Central Falls Summer Sunday Concerts

Nestled between the city of Pawtucket and the towns of Cumberland and Lincoln, Central Falls' history dates back to 1731 and the early history of the town of Smithfield. This tiny city with 1.5 square miles and over 18,000 residents proudly boasts its distinction as recorded in "Ripley's Believe It Or Not" as the smallest most densely populated city, not only in Rhode Island, but?in the Nation.?Central Falls holds free concerts every Sunday during the summer.
All concerts are free and are held at Jenks Park at the Broad Street Gazebo
Everyone is Welcome !

Learn more about the city and the concerts by visiting the city website.

Summer Music Schedule:

JULY 25: GEMINI
AUG. 1: WISDOM (Classical Oldies)
AUG. 8:CUMBERLAND SINGERS
AUG.15: PORKY COHEN ( Jazz)
AUG.22:TOM CASSO (Oldies)
AUG. 29:DOTTIE ZACK

BLOGGING THE CONVENTION

While it's not related exactly to Rhode Island, it's less than 50 miles away, and it's the biggest thing in the news right now. The Democratic Convention.

Dave Winer has put together a great site of all the people blogging the DNC .
http://www.conventionbloggers.com.
I'd hoped to possibly be one of those guys, at the DNC as a performing artist with my Punch and Judy Election show , but managed not to get it together. The best laid plans of mice and men, etc., etc., etc.

I'll have to do it in 4 years!

Cross Genres Music Festival July 23, 24

The Providence Black Rep and The City of Providence's Department of Art, Culture & Tourism have collaborated to create a new cross-genre music festival called Sound Session '04that will grace the stages and parks of Providence on July 23rd and 24th, 2004.


Curated to transcend musical genres, the performers selected for Sound Session '04 cross boundaries in their work - and for this festival Jazz, Hip Hop, Reggae, House, Latin, Afrobeat, Funk and Classic Soul will grace stages across the City of Providence. The connecting fabric of the festival is excellence. Donald King, Artistic Director of the Providence Black Repertory Company, said of Sound Session '04, "In planning this festival we picked acts the way a good DJ picks his tracks, making selections that excite, educate, surprise and inspire the crowd. It's in the mix - in the combination of cultures and genres - that artistic excellence stands out. The juxtaposition of a legend like Ron Carter , who attracts the jazz aficionados, and underground dance floor sensations 3 Generations Walking, who bring in the discriminating hipsters, allows musicianship to be in the foreground. Truly great sound stands out in the mix."



Sound Session '04 is free and open to the public. For more information and for the schedule, visit the Black Rep website www.blackrep.org

A BRAND NEW THEATRE COMPANY IN PROVIDENCE

New Theatre In Providence presents Laramie Project July 22-August 1

The People's Theatre is the newest "Off-Trinity" Theatre in Providence. The founders are primarily staff members of the Trinity Rep Company.


Their first show is Moises Kaufmann's The Laramie Project, which is the story of the murder of Mathew Shepard, a University of Wyoming student who was brutally kidnapped, beaten and left to die (and he did) In 1998. Moisés Kaufman and fellow members of the Tectonic Theater Project made six trips to Laramie over the course of a year and a half in the aftermath of the beating and during the trial of the two young men accused of killing Shepard. They conducted more than 200 interviews with the people of the town. Some people interviewed were directly connected to the case, and others were citizens of Laramie, and the breadth of their reactions to the crime is astonishing.

INFO ABOUT THE SHOW WHEN: July 22-24 at 8pm, July 29-31 at 8pm, July 25 2pm, August 1st 2pm WHERE: Bell Street Chapel, 5 Bell Street, Providence COST: $10 for adults, $8, students and seniors MORE INFO: Call (401) 339-9658 or visit their website http://www.peoplestheatre.4t.com

All That Matters Holistic Colloquium

ALL THAT MATTERS HOLISTIC COLLOQUIUM Fri: July 30 6:30pm - 9:30pm Sat: July 31 9:00am - 6:00pm Deadline for registration is July 23. Call them at 401-782-2126 or visit them online. www.allthatmatters.org A special event born out of the Wakefield holistic health center All That Matter’s prime mission: to work together with a group of talented people to educate, inspire and support each other and the community to continually grow toward and maintain optimal health and well being. Join recognized leaders, authors and likeminded friends for a time of insight, discussion and networking that will inspire you to live more consciously and with purpose

