Providence 05/09/14 by The Phoenix

may 9-15, 2014 | rhode island’s largest weekly | Free PARTY Time!

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According to a recent Gallup Poll, we have the lowest state pride in the US. Are things really that bad? No. It’s time for a pep talk!

Why rhode island doesn’t suck! p8

is sex minus the sexy th J t in Introducing “Sticky Stories” | p 6 us

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providence.thephoenix.com | the providence phoenix | mAY 9 , 2014 3

MAY 9 , 2014

contents in thiS iSSue p 14

p 11

8 whY rhode islAnd doesn’t suck _ coMp iled b Y p hil ip eil

According to a recent Gallup Poll, we have the lowest state pride in the US. Are things really that bad? No. It’s time for a pep talk!

11 dining _bY bi ll rod ri gu ez

jAde cricket is way above the usual Chinese cuisine.

13 hoMegrown product _ b Y chris con ti

Kicking out the hazy jams: the stilts ride high on Yellow Hound.

14 theAter _bY bi ll rod rig uez

the book of MorMon at PPAC, and Mixed Magic’s god of cArnAge.

16 Art _ bY gre g cook

At arm’s length: Brown University’s “250th AluMni exhibition pArt 2.”

24 filM

“Short Takes” on beneAth the hArvest skY and neighbors.

phillipe & jorge’s cool, cool world

Bet on it: high-stakes games in Newport | I-195 opens the books | Bowl game | Meet Sandi Thom | Lit alert

the citY _bY d e rf

this just in

_ b Y s YMboli ne d Ai

DJ NICK ANGRY INK DENONCOUR

SaturdaY

COMEDY * DJ * LIVE MUSIC sharon van etten p 12

providence

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Sex minus the sexy: introducing “Sticky Stories” | Nonviolence by the numbers Sharon Van Etten, RISD’s Collection ’14, Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill, and The Best Party. Plus, a mini-Bottles & Cans & Clap Your Hands.

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phillipe + Jorge’s cool, cool World

Bet on it HigH-stakes games in newport; i-195 opens tHe books; flusHed in brazil

The old saying goes that there is no such thing as being “a little bit pregnant.” But the Biggest Little seems to be in that position with casino gambling, considering Twin River installed table games thanks to a 2012 statewide vote, while Newport Grand was denied permission to go the tablegame route by a local vote against it. So the northern part of Little Rhody has a rather large baby bump, while on Aquidneck Island they are claiming to still be virginal. But former Providence mayor Joe Paolino and his partners evidently think there are times when “no” doesn’t mean “no.” Boy Joe and his rich guy pals, Peter de Savary and Paul Roiff, have signed a conditional agreement to buy Newport Grand from its current owner if Newport voters allow table games to be installed. This will require a ballot referendum on that question in November, a move that the City Council must approve later this month. The last referendum was quashed by voters, led by the local Citizens Concerned About Casino Gambling and the individual effort (and bucks) of activist/sailing junkie Elizabeth Meyer, founder of Newport’s International Yacht Restoration School. Obviously Boy Joe and Co. think that given another bite of the cherry — and with the threat of Massachusetts bringing a full-blown casino to Fall River, mere spitting distance from Newport — voters will realize that there’s no difference in people losing their money at blackjack and craps versus high-tech onearmed bandits. Add in a little revenue directed into aching local coffers through jobs and consumer traffic, and that green felt begins to look mighty inviting. Paolino’s group has promised to keep Newport Grand in its same location and spruce up what de Savary described as a “big ugly shed” by renovating it in classic Newport style and adding a performance center, fine restaurants, and a spa. Opponents may say that it doesn’t matter: gambling is still an evil. But that bird has flown via Twin River, and anything that could make Newport look a little better and keep the Fall Reeve wolf at bay seems worth new consideration. And if Boy Joe’s poll of local voters is correct, break out the dice.

On secOnd thOught . . .

Why is it that anyone involved in Rhode Island politics has to act like the child who gets caught stealing or breaking something, hides it behind his back while being accosted by the angry parents, and responds to their question of “What’s that you’re hiding?” by saying “Nothing” until finally producing the guilt-proving evidence, usually in a torrent of tears (crocodile or otherwise)? It’s the same situation across the board among Vo Dilun power brokers, where you have to browbeat, publicly embarrass, or even slap the crap out of public officials or agencies to get a truthful answer. This was the scenario surrounding the highly touted Interstate 195 Redevelopment District Commission, which until May 5 had been concealing anything but winning bids for its former highway land parcels. Prior to that date, the name of anyone who put in a failed bid for a land purchase was

kept under tight wraps, for god knows what unfathomable reason, unless it was a desire to make everyone involved look like backroom dealmakers with something to hide. Thanks to the public airing of criticism of this questionable policy in the Other Paper by Providence Mayor Angel Taveras and other concerned groups, the I-195 honchos finally decided their image might be getting a bit tarnished. And with newly opened eyes, they decided that they would

the citY _By D ER F

now identify any and all groups who submit proposals, whether or not such proposals take home the bacon. A bit tone deaf and too late, but better now than never. You’re a good boy for finally coming clean, I-195 commission. But you still have to go to your room without supper.

BOwl game

Last week P&J wrote about how a team in the premier Spanish soccer league, Vil-

lareal, banned a detestable fan for the blatantly racist gesture of throwing a banana at Barcelona’s Brazilian star, Dani Alves. Fortunately, Alves defused the incident by calmly peeling the banana and taking a bite before proceeding with the corner kick he was set to take. Now comes the news that a Brazilian second division team, Santa Cruz, has been ordered to play its next two home games in an “empty” stadium occupied by only players, referees, and club officials. Its fans have also been banned from attending any games at all in Brazil until the perpetrator of the crime is arrested, “Wha’ hoppen’?” you ask? It seems a fan was fatally struck on the head by someone who threw a toilet bowl from higher up in the stands. Yes, a toilet bowl. P&J have to wonder how someone could sneak a toilet bowl into the stadium in the first place (“Is that a commode in your pocket or are you just glad to see me?”), never mind chuck it toward an opposing player. Whatever happened to beer bottles and batteries? At any rate, it appears the Santa Cruz fans’ season may well have been flushed by the horrible and bizarre event. Note to Santa Cruz police: keep an eye out for a huge man wearing exceptionally baggy clothing.

meet sandi thOm

This Tuesday, May 13, at the Met in Pawtucket, a fine Scottish singer and musician, Sandi Thom, will be appearing in her final stop on her first extended North American tour. P&J spoke with Sandi on the phone this week and she told us a bit about her career. “I’ve been a musician since the age of 14 and that’s really all I’ve ever done,” she says. “I attended a performing arts school whose patron was Sir Paul McCartney and made my first recordings at the age of 17.” She was eventually signed to Sony when she was 21 and her debut album went double platinum. You can see videos of Sandi on YouTube, but she tells us with a laugh that the videos were made before she signed with Sony, so they were done on an “extreme budget ...one take, no editing.” Thom has five albums under her belt and is looking forward to playing her first show in the Biggest Little. We can’t urge you enough to come out for this show. All signs indicate Sandi will hit it big, in which case you can brag that you saw her way back when in a small Vo Dilun club. Doors open at 7 and the show begins at 8 pm.

lit alert

On Friday, May 9 at 7 pm, you can meet and greet Tory McCagg, who will read from and sign copies of her new novel, Bittersweet Manor, at Books on the Square in Providence. If you don’t know Tory — a political activist, musician, and environmentalist — she sent P&J a copy of her book and we can both highly recommend it. (Disclosure: Phillipe worked with Tory at Save the Bay years ago, and Jorge acknowledges that he is equally biased when it comes to Tory). ^

Send Birkenstocks and Pulitzer-grade tips to p&j@phx.com.

6 MAY 9, 2014 | the providence phoenix | providence.thephoenix.coM

“We can build a healthier society. . . I think this problem of violence is so easily solvable.”

This Just In

_TENy groSS

Awkward

Sex minus the sexy: introducing “Sticky Stories” Bad poetry. Teeth-smashing makeout sessions. Bra strap snafus. Most people relegate memories of hormonally-charged agonies to diary entries tucked into sticker-covered boxes hidden under a bed. On Friday, May 9, however, the Center for Sexual Pleasure and Health (CSPH) has found a group of locals willing to not only dust off those memories, but stand in front of a roomful of strangers and share them out loud. The first-ever “Sticky Stories: Sexual Confessions and Awkward Adventures,” serves as a fundraiser for the CSPH, the Pawtucket-based grassroots nonprofit dedicated to fighting misinformation by elevating the field of sexual education. “Sexual shame has direct consequences on health,” says Aida E. Manduley, programming director and coordinator of the CSPH. “People who are ashamed are less likely to get the healthcare or support they need. Once you feel marginalized in society, you can be afraid to say what you want.” Creating an atmosphere in which people can say anything was a direct impetus for launching Sticky Stories, Manduley explains. In March, CSPH put out an open call for true-life stories of “wet dreams, strange crushes, embarrassing love letters, coming out, sexual debuts, awkward locker room

incidents, menstruation disasters, furtive first kisses, sexual awakenings, or what you thought sex was before you knew what sex was.” CSPH staff then selected 12 performers to share their stories and they have spent the weeks since working with participants to practice. Alyssa Copeland, a college student who will read from her teenage diary, is one such performer. “I met this totally cute boy today. His name’s Matt and he’s from Missouri! That’s so far away and exotic!” gushed 13-year-old Copeland. “He has such curly black hair that keeps falling into his eyes, I just wanted to push his hair away so I could look at his eyes better. But he would think I was so weird if I did that.” While Copeland has experience reciting poetry, publicly sharing the details of her first summer romance is a first. “We’ve all had our awkward, weird experiences,” she says. “The majority of my awkwardness has revolved around my body and sex as these mystical, taboo subjects that were never funny and you never talked about to anyone. So, I say it’s time to shed some light and laugh a little.” Fellow performer Kristina Cerce agrees that a sense of humor is key when revisiting past experiences. Friday night won’t be the first time, however, that Cerce (aka Mistress K) will speak candidly about sexuality. A

WANNA SHArE? The CSPH invite. nurse and “adult novelties consultant,” Mistress K has experience making people feel at ease with the potentially uneasy. She boasts of “epic stories” of her own worth sharing at the event — “especially because I sell sex toys,” she says. Her performance will consist of a series of sketches ranging from depictions of her first “awkward” sexual experience to one-night stands to dating in her twenties. While a few stories cover events later in life (like the challenges of having sex in a Catholic university), the CSPH focused Sticky Stories around adolescent memories.

“There’s correlation between your experiences as a youth and your sexuality as an adult,” Manduley says. “Storytelling helps us exorcise those demons, get muscle memory moving. We focus on adults at the Center, but every adult was once a teenager.” While audience members can’t share their own Sticky Stories, there will be opportunities to interact by competing for raffle tickets in thematically appropriate events like a banana eating contest and a race to see who can put a condom on a squash fastest. And because the CSPH is a health and advocacy organization first, event-goers can expect to walk away with free latex gloves, condoms, and dental dams. The CSPH hopes to turn Sticky Stories into an annual spring event, in conjunction with Smut Night, a fall reading and performance event they’ve hosted in the past. “Smut Night is sexy,” CSPH intern Kayla Wingert says of the difference between the events. “Sticky Stories is hilarious.” The CSPH’s “Sticky Stories: Sexual Confessions and Awkward Adventures” will take place on Friday, May 9, at Empire Black Box (95 Empire St) in Providence. Doors at 7 pm, tickets $10-$15, sliding scale. Attendees must be 18-plus. Visit thecsph.org for more info.

_Fallon Masterson

Public Safety

nonviolence by the numbers The Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence — the South Providence-based nonprofit which, in its dedication “to foster[ing] a community that addresses potentially violent situations with nonviolent solutions,” steers directly toward gun violence, gangs, and domestic disputes — saw nearly a million dollars in funding dwindle over the last few years. Long-running grants were phased out. Federal appropriations disappeared. The situation eventually forced the ISPN to lay off half of its staff in 2012, executive director Teny Gross says; remaining staffers took 20 percent pay cuts. At one point, the Institute’s annual budget was approximately half its previous $1.9 million. (They have since rebounded and, thanks in part to private donations, the budget is back to $1.6 million.) Budget struggles were one of many topics discussed during our visit to the ISPN a week before its annual “Invest in Peace” fundraiser. Gross is a voracious reader who’s equally prone to refer to Thomas Hobbes or a study mapping the effects of neighborhood violence on the brains of Chicago elementary school students. He also a prodigious collector of numbers and statistics, a few of which we’ve reproduced here, along with his explanations. His comments have been edited for length.

