Ellemosynary: Love Isn’t Easy
Ellemosynary, now playing downstage at 2nd Story Theatre, is a one-act play about the relationships between the Westbrook women. Echo (Valerie Westgate) is a champion speller who adores her grandmother Dorothea (Isabel O’Donnell). Artemis (Sharon Carpentier) is Echo’s mother and Dorothea’s daughter.
Ellemosynary, which means charitable, is about women who try to be loving toward each other but sometimes come up short. The story is told in flashbacks, as Echo relates how she grew up under Dorothea’s influence. Dorothea was a “notable eccentric” who was interested in communicating with the dead and astral projection. When Echo was 12, she wanted to be “the greatest speller in history.” Meanwhile, Artemis tells of how she chafed under Dorothea’s control, which was so unbearable she fled the country after suffering a tragedy. Artemis is neurotic but highly intelligent. She loves Echo but doesn’t know how to be a real mother to her. The interactions between the women are alternately sad and humorous.
Playwright Lee Blessing knows how to write sharp, witty dialogue as well as how to create deeply textured characters. Echo experiences a lot of confusion and pain after being abandoned by Artemis. This is expressed in an overwhelming desire to win the National Spelling Bee. Echo berates a fellow contestant and spells out a series of words in a fury.
The performances are uniformly excellent. Westgate, who previously starred as Joan of Arc in Saint Joan, brings the right amount of charm and vulnerability to Echo. Carpentier makes the audience understand Artemis’ character flaws and gains our sympathy. O’Donnell gets a lot of laughs as Dorothea imagines seeing historical figures and quips about her views of life.
The set design is spare. The word ‘ellemosynary’ is spelled out in block letters on a wall. There is no furniture on the stage. The characters are on a multi-level platform where they share their memories.
Relationships are a lot like life, the play says: sometimes awkward, sometimes joyful, and sometimes unforgiving. Love isn’t easy, but it’s worth reaching for.
Ellemosynary runs through November 23. 2nd Story Theatre, 28 Market Street, Warren. 401-247-4200
Dial M for Murder Provides Gripping Good Fun
On Halloween, while goblins and ghouls and a wide variety of superheroes were out roaming the streets, Ocean State Theatre Company was doling out some tricks and treats of their own with the gripping thriller Dial M for Murder.
Originally written for the stage by Frederick Knott, this murder mystery was later made famous on the big screen by master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock. And, as the show’s program rightly notes, the key to any thriller is believability, a feat much easier achieved in film. Whereas on stage, believability resides in the performers’ ability to make what the audience is seeing look plausible. The cast of six in OSTC’s production, directed by Aimee Turner, succeed admirably in this regard.
The entire play takes place in the living room of a London apartment. And, once again, OSTC set designers have outdone themselves. With the help of “Partner and Design” Ethan Allen, this posh pad features some beautiful furnishings: a large wooden desk off to one side with a very luxurious looking couch center stage, French doors opening to a courtyard, a fireplace, lamps and light fixtures complete the décor. During her opening remarks, Turner turns and admires, asking, ”Wouldn’t you kill for this apartment?”
The play’s plot revolves around the familiar theme of greed and murder. Tony Wendice plans to have his wealthy wife, Margot, murdered for her money. To do so, he blackmails an old college acquaintance, with a very shady past, into committing the “perfect” murder. But things go terribly awry when the murderer becomes the murdered! All these details give very little away as they all occur early in the play. From that point forward, the suspense resides in one’s wondering if the police will figure out the truth in this twisted tale of murder and deceit.
Under Turner’s direction, this two act play, with each act running close to an hour in length, breezes right along. Though a few of the lines were fumbled, that did not detract from the overall production, which was highlighted by some wonderful performances. And, in a bit of a theatrical twist, during intermission the police inspect the crime scene and remove the dead body. So, audience members may want to remain seated between acts.
Brandon Whitehead, as Inspector Hubbard, delivers the evening’s best performance. From the moment he enters, with Mr. Wendice opening the door to observe his hulking and disheveled appearance, Whitehead dominates the stage. With a Columbo-like clumsiness, he draws laughs just as easily with a gesture or facial expression as he does with his calculated and silly open-ended questions, which he delivers with a skillful, deadpan timing.
Drew Anthony Allen, as the scheming Tony Wendice, has his hands full playing the loving husband while planning his wife’s murder. Yet he is quite convincing, projecting a chilling confidence and calmness. He matter-of-factly wipes away his accomplices fingerprints from some drinking glasses while getting him to leave his prints on a letter he will use later to frame his old college chum.
As the would be murderer, Captain Lesgate, Rudy Sanda comes across as both likeable and pathetic, making him the perfect mark for Mr. Wendice. Sanda’s charm and smile easily convey how this lifelong scammer has made it this far. Yet, one does sort of feel bad for him upon his untimely demise.
Aimee Doherty nicely portrays the naïve and unsuspecting wife, Margot. Believing so deeply in her husband’s love, she rejects the constant advances of her former lover Max Halliday. Doherty’s flippant and all-too-trusting demeanor makes her even more sympathetic. One wants to shout out, “Don’t answer the phone!” when her husband’s scheme begins to unfold.
As murder mystery TV writer Max Halliday, Bill Mootos’ indifference proves to be prophetic. Nicely timed lines like, “In stories things turn out the way the author wants, in life they don’t,” have a chilling, foreshadowing effect. Yet, Mootos comes across as too gullible, willing to just tag along, whether it be with Margot or Tony. One can easily see why Margot chose Tony over Max. OSTC’s production of Dial M for Murder will enjoy a limited run until November 16 in the company’s new state-of-the-art theater in Warwick. For more details, visit oceanstatetheatre.org
Alt-Nation: Music, Theatrics, and Musical Theatrics
The Viennagram – Learn To Tame The Patterns
It was 2009 and The Viennagram had just finished a set for the ages opening the Finals of the WBRU Rock Hunt. I talked to a couple of judges after they finished and nobody quite knew what to make of The Viennagram. One of the categories is “radio ready” and nobody (myself included at the time) could visualize The Viennagram on the radio. Their performance blurred the lines between theater and rock ‘n’ roll. In the aftermath, as the last of glitter was swept up, the question of what’s next for The Viennagram came up. The band continued to play shows and record. In 2010 they put out MADNESS IZ AND MORE/RELEASE THE BEAST-EYES, which they AV Vienna describes as a “Musically Mutated mix tape! “A buffet of Audio Oddities! “From failed experiments, outtakes, demos to dubs and things I forgot we even recorded.”
It just always felt like The Viennagram were due for something better. Over the last six years the band have been recording constantly in different spaces amassing a catalog that eventually became their new release, Learn To Tame The Patterns.
Over the years I’ve probably described The Viennagram as anything from carnival blues, haunted cabaret to murder mystery rock ‘n’ roll. Learn To Tame The Patterns is the perfect record to lose one’s mind to while listening. I mean that in a good way. It all feels like part of a sinister narrative with just enough left unsaid for the listeners’ imagination. “The Immaculate Fire” sounds like it’s describing some witches meeting out in the woods. “Doom Patrol” has the feel of a murder mystery with the intensity club banger that samples Bugs Bunny among other things and makes it work. The next song, “Vulture Star,” might as well be a coal mining folk song. That’s just taking 3 of the 21 songs that are sequenced together. That’s the way it goes in the frantic you never know what’s behind the next door world of The Viennagram. “Long Way Back to Paradise” skirts the line between show tune and catchy rock anthem. I could go on about Learn To Tame The Patterns, but what I’d say about one song isn’t going to be true of the tune after it. So instead I’ll ask singer/drummer AV Vienna a few questions.