Some of the speakers and performers include:

BetheAnne DeLuca-Verley, M.D. the founder of Waking Dreams & Warrior Women. www.wakingdreams.org

Bradley Grove Hyson executive director of the Apeiron Institute for Environmental Living. www.apeiron.org

Vandita Kate Marchesiello director of the Kripalu Yoga Teachers Association www.kripalu.org

Tracy LeRoux , CEO & Creative Director for the Link Agency in Providence, RI. www.thelinkagency.com
Snowden McFall , president of 20 year old Brightwork Advertising & Training, and Fired Up, her 8 year old corporate training business. www.firedupnow.com

Alan Seale , a life coach and author of INTUITIVE LIVING:A SACRED PATH, www.alanseale.com

Becky Williams a singer-songwriter and performer. www.beckywilliamsmusic.com

When Running is an Act of Bravery.

CANDIDATE MARK BINDER DISTRICT 1 RHODE ISLAND DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY SEPT. 14

My Friend Mark Binder is Running For Congress! It's a very brave act. He's running against Congressman Patrick Kennedy, who is as clear a juggernaut as ever there was in Rhode Island politics. Kennedy is the incumbent, he's well-financed, and most importantly, he's a Kennedy! Mark is unhappy with how things are, and he's striving to change them. Mark is a great guy, and one of the hardest working guys I know, and a great friend (I'm the God-father to his daughter) and he's smart, and I think if he were elected, he'd make a good congressman, and he'd work towards making the country a better place. Still, with the odds stacked so heavily against him, It seems like a fool's mission. But change has to happen somewhere, and I'm proud of Mark for standing up and trying to make that change. And I'll vote for him. (Actually, he's not in my district, so I can't actually vote for him. But if he were, I would.) To find out more about his campaign, visit http://www.markbinderforcongress.com And if you want to support independent politicians, or want to volunteer to help, you should do it sooner rather than later!

CRESCENT PARK CAROUSEL

Yesterday, I spent a delightful day going to one of my favorite places-- the Crescent Park Carousel.
It's featured in my book, and I'm always amazed when I go and ride the ride how well this 105 year old piece of machinery works. The mechanism goes VERY fast, the music is great, and a 4 minute ride is 75 cents. (I've included the coloring image from the book below, as well as a couple of links to articles and information about the Carousel. But the best thing to do is just go and see it for yourself! .


It's now operated by the city of East Providence, and it is open from Easter through Columbus Day on Saturdays and Sundays. Additional days are added during the summer. The carousel can be rented for parties, weddings, and other functions, with special children's birthday party packages available. Call them at 401/435-7518 or 401/433-2828.


Directions: From I-195, exit 4 (Riverside) to Veteran's Memorial Parkway. Continue straight and eventually the road will begin to fork, and the carousel will be right in the fork. (across from a public park, and the water)



READ ABOUT THE HISTORY OF CRESCENT PARK

HEAR SOME OF THE MUSIC FROM THE CALLIOPE

READ MY ARTICLE FROM THE BOOK ON THE CAROUSEL

Do Your Socks Talk? Providence Puppet Workshops.

DO YOUR SOCKS TALK?
Take a puppet workshop!

Carl Weiting, one of the chief instigators of the Boston Puppet Slam, is giving two workshops in puppetry this summer at the Perishable Theatre. The first is Saturday July 24 from 9 am-1pm, and is geared towards adults. The second is Saturday August 21 from 9 am-1 pm and is geared towards teenagers ages 13-18. For more information, visit their website or call 401-331-2695 x102.

LIVE MUSIC THIS WEEK!

