Fences are up, stages construction is almost complete, and sound systems are being tested at Ninigret State Park in Charlestown where the Rhythm and Roots Festival is scheduled to begin Friday at 4PM. 2021 marks the return of the annual Labor Day Weekend event, canceled last year due to the pandemic. A full lineup of […]
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 inWeather
4-6 inches of rain expected across the region Wednesday night into Thursday
Tropical Depression Ida is forecast to impact the region beginning Wednesday with heavy rain and flooding expected. 4-6 inches of rain could fall over most of Rhode Island with isolated amounts as high as 7 inches. The heaviest of the rain is expected to fall after 6PM Wednesday night. A Flash Flood Watch is in […]
Posted inWeather
Flash Flood Watch issued for the region beginning Wednesday, Sept. 1
The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Watch for all of southern New England as the remnants of Hurricane Ida approach the region. Heavy rain accumulating 2-4 inches with isolated amounts of 6 inches is expected beginning in the afternoon Wednesday, September 1. Read the text of the alert below: FLASH FLOOD WATCH […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Concert Photos and Recap: Hundreds enjoy Rhode Island Folk Festival in East Providence (August 29, 2021)
It was a beautiful day for music Sunday, August 29th at Rose Larissa Park in East Providence where over 40 bands and artists played the 7th annual Rhode Island Folk Festival. Over 1,000 fans attended the free event, which featured craft vendors and food trucks, along with a variety of local musicians performing folk to […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Six Picks: The best in local music this weekend – Kings, Chachi, and Festivals
Cooler temperatures and even cooler music is on tap for the upcoming weekend. We’ll focus on a few shows that are free and outdoors this weekend! Friday: The Dick Clarks return to Nick-a-Nees in downtown Providence. Music starts around 9PM. Rock out all night long! Details here. Saturday: Warren Folks Fest Five is a free […]
Posted inArts & Culture, Things To Do
Kristin Hersh to appear with Dave Narcizo at Charter Books Sept. 3
Kristin Hersh, a Newport native who co-founded the legendary alt-rock band Throwing Muses with her stepsister Tanya Donelly, will appear for a conversation with bandmate and drummer Dave Narcizo on September 3rd. The event is scheduled for 7PM at Charter Books, at 8 Broadway in Newport. Kristin Hersh (Photo: Peter Mellekas) Hersh will be discussing […]
Posted inNews
Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals announce 2022 dates
Time to plan ahead. Newport Folk and Jazz Festival organizers today announced the dates for the 2022 events. The Folk Festival will be held at Fort Adams State Park July 22-24, 2022, and the Jazz Festival is scheduled for July 29-31, 2022. With the expectation of full capacity events next summer, it’s notable the Folk […]
Posted inNews
Goose Set To play Mohegan Sun Arena Saturday, December 18
UNCASVILLE, CT (August 24, 2021)– Fresh off the heels of releasing their second studio album shenanigans nite club Goose is hitting the road for a epic tour this winter. The nationwide tour stops at Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday, December 18, 2021 at 8:00pm. Tickets are $58.50, $48.50 and $38.50 and on sale Friday, August 27th at 10:00am via Ticketmaster.com. Goose fans […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Singer-Songwriter Jon Pousette-Dart Playing Narrows Center August 28th
More great concert news – Jon Pousette Dart is coming to the Narrows Center in Fall River on Saturday, August 28th. The Pousette-Dart Band toured widely in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s sharing the stage with such artists as James Taylor, The Eagles and the J. Geils Band. Active as a performer/recording artist for […]
Posted inArts & Culture, Things To Do
Herb Alpert announces new studio album “Catch the Wind”
Herb Alpert recently announced his new studio album, Catch The Wind, out September 17th via his own imprint Herb Alpert Presents. This new collection features 9 original compositions, plus covers of the beloved Beatles hits “Eleanor Rigby” and “Yesterday”, and American classics “Smile”, “America The Beautiful”, and “Summertime.” Fans can pre-order the album here + via Amazon here today. Earlier this […]
Posted inWeather
Tropical Storm Henri: Reader-submitted photos
We asked readers to submit photos from Tropical Storm Henri. Thanks to all who contributed! Check out some of our favorites in the gallery below. We’ll be updating the gallery Monday as more photos are submitted. From Felicia L. in Newport From Jay Y. From Andrea S From Jody W. From Patrick G. From Nadine […]
Posted inNews, Weather
National Grid responding to Henri – Restoring power to 72,000+ customers
PROVIDENCE, RI – National Grid has nearly 4,000 field personnel in Rhode Island and Massachusetts responding to power outages caused by downed limbs, trees, and poles resulting from Tropical Storm Henri. The storm is delivering fierce winds and heavy rain, with some peak gusts reaching above 70 mph, leading to significant damage. Field personnel in Rhode […]
Posted inNews
Got Henri photos? Send us your storm pics by 8PM Sunday
As conditions improve, we’re putting together a gallery of photos from Tropical Storm Henri. Share your storm-related pictures and we’ll add them to our photo gallery. E-mail to mrabrams11@gmail.com. Be sure to include your first name and last initial and location of the photo (city or town). Reminder: Wait until stormy conditions have passed. Do […]