Marc Clarkin: The Viennagram has been together for a decade, yet other than a handful of random recordings Learn To Tame The Patterns is really your first “official” release. What was the hardest part in the 6 years of working on Learn To Tame The Patterns to bring it to fruition?
AV Vienna: Fact: 80% of people who know of The Viennagram don’t know we’ve ever recorded anything and 5% think we broke up in 2007. All of this, of course, has led up to now, The Chapter of Learn to Tame the Patterns. Perhaps this could be our “official” release because we’ve gotten it together (kinda), paid some dues, made a lot of mistakes and tried to make something to the very best of our abilities. Its taken 10 years for people to catch on and in that time we have grown/mutated into a tight three-piece unit and generally have put everything we’ve got into this crazy vision dream.
The hardest part of which, for me, was having the exact idea of what the sound/feel/content/images for the songs from the very beginning; Sort of like working backwards through many obstacles to get the final product to get the sound/look/idea as a complete and uncompromising presentation. Over the course of the years as nomads, moving from studio to studio, was the only constant. Effectively, the existing sounds are but a living memory, the making of the album is the album approach, a strange time capsule collage from the times and places in the process. After all, the process is almost as important as the end result.
I kind of never wanted to finish it because I always knew things would change after it was completed, as it was the one constant guiding force for us for such a long time. But now it exists, for anyone and everyone to hear and that’s a really exciting concept; the idea of someone hearing it for the first time. It lives…
MC: The theatrical element has always been a huge part of seeing a Viennagram show. I remember once you came to the Motif Awards with your skin completely green, When composing songs, how does the theatrical element and songwriting mesh? AV: The character you witnessed at said awards show was Iron John, who makes several appearances on Learn to Tame the Patterns. He is a reanimated corpse brought back by the Czech Republic. He was once a slave ship captain and was resurrected from the bottom of the ocean (hence his green slime trail) to promote total dance oppression and RC Cola.
The album is comprised of absurdist warring factions which reoccur musically and as an ultimate alter- ego mania. It has always been the intention in production to make it sound like a 3D movie but only having two speakers to explain. After Halloween, work will begin on a Doom Patrol video, which introduces the cast of characters that inhabit the Viennagram universe.
Other songs were written with settings in mind. For example, my directions for the song “Straight to The Void” were “a combination of The Haunted Mansion/Splash Mountain/Space Mountain.” In some cases, I was only able to record vocals in a particular way was to get into that character completely. Finding the theatrical truth. Besides, when I was in first grade I wrote, “When I grow up I want to be a Cartoon Character.”
MC: What’s your biggest lyrical influence or is there anything that inspires you when it comes to writing?
AV: Lyrics are painting/collage/finding with words. A way of triggering emotional memories from a listener and describing the inner world through invisible magic. A few of my favorite songs lyrically are: “Bad Boy” by the Jive Bombers “Bitter’s End” by Roxy Music
“Up Jumped the Devil” by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
“Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again” by Bobby Dylan “Love” by Nancy Adams
“Jockey Full of Bourbon” by Tom Waits
“The Rainbow Connection” by Kermit the Frog
MC: Learn To Tame The Patterns is all over the place in terms of styles and sounds. It’s easy to ask about influences, but what is some song/genre/artist that you dislike/annoys/or can’t stand?
AV: I could never say I could truly hate music because at least it is eliciting a response of some kind. It is sad how the world will over saturate a song to death (e.g., Royals). I hate when with an artist, you can tell when they are playing it safe, not taking enough chances, and/or compromising.
MC: People like to talk about scenes and music genres but the great part of The Viennagram is, while accessible to play with anyone, you are different enough not to be part of any of genre. What are some of the influences/inspirations of the band?
AV: A mystery which ingredients matter not. We are bringing a lot of imaginary imagery when creating songs, for example I would say “Okay, a group of psychopathic teenage kids living on an Indian reservation go and scalp an entire suburban block. It’s a horror movie but first it’s a song and this is the drum track…”
Some influences (but do not exclude Irrational Solutions). These are a few of our favorite things: Looney Tunes, The Secret Teachings of All Ages by Manly P. Hall, UFO lore, supernatural occurrence, Black lights, Lucky Strikes D, Strange & Amazing facts, Spike Jones & his City Slickers, RC Cola, Nina Hagen, Tom Waits, Caligula, Salvador Dali, William S. Burroughs, Buster Keaton, Jem & The Holograms (The Misfits are better), Halloween decorations, Outkast, Screaming Lord Sutch, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, The Ventures, eating glass, Brian Eno, Tarot divination, The Joker, Lon Chaney, Astrology, Copy machines, Please Kill Me, Psychic powers , The Secret Destiny of America and Tuna melts!
In terms of genres: Once we played a warehouse party in Bristol, RI and a state trooper stormed in saying, “STOP IT WITH THE SCARY GHOST NOISES!”
Ravi Shavi, The Viennagram, Neutrinos, and Twin Berlin will rock Dusk on November 28.
Tammy Laforest –Copper Tammy Laforest released the nine song Copper disc earlier in the year which lead to the formation of the band The Dust Ruffles. Copper kicks off with introspective note with I’m Alive” where Laforest sings about looking back at the past and finding peace with the choices that were made. Sadder is the title track, “Copper,” which profiles a character that has given up entirely. Laforest tries to reason with the Copper character here with lyrics like “depression is a battle, something you must fight.” “Flowers” has a brightening ’60s girl group pop vibe. “In The Water” has big chorus that feels like an emotional purging back by a clever hook. Laforest mines territory similar to bands like The Cranberries but her narratives and voice are her own. In addition to performing both solo and her band The Dust Ruffles, Laforest will be co-hosting a benefit for Crossroads RI this coming Saturday called the Harvest Bowl and Benefit show at Lang’s Bowlarama in Cranston.
Harvest Bowl and Benefit show for Crossroads RI hosted by Tammy Laforest and Athan Phynix will take place November 8 at Lang’s Bowlarama. The bowlathon will take place from 3 to 5pm. Bowlers can sign up online at http://benefitri.com/bowlathon. There will be a networking social and movie from 5PM to 7PM. The benefit show portion is 21 plus and runs from 7PM to midnight featuring performances by Athan Phynix “King of Improv”, The Dust Ruffles, Pistol Shot Gypsy, Vulgarrity, Emmy & The Old Dogs, Steve Volkmann, Malyssa BellaRosa, Jenny White, Leonard Levenda, Matthew Barrette, and Second Time Out.
Bill Keough – The Slow Get Up (75OrLess Records)
Longtime local music scene fixture Bill Keough has finally recorded his solo debut album, The Slow Get Up, proves to be worth the wait. I can’t even put my figure on why I enjoy it more than his work with Galvanize (which I enjoy as well) but it’s just like Keough nailed it here. The general vibe of the record is late ’80s- early ’90s underground rock which is not to be mistaken as saying grunge. Tunes “Self Doubt” is closer to Nada Surf than Nirvana. “I’ve Know Where You’ve Been” reminds me of early Silkworm. “Tough Physics” reminds me of early Queens of The Stone Age. Throw in a great cover of PJ Harvey’s “Victory” and The Slow Get Up makes for a hell of a kick ass record.