Providence is a hopping musical town. Okay, we're not NYC, but there's a whole lot of music going on: Every week, the Providence Journal puts out a Club Calendar that lists what's going on in the general vicinity: This week, everyone from Youssou N'Dour (Senegalese superstar) to K.D. Lang to Dave Howard and the High Rollers (local swing) to Atwater Donnely (local folk) to Paul Geremia (local blues) to the Village People to the Bozo Porno Circus to the Little German Band to Nathan and Zydeco Cha-Chas are playing. Check out the full listing at http://www.projo.com/music/clubcal (which is updated every Thursday)

Here are just a few selections from the list for the next few days:

JULY 9


--FREE-- Ramatou Diakite, African, Waterplace Park, Memorial Boulevard, Providence. 7:30 pm.

Dirty Deeds, tribute to AC/DC, Gillary's Tavern, 198 Thames St., Bristol. 253-2012. 9:30 pm.

The Fabulous Mills Brothers, rock, Lang's Villa, 47 Mendon Ave., Pawtucket. 729-8115. 9 pm.

Dave Howard and The High Rollers, rhythm and blues, The Room at Waterstreet Cafe, 36 Water St., Fall River. (508) 672-8748. 9 pm. $5.

k.d. lang, country, FleetBoston Pavilion, 290 Northern Ave., Boston Waterfront, Boston. (617) 228-6000, (617) 679-0810. 8 pm. $35-$62.50 advance; $37-$64.50 day of show. Rain or shine.

Ronnie Spector, pop rock, Mohegan Sun, Wolf Den, Mohegan Sun Boulevard (exit 79A off Route 395), Uncasville, Conn. (888) 226-7711 ext. 7163. 8 pm. No cover.

Young Neal and The Vipers, rhythm and blues, Hungry Tiger, 120 Charter Oak Rd., Manchester, Conn. (860) 649-1195. 9 pm.

JULY 10

Beyond Blonde, rock, Whaling Festival, Buttonwood Park, Route 140, New Bedford. 9-11 pm.

Brass Force, pop, The Hi-Hat, 3 Davol Square, Providence. 453-6500. 9 pm-1 am. $5.

The Calamari Brothers, swing, Rossi's Cafe, Front Room, 1785 Cranston St., Cranston. 943-3196. 9 pm. No cover.

Jason Crumer, Gamspun, Immaculate:Grotesque, Bereft and Furisubi, rock, AS220, 115 Empire St., Providence. 831-9327. 9 pm. $6. All-ages show.

Steve Smith and The Nakeds, rhythm and blues, Roy Carpenter's Beach, 240 Card's Pond Rd., South Kingstown. 783-7418. 9 pm.

The Taran Yelle Band, rhythm and blues, Chelo's Waterfront Bar and Grille, 1 Masthead Drive, Warwick. 884-3000. 7:30-11:30 pm.

Young Neal and The Vipers, rhythm and blues, Harry's, 700 Main St., Hyannis, Mass. (508) 778-4188. 9 pm.

JULY 11

--FREE-- Atwater-Donnelly, folk, Barrington Town Hall lawn, Route 114, Barrington. 257-1925. 6-7 pm. In Middle School if rain.

Blue Cherry Pie, rock, Deerfield Park, Blackhawk Trail, Smithfield. 4-6 pm.

Mary Day, folk, Harbourside Lobstermania, outside, Water Street, East Greenwich. 884-6363. 3-5:30 pm.

Elton Dexter, swing, Cocke 'n' Kettle Restaurant, 5 South Main St. (Route 122), Uxbridge, Mass. (508) 278-5517. 3-7 pm.

Dion, oldies, Mohegan Sun, Cabaret, Mohegan Sun Boulevard (exit 79A off Route 395), Uncasville, Conn. (800) 477-6849. 3 pm. $45.

The Killdevils, blues, The Coffee Depot, 501 Main St., Warren. 247-9890. 3-6 pm. No cover.

The Little German Band, pop and polkas, World War II Park, Social Street, Woonsocket. 6-8 pm.

Nathan and The Zydeco Cha-Chas, zydeco, Catfish Grill, 1035 West Shore Rd., Warwick. 739-4564. 5-9 pm. $15.

Nocturne, Bozo Porno Circus, Tung, The Deadites and AbSynthe, rock, The Living Room, 23 Rathbone St., Providence. 521-5200. 8 pm. $10. All-ages show.

