Your Weekend Agenda

So, this week the agenda's going to be a bit abbreviated. Like, there's nothing for Thursday, because it is Thursday, and I just got back from New (bleeping) Jersey. OK, truth be told, I just got back from the Red Fez after I got off the train, which is what you should have done tonight. But I digress.

The other reason for a short entry is that I went drinking at the Red Fez and now I want to, well, not think. So there you go.

Friday: Do something good while seeing something good. At 7:00, at the recording studio Machines with Magnets, there will be a A Benefit Concert for Alex Svoboda, the woman who was horribly injured by the police in North Providence during a protest. I still don't know if there has been a full accounting of what happened that day, but the pictures floating around show the police did a lot more damage that anyone could think was proportionate. But even if solidarity with Alex's fate isn't motivating for you, this promises to be a really good concert, with more than 10 local bands playing. The show is at 400 Main Street in Pawtucket, and the donation is $8, though I'm sure they'll take more.

Saturday: At 6:30, head over to the Cormack Planetarium at the Natural History Museum in Roger Williams Park (Providence) for live music and a cool space show. Area C and Black Forrest / Black Sea will be playing, and the cost is only $3. Head over for a different experience. And (so sweet!) there's also a 3D Mars show.

Sunday: Finish off the weekend with some outdoor time. You can go seal watching with the Kayak Centre at 9 Phillips Street in Wickford. For $44, you can go with a guide to get up close in a double kayak. Call (888) 732-5295 to make a reservation and find out the departure time.

Your Weekend Agenda

As always, we present your agenda for a weekend of fun and enlightenment. The RhodyRocks team (by which I mean my wife and I) are feeling a little light in the wallet lately, so our goal for the weekend was to get you through with as little damage as possible. So, everything on the agenda this week is cheap or free. Then, as a little bonus, we threw in a Sunday night budget-buster if you're feeling frisky. Enjoy.

Thursday: Tonight feels like a night for The Blackstone Tonight they have Corinne Wahlberg on the stage at 9:00, and I'm sure the televisions will be tuned to the Yankees getting whooped up on by the Cleveland Indians. The Blackstone is located on Main Street in Pawtucket (see the review on this blog for more details.) There may be a $5 cover: you've been warned.

Friday: Cafe Zog isn't exactly known as a live music place, which is a shame, because it hosts occassional shows that are intimate, a little weird, and a good chance to actually meet some local artists and musicians. This Friday, they're hosting a free show featuring a bunch of bands and performers, including Nick Anderson, Ben Pilgrim and Smiling Carcinogens. It's on Wickenden Street in Providence, and it starts at 8:00

Saturday: Spend your afternoon among the spokes and handlebars at AS220's Broke and Busted Bike Swap and Sale. This free event will feature cheap bikes, cool bikes, bike parts, a lot of bike people, and of course easy access to the wonderful tacos at Taqueria Pacifica, inside AS220's cool art space. And unlike most biker events, you won't have to deal with revving Harley engines and exhaust fumes. It's from 12-5 on Empire Street in Providence.

As sun sets, get your English on by heading to the 10th annual Guy Fawkes Bonfire Night at the Andrea Hotel in Misquamicut. In addition to the traditional reenactment of the execution of Guy Fawkes (who famously tried to blow up Parliament in the name of the 'Papist religion'), there will be entertainment from the Misquamicut Players, The Kentish Guards Fife and Drum and an assortment of other properly British attractions. It's free and starts at 7:00 at 89 Atlantic Avenue. You've got to love a reason to get to the shore one last time before winter.

Sunday: Go from English to Italian festivities up on Federal Hill in Providence, as Atwells Ave. celebrates Columbus Day in style. There will be a parade, great food, and the shebang will include Maryann Esposito of theCiao Italia cooking show on PBS. Additionally, soul band Tribeca will be playing from 2 to 6. The parade starts at noon, and of course everything is free except the massive amounts of food you're sure to find irresistable.

Finish up the weekend with a laugh. Score tickets to see the very funny Brian Regan at the PPAC. If you've taken advantage of all the free and cheap events this weekend, you should be able to swing the $32.50 ticket charge. The show starts at 7:30.

Bar Tabs: The Blackstone

Imagine if you and your friends decided to open up a bar, and you had no financial restrictions. What would you put it it? A pool table? Better make that two, and throw in foosball for a change of pace. A good jukebox? Of course. An area with comfortable chairs and couches you can just chill. Big TV's for watching the game. A stage for live music. A porch for smoking or hanging out on a nice night. Decent bar food. A nice wraparound bar with plenty of seats and a good beer selection. You would make it big enough that you always had room to move and relax. And you'd want it to be full of cool neon signs, some bar mirrors, and a general cool look.

Clearly, the people who run The Blackstone understand their audience, because their bar has all that and probably a few other nice features I'm forgetting. The Blackstone is the latest incarnation of a bar that has been open for quite a while, but in a couple of different locations. Now it has moved from Cumberland to a location within easy reach of anyone in Providence, at 1005 Main Street in Pawtucket.


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The Blackstone has quickly become my default watering hole. I enjoy it equally on the quiet weekday nights when I just want to drink a beer and watch a game with some company, and on the weekends when it is taken over by a stream of live acts, most of which are good to very good. (The only downside is that on Friday and Saturday, you'll likely to pay a $5 cover.)

