The Agenda

By Tyler Long

“Been surfin’ yet?” I hear it all the time. The warm winds blow and the sun cooks the cement. It’s mid-July and all attention is focused on the beach. But as normal as that question may seem, to a surfer it’s as absurd as onion mouthwash. The thing is: there is rarely surf in New England during the summer months. Sure we get a few bumps here and there, but until the bittersweet hurricanes of late September—basically the last throes of beach time for everyone else—the song pretty much remains the same: Welcome to Lake Narragansett.

The Story of Malachi Ritscher

by Kristen Chauvin

Just three years ago, Malachi Ritscher was a well-known member of Chicago’s avant-garde jazz scene. He made live recordings of bands at local clubs like The Empty Bottle, at little or no cost. He was also a passionate participant in Chicago’s anti-war and free speech movement and had been arrested several times for protesting peacefully. On November 3, 2006 he doused himself in gasoline and lit himself on fire beside the Kennedy Expressway next to a sculpture called “Flame of the Millennium”. People in cars going into and out of the Windy City saw this. They read the handmade sign he had staked into the ground near him, protest style: “Thou Shalt Not Kill.” His corpse was so badly charred that coroners could not even identify its gender. It took several days and a dental record to put a name to the body.

Interview with IndieArts/ri Manager Tim O’Keefe

Who is IndieArts/ri?
IndieArts/ri is a splinter group of the Arts & Business Council of Rhode Island made up of a variety of artists, musicians, DJs and event producers who contribute to Rhode Island art and music. The day to day of IndieArts/ri, which will evolve, is Ted James and myself posting member’s events and in some cases free DJ mixes online at www.indieartsri.com.

The fiscal 2009 budget has now been approved by the General Assembly, and everyone expects the Governor to sign it. Here are a dozen things worth knowing about.

The Web is an amazing space. Point, click and shoot; search for anything. And thank goodness, because otherwise, how would we get our Providence Daily Dose? Locally based, this Internet locale is a gem among the often out-of-date and hard-to-navigate deluge on the web.

All right, in Web-time the Dose isn't exactly new—it's been around almost since the start of The Agenda's most recent vacation.

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.