--FREE-- Riverfront Concert Series: Vini Ames and Sh-Bop, oldies, Veterans' Memorial Amphitheater, Roosevelt Avenue, Pawtucket. 6:30-8:30 pm.
The Village People, disco, Mohegan Sun, Wolf Den, Mohegan Sun Boulevard (exit 79A off Route 395), Uncasville, Conn. (888) 226-7711 ext. 7163. 7 pm. No cover.

BIG APPLE CIRCUS

Every year the Big Apple Circus comes to Ninigret Park in Charleston RI as the second to last stop on their tour. It's a fun time for the circus performers, as it's close to the beach, there aren't too many shows, and the Rhode Island audiences are pretty fun. Big Apple is one of the top one ring circuses in the country, and a non-profit organization to boot! This year the show is July 8-14, and the theme of the show is Carnevale. For information about tickets, times, and all that good stuff, visit this website or call the presenters of the show (The Charleston Chamber of Commerce) at (401) 364-0890

Tall Ships in Newport July 16-19

TALL SHIPS COME TO NEWPORT
JULY 16-19.

First the event was cancelled, then it was on again, then it was cancelled. And now it is on again! Does this sound like a familiar scenario? (Think First Night/ Bright Night last year)


I'm glad to report that another group of stalwart citizens was able to rescue another Rhode Island tradition this year, and that the Tall Ships will sail into Newport next weekend (July 16-19)


Tickets will be $5 for adults, kids under 12 free, and there's all kinds of excitement planned for the event.


The reason it was cancelled originally was primarily security ($500,000 extra, to comply with the enhanced federal security), and the additional costs are being spread out by various state and city agencies.


Folr the full scoop, check out the Warwick Beacon article on what happened. You can also check out the Tall Ships Rhode Island website. And an additional website about the Tall Ships, including photos, is available on the Channel 12 website

Benefit for Jen Swain Theatre Artist, July 24

BENEFIT FOR JEN SWAIN JULY 24

Our current health system doesn't work for artists, and (sadly) here is an example. Jen Swain is a 27 year old theatre artist based in Providence, RI. She is currently on her fourth chemotherapy treatment, but has no health insurance. She is now more than $45,000 in debt, with no clear way how to get out of debt. A group of artists are taking matters into their own hands, and having a fundraiser to begin to help Jen out. While they probably are not going to raise the full 45K at the Perishable Theatre (at 100 seats, that's an average donation of $450), but hey, it's a start. If you'd care to help a young and talented artist through a difficult time, and see some theatre in the process, here's the information: WHEN: Saturday, July 24 at 8:00PM WHERE: Perishable Theatre 95 Empire Street(click for directions) WHAT: Reading of the play: Emma Goldman: A Noise In the Silence written by Tamara Smith in collaboration with Claudia Traub and Deborah Heimann, directed by Jen Swain, and performed by Claudia Traub. and Unremembering a dance piece by Melody Ruffin Ward. HOW:Call Claudia at 401.246.2439 for reservations. COST: Tickets are $15.00 (additional donations accepted) For more information, visit the webpage

ARTIST PENSION TRUST

The Artist Pension Trust (APT) is the first retirement trust program created specifically to provide emerging and mid-career visual artists with long-term financial security. Drawing on the traditional structure of mutual assurance societies, a limited series of APTs comprised of 250 artists each will be formed in cities and regions throughout the US.



Each APT is a non-profit, self-governing entity whose purpose is to provide participating artists with pension benefits. Artist Pension Trust will always seek to carefully balance the long-term career goals of participating artists with professional financial management concerns.



A region-specific selection committee comprised of individuals who are broadly experienced in working with emerging artists will identify artists to be invited to apply for participation in a Trust. The committee will review each applicant's work and select those who will participate in a Trust. Only self-employed artists may participate inAPT.



APT is a barter-based program. Rather than cash, participants will contribute works of art to their Trust, investing 20 works over a 20-year period. Artists will start to receive income 20 years after the inception of their APT.



The New York APT is the first one, but perhaps artists here in Rhode Island can look to starting our own? And if only we could figure out how to make this work for writers and performing artists....



For more information, or to apply for the New York APT, visit the website: http://www.artistpensiontrust.org