A big part of the appeal is the space itself. The Blackstone is located in Hope Village, an old mill complex that is being redeveloped into living quarters, artists' space and shops. While much of it is still under development, dozens of businesses, most prominently the Blackstone, have already set up shop. The dimensions of the mill means that they have plenty of space to accommodate big crowds; the owners note that the bar is technically the third-largest live music venue in the state.

The crowd is very casual; jeans and t-shirts are the standard attire, though some of the bands may bring with them a more hipster or punk-ish crowd. But with so many things going on, you'll always be able to find a way to fit in and be comfortable here.

Your Weekend Agenda

Another week is sliding towards the weekend, and we are, as always, concerned about the quality of your entertainment options. Remember, you are liable to make bad decisions about how you spend these precious school- or work-less days, so just do what we tell you to do. Just like your mom keeping you from touching the hot stove, you'll thank me later.

Thursday: This weekend (like most of them) is shaping up to be expensive, so we found some free stuff to keep your Thursday reasonable. First, head to Wayland Wine Shop in Providence from 5 to 8 for a free wine and cheese tasting. Sure they'll want you to buy something, but you can make them earn it.

Once you've knocked back a few tiny glasses of wine, head out to Gallery Night for some more free sophistication. Start at the Bellini Ruggeri gallery in Wayland Square, and take the trolley to check out the other spots.

Friday: Listen, I'm not vouching for the quality of the competition when I recommend you check out the Providence Roller Derby, but this is their championship. The Mob Squad will take on the Old Money Honeys at 8:00. The match, which takes place at the Bank of America skating center in downtown Providence, costs $9 in advance and $12 at the gate. Soak up some fast-moving, girl-on-girl violence before heading out downtown for evening drinks. Across the street, McCormick and Schmick's has good bar specials late in the evening.

Saturday: After you've recovered from your Friday, embrace one of the great drinking traditions, Oktoberfest. The German Club on 78 Carter Ave. in Pawtucket will be holding its Blackstone River Oktoberfest festival Friday and Saturday night. On Friday, you can see Duke Robillard's band for $15, but we'd highly recommend checking out the three bands (The Stumbleweeds, Jesse Lege & Bayou Brew, Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble), which start Saturday at 4:30. It's $25, which is a hell of a lot cheaper than a trip to Germany this fall.

If you stumble out of Octoberfest and have a craving for more, head over to Club Therapy for some after-hours partying. The party doesn't start until 2:00 in the morning, located at 7 Dike Street in Providence.

Sunday: Time to get out of the city. From 1 to 6 today, head to Wickford Village for the Harbour Festival and the Wickford Cup Race. There's booze, music, and seafood. Get directions to Brown Street in North Kingstown if you're not sure how to get there. And even if the festival isn't mind blowing, Wickford Village is a really nice place to hang out on a nice Sunday.

Your Weekend Agenda

Welcome to Thursday, and to Rhody Rocks. Because we care about you, we try our damnedest to give you a shot at a good weekend. And we don't want to confuse you, so we weed through the dreck and tell you the best one or two things going on each day. If you don't listen, and your weekend sucks, go crying to the Projo or the Phoenix.

Thursday: Start the weekend off with a laugh, and go see Tony V at the Comedy Connection. He's a classic 'that guy' you've seen in a bunch of TV shows, and features in The Brotherhood on Showtime, a drama filmed right here in Rhode Island. The show starts at 8:00, and costs just $10.

Friday: Several of my Irish friends would treat me like Martin Sheen in The Departed if I didn't push for you to see the Dropkick Murphy's at Lupos. Tickets are $25 at the door, and the show starts at 8:30 with two opening acts, Horrorpops and Everybody Out. These guys have made some of the most adrenaline-pumping songs I've heard in the past few years: hell, one of their tracks plays as the Red Sox's Jonathan Papelbon makes his way from the bullpen to close out another win.

For a cheaper music fix, check out The 'mericans at Nick-a-Nee's in the Jewelry District. I haven't seen these guys live, but they seem like a decent band, though a few of their folky songs might create an irresistable desire to drink. But the show, which starts at 9:00, is free, so you can afford a few extra beers if needed.

Saturday: Fortunately for those who like their entertainment cheap, the Pawtucket Arts Festival rocks on this weekend. On Saturday, the Stone Soup Folk Fest takes over Slater Park from 1:00 to 4:30. The Dave Rowe Trio, the Magnolia Cajun Band, and Santa Mamba will all play, and it's free.

In the evening, its back to AS220, this time for a hip-hop/noise/unclassifiable show headlined by local ass-kickers Mahi Mahi. (Why ass-kickers? Go and find out.) The show costs $6, and starts at 9:00.

If unclassifiable music isn't your scene, let me recommend heading up to Pat's Pub on Smith Hill. They usually have decent free live music on Saturdays, have a cozy bar and a pool table, and are extremely convenient to the original New York Weiner System, which is quite simply the best drunk food in Rhode Island, and possibly the world.

Sunday: Time to culture you clowns up, and we have two options. First, you could go see, But for the Grace at the Pell Chafee theatre at 2:00. It is a one-man play exploring poverty and hunger issues, and tickets are $10.

Later, Trinity Rep is just getting its run of All the King's Men going, but the story is so good I'm willing to bet the play is a big hit. So it might be worth the $20 and up ticket prices to check it out. The Sunday show is at 7:00.