Bill Keough CD release show for The Slow Get Up happens at The Parlour on November 14 with J. Robbins (ex-Jawbox), and Oneline Drawing.
Bob Dylan
Can you imagine if they had those reality TV shows like “The Voice” and “American Idol” when Bob Dylan was coming up? Think about it, he’d never make it past the first cut. That’s the sham of the “reality” shows. It actually makes one dumber to follow them. As for Dylan, the man just keeps on keeping on his “Never Ending Tour” that probably started in the ’80s. Unlike most of contemporaries that are still active, Dylan still matters. He has had some solid albums in the last 15 years namely Time Out of Mind and Love & Theft. Dylan has a new chapter in his basement tapes due to be released as well as a record of new recordings due next year. Dylan can be the ultimate hit or miss when it comes to performances. That said, I’d go see Dylan when he is off because he is that good.
Bob Dylan will play the Providence Performing Arts Center on November 14.
Jessica Lea Mayfield
I caught Jessica Lea Mayfield earlier this year in Boston and was struck by raw vulnerability. She plays stripped down folk/blues singer/songwriter stuff. Check out her album With Blasphemy So Heartfelt, which I prefer over her newer Black Keys guy produced one. Think along the same vein as Mazzy Star for a reference. Don’t miss T. Hardy Morris & The Hardknocks whose debut, Audition Tapes, brings a psychedelic singed alternative rock. The band features T. Hardy Morris from Dead Confederate and Diamond Rugs.
Jessica Lea Mayfield, T. Hardy Morris & The Hardknocks, and Dylan Sevey & The Gentlemen will hit Fete on November 19th.
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Alt-Nation: A Rocking October
Fete was temporarily closed as part of the aftermath of a shooting September 27. Sadly, this isn’t a surprise given the propensity of gang activity at hip-hop shows and Fete’s location not being the safest. Fete is no $3 Bar situation. They do value their patrons’ safety. Here’s hoping for a quick recovery for the victim and for the club to get back on its feet.
U2 – Songs of Innocence
There has been a lot of outrage that U2 had the arrogance to assume 5 billion people would want their new record. I don’t get outrage, but that’s coming from someone who gets CDs all the time he may not desire. I’m more interested in Songs of Innocence for the background story. U2 spent four years (far longer than any of their other records) recording it with all kinds of big shot producers like Danger Mouse, so it must be good right? U2 is a tough band to debate because there is a large contingent of the population that swears by the band’s ’80s catalog. Outside a few great songs here and there, I never viewed them as that remarkable. If one views Edge’s guitar work as so amazing, check out Keith Levine era Public Image Limited.
Songs of Innocence easily tops its predecessor, No Line on the Horizon. Then again, that album blew. Songs of Innocence is full of yearning wistfulness for youth like “Cedarwood Road” where Bono talks about returning to where he grew up. On “Sleep Like a Baby Tonight” the reminiscing has a darker, anxiety-ridden overtone with the chorus of “in your dreams everything is all right, tomorrow dawns like a suicide.” Maybe it’s the constant commercials, but “The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)” recounting the band discovering the Ramones and The Clash comes across as overstated. It’s not bad, but I’d rather listen to both of those bands over that song. Thumbs up to the “California (There Is No End to Love) with its Irish guys trying to be the Beach Boys in the opening harmonies. “Iris (Hold Me Close)” is another decent tune that sounds like a sonic update of a riff from a Joshua Tree outtake. The rest of it begs the question if U2 just took four years to write a lot of songs with parenthesis in the titles. Like it or not, Songs of Innocence is here and you probably have it. If you’ve ever been a casual U2 fan it’s worth the listen. If you hate U2, that’s not going to change.
Rough Francis – Maximum Soul Power
Hailing from Burlington, Vermont, Rough Francis released a killer album earlier in the year in Maximum Soul Power. Cuts off Maximum Soul Power like “Ruffians,” I-90 East,” and “Not A Nice Guy” harness the aggression of early ‘70s Motor City rock ‘n’ roll. They mix in some psychedelic soul by re- working the MC5’s “Black to Comm” to their version called “Comm to Space.” Motor City rock ‘n’ roll is more than hobby for Rough Francis, it’s the family business. Rough Francis are literally the sons of death. Three members of the band are sons of the legendary Hackney brothers who made up the ahead- of-their-time band Death that were a subject of the movie A Band Called Death. Besides living up to the family legacy on Maximum Soul Power, Rough Francis are the band that made me believe the upstairs of the Columbus Theatre could work as a venue for heavy, sweaty rock ’n’ roll.
Rough Francis and local openers will rock the Columbus Theatre on October 3.
Days of the New
Days of The New has enjoyed mainstream success based off of post-grunge radio hits like “Touch, Peel and Stand,” “Shelf in the Room,” “The Down Town” and “Enemy.” It’s been probably close to a good decade since Days of the New have rocked Rhode Island and I’m sure many people have been counting the days. The gossip mills are rife with rumors that Days of the New have been as combustible as ever on this tour, pumping out the jams and living up the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle. Despite the roadblocks, the show will go on and Days of the New have even hired former Train bassist Charlie Colin to fill in. The band will even be doing a few Train songs for reasons only they know because that band sucks. Thankfully most of the set will feature the hits of Days of the New and who knows when or if they’ll be back again.
Days of the New, The Grey Curtain, Wild Surfaces, and Bad Dreams rock Manchester 65 in West Warwick on October 11.
Agent Orange
It’s been 25 years since Agent Orange’s original demo for “Bloodstains” hit the radio back in the day when disc jockeys actually had some influence. Agent Orange is still a skate/surf punk band, which probably is for the best. Those types of bands usually don’t evolve well. Agent Orange hasn’t been the most prolific of bands with only three studio albums over their quarter of a decade. But hey, on the plus side, you don’t have to worry about them not playing their hits! Get there early for those horror/surf garage ghouls in The Evil Streaks!
Agent Orange, The Architecs, Held Hostage, The Evil Streaks, & Honest John & Soundoff will drop the hammer at Firehouse 13 on October 11.
Scurvy Dog Rocktober Fest
Those punks at the Scurvy Dog are back at it with another mega show in their parking lot to ring in Columbus Day weekend. These show are always a lot of fun with a variety of music styles from the folk rock of The Quahogs to the black metal of Sire. This show is highlighted by a reunion of The Sleazies who are playing their first show in two and a half years. The Sleazies play tongue-in-cheek loud and snotty punk rock that harkens back to bands like the Buzzcocks and The Briefs. Other acts that I’m looking forward to seeing for the first time are Wolfbane Blues and J. The former is described as a Roky Erickson damaged blues/psychobilly/classic country/punk while the latter is the staff of the Scurvy Dog’s X tribute band that are making their debut. J, whose name comes from the first letter of each member’s name, were originally supposed to make their debut last Halloween, but it had to be postponed due to singer Jenny Hurricane’s battle with cancer. Thankfully Jenny is doing much better after kicking cancer’s ass and is ready to rock out with J on some X tunes. Don’t miss local stalwarts Hope Anchor, TEAZER, and The Fabulous Itchies! In addition to the great music, there will be food! Jenny will be making her seafood gumbo. In addition to Dog Eat Dog/Dog Eat Cow burgers and dogs, there will also be some bratwurst and slaw to make for Oktoberfest atmosphere without the demented German elements. Dogfish Head Brewery is sponsoring the event with special edition beers on tap for the kick-off of Providence Craft Beer Week.
