Alcohol-Free Delights

For the first time since starting this blog, I've been derailed. Have I been felled by some horrific illness? Am I suffering from writer's block? No. What I've done is commit the cardinal sin of nightlife and event blogging: I've given up drinking for Lent.

Amazingly, I didn't realize the negative effect this would have on my posting. I actually thought, going in to this 46 days of horror (that's right, count the calendar, there are 46 days in Lent), that this period of clean living would actually increase my output. Surely, the lack of boozy evenings would clear my mind and leave me with the time and motivation to create. Sadly, however, what it has done is to make it very hard to find activities and locations that seem worth doing.

Some friends have said, rather bluntly, that if I don't have any interests in my normal activities when I'm not drinking, it means I'm an alcoholic. Well, I plead guilty, but not in the normal sense. Physically and emotionally, I have no need for booze, but I'm a social alcoholic. I like to go into situations where people are drinking, have a good time, and throw a few back myself. When I go to a bar to see some live music, the beer I drink is integral to the experience. Last weekend, I went to the Wild Colonial to play some pool and was bored out of my mind.

So I ask you to forgive me if my posts are a bit less numerous or less inspired. But, in the interests of serving the public and anyone else crazy enough to make a lenten sacrifice similar to my own, I endeavored to pull together a few nightlife options that don't necessarily involve drinking.

1) You haven't lived until you have partaken of extreme rock and bowl at the Bowling Academy in East Providence

2) If you are trying to avoid the typical movie experience, your best bet is the Cable Car Cinema in Providence

3) The second Friday of every month, the RISD Museum is open for music, art, hors d’oeuvres (and also drinks, but I don't think anyone's chugging.) It's only $8 to get in.

4) I haven't done this yet, but the Ladd Observatory, on the East Side of Providence, is open to the public every Tuesday from 7:00 to 9:00. Maybe there's a comet out there with my name (to be put) on it.

That's all I've got, sadly. (I decided to leave theater and concerts off, because those take more commitment and planning than I have in me right now.) I think the non-drinking members of our community would appreciate if anyone with other ideas could post them in the comments.

Rhody Rocks Resolutions

Is there a more hackneyed post I could possibly make than to post my 'resolutions' as a cheap convention to preview the coming 12 months? Of course not, and that's why I love it. Although, this might be a little different, in that these aren't my resolutions, they're yours. If you've seen the state of our political system, you know choice is not a luxury Rhode Island has earned, so I'm telling you right here and now what's good for you. Fortunately, these should be about the most enjoyable resolutions you could possibly keep.

Resolution 1: See more live music

A few years ago, you had a perfectly legitimate reason for not going to see local live shows: there was no way to know if the band sucked (and around here, if you weren't into Noise and other heavy metal variants, you had know way to know if you were going to be deafened.) Now, though, every band that's been together ten minutes has a MySpace page or a site with some tracks posted, so you can try before you buy, even if buying means heading out to the local bar. Check out The Phoenix or lotsofnoise for the best listings.

Resolution 2: Buy some art

You've heard that Rhode Island is becoming a magnet for artists, but you haven't taken the plunge and walked into a gallery. Just do it, you'll feel good, pump some money back into the local scene, and get an artifact you will always remember and cherish. If you want to make a night of it, there's always Gallery Night, or you could go a bit further to the edge and check out the Pawtucket scene.

Resolution 3: Join something

Did you know you can try to be a skater with the Providence Roller Derby? (Well, as long as you have two X chromosomes, anyway.) Not every activity in the Ocean State might be that cool, but you could certainly find a sports league (Basketball in Charlestown? A volleyball league? Flag football?) or maybe volunteer for something. There's a lot out there.

Resolution 4: Get out of the city

I know Rhody Rocks, based on its current posts, could be renamed 'The Providence/Pawtucket Booster Blog'. First, though, that's a sucky name, and second, we guarantee there will be many posts coming in the coming year that will feature state-wide attractions. We'll tell you about fishing and dining in Chepachet, shopping in Bristol, theatergoing in Warren, tourist-dodging in Newport, and how to go to a beach in Narragansett without a steroid-fueled guido ruining your day. In the meantime, it can't hurt too much to go exploring on your own, at least as long as you avoid Coventry.

Resolution 5: Post some comments

Can I be honest with you? I have a dream for this blog, a dream that a community of like-minded folks will share their favorite night spots and activities, so the world and the bored masses will know all the great things about this state. So please, if you do something worth talking about, either post it up here or send me an email at reedmore1 (at) cox.net, and let us all know. Don't let my dream die in 2008.