[Our] first goal is to keep you alive. The second is — below that, not equivalent — is that you don’t kill. The third stage is that you don’t get incarcerated or re-incarcerated. And then the fourth category of goals is what other organizations have, which is you partake in our programming [relating to GEDs, employment, nonviolence training, conflict mediation, etc.].

Drug users take on average six attempts to get out of that habit. Domestic violence relationships, nationally, take six attempts. So we say, ‘Why wouldn’t it take six attempts for a gang member to change their lifestyle?’ We will go through ups and downs with you, go through jail, [have you] come back to us.

We re-tooled ourselves around gang members and shooters, particularly young ones. A very high percentage is male. We created a list of about 50 [whom] we think are most likely to kill or die in the next 90 days and we try to focus [on them]. We don’t publish it . . . it’s our internal working document.

INVEST IN PEACE Gross.

1600

The police will say there’s about 1600 gang members in the city of Providence. That’s the number they use. They have a researcher who . . . collects their data. We are worried with those [lists and] labels. Sometimes people don’t get off them when they’ve actually matured, gotten a job, they’re married, they have children. But they’re still labeled as that. So it’s always tricky.

(in response to, “Can we ever get to zero murders, zero shootings, zero violent incidents?”) Yes, I have to believe so. What will it take? Let’s say if the Institute was endowed and I would really be the head scientist working with my team on the ground, as opposed to spending so much time trying to fundraise and cobble

together [support]. We’re moving now into more predictive work. Who has a gun arrest? Who’s coming out of jail with a gun and gang affiliation? Domestic [incidents]: what are the signs? It’s pretty rare that someone goes off, ballistic. A lot of our systems are really starved for resources. We don’t do enough rehabilitation in jail; it is the biggest mental institution. The percentages are huge of people in jail with mental health issues. We’re not treating them enough. We don’t do enough skill training in jail. We have people who are uneducated; they cannot survive in a technology society. I worked . . . for the last 25 years in Boston with people [who], for society, are killers, criminals. Very few are pathological. The majority have a conscience. You take them off a rail of violence, the track they know, and you put them on a track with plenty of support ...we can build a healthier society. The push that really should [also] happen is that we have nonviolence taught in every school. I think this problem of violence is so easily solvable.

(as in the “Steps of Nonviolence to Solve Any Problem” by Martin Luther King, Jr. printed on the back of Gross’s business card). 1) Gather information. 2) Share the information with all who care about the problem. 3) Strengthen your own commitment. 4) Negotiate with dignity for all. 5) If negotiations fail, take appropriate direct action, then negotiate again. 6) Always reconcile. Celebrate reconciliation! The Institute for the Study & Practice of Nonviolence’s “Invest in Peace” will take place Friday, May 9 at 6:00 pm at the Roger Williams Park Botanical Center (1000 Elmwood Ave) in Providence. For tickets and more info, go to nonviolenceinstitute.org.

_Philip Eil

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8 MAY 9, 2014 | the providence phoenix | providence.thephoenix.coM

Why rhode island doesn’t suck We speak up for our beleaguered and underappreciated state _comp il e d b y p hil ip e i l

It’s time for a pep talk, Rhode Island. We all know we have the highest unemployment rate in the country, and that our House Speaker’s office was recently raided by a conga line of law enforcement agents, and that driving on Providence roads often feels more like offroading, and that it can sometimes seem like we’re best known beyond state lines for (a) political corruption, and (b) betting $75 million taxpayer dollars on a retired Red Sox player’s video-game pipe dream — an event which, after all, was really just another example of (a). But then, last month, things got worse — at least in the PR sense. On April 24, the famous opinion-poll firm Gallup released a batch of data tracking how Americans respond when asked, among other questions, whether they live in the “best or one of the best possible states live.” In Montana and Alaska, the “winners” of the poll, 77 percent of respondents answered “Yes.” In Rhode Island, only 18 percent answered in the affirmative, which placed us dead last. Furthermore, when folks were asked whether they lived in the worst possible state, Rhode Island tied with Connecticut for the second highest “Yes”rate in the country behind Illinois (25 percent), with 17 percent of respondents agreeing that, yup, we’re the worst. Do we really hate ourselves this much? Not according to the editors, writers, freelancers, and interns who make this paper tick. After hearing about Gallup’s dismal Rhode Island report card, which included the stat that nearly half of Rhode Islanders polled (42 percent) would prefer to leave the state if they could, we put a call out to Team Phoenix for arguments why Rhode Island doesn’t suck. We perform this exercise not as a way of plugging our ears, covering our eyes, and ignoring the myriad challenges that we face as a state, but, instead, as a reminder that those Gallup respondents sure as hell don’t speak for The Providence Phoenix. And perhaps they don’t speak for you, either. As for Rhode Island’s problems? Well, sometimes the best way to start fixing something is to remind yourself why it’s worth fixing. Let’s get started.

Our sOulful structures

As someone with parchment-pale skin that starts to singe after about 10 minutes in the sun, I am not the best guy to sing praises of Rhody’s beaches and bays. I’m an indoorsman. And for me, if I have to pick just one thing to praise about Rhode Island (no easy task), it’s the buildings. Give me the creaky floors and musty smell of the Providence Athenaeum, and the mile’s worth Colonial and Victorian houses on Benefit Street where the library sits. Give me the towering, Art Deco splendor of the Industrial Trust Building. Give me the brilliant white columns and domes of the Rhode Island State House — a building so majestic that it seems to demand, however unsuccessfully, that legislators remain on their best behavior. Give me the iconic, identical smokestacks of the city’s Manchester Street Power Station, and the deck of the Hot Club across the harbor, where you can enjoy the view of those smokestacks with a cold cerveza

in hand. Hell, I even love that colossal concrete space station from the 1970s: CCRI’s Knight Campus in Warwick. Whether it’s a refurbished mill in Pawtucket; an angular glass-and-metal Brown University arts center; or beachside, reggae shack in Matunuck with the ocean lapping at its stilts, Rhode Island’s buildings inspire me. These structures — the physical outgrowths of our rich history — give this place soul, strength, dignity, and beauty. If you’re numb to them, take a trip to Florida and drive around for a while with your eye on the architecture. _PhiliP Eil, nEws Editor beavertail state park

freedOm!

I am proud to live in the place where freedom of religion and freedom of conscience were first guaranteed by law. I am proud to live in the state that outlawed the death penalty in 1852. I am proud to live in Rhode Island. _stEvE Ahlquist, frEElAncE contributor

‘small enOugh tO cOnquer’

Okay, Rhode Islanders may like to complain. A lot. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned that feels distinctly Rhody, it’s this: we know how to hustle. I love living in a state where nearly everyone I meet juggles multiple projects and where so few define themselves as just one thing. A nurse and a writer. A retail clerk and an online entrepreneur. A school teacher who designs custom lamps. A waiter and a comic book store owner. A network admin and a drummer and a podcaster. Maybe our tendency to multitask is a byproduct of economic strife, or maybe it’s just that Rhode Island feels small enough to conquer — a place where your passion product, however obscure, can become a possibility. _fAllon MAstErson, frEElAncE contributor

the assembly of light choir

a big life Photos by nAtAlJA kEnt Whore paint at scorborough state beach

I often get interesting reactions when I say I’m from Rhode Island. Generally, the farther I am from New England, the more amusing they tend to be. And if it’s an election year, they can be downright hostile. A more common response is a sardonic smile followed by some variation of, “Rhode Island? What’s there to do there?” — as though living in the smallest state implies living a smaller life. If anything, it’s the opposite. Get a collapsible fishing rod, a bike, a friend with a bike, a sixpack of ’Gansetts, and head south on the East Bay Bike Path. If you leave Providence before noon, with any luck, you’ll have time to take a dip at Colt State Park, catch your dinner, and be back in the city for the T-Pain concert at Lupo’s. More often than not I find myself saying, “We have the same stuff to do here as anywhere else,” and thinking to myself, “only more.” _JEssE GEMAn, nEws intErn

beyOnd the beaches

The obvious way to draw newcomers in is the beaches. There’s a beach for everyone, whether you’re into the crowded Jersey Shore-ish Misquamicut experience or you prefer long and lonely East Beach in Charlestown, where the waves are rougher

providence.thephoenix.coM | the providence phoenix | MAY 9, 2014 9

and the parking lot’s so tiny that the beach feels remote even on a hot Saturday afternoon. There’s also our handy location: Providence is an hour away from Boston and just over three from New York, if you time the trip right. And dinky T.F. Green airport has its advantages, chief among them that you can arrive forty-five minutes before your flight and still get through security with plenty of time to board. Get out when you need to; I do. But there are also plenty of reasons to stick around. People rarely have anything nice to say about Cranston, where I grew up, but magic can be found even there, from May breakfasts and the kooky Colonial pageantry of Gaspee Days to the ostentatious fireworks display — at 10 pm on a Sunday! — which concludes St. Mary’s Feast each July. Cranston also has some really precious dining experiences, from Twin Oaks, where people wait for hours to order from a menu featuring Saltines and American Cheese as an appetizer, to The Big Cheese, where you can find the state’s most underappreciated culinary invention: The Popeye, a Greek salad cascading out of a cooked spinach pie. _MAtthEw lAwrEncE, frEElAncE contributor

Photos by richArd MccAffrEy newport folk festival

WaterFire exemplifies the best qualities of Rhode Island — our creative spark, quirky coastal charm, and gritty can-do spirit. Only Little Rhody could pull an event like this off without the overwhelming commercialism and suffocating bigness that would ruin it any other state. _stEPhEn bEAlE, frEElAncE contributor

artists, attended lectures on feminism and literary theory on College Hill, walked under towering oaks near Carr’s Pond in West Greenwich, performed in countless experimental music shows, ate mussels and oysters from beds a stone’s throw from my table at the Matunuck Oyster Bar, and photographed all the while. The blend of city and nature, art and politics, small-scale farms and high-tech start-ups, universities and autodidacts, are what make Rhode Island continually challenging and exciting. _nAtAlJA kEnt, contributinG PhotoGrAPhEr

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In response to that bummer of a Gallup poll, and in anticipation of another excellent Rhode Island summer, I offer you this haiku: Sweaty sunburnt joy Four hundred miles of coastline That part doesn’t suck _liz lEE, frEElAncE contributor

the right blend

Though I am not a native (I grew up in Virginia), my father received his PhD from Brown in 1977. Growing up, the tales of my parents’ Rhode Island years were legendary. This mythos was one factor in my moving to Rhode Island from New York City seven years ago. In that time I have taken night swims in bioluminescent waters, sweated the night away at clandestine dance parties, witnessed the passage of marriage equality in the State House, held all-night bonfires on the coast, collaborated on performances and installations with brilliant

thomas street in providence

From my home in Cranston’s Eden Park neighborhood, I can get downtown or to Federal Hill in 12 minutes, College Hill in 15, Roger Williams Park in seven, and coastal beaches, Goddard State Park and inland ponds and woods in 20 to 30. I can’t think of anywhere else with this range of history, culture, and natural beauty in such a small radius. The Ocean State’s last-place ranking in state pride suggests that Rhode Islanders are their own sternest critics. They don’t believe the hype, and when the Speaker’s office is raided by the FBI and a statebacked video game company goes under, we take it personally. After all, it’s happening right in our back yard. Think about being a Texan: you’re one of 26 million people living in an area the size of France. Not surprisingly, it’s easy to thump your chest with pride. It’s even easier if you are one of many who has never traveled beyond your state’s borders. Not so in Rhode Island, where the

state’s small footprint and location in the heart of the Northeast can easily make the grass look greener elsewhere, even when it’s not. _tiM lEhnErt, frEElAncE contributor

upside, dOwnside

Rhode Island has an incredibly rich history, some of the world’s greatest architecture, restored theaters, a heavy concentration of fine restaurants, a vibrant theater and music scene, and the best beaches and institutions of higher learning. Unfortunately we also have a non-forward-looking, self-centered, inept group of legislators who need to be term limited. _richArd MccAffrEy, contributinG PhotoGrAPhEr

a special place

To those who live here and trounce our diminutive state’s reputation, I say: have you ever been to Moonstone Beach? Have you ever looked out over the rolling hills of Little Compton or Block Island? Have you ever eaten a salty-ass clam cake while looking out on a harborside sunset, or ridden your bike from Providence to Bristol on a sunny Saturday? Sure, if you sit on the couch and watch Caught In Providence, and delve too far into thinking about our battered economy, you might not always have reason to be overly proud. But if you have sampled even a tiny portion of this state’s magical worlds of nature, music, art, and food, you should know that, despite its (admittedly pressing) problems, Little Rhody is a damn special place. _vikki wArnEr, frEElAncE contributor

the smart set

Up on the East Side of Providence, we have two of the most competitive schools in the country — Brown and RISD — sharing a tiny piece of real estate. And just having these students walking around makes life more fun. One measure of the type of kids coming to these schools is how many of them formed amazing bands while pursuing their degrees, from the Low Anthem and OK Go (Brown) to Talking Heads, Lightning Bolt, and Fang Island (RISD). Further, this critical mass of students, former students, and alums — combined with a healthy inventory of abandoned mill buildings —has incubated underground scenes like Fort Thunder, the musical and artistic influence of which is still with us. And on top of this we get Johnson & Wales, a culinary school that pumps skilled and creative chefs into the local restaurant scene. This is why, every time a distracted student drops off the curb against the traffic light, ambles diagonally and backwards across Waterman Street — forcing me to slam on my brakes! — I am still really glad they are here. _bEth coMEry, frEElAncE contributor