Scurvy Dog Rocktober Fest will go down on October 12 in the Scurvy Dog parking lot located on 1718 Westminster Street in Providence. The event is free and open to those 21 and above or all ages if accompanied by a parent or guardian. The lineup and preliminary set times are as follows: 2 – 2:30pm The Defectives, 2:45 – 3:15pm The Quahogs, 3:30 – 4pm TEAZER, 4:15 – 4:45pm The Fabulous Itchies, 5 – 5:30pm Wolfbane Blues, 5:45 – 6:15pm J (all Scurvy X tribute), 6:30 – 7pm Sire, 7:15 – 7:45 Sins of Angels, 8 – 8:30pm Hope Anchor, 8:45 – 9:15pm The Sleazies, 9:30 – 10pm Extinction Machine, & at 10:15 – 10:45 The Viennagram.
Jamathon Live
Jamathon Live is an event put on by mymusictown.com that is billed as a creative and interactive experience for musicians to connect and collaborate in creating new original music for an album celebrating the region’s united sound. Now I’ll admit the “celebrating the region’s united sound” part sounds like bullshit to me, but one can’t judge everything by an unfortunate press release. I don’t know what the region’s “united sound” is, but I do know the folks behind MusicTown have been doing some cool things through their website to bring musicians together to jam, and bands are being formed out of it. It is almost like Match.com for musicians and it’s brewing some exciting possibilities. After an initial musician-only event last month at JamStage, the musicians now have three weeks to rehearse for this show that is to be recorded for a compilation. It’s a chance to catch an up-and-coming band and all the excitement that comes along in its primal infancy! If you prefer seeing a band that has been together longer than a month, there is also going to be a set by Alt-Nation faves, The Skinny Millionaires, who are always a great bet for rock ‘n’ roll!
Jamathon Live featuring performances by The Skinny Millionaires, Straw Man Standing, Chronovore, Jamathon RI Live (recorded for compilation), Cluster Flux, and more takes over Machines With Magnets in Pawtucket on October 18.
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Roots Report: Tip Your Musician!
Okee dokee folks … Very often I am asked about the subject of musicians performing for free. While most of the general public may not know how much money real musicians make and actually have an opinion about it, musicians and folks in the music biz certainly do. First, let me say that very few musicians ever get rich playing music and that these days the whole “rock star lifestyle” is pretty much a myth. Just because you see someone in concert or hear them streamed doesn’t mean much. Fame doesn’t always equal riches. Online music services only pay musicians a small fraction of a cent per play. Nowadays music is still downloaded for free or bootlegged and no royalties are paid to the artist for those downloads. And regular radio — do people actually still listen to it? There are famous folks out there who have the title of musician, but they are really just corporate products with a lot of hype but not much to it. I saw something recently that a famous musical couple (I think it was Mariah Carey and her husband — whoever he is) have a shoe collection between them of about 3,000 pairs that they spent close to three million dollars on. That isn’t being a rock star. That is being Imelda Marcos. Their lifestyles are more about greed, excess and glamour than music. They were lucky enough to achieve fame. That is what fame really shows us — the lucky ones. Not that I don’t think Carey has some talent; I just don’t think she has “millions of dollars worth of shoes talent”! And she is not necessarily better than other singers who are not household names.
On a good night, a real, local musician MAY take home about $100 – $175 for a gig. That is on a GOOD night. Some folks may think, “Wow! That is pretty damn good for a few hours of work.” #1: That few hours of work is the culmination of a lifetime of lessons, rehearsals and crappy no-pay/low-pay gigs. #2: There is a “meme” that pops up on Facebook from time to time that states: “A musician is someone who loads $5,000 worth of equipment into a $500 car.” That is pretty accurate. Musicians have lots invested in instruments, accessories (strings, capos, picks, batteries, etc.), sound gear and promotional materials that allow them to play a gig. None of that stuff comes cheap! #3: You may see the musician play a two- to three-hour show, but there is so much more to it than the performance. They first must book the gig, which in itself takes a lot of time, then promote the show (using social media, posters and flyers), load up the gear, drive to the gig (remember, gas is not cheap), unload and set-up gear, sound check, play the show, mingle with the audience to TRY to sell merchandise and garner fans, break down and load up the gear, drive home, and unload the gear. This can be a long night — as long as any other person’s eight hour day job. I am sure I could continue but I will stop at #3. For now…
Some promoters always try to get musicians to play for free for the exposure. When starting out, a musician may want to or have to do this but a seasoned pro should never have to play for free. That is what open mics are for. How many people do you know who would do their job for free — for one day or even for an hour? When you pay a cover at a venue to hear a band, not all of the door receipts go directly to the performers. A large crowd doesn’t always translate to a big payday for the act. The venues take a cut of 30% – 50% and they also may have a minimum amount that must be covered before the band is paid ($200 – $300+) and then they still take a percentage after that. It is understandable; venues have overhead and operating expenses. On occasion an admission is charged and the performers are not paid. This is not commonplace, but it does happen. I think it is important that folks know this information. People are often unaware.
Getting back to my opening question: Should a musician play for free? That is entirely up to the individual who has to weigh the benefits of a freebie. What will you get? Can you accept tips or pass the hat; will you get a meal, or at least a beverage? You would be surprised what you won’t get. Are there so many acts on the bill that the performers are just filler to keep the patrons drinking before the headliner? You must realize that these days most folks just want to see the headliner and maybe will pay attention for one opener, but keeping their attention for multiple opening acts is a stretch. A musician has to know what they’re getting into and understand it. A musician should not go into the red for any gig. Musicians have overhead, too. I don’t recommend that freebies become habitual; it undermines the value of yours and everyone else’s music. The occasional benefit show is fine. There always should be some kind of compensation and it needs to be acceptable for the performer. Exposure isn’t always enough. Yet another old saying: Musicians die from exposure.
Musicians need to speak up when they are at the microphone. If it is a tips or pass the hat gig, folks have to realize this. You will be surprised how generous people can be when they understand that is how a performer is compensated. Audience members should make it a habit to tip the performer, be generous in a pass the hat situation, and/or buy artist merchandise (CDs, t-shirts). Usually all or most of that will go to the performer. Usually. If folks want live music to continue they have to support it monetarily. If people will pay $100 – $200 for a big name concert ticket or even $5 for a cup of coffee then they should be able to come up with $5 – $20 to pay a cover charge or feed the tip jar for a local performer. Musicians may thrive on applause, but they can’t live on it. Why do musicians do it? Some will say that music chose them, some because it’s the only place they fit in, and others just play for the love of it! Musicians should be treated with respect and compensated for their art just as anyone should be for their job. Did I make my point or talk myself in circles again? Now I will let you know about some shows that you can support with your presence and pocket.
After playing live together since 2008, Puss n Boots — Sasha Dobson (vocals, drums, acoustic guitar, bass), Catherine Popper (vocals, bass, acoustic guitar) and nine-time Grammy Award winner Norah Jones (vocals, electric guitar, violin) — have at last taken their collaboration into the studio and on the road. No Fools, No Fun, their debut album, includes five original songs –- two each from Dobson and Popper and one from Jones -– and seven cover tunes, all culled from Puss n Boots’ live repertoire. Since the group came together they have all learned to play new instruments: Jones the guitar, Dobson the guitar and drums, and Dobson the pedal steel. They are all veteran musicians. Jones is best known for her sultry voice and piano and her award-winning CD, Come Away With Me; Dobson is a jazz singer-songwriter, and Popper has been part of the bands Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Jack White’s Peacocks, and Ryan Adams and the Cardinals. Over the years, Puss N’ Boots have performed at the Bridge School Benefit, played stadiums with the Beastie Boys on the “Get Out The Vote” tour and joined Wilco onstage at Madison Square Garden, singing background vocals on “Jesus, Etc.,” a song that Puss n Boots interprets on No Fools, No Fun.
