ART & CULTURE
Virtual Entertainment
The Show Goes On
MUSIC
The Rhode Island music and theater scene is alive and well thanks to digital venues and loyal fans
by A d a m H o g u e MadCap Monday: MadCap Monday is a music and art jam, an open-mic showcase that started at The Spot but has since found a home at Dusk. I’m sure that even if the world succumbed to a zombie apocalypse, there would still be MadCap Monday, so for Nate Cozzolino, Nic “Supe” Hallenbeck, and the MadCap crew, this COVID-19 business is nothing but a challenge to be more creative. MadCap continues to offer live, curated performance art and music every Monday starting at 7pm for the MadCap Monday Facebook “live quaranstream.”
Almost three months into social distancing practices, the deeper human-tech-cloud merger is at hand; our interactions and connection are explicitly through screens. Whereas once there was the luxury of “staying in tonight,” there is now no other choice. But fear not, for in the midst of isolation, the creative types are doing what they do best: Finding ways to bring art to the people. Here are ways to support your favorite local artists, stay involved with the Rhode Island music scene, or maybe catch up on what you’ve been missing from the comfort of your couch.
The News Cafe: While your bedroom might lack the ambiance of a local bar/venue like The News Cafe, you can still listen to regulars on Bandcamp at LivingRoomUTB. bandcamp.com/releases. The project was conceived by James Toomey, creator of the podcast Where the Living Room Used to Be, and curated by Justin Foster. The Galactic Theatre: David Podsnap of The Galactic Theatre is in the midst of adding a flatbread setup and an ice cream parlor whilst keeping fans satiated musically, too. “I am planning on hosting online streaming solo concerts from our website or Instagram or Facebook,” says Podsnap. “There will be a PayPal and/or Venmo link per concert stream and all tips will go to performers.” Slated to start concerts this month, keep an eye on The Galactic Theatre Facebook.
Photography by Wolf Matthewson
Big Nice Studio Thursdays: Maybe you’re ready to turn those quarantine demos into more refined projects. Brad Krieger of Big Nice Studio in Lincoln is still taking on remote mixing and mastering projects, as well as collaborating with artists to produce tracks remotely. “One thing I have going in the meantime while treading water for the moment is a new Twitch stream,” Krieger says. “Every Thursday night I host two bands...the bands come on to hang out.” Find it at Twitch.TV/ChillGuysTV.
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ProvidenceOnline.com • June 2020
Bartholomewtown Podcast: Silverteeth’s Bill Bartholomew has been able to fully embrace his citizen-guerilla local journalism with his Bartholomewtown podcast. Bartholomew has been at every one of Gov. Raimondo’s press conferences, and he streams protests via Facebook live and interviews creatives and policy-makers. He says, “I have tried to use my press credential as a public servant, asking questions that come from my ‘eyes and ears wide open’ approach to journalism.” Find Bartholomewtown on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more.