Just beautiful

Who did those Gallup people talk to? In no particular order: • There used to a statistic everyone knew about Providence having the highest per-capita population of artists because RISD students from out of state stuck around. From the people whom we know through writing about the arts, I think that still pertains. • Ex-Rhode Islanders everywhere come back in the summer for the beaches! One friend who now lives in Nashville tells me, “Every time I’m back and I drive across the Jamestown and Newport bridges, I think ‘What a beautiful, beautiful spot Rhode Island is!’ ” A German friend calls it “an incredibly beautiful corner of this earth.” Another former Rhode Islander who visits in the summer always says, “I’ve gotta get back here; the pace is so much better, so much healthier!” (Granted, she’s talking South County, but still . . . .) • I’m often struck by the dance troupes and theater shows that I want to see in NYC but then actually can see a bit later when they come to, or are produced in, Rhode Island! Long live Rhode Island! _JohnEttE rodriGuEz, contributinG Editor

table talk

In 2012 when Providence was proclaimed the “No. 1 Burger City” in a Travel + Leisure readers’ poll, that was further verification of our Continued on p 10

WaterFire Providence

10 MAY 9, 2014 | the providence phoenix | providence.thephoenix.coM

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a letter to lawmakers urging increased awareness and action regarding 234 school girls who were kidnapped in mid-April in Nigeria. Read that letter @ ambitiousblackfeminist.tumblr.com/ post/84526225354/bringbackourgirls-letter-toleaders-and-the _rEzA clifton, frEElAncE contributor

Continued from p 9

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nationwide rep for good eats. Between overrated places like Al Forno (snooty service) and lesser-known ethnic places like El Rancho Grande (the city’s definitive mole), Li’l Rhody has both culinary and gustatory game. _bill rodriGuEz, contributinG Editor

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Rhode Island is wicked cool. No other place can boast about being the birthplace of the separation of church and state, the instigator of the Revolution with the burning of the Gaspee, or the home of the American Industrial Revolution. No other place can exhibit that history like Providence and Newport, or any of our beautiful historic mill villages. We are a pioneering, even rebellious, bunch and we love this place. Thus, it hurts to see it mismanaged. We should be doing better and everybody knows it. But that does not mean that we’re worse off than other states. I, for one, never want to move away from home. Folks whom I grew up with who have left the state all miss Rhode Island. I have no doubt that many of them will return joyfully once we get back on our feet. Let’s stop moping and get started. _AbEl collins, frEElAncE contributor

The local response to Dave Lamb’s death made me proud to be a native Rhode Islander. The music scene here can be cliquey at times, but in the wake of Dave’s death, the hipster posturing melted away. The messages of love, grief, and support — via whatever medium of communication — reminded me of how fleeting our health, our family, and our friendships can be. I’m so grateful to have seen Brown Bird play live and I’m proud they chose to make Rhode Island their home. _bEn GoulEt, frEElAncE contributor

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Are you proud of Rhode Island? Or do you lean toward believing this is the “worst possible place to live”? Sound off on Twitter (@provphoenix), Facebook (facebook.com/ProvidencePhoenix), and via email: peil@phx.com. haven bros. diner at providence city hall

making a difference

The thing that makes RI awesome is that our state is small enough that it’s easy to get an issue like this* in front of our reps. Between the amount of concern and pressure that our state reps can apply to our DC congressional folks, to organizers and activists never having to drive more than an hour to collect signatures, Rhode Island works for launching campaigns for social justice and human rights issues. This is important because, though much can be done through online advocacy, rallies, and protests, it is often through conversations and direct engagement with lawmakers and policy leaders that bills get passed to curb abuses or promote and encourage good will for all. *EDITOR’S NOTE: Reza sent this along with

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Is Rhode Island perfect? Of course not. But I’m intensely proud of our state. There’s nowhere else in the Northeast I could afford to live two blocks from the beach (in a house my grandfather converted from a cottage), where I can walk to the seawall and enjoy our beautiful bay with dinner from Flo’s Clam Shack. It is a place where civic engagement — in Portsmouth, and in our other 38 cities and towns — is a feisty, full-contact sport; not always comfortable or neat, but full of passion to get things right. And it is a place where I know my neighbors genuinely care about open space, the environment, and the character of our communities. I could not imagine living anywhere else. _John McdAid, frEElAncE contributor

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There are two seemingly contradictory facts about Chinese cuisine and this country. One, everybody likes it. And two, so many Chinese restaurants are mediocre. The first is because there is something for everyone, from bok choy-enamored vege-heads to Szechuanbeef-drooling carnivores. The second, because, in a feedback loop, so many Chinese restaurants are mediocre. So it’s especially delightful to come across an exceptional Chinese restaurant, one that is to so-so what Peking duck is to chop suey. As much as my credibility is WHERE TO START? an array at Jade Cricket. enhanced by maintaining a restrained hauteur, I gotta admit I’m in love with Jade Cricket. There five treats were more minced chicken than was something at least a little eyebrowvegetable, which in this case I wished lifting with everything we had. were the other way around. It’s not a large place, and the upscale We both love any kind of moo shi, since decor is tasteful, with greenery and warm slathering on hoisin sauce could make woods floor to ceiling, including carved even Styrofoam peanuts tasty. She chose decorations. Nevertheless, the prices, chicken ($13) rather than pork, and going in accordance with what we have been easy on the sauce, was pleased with the spoiled to expect, are moderate. individual tastes of the vegetables and Let me start with some of the things we minced chicken coming through, which didn’t have but I wish we had. With slowimpressed her with everything we had, roasted BBQ, you have your choice of roast- even the hotness of Szechuan eggplant ed duck, steamed salted chicken, roasted ($11) and the Szechuan hot and spicy chickpork tenderloin, or crispy pork belly, with en ($13). The delicate snow peas in the lata combination of any three for only $18. ter weren’t wasted on her. She noted that Unusually, the hot pot for two ($30-$39), everything was “so light and fresh.” in which you dip your meats, seafood, or The centerpiece for my appetite was vegetables in burbling broth, can be had the roasted meats with egg noodles ($16), as a side order ($8-$16), presumably prewhich combined roasted pork (the reddipped for you. There are some appealing edged slices familiar from soups), crispy choices for a “Sizzling Platter” ($14-$19) set pork belly, and skin-on ginger chicken, before you, from gentle ginger and scallion accented with a handful of cilantro. The chicken chunks to spicy hot scallops in plentiful amounts of protein — no way black pepper. could I finish it all— were atop vermicelliIf you like to sit down to a big bowl of thin egg noodles and green lengths of soup for a meal, pho style, there are five steamed yu choy (related to bok choy). As noodle soups ($12-$13), from roasted duck if this weren’t enough, a bowl of richly flato beef stew. I like that there are also a vorful chicken broth, speckled with teeny half-dozen individual portion soups ($5 bits of meat, was also provided. and $6). The Hong Kong-style wonton For dessert you can have — remember: sounded interesting, with both pork and only after 6 pm — a scoop of coconut or shrimp dumplings, but I almost invariably green tea ice cream ($6) served in a fried check out the hot and sour soup when I’m wonton-skin cup over red beans and lotus new to a Chinese restaurant. You can tell seeds. how generous they are with extra ingrediGo to Jade Cricket and you’ll fall in ents and other items by how chock-full of love, too. ^ goodies it is. Jade Cricket’s is very good in that regard, dense with plenty of tofu and mushrooms and such. Sporting only one chili on the menu, it was hot rather than medium, so be forewarned (our server not401.842.0300 | JadeCriCket.Com ed that anything can be prepared milder). 472 thames st, NewPort Johnnie had the chicken and spinach daily, 11:30 am-10:30 Pm dumpling soup, with the green leaves floating amid the large dumplings packed maJor Credit Cards with white meat. We also started with byob the “Traditional Chive Pot Stickers” ($7), sidewalk-level aCCessible choosing fried instead of steamed, and the

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sharon Van etten’s evocative, initmate, and unflinchingly honest music — and expressive, diverse voice (“the vocals are the most important thing to me,” she has said) — reaches a new peak on her new fourth disc, Are We There (out on May 27). She recently explained that the title is intentionally “openended. I ask myself that question all the time, for my work, for my love, even for my friends.” And she talked about the evolution of her breakthrough 2012 release, Tramp: “I feel like there’s a parallel between albums and going to school where you’re like, ‘Oh cool, I made it to the next grade’ in a way.” Van Etten will be doing a few warm-up shows before an extensive tour in June and July; tonight she’ll be at the Columbus Theatre, 270 Broadway, Providence. She Keeps Bees opens at 9 pm | $12 advance, $14 day of show | columbustheatre.com

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sAturdAY | sharon van etten @ the Columbus be on display in ColleCtion 2014 at the Rhode Island Convention Center, 1 Sabin St, Providence. The show is at 7 pm ($42-$62 ); the preview/rehearsal event is today at 2 ($17 advance, $22 day of show; proceeds from both sessions benefit the RISD Scholarship Fund) | 401.454.6741 | risd.edu/ collection

weePinG strinGs

Touch is everything in the work of Martin haYes anD Dennis Cahill. The fiddler and guitarist approach their Celtic songbook with a level of grace that can bewilder for a moment or two. Hayes’s bow and Cahill’s pick are deployed in the most nuanced ways, giving their airs and reels a shadowy feel. Yep, you could dance to the luminous beauty on their still-most recent release, 2008’s Welcome Here Again (Green Linnet/Compass), but you might feel more comfortable dancing alone.

Though there’s joy in their work, melancholy is surely their strong suit. Don’t miss their rather rare show at the Blackstone River Theater, 549 Broad Street, Cumberland, at 8 pm | $20 advance, $24 day of show | 401.725.9272 | riverfolk.org

weDnesDaY 14 brinG on the best!

A whole lotta deliberation goes into our annual gathering of the best: a nominating ballot yields five choices in 139 categories, then readers vote for The Best. We write ’em up, take pictures of a few of ’em and, the night before the issue hits the streets and the web, we honor The Best. We hope you’ll join us at that event, which kicks off at 6 pm at Fête, 103 Dike St, Providence. There’s free food, music, beer, and fun. OK, we’ll say it: it’s The Best!

Raise a glass (or three) it’s AMericAn crAFt Beer WeeK! With the continuing growth of the better

beer industry locally and nationwide, one f can make a case that every week is aMeriCan Craft beer week. But the official, ninth annual celebration of small and independent brewers will take place from May 12-18. there will be events statewide. some highlights: a Gray sail cask tapping at Julian’s (5.13); the Mother of All Barrel-Aged tap takeovers at norey’s (including Founders’ KBs, Goose island’s 2012 BcBs; 5.14-18); Founders tap takeovers at the scurvy dog, the Avery, and Julian’s on the 15th; and a face off between Founders’ KBs and revival’s imperial stout at the Wild colonial (5.16). there are also meet-the-brewer events (sean Larkin will be at the scurvy dog on the 11th and the Malted Barley on the 14th).

check craftbeer. com/ news- andevents/calendar? cat=530 for more, and expect big beer fun wherever better brew is sold all week long. And speaking of local growth, welcome the third new beer maker in pawtucket — brewerY 401. Jason Lourenco and brewmaster nicole pelletier have moved into the former Bucket Brewery space at Lorraine Mills on Mineral spring Ave (they also bought equipment from the Bucket crew) and hope to have growlers on sale in a month or so. Follow their progress at facebook.com/ brewery401.