Band member Catherine Popper says, “We talked about recording for a long time. The record is a snapshot of what we do, warts and all.” Puss n Boots’ take on the classic Neil Young track “Down By The River” was released as a digital single this past spring.
“‘Down By The River’ is one of my all time favorite Neil Young recordings and I’ve always had this fantasy of playing it and rocking the guitar solo,” recalls Norah Jones. “I never really thought I’d have the guts to do it, but that’s sort of what this band has always been about, trying new things. We always egg each other on, whether it was Sasha playing drums, or Cat singing an original song for the first time on stage.”
“We rage onstage,” says Sasha Dobson. “It’s exciting to think the positive energy that’s created from this band could reach beyond a small club in Brooklyn.” You can experience this energy live when their tour makes a stop at The Met in Pawtucket on Thursday, October 16. For more about this show, purr over to TheMetRI.com
Back in the ’70s, Jethro Tull was just one of the many bands I would often go to hear at the Providence Civic Center. I loved the mix of the acoustic guitar, flute, and bluesy rock band. Ian Anderson was the wild front man twirling his flute and often assuming a flamingo-like pose as he played. Over the years the Jethro Tull line-up has changed, but Anderson stayed at the helm. A few years ago I saw Ian Anderson perform with a small ensemble at Vets Auditorium and it was great to hear some of Tull’s classic songs live again. Anderson has calmed over the years and sat through most of the performance. He now looks more like a guy who just got off of a Harley-Davidson after a long ride. For 45 years and with over 60 million albums sold in its career, Jethro Tull has been characterized by Ian Anderson’s trademark acoustic textures created with ethnic flutes and whistles together with acoustic guitar and the mandolin family of instruments. Ian Anderson is back with his new CD, Homo Erraticus. In 1972, Anderson’s band Jethro Tull released the iconic concept album Thick As A Brick, based on a poem by the then 8-year-old Gerald Bostock. Recently, Gerald Bostock reunited with Anderson and collaborated on Homo Erraticus, which is based on an unpublished manuscript by amateur historian Ernest T. Parritt that examines key events of British history with a string of prophecies stretching to the current day and the future. On Wednesday, October 29, Ian Anderson will bring the Homo Erraticus tour to the Providence Performing Arts Center. The concept album Homo Erraticus will be performed in its entirety followed by a selection of Tull classics updated with video and theatrics. For more about this show, trill over to PPACRI.com
Before I run out of space, here are a few more shows to check out this month. On October 4, Scotland’s North Sea Gas makes their tenth appearance at Blackstone River Theatre, October 17 has the RI debut of the Swedish group Väsen, and October 25 brings Paddy Keenan, who has been referred to as “the Jimi Hendrix of the pipes.” riverfolk.org
Stone Soup Coffeehouse at Slater Mill in Pawtucket has Geoff Muldaur on October 4 and the Bluegrass Gospel Project on October 18. StoneSoupCoffehouse.com
Singing Out Against Hunger will host an open mic with Gary Fish on Sunday, October 5 at Sandywoods. SandywoodsMusic.com
On October 10, Austin-based singer-songwriter Shelley King and Cary Morin will perform at The Village located on 373 Richmond Street in PVD. TheVillageRI.com
October at the Mediator Stage Open Mic features a CD release party for Don Tassone’s new CD Songs From 4 Corners on October 9, on October 16 is Michelle Cruz, on October 23 is Patty Daddona, and on October 30 is the Halloween Open Mic Party with the band Whalebone Jackson.
Rock Out Against Domestic Violence at The Church Street Coffeehouse in Warren on October 11 to benefit the Women’s Resource Center. churchstreetcoffeehouse.net
Nine-time Motif Music Poll winners, Pendragon, will open for Gaelic Storm at The Met on Sunday, October 12. TheMetRI.com
Music at Lily Pads has Blanca Altable and Chuchi2 on Sunday, October 12 at 3pm. musicatlilypads.org
The Narrows has Richard Thompson on October 15, but that is sold out. You really should get on the Narrows mailing list to avoid missing shows like this. The Tubes are on October 21, Steve Forbert is on October 24, and Los Lobos are on the 30th. NarrowsCenter.org
The College Hill Contra Dance will take place Friday, October 17 at St Paul’s Episcopal Church in Pawtucket from 8 – 11pm. Warren’s Coffee Depot Open Mic will hold their annual fundraiser on Fri, Oct 17th to help cover the cost of the music permits. There will be no feature and participants play three songs. Catie Curtis, Marc Douglas Berardo, and Mary Day are at Manchester 65 on October 17. manchester65.com
Beyond Blonde will play their final show on October 19 at the Seafood Festival in Newport.
Chan’s in Woonsocket has Julian Lage & Chris Eldridge (Punch Brothers) on October 10, Maria Muldaur on October 30 celebrating the 40th anniversary of her hit “Midnight At The Oasis”, and Ursula George do the vaudeville thing on November 1. chanseggrollsandjazz.com
That’s it for now. Thanks for reading! John Fuzek www.johnfuzek.com
The Songmill: Mary Ellen Casey’s Ordinary Day
Little Rhody is a tiny state, but I am willing to bet we have more songwriters per capita than any other. Afloat this summer in our vast pool of dedicated and talented singer songwriters is Mary Ellen Casey.
Mary Ellen is not new to songwriting. She has been writing and performing for years. Like many local songwriters trying to support themselves or supplement their income, she performs a hearty mix of her own compositions along with well-known songs by nationally known artists. Her latest and second commercially released CD of original music, Ordinary Day, showcases how beautiful and pleasant her original music really is.
Similar to the rich vocal styling of Anne Murray, Mary Ellen’s strong, yet smooth voice is perfectly suited for, and carries well, the songs she has selected for this CD.
On first listen, the songs appear to be light with very pop memorable and melodic refrains. Digging in deeper, though, you will hear much more. Between the soft lines of her lilting voice lies an undercurrent of deeper meaning – a soul searching for itself.
The album, dedicated to her soul mate, leads with an up-tempo number “The Love of Her Life” – a quest for someone looking for, and finding, that special someone. Several cuts in this collection laud those who have stayed together through the thick and the thin of it all and come out shining. Probably the finest song on the album is, “You Love Me Anyway” – a passionate and honest reflection on the strengths, weaknesses and differences that hold a couple near and dear. If you buy just one single from this collection, “You Love Me Anyway” would be this reviewer’s pick. Just when you think the CD only shines a light on love, Mary Ellen’s out celebrating with her mates on “Paddy O’Hara,” a sprightly number that has the listener leaving their troubles behind as they step through the doors of their local pub. ”Paddy O’Hara” celebrates the Irish in us all as we tip a pint or two and toast good friends.
Recorded at Lakewest Recording and produced by Jack Gauthier, the album is a strong, comfortable listen with Duke Robillard backing Mary Ellen on lead guitar and Mark Teixeira moving things along with some tasty rhythms.
