The Agenda

With so many bands, groups, troupes, and DJs at IndieArts Fest 2008, The Agenda saw an opportunity to ask the entertainers some questions about the City of Providence.

1. Is there a lack of diversity in music venues in Providence?
   The ‘Mericans: No - you just have to go to places you don't usually go to
   Nick de Paris: Needs more electronic but getting there.
   Ty Jesso: There is plenty of musical diversity in Providence if you like DJs, but where has all the live music gone to? There are too few live venues, too few bands, and the live music audiences that you used to see out and about would rather sit, drink and listen to DJs in their fave local bars. Not a complaint, I guess.
   Swiss Chemistry Club: Safari Lounge; the old Green Room (before it started trying to look all up-scale-y); Fort Thunder; One Up; I liked the Liquid Lounge until it started looking like it was trying to be an upscale Hooters.

by Molly Booker

[This interview appeared in The Agenda #14, January 2006, and previously in longer form in the glorious-but-now-defunct Providence Music Paper.]

This interview was conducted on a chilly October morning in 2004. Alec K. Redfearn invited me into his home and allowed me to ask him questions about religion, his family, music, and addiction. In the interview, Alec returns again and again (unbeknownst to him, I believe) to the theme of pieces and shards: his shattered leg, the somewhat schizophrenic state after sobriety, his lyrics, his influences. As I typed the interview, I was struck by the way he talks and thinks—it was largely pieces and shards as well; rarely a fully formed thought. I found Alec's speaking style to be just as illustrative of his creative mind as what he actually said.

Point: My Band, The Jacobins, Slays with Unparalleled Heaviosity

by John Taraborelli

A lot of rock bands are into the music for the fame, the money, the women, the piles of free, pharmaceutical-grade coke—and I can understand that mentality. Those are the kinds of things they care about, but not the Jacobins; we care about one thing above all: melting your face.

adds electronica diversity to your Thursday night

By Travis Holser; Photos by Frank Mullin

Revolve takes place every other Thursday at the Cuban Revolution in Downtown Providence. The brainchild of Tim O'Keefe, Mike Hoska and Gregor Mittersinker has gathered momentum with ongoing blockbuster live performances by Triangle Forest, Joe Beats and Blak, Channel Zero, and this Thursday, August 2nd, Mahi Mahi and DJ C.

The Agenda was saddened to learn
of the recent passing of a beloved figure in Providence's arts & music community. The
following memorial for Eugene P. Severens was written by longtime friend and
musical contemporary Terry Linehan.

July 15th – 21st.

The Providence Black Repertory Company and The City of Providence, David N. Cicilline, Mayor are pleased to announce New England’s premier genre-defying summer music festival, Providence SoundSession ’07.

Viennagram at Snookers

by Dan Verrier

Well, it’s happened. For once, somebody isn’t just lamenting the city’s dead music scene, but actually doing something about it. Singer, songwriter, and emcee extraordinaire Dan White, with the help of the good people at Snookers, is arranging the rebirth of the performance space formerly known as the Green Room. The first of what will hopefully be a long line of shows happened on Saturday, November 18th, and if you didn’t go, you should be pissed.

Ten Years Later

by Ika Johannesson

The Bible of Punk turns ten. Time to talk about Please Kill Me again, one of the best books on music ever written. The Agenda sent their Swede down to New York to hang out.

It’s Halloween and I’m spending it with three punk rock veterans: Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain, authors of Please Kill Me, and Danny Fields—legendary scenester, the Ramones manager who got the MC5 and the Stooges their recording contracts, and main voice in the book. Well, four actually, since Gillian McCain is married to Jim “The Hound” Marshall, a DJ and bar owner who is also interviewed in the book.

Heartbreak Hits a Positive Note

by Matt Obert

There’s a new sign outside the Strand Theater; we called Rich Lupo for the scoop.

Here at Agenda World HQ, we were very excited recently to hear that the lease on the Strand building had changed hands.
What happened is Mike Kent was getting his fine and punishment for problems with Diesel, and he approached me about buying his lease.

by Matt Obert

This is an interview with Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins of The Internet.
Peter: From The Internet. Not “of the.” Do you want us to say our names?

Sure, why don’t you start out by introducing yourselves?
Peter: I’m Peter Gabriel.
Phil: And I’m Phil Collins.

Mad Peck’s Poster Art

By Alden Stetzer

Posters have been a topic of conversation in the current arts dialogue in Providence.

reviewed by Jolly

Coughs Secret Passage (Load Records)

The closest band to compare Coughs to would have to be a Swans / Butthole Surfers choice blend — mustardy relish on top of an atomic crashing corndog bomb of discontent. This six-piece wrecking crew fronted by Anya is an atomic bomb; she has a voice like a possessed saxophone being strangled in the best way, and some of their songs are about popping pimples, and bunnies running down the slope to keep their lucky feet. They’re from Chicago. One time I saw her jump inside of a trash barrel — she was bleeding everywhere, they turned over all the tables and chairs, dry humping the club. They have dark powers.

The third annual Sound Session festival took place in July 2006. The yearly event, co-sponsored by the Providence Black Repertory Company and the Department of Arts, Culture and Tourism, has quickly gained national and international acclaim. Canadian magazine Novus called Sound Session “New England’s most dynamic summer music festival.” In our last issue, we printed excerpts from an interview with PBRC’s Don King. Here’s some cool stuff we left out:

by Rob Verdi

Local artist Jean Cozzens mentors student artist Hannah Lutz Winkler(L) during a silk screening workshop. Photo: Sarah Meyer

Mahatma Gandhi said, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” At New Urban Arts, the after-school arts mentoring program on Westminster Street, this idea is in full bloom. On any weeknight you will find the place buzzing with creative activity. Students will be painting and drawing, writing poetry, getting advice on college applications and, of course, checking their MySpace accounts. They are also, probably without their knowledge, changing. Everything is always changing, right? Grass and hair keep growing, apartments that just a year ago rented for $1000 a month are turned into $200,000 condos, mayors are thrown in jail and new ones are elected. Those kinds of changes are inevitable, but developments within an individual are of an altogether different kind and very often don’t happen on their own. Yet, these are the kinds of changes that have been happening at New Urban Arts for the last ten years.

How do these kinds of changes occur at New Urban Arts? It starts with a bold if somewhat seemingly wide-eyed idea. A gross oversimplification would be: If young people learn to develop and incorporate a creative practice into their lives the world will be a better place, for them and for everyone. New Urban Arts seeks to build a community that encourages young people to explore their creative sides as well as build strong trusting relationships with emerging artists. It creates a safe environment for self-discovery away from the cliques at school, and is a place where high school social boundaries are stripped away and real change is allowed to happen. One student started out learning about photography, then moved to drawing and painting and later picked up a guitar and wrote some songs, one of which she performed at recent NUA public events.

A Benefit Anchored In Hope

On a Saturday night in August, hundreds gathered to raise money for the victim of a terrible bike accident — local bike enthusiast, former AS220 barman, and tireless Recycle-A-Bike mentor Brendan Ryan.