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providence.thephoenix.com | the providence phoenix | mAY 9, 2014 13

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“Dave was moving to Conway, New Hampshire, right after we recorded the album, so we wanted to name the album as a tribute to him,” recalled Dolbec. “I got curious as to what ‘Conway’ means, and found one of the Gaelic translations [is] ‘yellow hound.’ ” The Stilts’ rhythm section of Boulet and Tremblay are locked in across Yellow Hound, and the three-part harmonies coast over catchy guitar riffs right from the start on the leadoff single “So Youthful.” I had both the Police and Band of Horses scribbled down when the crew launched into the crowd favorite at the Rock Hunt finals. According to Cournoyer, the song was originally penned by Dolbec more than eight years ago, but that damn infectious chorus was added just prior to recording the album. Don’t be surprised if WBRU continues to spin this one all summer long. A beer is cracked open as Boulet’s snare gallops on “Running uUp the Country Hills” and then downshifts on the mellow “Struck Gold.” Tremblay noted the “bluesrock vibe throughout the new album,” while citing influences like Grand Funk Railroad and Rory Gallagher, and everything from Johnny Winter to John Mayer. There is definitely is some blue-eyed soul (mill-town lovin’?) on display in “Grandiose” and “Brain Scattered.” G. Love comes to mind on “Out of My Own Way,” while “Stilt Man” reminds me of vintage 311 with Dolbec casually crooning “If you listen, you can catch my breeze” over a woozy, pendulum-swaying bassline. But the Stilts really get cooking on the album’s hardest-rocking track, “Any Old Love Poem,” and it’s clear these guys can catch lightning when they let loose. The two-part finale “Rock Up” starts like an instrumental Pavement jam escaped from Wowie Zowie and ends with the crew howling away over the simmering, midtempo groove. Cournoyer noted the band will begin mapping out a regional summer tour from New Hampshire to New York (including a just-announced headlining gig at Dusk on June 6). “We really want to get our music out there,” he said. “We’re feeling a lot of inspiration since completing the album and we are already in the process of writing more tunes.” Pick up a copy of Yellow Hound this weekend at the upcoming release show or visit thestiltsri.bandcamp.com. ^

2014

Friday may 23

_ By c h r IS cO N T I There are plenty of bluesy jam-band acts around these parts worth looking up nowadays. Add Woonsocket-based quartet the Stilts to that list; they’re set to release the full-length debut Yellow Hound this weekend at a hometown album release party. The Stilts specialize in kicking out hazy summery jams ready to rock the campus quad or town beach bonfire, not the land-locked mill town of Woonsocket. The quartet is riding high following an impressive showing at this year’s WBRU Rock Hunt finals. Although the band fell just short of taking the crown (following a dominant performance in the semi-final round), the crowd was in full force (and fully lathered up) behind the Stilts and received the loudest reception of the night. Last year the band took top honors in 990WBOB’s Battle of the College Bands. Jason Dolbec (lead vocals/guitar), Ryan Tremblay (bass), and Jarod Cournoyer (guitar/vox) have been friends since high school, and about one year ago they hooked up with drummer Dave Boulet (formerly of Floyd the Barber), who ultimately inspired the album title Yellow Hound.

best

Get to the met early on FridAY (the 9th) for DaDDie Long Legs and Kris hansen’s Viking Jesus opening up for jamband vets Rustic oVeRtones; the show is all ages and $12 at the door, call 401.729.1005 for more. on SAtUrdAY (the 10th), Firehouse 13 (401.270.1801) hosts a loud one with HectoR 3, neRVous ViRgins, Queen eLepHantine (look these dudes up ASAp), and aQua nebuLa osciLLatoR headlining. take the old lady out for a nice mimosa brunch on mother’s day SUndAY (the 11th), then kick back with Robin soaRes & FRienDs at the narragansett café starting around 1 pm (21+, 401.423.2150). or head to the Sandywoods center

for a mom’s day matinee with FLynn coHen & tHe DeaDstRing ensembLe — moms get in for half-price (plus BYoB and BYoF)! dial 401.241.7349 for details. Also on Sunday, angeL oLsen and pRomiseD LanD sounD play the Fête Lounge (401.383.1112). A triple-header at AS220 on tUeSdAY (the 13th) features WokLing, gymsHoRts, and nasa space uniVeRse ($6, 401.8321.9327). Ahead to WedneSdAY (the 14th), take in some acoustic folk/ rock with DaVe aLVes at the Grange (free shows held here every Wednesday night, 401.831.0600); or get to the epic shitshow at Fête when pvd’s favorite electro-spazz duo matH tHe banD along with the return of lunatic Japanese punk crew peeLanDeR-Z, all for just $10. And next thUrSdAY (the 15th), the parlour is the place to be for DiVining RoD, smaLL apaRtments, monument tHieF — and don’t look now but we have a coma coma sighting! (dear eric, dan, and Steve: hurry up with that damn album already!)

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theater THaT new-Time religion The Book of MorMon at ppac _By Bill R od R igu ez

Yes, The Book of Mormon is worth all the fuss it’s prompted: nine Tony Awards, critical adulation just short of religious fervor, and Broadway tickets that have been nearly as unobtainable as Mormon priesthood was for blacks until 1978, when God apparently changed His mind. Fortunately, the touring musical is passing through the Providence Performing Arts Center (through May 11). The show doesn’t so much make fun of the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter-day Saints as let the church make fun of itself. After all, how could you beat a religion that claims its founder discovered instructions on buried gold plates that God didn’t want him to show anyone, and that Jesus spend those absent three days in America. Book, music, and lyrics are by Trey Parker, Matt Stone, and Robert Lopez. The first two created the brashly irreverent animated comedy South Park, and Lopez was cocomposer and co-lyricist of Avenue Q, which could be considered an anti-Sesame Street exposé (he also won an Oscar for co-writing the ubiquitous “Let It Go” from Frozen). The musical takes a broad swipe at Jesus-centric religion but it isn’t mean about it, presenting Mormonism as naïvely well-intentioned. We learn that prophets make stuff up, sometimes in delusion and sometimes in imaginative generosity. In either case, the result can be a religion that lifts the spirit and tamps down any urge to throttle your neighbor. The story centers around two missionaries, egocentric Elder Kevin Price (on opening night brightly played by Jonathan Cullen, replacing an ill Mark Evans), who is paired up with an adoring Elder Arnold Cunningham (a charmingly sprightly Christopher John O’Neill), whose puppy dog submissiveness is eventually and effectively replaced by truth-bending ingenuity. They are sent off after three months of training to save souls, mandatory for male 19-year-old Mormons. Their assignment is Africa, specifically war-torn northern Uganda (Price had hoped for Orlando). Plunked down in a dilapidated village, they have plenty to shock them: armed

thugs steal their bags, and they learn that most of the impoverished and hungry villagers are dying of AIDS. A local warlord who calls himself General Butt-Fucking Naked (Corey Jones), who is obsessed with imposing female circumcision, sure ain’t no meerkat. He’s terrified that all the clitorises around him will “power up.” Later, when one man stands up to him, the warlord shoots him in the face, and Price staggers off traumatized. Not only is this place “not like Lion King,” as Cunningham remarks, but that musical’s sappy-happy “hakuna matata” slogan is replaced by the village gaily dancing and singing “Hasa Diga Eebowai,” which translates as “Fuck you, God!” A healthy coping mechanism, considering the circumstances. Quite a challenge for the arrogant Price and his fawning follower. Of course, there’s eventually a role reversal, with Price humbled by events and Cunningham rising to the occasion. He does so with what has hitherto been a fault, his penchant for nervous invention in conversation, which proves a blessing in the realm of proselytizing faith. He hasn’t ever gotten around to reading the Book of Mormon, you see. There are other Elders in the district, and they’ve had zip success in recruiting converts. The most amusing character among them is Elder McKinley (Grey Henson), whose repressed homosexual fantasies are prime material for the Mormon thought-control technique, explained in the song “Turn It Off” (“Like a light switch/Just go ‘click!’ ”). The nearly two dozen songs propel or complement the story. The opener, “Hello,” gives us a sense of the missionaries’ beaming, door-knocking fervor, as a phalanx of them ignore slammed doors as they thrust forward their “most amazing book.” This musical is remarkable for its unblinking forthrightness. Horrific events and activities (one character rapes babies to cure his AIDS) are a graveyard whistled through, a mind trick as effective as religion. And closer to reality, after all. ^

joan maRcuS

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CONTENTIOUS COUPLES Wolfskehl, chace, Hamrick, Jr., and lum.

If we want a civilized society, we have to study and practice civilized behavior. In other words, we’ve got to stop acting like goddamn savages. Yasmina Reza’s God of Carnage was originally written in French, and some might say that the heirs of Napoleon and Charles de Gaulle are in particular need of instructions by Miss Manners. But the first production was in London in 2008, followed by a Tony Best Play run on Broadway, so obviously there is wider identification. A beautifully performed Mixed Magic Theatre staging (through May 18), directed with careful attention by Rich Morra, will allow you to empathize with our stand-ins or shake your head in adamant denial. We see two couples having a perfectly amiable discussion. Their 11-year-old boys have had a schoolyard altercation that left one of them needing dental care. Both sets of parents agree on what happened and what must be done. Their only disagreement, quickly settled, is fatuously semantic: whether the offending boy was “armed” or “furnished” with the stick that did the damage. Not much wiggle room for conflict, right? Wrong. What follows is a case study of what can result when fallible people as well as good intentions are in charge. By the end of 80 minutes, a vase of lovely flowers are torn and strewn about the living room, one of the women has vomited almost as violently, and no one is protected by the social façades they stood behind at the outset. We are in the Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, home of Michael and Veronica Novak (Tom Chace, Christina Wolfskehl). He is a successful wholesaler and she is a socially concerned writer who has a book on the Darfur conflict coming out. It was their son who had two teeth knocked by the other boy after calling him “a snitch.” They have invited over Alan and Annette Raleigh (Amos Hamrick, Jr., Hannah Lum). He is a lawyer who keeps interrupting their conversations by responding to his cell phone, and she is a wealth manager. Tooth talk takes up a chunk of early polite conversation before things get real, especially after they all start downing

Michael’s 10-year-old rum. Insurance will take care of the damage, so endodontics and money aren’t at issue. Their personalities and temperaments are. For example, Michael admits to taking his daughter’s hamster out of its annoyingly squeaking cage and abandoning it on the sidewalk outside as it trembled. His insensitivity catalyzes a particularly powerful moment later on when he casually, humorously, denigrates his wife’s passion for her Darfur work — Wolfskehl blew me back with the intensity of Veronica pummeling her husband, clearly an outburst with deep history in their relationship. Veronica is the most hopeful of the bunch, asking early on: “Fortunately, there is still such a thing as the art of coexistence, isn’t there?” Yes, art rather than science, apparently, as finesse rather than rational discussion seems to work best here. Before Michael fully defines himself with actions, the playwright tempts us to judge him negatively as he asks who wants drinks and then instructs his wife to get them (“I’ll have an espresso too, Sweetie”). But — gotcha — he jumps up to get coffee the next time. Eventually, after tossing back a few, he boasts of being “a Neanderthal” with no belief in the liberal sentiments to which he accommodates. But even cavemen have mommies, so we see him responding to phone calls from his ill mother with care as well as abruptness. Lawyer Alan’s frequent phone conversations about an impending case establish not only that he is protecting a pharmaceutical company but also that he is insisting that, to fend off liability, they keep a harmful drug on the market. He eventually admits to believing in “the god of carnage” who has “ruled uninterrupted since the dawn of time,” defending his successful place in a vicious, dangerous world. With that understanding, it’s no surprise that he calls his son “a thug” and “a savage.” God of Carnage is an acknowledgment rather than an accusation. Playwright Reza is sympathetic toward these flawed people, as she encourages us to be toward their like. Such as ourselves. ^

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Art at arm’s length brown university’s ‘250th alumni exhibition part 2’ _b y Gr eG C ooK