The album, all in all, is a salute to the hard working gal/guy. On “Ordinary Day,” you are encouraged to call in a “well-day” from work and simply enjoy a walk about your own town. The title cut, “I Would Love You Despite Of,” takes another look at that couple who despite working hard, carrying a multitude of family responsibilities and the weight of the world on their shoulders, push through and endure. “This Lady” is a tad sad, yet a reminder of how we all feel at times, as we struggle to juggle what life throws at us while trying to find peace, acceptance and a higher purpose in life.
“Bathroom Trash Blues” is a cute tribute to her pup’s trash-pickin’, incurable blunders. The final cut, “New England Town,” captures what it means to be home – a songwriter’s blessing for all she values. It is a beautiful closing number acknowledging those who have come before us and the gifts we’ve been given.
Make a songwriter happy this week by buying a CD, downloading a tune or two, or shutting down that Facebook and going to listen to some original music – maybe even Mary Ellen Casey, on August 17, from 11am to 2pm at Java Madness in South Kingston. Learn more about Mary Ellen by visiting www.maryellencasey.com
Got Beer? Reviews and Luau News Newport Storm Luau! Every year at Fort Adams State Park, the Coastal Extremists of Rhode Island’s first microbrewery throw a great big party with food, beer, drinks, dancers, games, music, history and a great view of RI’s coastline. It’s called the Newport Storm Luau, it goes down on August 16 and it’s done to benefit the Fort Adams Trust, keeping a piece of Rhody history alive and thriving in our wacky modern times. If you’ve never been, the place is definitely a brand of awesome, and you’ll be partying in the safest place you can imagine if a zombie apocalypse suddenly crops up.
Shop the vendors, try some brew or enjoy some mixed drinks made with Thomas Tew Rum, distilled with love by the Storm crew themselves. And when the lights go down, the real fun starts, with fire dancing and music performed by Smith&Weeden and Rare Occasions, the 2014 WBRU Rock Hunt Winners.
It’s a great time, and if you’re anything like me, you could use a little fresh air and sunshine once in a while. Plus, fire … dancing with fire! Look me in the eye and tell me that’s not awesome. Do it!
Grab a ticket while you can and party for a good cause! Check out more on Facebook or Newport Storm’s website: newportstorm.com.
Brew Reviews It’s been a while since I reviewed a beer, and considering it’s what I was hired to do at this fashionable rag, I thought it was time to get back to basics.
Narragansett Town Beach Imperial IPA: When I crack into a Town Beach Imperial IPA, the first thing I notice is that it’s not quite cut from the same cloth as your typical IPA, and certainly not what I’d expect for a summer release. This malty, piney behemoth is more reminiscent of a forest than a town beach. This is more of a beer to have while camping, surrounded by the fresh scent of the forest and constantly wiping tree sap off of your picnic table.
I do detect some of the citrus notes bragged about, but they’re subdued over a more pine sap and bitter malt mixture. How odd, considering the base malts are pale and pilsner, which are not known for producing such flavors. It almost has an odd molasses aftertaste. Don’t look at me like that. I’m not hating on Narragansett or Sean Larkin.
I think I’m just taken by surprise at the result. On paper this seems like it would be a beach beer, but I think it somehow turned into a camping beer. Both are adequate for summer – I’m just slightly confused as to how it came about. Maybe it’s for camping on the beach? I’ll drink to that!
Lagunitas Night Time Fear the Dark Ale: Despite sounding like a committee-generated horror movie title or an adventure game from the mid-90s, Night Time is a dark brew with no explanation of what kind of beer it is on the label. From the lightly hoppy aroma, one might think it’s a black IPA, which is great news for me, since I love black IPAs in an almost, “You need to sign in to view this video” kind of way.
Wow. In a bizarre sort of crossover, this brew has some crisp, citrusy hops I’d more associate with a lighter, beach-friendly IPA, yet it lends it to a darker, but understated malt base. Well now … this is a quandary. I’m almost tempted to do another mix and let them fight it out.
If not for a malty background giving this brew a solid body, I’d almost consider it to be a summertime brew. However, this beer does have a bit of a heft to it, which makes it a more complex and interesting brew than it would have been otherwise.
It’s surprisingly light and easygoing while still being a solid, dark, strong brew with an impressive balance between the chocolaty malts and the light zest of hops.
So, a pale that has the body of a dark, and a dark that has the body of a pale. Is this opposite day? If so, I’ve got some lottery tickets to buy! Check out either of these fine brews and decide for yourself.
The Best Roast? Yours! Coffee Roasting 101
Picture entering a coffee shop that roasts its own coffee. The first thing that appeals to your senses is the rich aroma of freshly roasted coffee. Two steps in the door and you are hooked — you’ve got to have that coffee. The barista pours you a cup of this freshly roasted just ground coffee, and if like me, you have it black. Nothing should impair its taste. The coffee looks, smells and tastes heavenly. This coffee will never taste this good if shelved for a week, let alone a month or more as many whole bean coffees are sold. This is why I home roast.
I began roasting coffee on a whim, purchasing a Cafe Roasto, a hot air roaster, from Mal, the barista and owner of Cafe Bon Ami. From there it was off to the internet to learn the art of roasting and to purchase green beans (green beans are unroasted coffee beans that can be purchased online or from local vendors). The internet has been a great help in providing background information, but the site that is far and away the best is Sweet Maria’s. It has many resources, emailed questions are answered and their forums are useful. Local people in the business also have been a great help — they love discussing their trade.
One big surprise I encountered was that there are many different roasts. In my mind there were only three: light, dark, and espresso, but there are many more. Not all beans should be roasted dark because they lose their individual character and taste burnt, which is a common complaint about Starbucks Coffee. On the opposite side of the spectrum is under roasting, which makes coffee bitter — a complaint about Dunkin Donuts. When purchasing beans, ask which roast is recommended. The most common roasts range from a city roast (light) through a French roast (dark). It all depends on where in the cracking phase the roasting ended.
Cracking is the sound the beans make as they roast. Green beans are a lot like popcorn. Both coffee beans and kernels contain water, and under intense heat the water boils within the bean. When the green bean makes a popping sound, the water is released and the chaff, an outer layer of skin on the bean, comes free. When this step is complete, it is a city roast. If a darker roast is desired, keep roasting into the second crack. The sound of a second crack is a lot like the sound of the crackling of burning wood. Some roasts are stopped in the very beginning of the second crack, and darker roasts, later in the crack, but no beans should be roasted till the end of the second crack or they’ll end up burnt.
Choosing the coffee beans to roast, though a personal preference, is also important. There are two types of coffee beans: Arabica and Robusta. Arabica beans are a better quality bean and most commonly used by all roasters. Robusta are a cheaper, lower quality bean that has twice as much caffeine as an Arabica bean. These beans are used in almost all canned coffee. Did you know that a can of decaf coffee could have more caffeine than a caffeinated Arabica bean?
I choose beans I roast by asking questions about the quality of the bean when I purchase locally through Mills Coffee. But if I purchase online, I read the descriptions and coffee ratings. Once roasting on a regular basis (at least monthly) you will have a good handle on which beans you want to roast. The hardest beans to roast are decaf, because it is very difficult to hear when the first crack ends and the second crack begins, because the process that turns the beans into decaf affects the amount of water in the bean. Regardless of the bean I use, I have to sit by the roaster and listen for the cracking. My first roaster was the Cafe Roasto, a hot air roaster, but after a year I switched to a Behmor 1600, primarily because it is quiet, which allows you to hear the cracking more clearly. It also roasts a larger quantity, up to a pound depending on how dark you want it.