Pawtucket Rising

I think the principle choice in my life is whether I turn left or right at the end of my street. Left, and I am swiftly on Hope Street, headed towards the familiar bars, restaurants, and other merry-making options that exist within the city that I consider my first adult home. Right, and I delve into the depths of Pawtucket, which seemed like a joke even after I bought a house just over the border. I mean, why would anyone go to Pawtucket when Providence is right there?

So why do I find myself more and more frequently turning right? Why do I now tell my colleagues at work in Boston that I live in Pawtucket? Why have I been shunning some of my more familiar Providence haunts? Because, at long last, the resurgence of Pawtucket is not just a dream or a theory, but a true, if fragile, thing.

I plan on writing more about what's going on in Pawtucket over the next few months, but I wanted to start by highlighting a few of the places you should be checking out right now.

The first thing you should do if you're a Pawtucket neophyte is to cruise through the downtown. The whole thing is actually on the National Register of Historical Places, mostly because of the fantastic 1800's commercial and industrial architecture. Despite a great number of architectural calamities, you'll get some sense of how wealthy and powerful the city was not too long ago.

While you're there, make sure to check out the Grant, and particularly Cafe Lila, which is making a strong push for being the best independent coffee house in the state. (In a pinch, I'd still give the crown to White Electric.) It is a hard place to describe, so go down to Main Street and check it out for yourself. And, if you want a treat, get a root beer float...you will be a very happy camper. Then check out the odd assortment of businesses and shops that make up the rest of the building.

Perhaps my favorite thing about Pawtucket right now cannot be localized in a single place: rather, it is the collection of artists that are giving the city its pulse which are so intriguing. To find out what's happening in the city's art scene, a good place to start is the Pawtucket Arts Collaborative. With the holidays upon us, you might consider finding some of the many art shows to fill your gift giving needs in a truly original, and beautiful, way.

But you need to sort of localize yourself to eat, and I'm sad to say I haven't eaten a meal in downtown Pawtucket yet (but I'm gunning for the China Inn this week.) Anyway, my favorite raft of Pawtucket restaurants is right on the border of Providence, in the plaza where LJ's Barbeque (which I've already written about) resides. If you're in the mood for something a bit lighter, that same plaza houses the Garden Grille, which is the only vegetarian restaurant that I, as a carnivore in good standing, have ever found to be a pleasant dining experience. It is one of the more unique restaurants in town, and I highly recommend it.

Finally, there are a number of quality bars throughout Pawtucket, many of which have been documented on this site (subliminal message time: gototheBlackstone!). But the most recent addition to my laundry list of bars is certainly the News Cafe, which has friendly people, cheap drinks, and an overall good vibe. When you're tired of the increasing expensification of Providence, it's sweet relief.

Anyway, this is just a primer. The best way to explore Pawtucket is to get in your car, hop on I-95, and get off any exit between 26 and 30. You'll find something worth your time. I guarantee it.

Wake up, Downtown!

I understand, despite my relentless boosterism, that Providence is not a big city, and it is going to lack that big city energy, especially on a weekday night. However, I'd like to put the thought out there that Thursday isn't really a weekday, it's sort of a celebrity guest part of the weekend, and should therefore get at least a minimum of respect.

So why, people, when I walk around downtown does it seem like a Tuesday night in Davenport, Iowa? (Disclaimer: for all I know, Tuesdays in Davenport are like a rolling Mardi Gras. The day I go to Davenport is the day I give up any remaining feelings of usefulness and fully embrace the fact that I'm an old fart. Sorry Davenport, but you suck even if you don't suck.) I decided to grab a quick drink just because my wife has abandoned me for the evening and I didn't want to sit in a cold house and think about how much work I have to do. So I took off for downtown, seeing hardly anyone around. Finally I parked near the Episcopal church, thinking that surely XO Cafe would have a few people milling around the bar. But nope, there were two people in the whole place. So on to plan B: I've never been to Olive's, so I thought I'd get a cocktail and check it out. There was one other person in the joint, and I think he might have been on To Catch a Predator a week or two ago. I've never drank gin so fast.

Every day, I go up to Boston for work. And every time someone asks, I say Providence is cooler than Boston, and get roundly laughed at. Now, Providence, if some Boston person comes down here on a Thursday night and sees what I saw, we're going to look bad. So let's pull it together, and tie one on during the week for the sake of our community.

That said, I am too disgusted to write a full Weekend Agenda. If anyone's reading and has some good plans, send me a note at dan (at symbol) rhodyrocks.com. But if I was going to advise you to do anything, other than frequent your local watering hole, it would be to check out Friday Night Live on the Carriage House Stage at 7 Duncan Ave. in Providence. It's Friday, 7:00, and is only $5. How can you go wrong? I even gave you a map.

No excuses. Make me proud, Providence.


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