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Photographer Taryn Simon gets amazing access to places, from the art-decorated lobby of a CIA building to the “largest, intact, preserved coastal temperate rain forest in the world” at Olympic National Park to a glowing Department of Energy storage facility for lethally radioactive cesium and strontium. In these photos from the 1997 Brown grad’s An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar — on view in a three-artist survey that serves as part two of “Brown University 250th Anniversary Alumni Exhibitions” at the David Winton Bell Gallery (64 College St, Providence, through May 25) — she pursues a tour of contemporary American mythology. Underlying some of her photos of a model of Star Wars’ Death Star of a pile of animals and plants seized from international arrivals at New York’s JFK airport is a provocative consideration of the workings of power — military, economic, sexual. The images themselves, though, are OBJECTIFICATION simon’s Hymenoplasty, Cosmetic Surgery, P.A., Fort handsome and polished, but dull. She’s recLauderdale, Florida. ognized by top museum shows and New York Times Magazine features as one of the standout documentary art photographers of her generation. So that they began around 1959. They photographed simiwhat’s going on here? lar designs from similar head-on angles, and presented Simon’s breakout work a decade ago was The Innocents, them in grids like specimens pinned to the wall to study portraits of men wrongly sentenced to death or life imthe variations within a species. prisonment whose convictions were overturned by DNA Simon’s work also recalls Larry Sultan and Mike Manevidence. It was a powerful, timely subject with a sharp del’s 1977 project Evidence, which culled bland documentary framing device — she posed each man at a site related to photos of models, machines, and physical demonstrations the alleged crime. But the portraits themselves feel artififrom corporate, government, and educational archives. cial and Simon seems disconnected from the men. These images took on a new surreal life when removed This distance comes to the fore in her later projects. A their native context and disconnected from explanations. photo at Brown shows transatlantic fiber-optic communiBut tracing fine art precedents is only part of the story. cation cables emerging from the sea as some red and orThe rise of the deadpan documentary style that Simon ange lines running up the wall of an empty-seeming New pursues coincides with the decline in the 1960s of Life magJersey room. It takes an astonishing engineering project azine and other publications that paid well for in-depth and reduces it to its most mundane. humanist photojournalism and the rise instead of fashion Another image depicts an operating room with a (see the luxury and deadpan expressions) and corporate woman — well, mostly her spread legs — lying in the photography (everything flatly posed) as the most profitmiddle. A sign explains that she’s a 21-year-old American able ways to make a living doing photography. Maybe the resident of Palestinian descent who has gone to a Florida generational stylistic shift is mainly about paychecks. plastic surgeon to receive a hymenoplasty to fool a future Also included in the Brown exhibit is Sarah Morris’s husband into thinking she is a virgin. What a subject! But feature-length 2012 video Rio, a luxuriously shot travthe woman has been turned into a symbol, an object, just elogue of the Brazilian city — ships plying the misty a pair of disembodied legs. coast, crisp modernist architecture, poor folks sleeping Simon is a conceptually-driven stylist. One can on park benches, women sewing in a lingerie factory, a trace this way of working back to photographer August uniformed maid cleaning an apartment, carnivale dancSander’s specimen-like People of the 20th Century portraits ers. The soundtrack is a generic, electronic drone that that he began recording around 1911, and Bernd and Hilla makes the sun and sensuality feel eerie, alien. The video Becher’s photographic studies of the varieties of cooling epitomizes a contemporary American fine art aesthetic — towers, grain elevators, and other industrial architecture simplistic Puritan moralizing, lavish spending (on photo gear), obsessed with sex, but still prudishly suspicious of sensation. Maybe the issue really is class. Morris signals what club she’s in by visiting the manicured homes of a famous architect and fashion model, but only observing everyone else from the outside, in streets and factories. Maybe the emotional disconnect in the photos and videos reflects the top of the art world’s real disconnect from other people. Maybe it reflects a tendency to see the world — particularly average folks — as others to dispassionately pin in STREET SCENE a frame from morris’s Rio. display cases. ^

RISD Grad

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RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN ANNUAL GRADUATE THESIS EXHIBITION Opening Reception May 16, 6–8pm Open Daily May 16–May 31 12–5pm

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providence.thephoenix.com | the providence phoenix | mAY 9, 2014 19

Listings CLUBS THURSDAY 8

FRIDAY 9

LIGHTHOUSE BAR AT TWIN RIVER

SATURDAY 10

noted, most Unless otherwise 9 pm. nd oU ar rt shows sta . es tim irm nf Call to Co

CITY SIDE | Woonsocket | Batteries

LIGHTHOUSE BAR AT TWIN RIVER

| Lincoln | The Great Escape [Journey tribute] LOCAL 121 | Providence | Dox Ellis

LUXURY BOX SPORTS BAR & GRILL | Seekonk, MA | Heavy Rescue THE MALTED BARLEY | Westerly | Dead Blues Society

MARINER GRILLE | Narragansett | 7:30 pm | Greg & Mark

THE MET | Pawtucket | 8 pm | Chris

NEWPORT GRAND EVENT CENTER

SUNDAY 11

See Club Directory for phone numbers and addresses. AS220 | Providence | Gregory McKillop & the Slightly Smaller Band + Butcher Boy, + From This Moment On + Wood Chips BOUNDARY BREWHOUSE | Paw-

tucket | 7 pm | Open blues jam with Wolfie & the Jam Daddies

CADY’S TAVERN | Chepachet | 3 pm

MONDAY 12

TUESDAY 13

WEDNESDAY 14

Continued on p 20

http://www.as220.org/membership

20 mAY 9, 2014 | the providence phoenix | providence.thephoenix.com

Listings Continued from p 19 LOCAL 121 | Providence | Slow Jams with Born Casual

MURPHY’S LAW | Pawtucket | 7 pm | Jim Tootell

NICK-A-NEE’S | Providence | The Blue-

THURSDAY 15

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COMEDY THURSDAY 8

THE COMEDY FACTORY featuring John Perrotta, Rockin’ Joe Hebert, Eddie Galvin, Scott Gendron, Evan Rocha, and Marie McNiff | Lemongrass, 1138 Post Rd, Warwick | $35 includes buffet [6:30 pm] + show [7:30 pm] + tax + tip | 401.461.7896 | comedyfactoryri.com

FRIDAY 9

DAN SMITH | Fri-Sat 8 pm | Comedy

Connection, 39 Warren Ave, East Providence | $15 | 401.438.8383 | ri comedyconnection.com HARDCORE COMEDY SHOW hosted by Brian Beaudoin | 10:30 pm | Comedy Connection, East Providence | $15

CHARLIE HALL’S GIRLS’ NIGHT OUT with Sherry Davey, Christine

Hurley, and Sarah Blodgett | 8 pm | Stadium Theatre, 28 Monument Sq, Woonsocket | $16 + $21 | 401.762.4545 | stadiumtheatre.com

FRANK SANTOS + FRANK O’DONNELL | 10:15 pm | Olives, 108

North Main St, Providence | $22 | 401.751.1200 | olivesrocks.com THE BIT PLAYERS | Fri 8 pm; Sat 8 + 10 pm | Firehouse Theater, 4 Equality Park Pl, Newport | $15 [$10 Sat @ 10 pm] | 401.849.3473 | firehouse theater.org BRING YOUR OWN IMPROV | 7 + 9 pm | Warwick Museum of Art, 3259 Post Rd | $5 | 401.737.0010 | bringyour ownimprov.com FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE featuring improvised song, dance, and skits | 7 pm | Everett, 9 Duncan Ave, Providence | $5 | 401.831.9479 | everettri. org/what/stage/fnl MICETO IMPROV | 9:30 pm | Contemporary Theater, 327 Main St, Wakefield | $TBA | 401.218.0282 | contemporarytheatercompany.com

PROVIDENCE IMPROV PIG PRESENTS TWO GENTLEMAN AND GREAT LAKES | 8 pm | Providence

THE BIT PLAYERS | See listing for

Fri

SUNDAY 11

A MOTHER’S DAY SHOW WITH STEPHANIE PETERS & JOHN PERROTTA | 8 pm | Comedy Connection, East Providence | $10

COMEDY NIGHT OPEN MIC | 7 pm |

Stevie D’s Bar & Grill, 80 Manville Hill Rd, Cumberland | 401.658.2591 | stevie-ds.com

MONDAY 12

THURSDAY 15

TOM COTTER | 8 pm | Comix at Foxwoods, Mashantucket, CT | $25-$50 advance

CONCERTS POPULAR

Improv Guild, 393 Broad St, Providence | $5 | improvpig.com

THURSDAY 8

| 10:30 pm | Comix at Foxwoods, Mashantucket, CT | $15-$25 advance JOHN CAPARULO | See listing for Thurs

Bell St, Providence | $15 advance, $20 door | 401.273.5678 | bellstreetchapel.org

SPINNATO’S HYPNOTIC HYSTERIA

SATURDAY 10

JIMMY TINGLE: MAKING COMIC SENSE | 8 pm | Narrows Center For

ELLIS DELANEY + LARA HERSCOVITCH | 8 pm | Bell Street Chapel, 5

FRIDAY 9

BRET MICHAELS | 8 pm | Twin

River Event Center, 100 Twin River Rd, Lincoln | $35-$75 | 877.82RIVER | twinriver.com

providence.thephoenix.com | the providence phoenix | mAY 9, 2014 21

THE JAMMIN’ DIVAS, featuring

DOLCE will perform works by Men-

Aoife Clancy, Nicole Zuraitis, Kath Buckell, Hadar Noiberg, and Craig Aki | 8 pm | Sandywoods Center For the Arts, 43 Muse Way, Tiverton | $15 [BYOB + food] | 401.241.7349 | sandywoodsmusic.com JAY FARRAR + Peter Bruntnell | 8 pm | Narrows Center For the Arts, Fall River, MA | $25 advance, $28 day of show “PRESERVE THE GRANITE,” a restoration project fundraiser with Pendragon in concert | 8 pm | Granite Theatre, 1 Granite St, Westerly | $20 | 401.596.2341 | granitetheatre.com

delssohn, Mozart, and Rosenbloom | 2 pm | The Towers, 35 Ocean Rd, Narragansett | $20 | 401.782.2597 | thetowersri.com

SATURDAY 10

PARTICIPATORY

woods Center For the Arts, Tiverton | $12 advance, $15 door

FRIDAY 9

BROOKS WILLIAMS | 8 pm | SandyCHRIS SMITH CARIBBEAN JAZZ ENSEMBLE | 8 pm | Garde Arts Cen-

ter, 325 State St, New London, CT | $33 | 860.444.7373 | gardearts.org

THE JERSEY FOUR: A TRIBUTE TO FRANKIE VALLI & THE FOUR SEASONS | 8 pm | The Greenwich

Odeum, 59 Main St, East Greenwich | $25 | 401.885.4000 | theodeum.org

MARTIN HAYES AND DENNIS CAHILL | 8 pm | Blackstone River

SUNDAY 11

FLYNN COHEN & THE DEADSTRING ENSEMBLE | 3 pm | Sandywoods

Center For the Arts, Tiverton | $10 advance, $12 door [$5/$6 for moms; BYOB + food] JOHNNY GILL | 7:30 pm | Park Theatre, 848 Park Ave, Cranston | $45$65 | 401.467.7275 | parktheatreri.com

THURSDAY 15

JANIVA MAGNESS | 8 pm | Narrows

Center For the Arts, Fall River, MA | $25 advance, $28 day of show

CLASSICAL THURSDAY 8

TENOR CARMINE ORSINI with the Mount Saint Charles Orchestra | 7:30 pm | Stadium Theatre, 28 Monument Sq, Woonsocket | $15-$23 | 401.762.4545 | stadiumtheatre.com

SATURDAY 10

THE RHODE ISLAND PHILHARMONIC with pianist Alon Goldestein

THE NEW BEDFORD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA and violinist Rachel

Barton Pine will perform works by Bruch and Holst | 8 pm | Zeiterion Theatre, 684 Purchase St, New Bedford, MA | $20-$55 | 508.994.2900 | zeiterion.org

SUNDAY 11

THE QUARTET FROM MUSICA

Clasper-Torch + Len Cabral + Marv the Magician | 10 am-5 pm | The Good Earth Organic Gardening Center, 1800 Scituate Ave, Hope | 401.826.3130 | goodearthri.com

See listing for Fri

SUNDAY 11

pm | Blue State Coffee, 300 Thayer St, Providence | $3 | 401.383.8393 | facebook.com/groups/36169437169

See listing for Fri

THURSDAY 15

MISQUAMICUT SPRING FESTIVAL |

MONDAY 12

DANCE

REHOBOTH CONTRA DANCE with

caller Lisa Greenleaf and music by Riptide | 8 pm | Goff Memorial Hall, 124 Bay State Rd, Rehoboth, MA | $8 | 508.252.6375 | contradancelinks. com/rehoboth.html

SUNDAY 11

EVENTS THURSDAY 8

NEWPORT GALLERY NIGHT | at

venues throughout the city | 5-8 pm | Newport Gallery Night, 76 Bellevue Ave | Free | newportgalleries.org.

