& ART CULTURE

Industrial Light and Magic

The artists behind the inflatable sculptures at PVDFest

Even if you’ve never attended PVDFest, you might have scrolled through social media and spied photos of musicians and dancers, hand-held foods, crowds of revelers, and familiar landmarks, only to pause and wonder what is that colorful behemoth looming in the background? So large, it can barely be captured in any single shot, it’s an inflatable, immersive, interactive, and portable sculpture titled “The Grove” by Pneuhaus, and it likely arrived at the scene in a few du el bags.

Based in an industrial complex minutes from downtown in Rumford, Pneuhaus is an interdisciplinary art and design studio that specializes in what they accurately deem “exuberant transformations of public space.” The studio was co-founded by Levi Bedall, August Lehrecke, and Matthew Muller, and includes Staveley Kuzmanov, Paris Fernandez, and Emily Shinada. With backgrounds in architecture, fine art, textiles, and furniture design, the collective brings a vast array of strengths and knowledge to every project. “Driven to innovate, we are constantly developing new material systems in pursuit of unprecedented color and light e ects, as shown in our 30 large scale commissions,” says Bedall. “Our studio incorporates leading-edge technologies to achieve complex, organic forms that stand in happy contrast to the hard edges of the everyday built environment.”

Slated for all four days of PVDFest, Pneuhaus brings the “spectacle” promised by the event organizers, a slot the innovative company is happy to fill. “As Rhode Island-based artists we are always particularly excited to contribute to the creative life of our local community, and have been honored to collaborate with PVDFest, the RISD Museum, the I-95 Redevelopment District, Stay Silent, PVD Winter Market, Pawtucket Arts Festival, DESIGNxRI, and more.” Learn more at Pneu.haus | By

Elyse Major

Driven to Laughter

R-rated comedy bus tours of the city entertain with stand-ups, sights, and restaurant stops

If you’re sitting in tra c and hear Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” being belted out by a busload of smiling faces, you’re probably witnessing Comedy Bus City Tours in action, a riotous interactive experience that brings together comedy, music, and community. “It’s a food truck for jokes,” says comedian and marketing director Steve Donovan, of the R-rated live stand-up show on wheels.

Donovan is part of a crew that includes husband and wife team Mike and Jena Seiber Keller, who founded the business after enjoying similar excursions in cities like Austin. With backgrounds in hospitality, they also wanted their lineups to showcase Providence and its restaurant scene. They purchased a retired school bus in February of 2020 (do you see where this is going?) and then COVID slammed on the breaks. The refurbished bus was parked until October 2022, when the first Comedy Bus City Tour rolled out, and hasn’t stopped since.

“Ticket sales alone speak to the excitement that we’re bringing to Providence,” says Jena. “We’ve been sold out quite a few times. People are booking in advance. It’s kind of the hot new thing.” Passengers are excited to check out city sights while being entertained by two comics, and making stops at food and drinking establishments. Guests can bring their own wine and beer – no hard alcohol – and there are always surprises along the way. The bus has been refitted for a more mature audience, not the kids it was originally designed to transport to school every day. Seats are comfortable, each with their own cupholder, and, yes, there is a bathroom.

As ambassadors of the city, the Comedy Bus highlights locally owned establishments. Tours begin at Brass Monkey on Allens Avenue, and have included stops at Revival Brewing, Moonshine Alley, Black Sheep, Sport & Leisure, and The Patio on Broadway, with di erent stops added each month. A recent private event had the bus stop by Brewology in Smithfield.

Funnyman Donovan brings decades of stand- up cred having performed across the country, along with a long history as a well-known regional radio personality. He explains that it’s more than a bus tour or a comedy show. “We’re connecting people in a deeper way. It’s much more interactive. People are singing together, waving at people on the street together, and, most importantly, having fun.” With their success, a brunch option was recently added, which extends the tour to three hours and includes stops at two restaurants, and there are plans to expand to other areas with Newport topping the list.

“There is so much going on with every tour,” explains Donovan. “We want people to have fun and leave feeling good. We can all use a little more of that in our lives.”

Ninety-minute comedy tours run each weekend at 2:30, 4:30 and 6:30pm; brunch tours are Saturday and Sunday at 11am. The Comedy Bus is also available for private events. Learn more at ComedyBus.net

Record Review: Droplets

Rock is filled with bands with semi-covert identities. Think of KISS or Sia before they went unmasked, or early punks donning nicknames like Johnny Rotten and Jello Biafra. This is the case for Providence’s Droplets, although decades-long local show-goers are sure to recognize the bass guitarist – and perhaps the guitar player by association – both of whom have been plugging in their amps and playing on dusty stages together across the area as far back as the ‘80s. The guitarist known as Coco divulges, “Din doesn’t even show his face. His full name is Din Sandez.” (Editor’s note: GenXers might be able to crack the sort of homophonic code with this one). “I might also go by Mark,” Coco concedes, further dotting the “i’s” by clarifying that vocalist Cayce should be spelled with yellow emoji stars at both ends of her name. “The stars are silent.”