Posted inWeather
11AM Update: Tropical Storm Warning remains in effect – Power losses widespread in the region
Hurricane Henri was downgraded to a strong Tropical Storm this morning with highest wind speeds at 70mph. At 11AM, the storm was directly over Block Island and headed toward the RI/CT coast. Rainfall totals were highest in Westerly with 2.79 inches as of 11AM, with other parts of the state reporting between 1-2 inches. In […]
Posted inWeather
Power out during Henri? Important information from National Grid
National Grid is reminding customers that power outages are expected to occur during today’s storm. It may be several days before power is restored. Click here to report an outage. You can check the regional outage map here to see what is happening around the state. We’re sharing some safety reminders from National Grid below: […]
Posted inNews, Weather
5PM Update: Hurricane Henri on track to strike RI, CT, MA Sunday
Hurricane Henri is expected to impact the region on Sunday, as a weak hurricane or a strong tropical storm. Henri is currently a Category 1 hurricane and is expected to strengthen slightly before making landfall Sunday afternoon or evening. Tropical storm conditions will begin overnight into Sunday morning. Dangerous conditions are expected with heavy rain, […]
Posted inNews
Sunday concerts canceled due to storm – Jason Mraz at Mohegan and Scotty McCreery at Indian Ranch
We’re passing along these announcements regarding cancellations due to the storm. Check with the venues for further information. Due to the state of emergency issued by the State of Connecticut related to Hurricane Henri, the Jason Mraz performance originally scheduled for tomorrow evening at Mohegan Sun Arena will be postponed. Updates on a rescheduled Jason […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Concert Recap and Photos: PPAC returns with a Rock Show (August 20, 2021)
Local heroes John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band hosted New Jersey pals Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes for an old-time rock show at the Providence Performing Arts Center on Friday, August 20th. The joint was jumping as the two bands rocked the house with classic favorites while testing out a few new songs. […]
Posted inWeather
11AM UPDATE: Tropical Storm Warning issued for region – Henri expected to impact RI on Sunday
Hurricane Henri is expected to impact the region beginning early Sunday morning with heavy winds, rain and a storm surge. A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued for most of Rhode Island. Travel is expected to be difficult throughout the day Sunday and widespread power outages may occur. The storm is expected to make landfall […]
Posted inArts & Culture, Things To Do
Six Picks: The best in live music this weekend (August 20-22)
With Hurricane Henri expected to hit the region on Sunday, we’ll limit our weekend picks to Friday and Saturday. Get out and enjoy some live music while you can! Friday: A hard-rocking double bill is the first show to return to PPAC since the pandemic began. What better way to start than with RI’s own […]
Posted inArts & Culture, Business
What’s Up Interview: Michael Mota, Executive Producer of upcoming film “Gotti II, The Final Chapter, Facts Undisputed”
America loves gangster films. From Scarface to Goodfellas to the Godfather trilogy, we can’t seem to get enough mob movies. So a new film about mobster John Gotti, currently in production from Executive Producer (and Rhode Islander) Michael Mota, is certainly something to look forward to. The film will star Armand Assante, the renowned actor […]
Posted inNews
UPDATED: Henri forecast to pass over RI as strong Tropical Storm on Sunday
The latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center has Tropical Storm Henri passing directly over Rhode Island on Sunday, August 22. The 11AM update has Henri arriving Sunday afternoon as a weak Hurricane. Henri is expected to bring heavy rain, high winds, flooding and a storm surge to the area. Widespread power losses are possible. […]
Posted inNews, Weather
Newport issues Hurricane guidance – Easton’s Beach closed Saturday
The city of Newport issued an alert this afternoon in advance of the arrival of Hurricane Henri. The storm is expected to impact the area beginning late Saturday, with potential for hurricane-force winds, heavy rain, flooding, and a storm surge expected by Sunday. Alert from the City of Newport: The National Hurricane Center has issued […]
Posted inNews, Weather
UPDATED: Weather Alert: Tropical Storm Henri to threaten the region Sunday
The National Hurricane Center has updated the forecast for Tropical Storm Henri, expected to become a hurricane by Friday. The storm could threaten the region by Sunday, although the exact track of the storm at this point is uncertain. Check the advisory below for the latest information. The August 19th 5PM update from the National […]
Posted inNews, Things To Do
RI Folk Festival Coming to East Providence August 29th
After a pandemic hiatus, the Rhode Island Folk Festival is returning to Rose Larisa Park in East Providence, RI on Sunday, August 29, 2021. The annual event, beginning at Noon, is a free music festival featuring some of the finest folk, acoustic and Americana singer-songwriter acts in the Rhode Island area. The outdoor Festival features […]