FRIDAY 9

MISQUAMICUT SPRING FESTIVAL with rides + a petting zoo + classic car shows + the International Outdoor Food Court + vendors + the Beer, BBQ & Bands Tent + the Major League Wrestling Alliance Slamfest + more | May 9 5-11 pm + May 10 11 am-11 pm + May 11 11 am-5 pm | Misquamicut State Beach, Atlantic Ave, Westerly | $7, free under 4 | 401.322.1026 | misquamicutfestival. org

“STICKY STORIES: SEXUAL CONFESSIONS AND AWKWARD ADVENTURES” | A fundraising event to

benefit the Center for Sexual Pleasure and Health, featuring “a lineup of community members sharing stories, home videos, poetry, and more. We look forward to sticky stories about wet dreams, awkward crushes, embarrassing love letters, coming out stories, sexual debuts, locker room horror stories, menstruation disasters, and more” | 7:30 pm | 95 Empire Black Box, 95 Empire St, Providence | $10-$15 sliding scale | as220.org

SATURDAY 10

COLLECTION ’14, the Apparel De-

WILKOMMEN! THE 2ND ANNUAL BEGGAR’S BANQUET, a fundraiser

for the Wilbury Theatre Group with music by David Tessier’s All-Star Band of All-Stars, Veja Doolittle, and more, a silent auction, and a noisy raffle, hosted by Kim Kalunian and Tom Gleadow | 7 pm | The Wilbury Group, 393 Broad St, Providence | $25/$20 students + seniors advance, $30 door, includes appetizers, cash bar available | 401.400.7100 | thewilburygroup.org 1ST ANNUAL FUN RUN/WALK | to benefit Special Olympics | Registration 7-8:45 am, race start 9 am | $25 for 5K, $15 3K before May 10, $30 5K, $20 3K day of race, $5 kids’ run | Colt State Park, 50 Asylum Rd, Bristol | specialolympicsri.org 2ND ANNUAL SPRING PICNIC with Westerly Morris Dancing + a Maypole + food + a natural materials hat contest + more | 12-5 pm | Dedee Shattuck Gallery, 1 Partners Ln, Westport, MA | Free | 508.636.4177 | dedeeshattuckgallery. com

THE GOOD EARTH GARDEN PARTY

with the Wholebellies + Cathy

5TH ANNUAL FLIP OUT ON CANCER FLAIR BARTENDING SHOWCASE with raffles + auctions

WEDNESDAY 14

WATERFIRE PROVIDENCE | Down-

town Providence | waterfire.org

FILM THURSDAY 8 + 15

THE HAIL! HAIL! ROCK ’N’ ROLL DOCUMENTARY FILM SERIES | May

1: Elvis: The ‘68 Comeback Special | May 8: Let It Be, the 1970 documentary about the Beatles rehearsing and recording songs for the album of the same name in 1969 | May 15: Gimme Shelter, the 1970 documentary by Albert and David Maysles chronicling the last weeks of the Rolling Stones’ 1969 US tour, which culminated in the disastrous free concert at the Altamont Speedway Free Festival | 6 pm | Providence Public Library, 150 Empire St | Free | 401.455.8000 | provlib.org

SUNDAY 11

A SCREENING OF THE GREAT CONFUSION: THE 1913 ARMORY SHOW, a documentary about the

THURSDAY 15

THE THIRD THURSDAYS SHORT FILM SERIES presents highlights

LIT EVENTS

TUESDAY 13

GOTPOETRY LIVE! | An open mic | 8

FRIDAY 9

JOHN DEMOS will discuss and sign

his book, The Heathen School: A Story of Hope and Betrayal In the Age of the Early Republic | 5:30 pm | John Carter Brown Library, George and Brown sts, Providence | 401.863.2725 | brown.edu/Facilities/John_Carter_ Brown_Library TORY MCCAGG will read from, discuss, and sign her new novel, Bittersweet Manor | 7 pm | Books On the Square, 471 Angell St, Providence | 401.331.9097 | booksq.com

SATURDAY 10

LABOR DAY: TRUE BIRTH STORIES BY TODAY’S BEST WOMEN WRITERS will be read from, discussed,

and signed by editor Anna Solomon and writers Joanna Rakoff, Jane Roper, Heidi Pitlor, and other guests | 6 pm | Books On the Square, 471 Angell St, Providence | 401.331.9097 | booksq.com

MONDAY 12

CRAIG HARRIS will discuss and sign his book, The Band: Pioneers of

BOB DY L A N GOES P O L K A No one cares. Bob continues experimenting.

JUDA

Cellar Stories Used Books, New Books 1/2 Price!

111 Mathewson Street, Providence 521-2665 www.cellarstories.com

WRITER DAVID SHRAYER-PETROV AND EDITOR MAXIM D. SHRAYER will read from, discuss, and sign the new book, Dinner With Stalin and Other Stories | 7 pm | Books On the Square, 471 Angell St, Providence | 401.331.9097 | booksq.com

TALKS FRIDAY 9

ARTHUR S. MEYERS, | the director

of the Russell Library in Middletown, CT, will discuss his book, Democracy In the Making: The Open Forum Lecture Movement | Part of “The Cosmology of Conversation,” a series on the history of the salon | 5 pm | Providence Athenaeum, 251 Benefit St, Providence | Free | 401.421.6970 or providenceathenaeum.org

“THE CLINIC IN CRISIS SYMPOSIUM: MEDICINE AND POLITICS IN THE CONTEXT OF SOCIAL UPHEAVAL,” | a two-day conference

that will explore the wide-ranging and conflicting roles of clinicians in situations of political violence and social unrest. An international group of scholars in varying fields will collaborate to provide possible solutions to questions of medical neutrality, clinician safety, and other pressing issues | Details @ watson.brown.edu/events/2014/ medics-and-political-violence | FriSat | Brown University’s Pembroke Hall, 172 Meeting St, Providence

SATURDAY 10

“THE CLINIC IN CRISIS SYMPOSIUM: MEDICINE AND POLITICS IN THE CONTEXT OF SOCIAL UPHEAVAL,” | See listing for Fri

THURSDAY 8

Great Cellar Stories Moments #32

ART GALLERIES

www.narrowscenter.org 20 minutes from Providence 16 Anawan Street, Fall River MA 02721 (near Battleship Cove) (508) 324-1926 Doors open @ 7pm Show starts @ 8pm (unless otherwise noted)

best the

2014

Nominated “Best Folk Venue 2014” in the Providence Phoenix “Best” 2014 !

Of course, we are so much more! Rock, Blues, Jazz, World, Comedy, Art….

Thurs. 5/8:

RODNEY CROWELL

fEatuRiNg StEuaRt SMitH aND fRiENDS

ARTPROV GALLERY | 401.641.5182 |

150 Chestnut St, Providence | artprovidence.com | Through May 15:

“Color Sense,” works by Judy Araujo Volkmann, Mary Jane Andreozzi, Nick Paciorek, and Kate Hoyer AS220 | 401.831.9327 | 115 Empire St, Providence | as220.org | Wed-Fri 1-6 pm; Sat 12-5 pm + by appointment | Through May 24: “All That Glitters,” new work by Anne Wolfe | “Dystopian Dreams,” new paintings by Joshua Harriman | “Stewed, Screwd & Tattooeed,” new work by RL | In the Youth Gallery: new work by Kassy Cardona and Wilson Aguilar AS220 PROJECT SPACE | 401.831.9327 | 93 Mathewson St, Providence | as220.org | Wed-Fri 1-6 pm; Sat 12-5 pm + by appointment | Through May 24: “Trials & Tribulations,” new work by Mario Read

BANNISTER GALLERY AT RHODE ISLAND COLLEGE | 401.456.9765 |

600 Mount Pleasant Ave, Providence | ric.edu/bannister | Tues-Fri 12-8 pm | Through May 17: “Annual Student Exhibition” CADE TOMPKINS PROJECTS |

Continued on p 22

Fri. 5/9:

JaY faRRaR fOuNDER Of uNCLE tupELO, SON VOLt

Sat. 5/10:

JiMMY tiNgLE MakiNg COMiC SENSE Thurs. 5/15:

JaNiVa MagNESS Coming Up 5/16: The Garland Jeffreys Band 5/17: hayes Carll 5/22: loudon WainWriGhT iii 5/24: forever younG – a TriBuTe To neil younG 5/29: John fullBriGhT

22 mAY 9, 2014 | the providence phoenix | providence.thephoenix.com

JAMESTOWN ARTS CENTER |

Listings Continued from p 21 401.751.4888 | 198 Hope St, Providence | cadetompkins.com | Sat 10 am-6 pm

+ by appointment | Through June 20: Works by Dean Snyder CHARLESTOWN GALLERY | 401.364.0120 | 5000 South County Tr, Charlestown | charlestowngalleryri. com | Thurs-Sun 10 am-5:30 pm | Through June 10: “Made In Rhode Island,” works by Dean Richardson, Willy Heeks, Robert Rohm, Mark Freedman, Amy Goodwin, Kate Huntington, Shawn Kenney, Paula Martiesian, and more COASTAL LIVING GALLERY | 83 Brown St, Wickford | coastalliving gallery.com | Through May 30: “Pop 1 Flash Premiere,” paintings by Karen Murtha DAVID WINTON BELL GALLERY | 401 863.2932 | List Art Center, Brown

University, 64 College St, Providence | brown.edu/Facilities/David_Winton_Bell_Gallery | Mon-Fri 11 am-4

pm; Sat + Sun 1-4 pm | Through May 25: “Brown University’s 250th Anniversary Alumni Exhibition Part 2,” with works by Sarah Morris, Rob Reynolds, and Taryn Simon DEBLOIS GALLERY | 401.847.9977 | 134 Aquidneck Ave, Middletown | debloisgallery.com | Tues-Sun 12-5 pm | Through June 1: photography and ceramics by Chris Alvanas and Joshua Leonti

DORRANCE H. HAMILTON GALLERY AT SALVE REGINA UNIVERSITY | 401.341.2981 | Antone Academic Center, Lawrence + Leroy Aves, Newport | salve.edu/academics/departments/ art/gallery | Tues + Thurs 11 am-6

PAUL & AL Weekday Mornings 5:30-10:00

pm; Wed + Fri 11 am-5 pm; Sat + Sun 12-4 pm | May 13-18: “Juried Senior Show 2014,” with works by Clair Adams, Arielle Alicchio, Serina Aramaki, Austin Bullock, Megan Busichio, Karina Carlson, Laura Dargon, Dana DiBiase, Julia DiVicenzo, Meagan Drabik, Allison Kirwan, Annamaria Loia, Cara Lopilato, Tallia Luvera, Michael MacGrath, Anna Massad, Samantha Presutti, Brittany Rosenberg, Victoria Ryan, Kimberly-Ann Seeger, and Chelsea Smith GALLERY AT CITY HALL | 401.421.7740 | 25 Dorrance St, Providence | Mon-Fri 8:30 am-4 pm | Through May 12: “Quilted Together: Art & Community Well-Being,” a group show spotlighting the Recovery Quilt Project and Sojourner House’s Voices Unfold project GRIN | 60 Valley St #3, Providence | facebook.com/grinprovidence | Through May 10: “It’s Just Me,” works by Leslie Schomp | May 15-June 14: “Nonspace,” guest curated by Matthew King, with works by Julia Cseko, Matthew King, Joseph Leroux, Clark McLean Graham, Jessica Pinsky, and Nathan Wellman HERA GALLERY | 401.789.1488 | 10 High St, Wakefield | heragallery.org | Wed-Fri 1-5 pm; Sat 10 am-4 pm | May 10-June 7: “19 On Paper,” with works by Grace Bentley-Scheck, Jill Brody, Sally Caswell, Milisa Galazzi, BL Green, Brooke Hammerle, Joan Hausrath, Chris Kelley, Paul Murray, Trish Ellwood O’Day, Howard Rubenstein, Myron Rubenstein, Hiroko Shikashio, Kristin Street, Marion Wilner, Cindy Wilson, and C.C. Wolf | Through May 31: “The 40th Anniversary Exhibition,” with works by founding members, including Frances Powers, Mary Jane Steimer, Roberta Richman, Marlene Malik, and Connie Greene, plus other former and current members, including Bethany Bonner, Claudia Flynn, Troy West, and Wendy Wahl