There are several types of roasters available, but none in the $300 to $1,000 range roast much more than a pound. Roasters that can do 3 pounds or more are commercial roasters cost a significant amount of money. Start small in price and size, then move up to meet your needs.
Once you’ve roasted your first batch, you’ll need a way to grind the beans and brew a cup of the fruits of your labor. Beans are best ground in a burr style grinder, which are found just about anywhere that sells coffee makers. A burr grinder will do anything from a coarse grind to a fine powder. Selections are made by simply turning a dial. The coffee is at its best when ground just before use, but because that is not convenient during the morning rush, I usually grind a batch for several days, then store it in an airtight container.
There are countless ways to make a cup of coffee and which you choose is a matter of preference. Pure coffee enthusiasts usually prefer a French Press, because you get full flavor of the bean. Pod style coffee makers are not the choice of coffee purests. The water passes through the coffee much too fast to absorb the flavors, the ground coffee is sitting in the pods for an extended time, and you have little control over the brew. They sell strictly because they’re convenient.
Home roasting is not difficult. With practice you will recognize the different cracking sounds and know the time between cracks, the characteristics of the bean, and the little idiosyncrasies of your roaster. Expect some rookie problems in the beginning. I often missed the stages of the cracking because I was preoccupied with something else and the hot air roaster was so noisy that it obscured the cracking sound. I either ended up with coffee under roasted and too bitter to drink or a barely drinkable dark roast. And smoke detectors were always going off in my house and still do despite my practice — medium and dark roasts produce smoke.
As a home roaster, you can be creative. Blend two or three different kinds of beans or roast the same bean as a dark roast and again as a light roast then blend them. If decaf is your desired roast, home roasting gives you more choices than the two or three offerings in most cafes. There are more decaf green beans available, and through blending, you extend your options. Above all, have fun and enjoy the process from shopping for beans to drinking the freshest, tastiest cup of coffee you will ever drink.
The Gubernatorial Races — A Prediction
As we enter the final stretch of the Rhode Island Gubernatorial primary races, we are faced with four viable Democrats and two viable Republicans. I will immediately eliminate one of the Democrats involved in the contest. Sorry Mr. Giroux. You are an interesting man. But, barring a catastrophic event that vaporizes the three other Democrats in the race, I don’t see a path to victory for you. And, as a Democratic operative, I will only spin myself into a tizzy by analyzing Mayor Fung and Ken Block. Mr. Block wants to put a price tag on the state of Rhode Island with a parenthetical of “or best offer.” And Mayor Fung wants standardized testing of three-year olds.
So that leaves Providence Mayor Angel Taveras, Clay Pell, and General Treasurer Gina Raimondo. I am going to make a statement here that I think very few, if any political analysts have been willing to make. Clay Pell is going to win. I am sure some readers are expressing disbelief in varying forms of expulsion of breath: laughter, exasperated sighing, myriad expletives, etc. But let’s look at this from a perspective that involves neither pedantry nor Prius.
Raimondo
Gina Raimondo has been the Madam Treasurer of Multiple Personalities. She flies the banner of a strong Democratic woman, progressive in her stances of equal opportunity, sensible firearm regulation, bringing people together and (of course) solving Rhode Island’s pension crisis. Might I coin a phrase here: Sybil disobedience.
Forbes Magazine published a list of the Wall Street firms that are where the best investors really want to work. Cross reference that list with public records of Raimondo’s campaign contributors and one finds a shocking amount of overlapping names and employers. Yet this woman has the audacity to talk openly about “leveling the playing field,” a phrase made famous by Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren who preaches the antithesis of what Raimondo has done. Which, by the way, was not “solving the pension crisis.” News flash, Madam Treasurer: the pension cuts architected and pushed through the general assembly are scheduled for a class action court battle that could stretch on for years. She has succeeded in pitting public sector employees against the rest of Rhode Island by conveniently forgetting that over 13,000 state employees are taxpayers too. Plain old Gina from Smithfield, whose father was a factory worker who was laid off from manufacturing is actually, Madam Treasurer Raimondo from the wealthy east side of Providence whose late father (my condolences) was a metallurgist at a watch company. With all due respect to the man who recently passed, he was not exactly stamping parts for eight hours during third shift.
She is the one percent. At least she is at the cocktail reception fundraisers with Wall Street’s wealthy elite writing checks. At the State House she is fist-pumping Gina, bursting with excitement at the statutory breaking of the last middle-class bastion of defined benefit retirement security. In her ads she’s mom, sharing her meatloaf recipe and riding her bikes through the city while her son narrates. Gina Raimondo is, to her credit, an excellent politician. She is a brilliant and well educated opportunist who looks in the mirror and sees Joseph Campbell’s “hero with a thousand faces.” But, other than those staunch supporters of her deconstruction of defined benefits for public service employees, Raimondo hasn’t built momentum beyond an extraordinary ability to fundraise. But, with less than 40 days until the primary elections, the two things money cannot buy are more time and the image of working class Rhode Island.
Taveras
In 2010, Mayor Angel Taveras was welcomed with open arms into the highest executive office in Rhode Island’s capital city. He has enjoyed the highest approval ratings of any current Rhode Island elected official. He has a higher return on Providence municipal pension investments than the state of Rhode Island’s, which are run by the office of the general treasurer. And, for a while, he showed the highest poll percentages of the Democratic primary candidates for governor. And, in spite of having the highest number of in-state individual contributors to his campaign, he shows the lowest level of campaign finances of the three war chests.
Taveras has been the head-start to Harvard success story that Providence needed after the shame of Plunderdome and the subsequent fiscal mismanagement by the mayor turned congressman. Angel ran a fantastic campaign that united the disenfranchised minority populations and the wealthy East Side liberals to forge a path to victory. Using his narrative of being the son of a single mother who worked third-shift in a factory who made it all the way to the most prestigious ivy league in the nation was the footbridge over the route 6/10 connector. He surrounded himself with strong progressive Democrats.
The city of Providence, however, had allied itself with the rest of the state’s (and the nation’s) fiscal crisis to form a dream team of economic stagnation. All of the grand plans for the city that had painted a landscape of a bright and forward-thinking Providence were drowning in the storm surge of a “category five fiscal hurricane.” So Angel made some changes. He cut his own pay. He conferred with his best economic advisors. He fired all the teachers. Wait … what?
Taveras openly admits his mistake saying he had acted on bad advice. But to terminate the contracts of almost 2,000 teachers was a show of power that went too far in forcing concessions from the public sector That move, in combination with his promotion of for-profit charter school company, Achievement First started to lose him some of that new car smell. It also lost him the backing of NEA RI, one of the largest and most politically powerful unions. He was able to rehire the teachers and negotiate concessions from the municipal unions. However, his mistake had marred that gleaming reputation indelibly. A wave of unpopular decisions and circumstances followed that resulted in property tax hikes, commercial property tax hikes, regressive car taxes, reduction in police resources, the seeming “revolving door” of staff such as Matt Jerzyk and Arianne Lynch, the closing of the Davey Lopes pool, the pension fund investments that rivaled Raimondo’s in their percentage of risky and fee-layered hedge fund investment. Providence was holding its own with Angel Taveras in a battle of idealism versus ruthless pragmatism. Perhaps, if given more time, Taveras could have redeemed himself with the lessons learned and people would have time to forget his mistakes and remember him for the way he won millions of dollars for a groundbreaking education research project or continuing to reduce the city’s cumulative debt as well as the structural debt.
