrics and strong musicianship. Click here for tickets to the show. We spoke […]
Posted inArts & Culture, Music & Entertainment, Things To Do
‘Six Picks’ Music: The best in local music this weekend (April 28-30)
Our weekly column “Six Picks Music” features quite the mix of shows this weekend from tribute shows to rock legends to rising singer-songwriters. Check out some of the best in local music below. Friday: It’s never a bad time to Get the Led Out at The Vets when the Philadelphia based Led Zeppelin tribute band […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
FirstWorks Summer Beats Concerts at Roger Williams Park to feature funk titans Red Baraat and Belize’s Garifuna Collective
FirstWorks, a Providence-based nonprofit dedicated to connecting art with audiences, announced their 2023 Summer Beats Concert line-up today, presented in partnership with Roger Williams Park Conservancy and Providence Parks Department. FirstWorks’ two free outdoor concerts at the Roger Williams Park Bandstand feature the multigenerational Garifuna Collective with powerful Afro-Indigenous music from coastal Belize and Honduras on June 25, 2023, […]
Posted inThings To Do
‘Six Picks’ Events: What’s Up in RI this weekend (April 28-30)
Welcome to “Six Picks Events,” our weekly column highlighting some of the best events happening around the state. This week, we’re featuring world-class theater, pure dance, and a couple of beer and wine festivals. Have a great weekend! All Weekend: The Children at the Gamm Theatre in Warwick tells the story of retired scientists Hazel […]
Posted inStyle & Shop
Independent Bookstore Day to celebrate its 10th anniversary Saturday, April 29
Indie bookstore fans – your day is almost here! Saturday, April 29, is Independent Bookstore Day, a day to celebrate and shop at your local independently-owned bookstore. IBD is a one-day national party at indie bookstores nationwide held annually since 2014. Bookstores large and small around the region have special events planned for Saturday. We spoke […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Geena Davis coming to The VETS in Providence Oct. 15 along with a screening of ‘Beetlejuice’
On October 15, 2023 The VETS in Providence will welcome Geena Davis, Academy Award-winning actress and star of the iconic film, Beetlejuice. The evening will feature a special screening of the beloved movie, followed by a live conversation and audience Q&A with Geena Davis, who portrayed the character of Barbara Maitland in the film. Tickets […]
Posted inArts & Culture
RISD Museum announces ‘The Performative Self-Portrait’ opening May 13
In May 2023, the RISD Museum will present The Performative Self-Portrait, an exhibition that explores the complexity of identity through photographic self-portraits. Featuring over twenty artists, the exhibition foregrounds the potential of photography to enact the self, investigate history, and articulate identity. In the fifty photographs on-view ranging from 1930 to the present, the camera is used […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
WasFest coming to Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame in Boston June 23-25
The Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame, an initiative of the Boch Center in Boston, announced the lineup for the inaugural WasFest, a unique music experience at the Wang and Shubert Theatres. Curated and hosted by musician, legendary producer, and President of Blue Note Records Don Was, the festival will take place June 23-25 and […]
Posted inArts & Culture
‘Six Picks’ Music: The best in local music this weekend (April 21-23)
There’s a little bit of everything this week in live, local music. Check out our weekly round-up of some of the best local shows in “Six Picks Music.” All Weekend: Askew in Providence celebrates its 5th anniversary this weekend with a slew of great shows. It all starts Friday with a double bill from Neutral […]
Posted inNews
Popular children’s production Blippi bringing ‘The Wonderful World Tour’ to PPAC September 30
Providence, RI – Round Room Live and Moonbug Entertainment are proud to announce that a new live show, Blippi: The Wonderful World Tour, will again bring the vivacious, energetic, and educational antics of global sensation Blippi to stages across North America, with a stop at the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) on Saturday, September 30, 2023 at 2P. […]
Posted inNews
Stephen Marley bringing ‘Babylon By Bus’ tour to Indian Ranch July 27
(Webster, MA – April 20, 2023) – Stephen Marley is bringing his Babylon By Bus Tour to Indian Ranch in Webster, MA on Thursday, July 27, 2023 with special guests Jesse Roya and Roots of Creation. Tickets go on-sale this Friday, April 21 at 10:00 AM at www.indianranch.com. A limited number of Low Dough Early Bird General Admission tickets […]
Posted inArts & Culture, Food & Drink, Things To Do
‘Six Picks’ Events: What’s Up in RI this weekend (April 21-23)
Not sure what to do around the region this weekend? Saturday is Earth Day – we’ve got a couple of fun ideas and more. Check out “Six Picks Events” below and have a great weekend! Friday: Food Truck Friday returns to the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence with a variety of food trucks, local […]