IMAGO FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS | 401.245.0173 | 36 Market St,

Listen Live at 94HJY.COM

Warren | imagofoundation4art.org | Thurs 4-8 pm, Fri + Sat 12-8 pm | Through June 7: “A Table,” featuring paintings by Pascale Lord, ceramic artist Cathleen Scanlan, furniture maker Robert Barrow, printmaker Mei Fung Chan, and photographer Angel Tucker, plus artist members

Brown School, 250 Lloyd Ave, Providence | mosesbrown.org | Mon-Fri 8

am-4 pm + by appointment | Through May 11: Moses Brown Alumni Exhibit featuring Micheal McLaughlin MAD DOG GALLERY | 401.722.7800 | 65 Blackstone Ave, Pawtucket | maddogartiststudios.com | Mon-Wed + Fri-Sat 12-4 pm; Thurs 12-8:30 pm | Through May 30: “Silver Hippopotamus,” a “pop-up” showroom featuring industrial/modern furniture and artifacts, including tables, benches, lighting, and unique interior art and accents MYSTIC ARTS CENTER | 860.536.7601 | 9 Water st, Mystic, CT | mysticarts.org | Daily 11 am-5 pm | Through May 31: “The Blues,” an open juried show | “The Elected Artists,” featuring Mystic Arts Center artist members

NARROWS CENTER FOR THE ARTS GALLERY | 508.324.1926 | 16 Anawan

St, Fall River, MA | narrowscenter.org |

Wed-Sat 12-5 pm | May 10-31: “Fall River Portraits: People, Neighborhoods, and Community,” with works by BMC Durfee High School and UMass Darmouth photography students

PORTSMOUTH ARTS GUILD GALLERY | 401.293.5ART | 2679 East Main

Rd, Portsmouth | portsmouth arts guild.org | Fri-Sun 1-5 pm | Through

May 18: “Imagine White,” a juried all media show PROVIDENCE ART CLUB | 401.331.1114 | 11 Thomas St | providenceartclub.org | Mon-Fri 12-4 pm; Sat-Sun 2-4 pm | Through May 9: “Nationwide All Media Open Juried Exhibition” | “Paper, Canvas, Film,” works by Nancy GaucherThomas and Mimo Gordon Riley PROVIDENCE PUBLIC LIBRARY | 401.455.8000 | 150 Empire St | provlib. org | Mon + Thurs 12-8 pm, Tues + Wed 10 am-6 pm | Fri + Sat 9 am5:30 pm | Through June 5: “The Whale Guitar,| a “work of art with a mission: to increase awareness of the plight of whales and to preserve endangered cetaceans,” by creator Jen Long and luthier Rachel Rosenkrantz | Through July 25: “Block Island Idyll: Memories of Manisses,” with materials and artifacts from the Rhode Island Collection at Providence Public Library and the Block Island Historical Society

RHODE ISLAND WATERCOLOR SOCIETY GALLERY | 401.726.1876 |

Slater Memorial Park, Armistice Blvd, Pawtucket | rhodeislandwatercolor society.wildapricot.org | Tues-Sat 10

am-4 pm; Sun 1-5 pm | Through May 15: “RIWS Member Group Show,” with work by Elaine Gauthier, Linda Littleton, and Diane Taylor

SOUTH COUNTY ART ASSOCIATION | 401.783.2195 | 2587 Kingstown

Rd, Kingston | south countyart.org |

WICKFORD ART ASSOCIATION GALLERY | 401.294.6840 | 36 Beach

St, North Kingstown | wickfordart.org

MUSEUMS BRISTOL ART MUSEUM |

401.253.4400 | 10 Wardwell St |

bristolartmuseum.org | Wed-Sun 1-

4 pm | Through July 6: “50 Years,” a juried exhibition NEWPORT ART MUSEUM | 401.848.8200 | 76 Bellevue Ave | newportartmuseum.org | Tues-Sat 11 am-4 pm; Sun 12-4 pm | Admission $10 adults; $8 seniors; $6 students and military personnel with ID; free for children 5 and under | May 10Aug 12: “Elizabeth Congdon: Heaven and Earth,” an exhibit of paintings | Through May 11: “Avian Aquidneck,” collages by Irving Barrett | Through May 18: “Newport Annual Members’ Juried Exhibition 2014” RISD MUSEUM | 401.454.6500 | 224 Benefit St, Providence | risdmuseum. org | Tues-Sun 10 am-5 pm [Thurs until 9 pm] | Admission $12; $10 seniors; $5 college students, $3 ages 5-18; free every Sun 10 am-1 pm | Through May 11: “Andy Warhol’s Screen Tests,” short films made between 1964-’66 | Through June 29: “Andy Warhol’s Photographs” | Through July 6: “Arlene Shechet: Meissen Recast,” an exhibition of sculptures | Through Aug 3: “Graphic Design: Now in Production,” which explores some of the most vibrant graphic design work produced since 2000, including magazines, newspapers, books, and posters

THEATER BROWN/TRINITY REP MFA PROGRAMS | 401.351.4242 | trinityrep.

com/about_us/venues/pell_chafee_ center.php | At the Pell Chafee Performance Center, 87 Empire St, Providence | Through May 17: The Tooth of

OCEAN STATE THEATRE COMPANY | 401.921.6800 | oceanstate

theatre.org | 1245 Jefferson Blvd, Warwick | Through May 18: 42nd Street | This week: May 8 2 + 7:30 pm + May 9 + 10 7:30 pm + May 11 2 pm | $39-$54

PROVIDENCE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER | 401.421.ARTS | ppacri.org |

220 Weybosset St | Through May 11: The Book of Mormon, by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, and Matt Stone | May 8 + 9 7:30 pm + May 10 2 + 8 pm + May 11 1 + 6:30 pm | $35-$93

THE RHODE ISLAND SHAKESPEARE THEATRE | 401.245.3431

| woodenmidshipman.com | At the

Wooden Midshipman, 146 Water St |

Through May 11: Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare | Thurs-Sun 8 pm | $15, $10 students + seniors

THE RHODE ISLAND STAGE ENSEMBLE | At the Assembly Theatre,

East Ave, Harrisville | May 9-18: Hay

TRINITY REPERTORY COMPANY

providence.thephoenix.com | the providence phoenix | mAY 9, 2014 23

Unless otherwise noted, these listings are for Thurs May 8 through Thurs May 15. Times can and do change without notice, so please call the theater before heading out.

Film AVON CINEMA

260 Thayer St, Providence | 401.421.3315

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL | Thurs: 2:10, 4:15, 6:25, 8:30 FADING GIGOLO | Starts Fri: 2:30, 4:25, 6:30, 8:25

CABLE CAR CINEMA

204 South Main St, Providence | 401.272.3970

BENEATH THE HARVEST SKY | Starts Fri: 7 [Q&A with directors Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly post-screening] | Sat: 7:15 | Sun: 6 | Mon + Tues: 6:30 | Wed-Thurs: 6:30 UNDER THE SKIN | Thurs: 4:30, 9 | Fri: 4:30, 10 | Sat: 3, 9:45 | Sun: 8:30 | Mon-Thurs: 9 FINDING VIVIAN MAIER | Thurs: 2:30, 6:45 | Fri: 2:30 | Sat: 1, 5:15 | Sun: 12, 2, 4 | Mon + Tues + Thurs: 2:20, 4:30 | Wed: 4:30

CINEMA WORLD

622 George Washington Hwy, Lincoln | 401.333.8676

These listings are for Thurs May 8-Mon May 12 only. Call for updates or go to cinemaworldonline.com. LEGENDS OF OZ: DOROTHY’S RETURN 3D | Starts Fri: 11, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, 5:30, 7:10, 9:20 LEGENDS OF OZ: DOROTHY’S RETURN | Starts Fri: 12:25, 2:30, 6:40 NEIGHBORS | Thurs: 8, 10:15 | FriMon: 11:30, 12:45, 1:45, 3, 4:45, 5:45, 6:30, 7:30, 8:30, 9:45 | Fri-Sat late show: 10:45 THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 | Thurs: 10:15, 11:30, 1:15, 2:30, 4:15, 5:30, 7:15, 8:30, 10:15 | Fri-Mon: 10:15, 11:15, 12:15, 1:15, 2:15, 3:15, 4:15, 5:15, 6:15, 7:15, 8:15, 9:15, 10:15 THE OTHER WOMAN | Thurs: 11, 1:30, 4:30, 7:30, 10 | Fri-Mon: 11:10, 1:55, 3:05, 4:35, 7:25, 9:55 BRICK MANSIONS | Thurs: 11:25, 1:40, 4:55, 7:10, 10:20 | Fri-Mon: 7:40, 9:50 THE QUIET ONES | Thurs: 11:35, 1:55, 5:15, 7:50, 10;20 | Fri-Mon: 4:40, 7:50, 10 BEARS | 11:05, 1 TRANSCENDENCE | Thurs: 1:50, 4:50 | Fri-Mon: 10:30, 7:35 HEAVEN IS FOR REAL | Thurs: 11:10, 1:20, 4, 7, 9:20 | Fri-Mon: 10:55, 1:05, 4, 6:45, 9 DRAFT DAY | Thurs: 11:05, 1:25, 4:35, 7:20, 9:50 | Fri-Mon: 1:35, 4:30, 7:05 OCULUS | Thurs: 7:40, 9:55 | Fri-Mon: 4:55, 10:05 RIO 2 | Thurs: 1, 2:30, 4, 6:45 | FriMon: 10:35, 1:10, 4:05, 6:50, 9:10 CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER | Thurs: 1:15, 4:20, 7:25, 9:25 | Fri-Mon: 10:25, 1:25, 4:10, 7, 9:30 GOD’S NOT DEAD | Thurs: 10:25, 1:05, 4:25 | Fri-Mon: 1:40, 4:25 DIVERGENT | Thurs: 4:05, 7:05, 10:05 | Fri-Mon: 10:20, 1:20, 4:20, 7:20, 9:35

EAST PROVIDENCE 10 60 Newport Ave | 401.438.1100

ENTERTAINMENT CINEMAS

30 Village Square Dr, South Kingstown | 401.792.8008

LEGENDS OF OZ: DOROTHY’S RE-

ISLAND CINEMAS 10 105 Chase Ln, Middletown | 401.847.3456

LEGENDS OF OZ: DOROTHY’S RETURN 3D | Starts Fri: 4:30, 8:50 LEGENDS OF OZ: DOROTHY’S RETURN | Starts Fri: 12:30, 2:30, 6:40 NEIGHBORS | Starts Fri: 12:10, 2:20, 4:40, 7:30, 9:45 THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 IN 3D | 1:15, 4:15, 7:45 THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 | 12:15, 3:15, 6:30, 9:25 THE OTHER WOMAN | 1, 3:40, 7:05, 9:25 THE QUIET ONES | 1:20, 3:45, 7:30, 9:40 BEARS | 12:30, 2:30, 4:25, 6:45*, 8:40* [*no shows May 15] HEAVEN IS FOR REAL | 1:10, 3:50, 6:50, 9:20 RIO 2 | 12, 2:10, 4:20, 6:45*, 9* [*no shows May 15] CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER | 1:15, 4:10, 7:10, 9:35 GODZILLA 3D | Thurs [May 15]: 7, 9:45 GODZILLA | Thurs [May 15]: 7, 9:45

JANE PICKENS THEATER 49 Touro St, Newport | 401.846.5252

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL | Thurs: 4:45, 7 FADING GIGOLO | Starts Fri-Sat: 4:45, 7, 9 | Sun-Mon: 2:30, 4:45, 7 | TuesThurs: 4:45, 7

PROVIDENCE PLACE CINEMAS 16

Providence Place | 401.270.4646

RUSTIC TRI VUE DRIVE-IN

Rt 146, North Smithfield | 401.769.7601

NON-STOP + NEIGHBORS | Fri-Sat: dusk ROBOCOP + THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN 2 | Fri-Sat: dusk RIO 2 + CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER | Fri-Sat: dusk