Droplets have an early 2000s vibe, capturing elements of Incubus, 311, Radiohead, and Alanis Morisette, with more than a few psychedelic forays that bring feelings of Led Zeppelin and Iron Butterfly swelling up. But, with that stripped-down synth and bass interplay, there are definitely roots in the punk/new wave scene a la DEVO, Kraftwerk, Stereolab, and Broadcast. “If there is an inspiration, or a conceptual jumping o point, we think it would be something like Portishead meets Black Moth Super Rainbow meets The Stranglers,” says Din.

Live, Droplets translates their music in a very straightforward way, incorporating reactive video to their show. The use of samples, synths, and sequencers came out of Din’s frustration of getting the guitar sounds he wanted. He found that he only had to get the guitar sound right once if he recorded it and sampled it; he could then take that guitar or keys sound and mess with it on the synth.

“We are also forever working and tweaking our audio-reactive video projections,” says Din. “It definitely adds another psychedelic dimension. The videos respond to our live audio and we get some pretty groovy visuals.”

Earlier this year, Droplets released an

Liner Notes

Recorded and mixed endlessly by Din Sandez at Stu Comes Out using Logic Pro X January to December 2022

Bass Guitar: CoCo Guitars & Synths: Din Vocals: Cayce

All songs by: Droplets

© 2022 Events Repeat Music eponymous 10-track digital album. From the stripped-down drum and keyboard intro of “The Jug Collector” at the get-go and on, their sound is intriguing in how they let each track unfold into varying and contrasting movements. Moments of stark simplicity become broken up by chaotic noise instrumental breaks all tied together by the direct, soulful vocals of Cayce.

“Mixing the album took a while to make sure all the layers were as apparent as they needed to be, but ensuring the bass was still driving the groove. And, getting the bass very present in a mix, while still having a thick low end that doesn’t blow out your speakers, takes a lot of patience,” explains Din. “The rest of the instrumentation is all played from a synth or guitar live on top of sequenced samples. Once we have a groove going, we remove what isn’t necessary. From there, we let Cayce’s lyrics and vocals dictate the final arrangements.”

Coco shares that most of the songs on the record started as instrumentals, uploaded to Bandcamp in the summer of ‘20 with names given simply to identify files. “We started playing with Cayce that fall, and she used the existing puerile/nonsensical titles as a jumping o point for writing lyrics. I think it’s safe to say she brings more to the songs than we ever imagined.” Follow along at DropletsBand on Instagram and Droplet.Bandcamp.com

The Must List

10 essential events this month

September 1-10:

The Pawtucket Arts Festival celebrates the city’s arts scene with family-friendly programs including the Slater Park Fall Festival, Pops in the Park, the River Bend East Songwriters Festival, and the annual PCF Empanada-Fest. PawtucketArtsFestival.org

September 2:

See the the fiberglass Taiwanese-style dragon boats float along the Pawtucket River during the Rhode Island Chinese Dragon Boat Races & Taiwan Day Festival, a day of cultural performances, cuisine, and fun. Pawtucket, DragonBoatRI.com

September 2-3:

Brick Fest Live , a family-friendly LEGO event, invites you to visit the Minecraft Zone, compete in Derby Races, and experience life-size models with hands-on activities at the RI Convention Center. BrickfestLive.com

September 7-9:

The Spectrum Theatre Ensemble in Providence along with the Die-Cast Collective from Philadelphia present the fourth annual Neurodiversity New Play Festival at various locations around the Jewelry District. StenSemble.org

September 19-23:

In its 10th year, Design Week RI honors Rhode Island designers, entrepreneurs, established industry leaders, and creatives with talks, tours, panel discussions, parties, and more. DesignXRI.com

September 23:

RI Vegtoberfest is a festival of plantbased products at the Trinity Beer Garden with samples from local breweries and restaurants, alongside a vegan marketplace featuring artists, makers, food producers, and more. RIVegfest.com

September 23:

The 10th annual RI Herb Festival is an opportunity for enthusiasts and expert herbalists to grow together through workshops, plant walks, community circles, family-friendly fun, food trucks, and more. RIHerbFestival.com

September 28:

Legendary comedian, former Tonight Show host and part-time Newporter Jay Leno will be in Providence for a night of comedy and conversation in a fundraiser for the RI Italian American Hall of Fame. PPACRI.org

September 28:

Mission Impastable challenges teams to compete in scooping and bagging 500 pounds of pasta. The charity event is raising money to fight food insecurity and the winners bring home a pasta trophy. WaterFire.org

September 30:

Beervana Fest at Waterfire Arts Center has 45+ brewers and over 150 beers to sample. Admission includes a souvenir tasting glass and unlimited two-ounce pours of some of the most diverse brews in the world. WaterFire.org

Season 2 coming

October 6

City nights bathed in color

ABOUT DAVID @runofthemillshop

David Lawlor is an avid filmmaker and documentarian who lives in Providence, with an interest in telling the stories of places undergoing transformation and historic mill buildings.