SHOWCASE CINEMAS SEEKONK ROUTE 6 Seekonk Square, Seekonk, MA | 508.336.6789

SHOWCASE CINEMAS WARWICK 1200 Quaker Ln | 401.885.1621

SHOWCASE CINEMAS WARWICK MALL 400 Bald Hill Rd | 401.736.5454

LEGENDS OF OZ: DOROTHY’S RETURN 3D | Thurs: 9:15 | Fri-Thurs: 9:35

The Best in Independent Cinema

SHOWCASE CINEMAS NORTH ATTLEBORO

640 South Washington St, North Attleboro, MA | 508.643.3900

SWANSEA STADIUM 12

207 Swansea Mall Dr, Swansea, MA | 508.674.6700

BENEATH THE HARVEST SKY

UNDER THE SKIN

FINDING VIVIAN MAIER

5/9 ... 7 (Director. Q & A) 5/10 ... 7:15 5/11 ... 6 5/12 - 5/15 ... 6:30

5/9 ... 4:30, 10 5/10 ... 3, 9:45 5/11 ... 8:30 5/12 - 5/15 ... 9

5/9 ... 2:30 5/10 ... 1, 5:15 5/11 ... 12, 2, 4 5/12 & 5/13 ... 2:30, 4:30 5/14 ... 4:30 5/15 ... 2:30. 4:30

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24 MAY 9, 2014 | the providence phoenix | providence.thephoenix.coM

OuR RATING

film Short Takes Movie reviews in brief XX

NEIGHBORS 97 MinUtes | r | cineMA world + entertAinMent + islAnd + providence plAce 16 + showcAse + swAnseA stAdiUM 12 Elaborate sight gags are few and far between in contemporary movie comedy, but this Seth Rogen effort has one shot involving an air bag that ranks alongside the biggest laughs of the silent era. Aside from that it’s an energetic, hitor-miss affair about young parents (Rogen and Rose Byrne) clashing with the fraternity that moves into the house next door (commanded by a perpetually stripped-to-the-waist Zac Efron). Stressed out by work and their new baby, the couple envy the frat boys their freedom almost as much as they resent the noise, which is a funny idea; unfortunately the artless script by Andrew J. Cohen and Brendan O’Brien tends to spell it out in dialogue more than dramatize it through behavior. A later sight gag involving Byrne’s swollen breasts and Rogen getting shot in the face with milk is more gross than funny, but at least these guys are trying. Nicholas Stoller (The Five Year Engagement) directed; with

Masterpiece Good Okay Not Good Stinks

XXXX XXX XX X Z

Lisa Kudrow, Ike Barinholtz, Carla Gallo, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. _J.R. Jones

XXX

BENEATH THE HARVEST SKY 116 MinUtes | cAble cAr Two high school pals (Emory Cohen and Callan McAuliffe) long to escape from their dead-end existence in the potato-farming community of Van Buren, Maine, but their dream of relocating to Boston is threatened when the wilder of them decides to get involved in drug smuggling over the Canadian border. Despite the story’s familiarity, this working-class drama reeled me in with its fine performances and credible portrayal of the personal frustration and family dysfunction that attend a life of small-town poverty. Aron Gaudet cowrote and codirected with his wife, Gita Pullapilly, though his most impressive achievement may be the editing; the languid pace effectively communicates the characters’ crushing boredom, yet the dramatic interest never flags. With Aiden Gillen, Timm Sharp, Carla Gallo, and Sarah Sutherland. _J.R. Jones

Sat 5/10 8pm $15

Viktorija Gecyte

Lithuanian born, Paris-based vocalist who’s steeped in jazz tradition. She sings it like she means every word of it. Strong and tender at the same time. Unique! Featuring her world class GO Trio, Sean Gough-Piano, Gene Perla-Bass, Colby Inzer-drums and special guest Joe Magnarelli-Trumpet. Upcoming:

Fri 5/16 Joe Louis Walker Sat 5/17 Jeff Pitchell & Texas Flood BriNGiNG THe NOise Efron in Neighbors.

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FROM A BRAND THAT YOU TRUST

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capsule reviews XW THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2

| 2014 | Amazing is a word so overused it no longer has any impact, which makes it the perfect adjective for this second installment of the second franchise based on the Marvel Comics superhero. The Green Goblin, featured in the first installment of the first franchise back in 2002, returns for another go-round, though Spider-Man spends most of the movie contending with the high-voltage Electro (Jamie Foxx), whose attack on Times Square is the central action sequence. As the hero and his adolescent alter-ego, Andrew Garfield continues to be the new series’ most valuable player; his tender, modestly written scenes with Sally Field as his widowed aunt and with Emma Stone as his best girl offer a welcome respite from the spectacle. That’s about all I can think of at the moment — imagine how tough this will be once we get to the third installment of the third franchise. Marc Webb directed; with Dane DeHaan and Paul Giamatti. | 142m |

XX BRICK MANSIONS | Camille

Delamarre — who edited Transporter 3 (2008), Taken 2 (2012), and other high-speed actioners for Luc Besson’s EurpaCorp studios — makes his directorial debut with this similar-minded crime thriller, a

remake of District B13 (2004). Besson wrote that movie and this one, transplanting the story from a Parisian banlieue to a Detroit housing project but keeping the story intact: an undercover cop (Paul Walker, in one of his final roles) and an ex-con (David Belle, reprising his character from the original) try to take down a powerful slumlord (rapper RZA). This is shamelessly cartoonish B-movie fare, but at least it has a social conscience. | 90m |

XW CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WIN-

TER SOLDIER | 2014 | This sequel to Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) trades that film’s 1940s setting for a contemporary one and its genial tone for a blithe cynicism more typical of Marvel Studios. The convoluted story involves the sabotage of SHIELD — the secret agency of Captain America (Chris Evans) and his superhero peers — by another organization that’s rooted in Nazi Germany. Unless you’re intimately familiar with the so-called Marvel universe (or you really love CG explosions), little of this will resonate; directors Joe and Anthony Russo race through everything but the special-effects set pieces, assuming that fans will compensate for the lack of nuance by drawing on their knowledge of the comic books. The impressive supporting cast

includes Anthony Mackie, Scarlett Johansson, Frank Grillo, Robert Redford, and Samuel L. Jackson. | 136m |

XXW THE GRAND BuDAPEST HOTEL | 2014 | Set largely in the run-up

to World War II, history is the incursion that motivates Wes Anderson’s most antic and most somber work. The bulk of the film is set in 1932. The hotel is at the peak of its success under the watchful eyes of M. Gustave (Ralph Fiennes), a dapper concierge who elicits and responds to the sexual desires of wealthy elderly visitors, including Madame D. (Tilda Swinton) Madame D.’s death is the inciting incident of the film, and the narrative that unfurls in its aftermath is the most efficient, irrelevant, and elaborate that Anderson has conceived. The story’s major punctuation marks are a series of surprisingly abrupt, brutal, funny acts of violence. A second viewing allows Anderson’s greater achievement to blossom. Using an array of self-reflexive techniques (callbacks to cast members from previous films, Alexandre Desplat’s tremendous score), Anderson inserts his system of references into a historical moment already freighted with its own. It’s a bold and rather curious conceit, but one replete with unique insights on cinematic mediation and historical memory. | 100m |

now open! Monday-Friday 4pm-1am Kitchen Open til 10pm

Weekends 11:30am-1am Kitchen Open til 11pm

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brutopiabrewery.com Rhode Island National Guard Open House

AIR SHOW

17-18 May 2014

www.riairshow.org www.facebook.com/riairshow twitter @riairshow

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Gates Open at 9AM No Pets - No Coolers No Backpacks

We’re Back!!

26 May 9, 2014 | the providence phoenix | providence.thephoenix.coM

1119 North Main St., Providence 02904. MON - THURS 3pm to 1am FRI 3pm- 2am SAT 5pm-2am SUN 5pm-1am

Farm to Fork and Organic Pub Grub.

Open daily 5pm - midnight 401-383-5858

Find us on Facebook!

THEPARLOURRI.COM

Thur 5/8 Fri 5/9

OCEAN GROWN THURSDAY with members of Viral Sound and The Little Compton Band featuring The Hornitz

6Pm To 9Pm PVD Shanty Sing W/

Sharks Come Cruisin’

EvEry FrI

KARAOKE 9pm

SAT 5/10

THE ‘MERICANS / THE BROTHER KITE Big Ghost / Great Big Circles and JOHN GORMAN 7pm Optimus Prine

Sun 5/11

A Tribute to JOHN PRINE (Singers in the round.)

EvEry mon

no r cove

Reggae night

with Upsetta International and Natural Element Band

Open Mic at 7:30 pm

EvEry tUE

BEST KARAOKE NIGHT 2014’ Providence Phoenix readers poll!

Moon signs Dear readers, Since August of 1998, I have written “Moon Signs.” This column was mid-wifed at the Boston Phoenix by then-managing editor Clif Garboden and editor Peter Kadzis; the idea was to provide a “hip and edgy” take on astrology for urbanites. “Moon Signs” was designed to give you practical information, some insight on yourself, and education about phases of the moon. I love writing “Moon Signs” and every now and then step away from the lunar podium to provide you some background on what I do and how I do it. Astrology was the first science — the first psychology — the first meteorology — and a universal theme for every civilization across the continents. All the North American indigenous tribes had names for the full moon — and the Europeans had theirs. The word “planet” comes from the Greek “planetii,” which means “wandering stars.” It’s a misnomer if you say astrology is about the stars. We’re just talking about the planets and sad little Pluto, and of course our beloved white dwarf, Old Sol. Whether you believe or resist, you must understand

_b y sy Mb o l i ne DA i

that your great (to the 50th power) ancestor thought about what’s going on in the night sky. So here’s the thing. On April 24, my mom passed away. Very suddenly, from a devastating illness that remained undiagnosed until the week after we lost her. I am bereft and finding it difficult to get through the day, let alone to do the geometry and symbol-management that is part of my duties as your “Moon Signs” correspondent. I will be back next week. I promise you that. However, in the interim, I am going to ask you to do something for me. As the moon is waxing again, would you keep track of what you are doing on each given day? Push yourself this week. Take some chances and see whether your interest focuses on love, money, friendship, learning, gathering, or one of the seven virtues. (Or seven vices.) Keep a diary and email me at sally@moonsigns.net. I will pick one of your names at random and I will send you a lunar calendar for the year as well as a hand-made moon necklace. And I will also provide, in next week’s introduction, my take on what the week should have been.

Think of it as a “retroactive” forecast. And please pray for me and my family because losing a parent is god-awful brutal. Astrology is a solace for me — something interesting and amusing and a way to use my classical education — but I ran out of words last week, and found myself looking at that waning moon and saying “is that it?” So if you can send some words of hope, or comments about how you enjoy looking at the moon and planets and what you have learned, I would be very, very grateful. Ad astra, symboline Dai

Moon KeyS this horoscope traces the passage of the moon, not the sun. Simply read from day to day to watch the moon’s influence as it moves through the signs of the zodiac. | When the moon is in your sun sign, you are beginning a new 28-day emotional cycle, and you can expect increased insight and emotionality. When the moon moves into the sun sign opposite yours (see below), expect to have difficulties dealing with the opposite sex, family, or authority figures; social or romantic activities will not be at their best. | When the moon is in aries, it opposes Libra, and vice versa. other oppositions are taurus/Scorpio, Gemini/Sagittarius, cancer/capricorn, Leo/aquarius, and virgo/pisces. the moon stays in each sign approximately two and a half days. | as the moon moves between signs, it will sometimes become “void of course,” making no major angles to planets. consider this a null time and try to avoid making or implementing decisions if you can. But it’s great for brainstorming. | For Symboline dai’s sun-sign horoscopes and advice column, visit our Web site at thephoenix.com. Symboline Dai can be reached at sally@moonsigns.net.

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55 57 59 60 61 64 65 66 67 68 69

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Down 1 had sore muscles 2 Merriment 3 crown 4 prehistoric 5 of a daughter or son 6 ten beater 7 Bugs 8 contend 9 Google ___ 10 armchair partner 11 *tremble in fear, maybe 12 expensive seating 13 Spoken or sung 18 Like some inspections 23 inventor of a six-color fad 25 chop suey additive 26 Babe ruth rival 28 Selleck sleuth 29 actor cary of “Saw” 31 dublin’s country, to residents 32 Monopoly card

33 ___ Sci 34 Got (by) 35 *nintendo’s yearly concern 39 Spray brand 40 Like the “21 Jump Street” movie 43 andy Griffith series 45 comedian Barinholtz 48 Surefooted 50 Judicial garb 52 “in ___” (nirvana album)

53 engage in a recent fad (not owling) 54 “___ alive!” 55 herring type 56 Like some electrical plugs 57 drains 58 pace for a pony 62 acne-fighting brand 63 Squabble Solution iS on page 21