However, much like his predecessor, Angel Taveras chose to use the second half of his first term as a launchpad for higher office. That is probably the single biggest mistake he made as mayor. Angel Taveras decided not to finish the job. Had he run for a second term, he would have cruised to victory. Rather, Angel chose to run for governor. After a single term in an office in a city at a time in which success can only be determined by proving a negative — the economy didn’t get worse — Mayor Taveras abandoned full focus on what’s best for the city and split his focus on what’s best for the city and what’s best for the campaign.
Pell
Clay Pell comes in with a clean slate. Are there disadvantages to Clay as a candidate? Absolutely. His lack of experience in elected office? Yes. His relatively new permanent residency in the state? Check. His youth? Surely. An angry wave of supporters of other candidates who see him as a spoiler to their own plans for opportunism on investment in another campaign? Definitely. A ridiculously overblown habit of losing his car? Well … yeah, there’s that.
Another local political reporter said early on that Clay Pell has a short time to earn the trust of Rhode Islanders. I disagree. Clay Pell doesn’t have to earn their trust nearly as much as he has to avoid earning their distrust. In the current Rhode Island political universe, people are exhausted by wariness in government. They are not merely lacking confidence in certain politicians or even a certain party. Rhode Islanders are disgusted with government, elected officials, and politics.
In comes Clay Pell. He is a young Coast Guard Lieutenant with a background in the Obama administration’s National Security team and the US Department of Education. He was a prosecuting attorney on a Marine Corps base whose job it was to persuade Marines to testify against their own. He speaks four languages. His wife is the most decorated figure skater in American history. He has a bridge named after his grandfather. Furthermore, he is dedicated to integrity, pledging immediately to take no money from state lobbyists or PACs. He is exactly the opposite of what Rhode Islanders despise about politics. He is the antithesis of the “know a guy” way of doing the “business” of politics.
So why, one might ask, does he think he has a chance at beating seasoned campaign machines like Taveras and Raimondo? Pell is not walking into a firefight without his weapons. He has combined Rhode Island veteran campaign operatives with some of the best Democratic field directors from key battleground states in the 2012 presidential election. He has mustered an army of volunteers to march forward a ground game bigger and better than either of his opponents.
The media has been, thus far, unfair to Pell. He has rolled out plans as detailed and accessible as any other candidate. He has been appearing at any and every event and, rather than just glad handing and photo ops, he has been listening to the concerns of each and every person who wishes to hype or gripe about his or her concerns. Much of the media, however, still refuses to acknowledge him as a viable candidate.
But he is. And I think he’s going to win. To quote an early adopter of Pell, NEA RI Director, Bob Walsh (who was, I believe, quoting Ghandi), “First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win.”
Zombies, Budgets and Arts Education
Zombies, Brains and the FY 15 Budget
Rhode Island has officially entered the race to the bottom. The new Speaker of the House chanted the phrase “jobs and the economy” the way a staggering zombie bellows the word “brains.” And, much like the dreaded infectious bite of the undead, the chant became a chorus of mindless followers, without the capacity for concern of implementing any real change. There is no mistaking the fact that Rhode Island Island is encountering a stagnant recovery as compared to other states. However, this year’s budget proposal made no effort to treat the cause of the state’s fiscal doldrums. Rather, like the doctor who graduates last in his class receives the same license to practice medicine as the doctor who graduated first, the budget architects waited until the last minute to conduct a diagnosis and treated only the symptoms.
The overall problem with the approach to reviving economic life in Rhode Island’s economy is the voodoo economic theory that has been comatose since the end of the Reagan administration. Rewarding the wealthy with more money by nickel and diming the middle class until they become the working poor does not grow a thriving economy. Instead, it hamstrings the majority from rising from a crawl to a walk, and then allowing them to run. Like every good myth or fable, there are a few instances of truth to the tale of the poor kid who, through hard work and dedication, became a millionaire. But there are infinitely more instances of the poor kid who gets an underfunded public education, gets her hours cut back on her big box store retail job and becomes evicted from her apartment.
The FY 15 budget’s approach is to continue the moratorium on schoolhouse construction funding in favor of an increase in the inheritance tax threshold. So public schools can stay cold, wet and dangerous while retired millionaires aren’t tempted to move out of state. Tax rates on the wealthiest earners remain at low levels, while property taxes continue to rise. State employees, who have been determined by the administration to be undercompensated as compared to both private sector counterparts and other states around the nation, are granted the contractual raises they haven’t seen in almost four years, but each state department must find the money for the raises in each departmental budget respectively. The state employs over 13,000 Rhode Islanders. How many other employers can boast that?
Jobs and the economy. One budget article prohibits cities, towns and municipalities from raising the minimum wage higher than the minimum wage set by the state. The budget, to my understanding, is meant as a statute of appropriations of general revenue, restricted receipt, and any federal and grant funding as determined by the electorate of the state of Rhode Island. How does a superseding restriction on the minimum wage have anything to do with the appropriation of state-controlled funding? Because jobs and the economy.
Other states that have experienced true economic recovery have invested in their middle class. By expanding the middle class through investments in education and health, these states have been able to grow their way out of economic illness, rather than tax their way out. Furthermore, these states, such as Massachusetts and Connecticut, have retained and attracted actual job creators by making the state an attractive location to live. By investing in infrastructure, education, health and overall quality of life, a pool of talent is fostered and drawn to the area and all boats rise with the tide.
But Rhode Island’s leadership has adopted the alternative “quick fix” solution, which is to dangle a carrot on a stick and hope the burros of industry will chase. By blaming big government for waste and taking any money swept up after chipping away at public services (e.g., state and municipal retirement and health care, public schools, police, fire, emergency services, roads, bridges) and offering them as tax breaks and corporate incentives, they effectively pin a clearance sign on the state. The bright orange sticker has a price tag that aims to be lower than that of other states and that price is followed by “or best offer.” Thus, the Rhode Island FY 15 budget competes in the race to the bottom for more bad jobs and less regulation, and sacrifices overall quality of life for better rankings on lists created by studies funded by organizations like the American Legislative Exchange Council and the Heritage Foundation. For the record, Rhode Island boasts the second lowest levels of government employment per capita in the country.
Unfortunately, the new speaker has (to his credit) proven himself to be a surprisingly masterful politician and his leadership does not appear to be going anywhere in the foreseeable future. Let us hope, for the sake of Rhode Island’s long-term economic future, Mr. Speaker considers adding just a single word to his chant so it becomes “good jobs and the economy.” That single word will make all the difference in the state.
Investing in Arts Education Earns Creative Capital
Rhode Island has a problem. Despite its reputation as a creative hub and an arts haven, it has lost its way in the very place where such excellence is fostered: schools. Education has become so competitively focused on math and science that it lost its momentum investing in creativity.
Rhode Island prides itself on being home to a world-class design school, a fantastic culinary institute and a jewel of performing arts venues. But the public education system is driven by tests focused primarily on quantitative learning. This is in no way meant to devalue the maths and sciences. But what separates the innovative from the derivative and uninspired is the fostering of creative learning.
I was recently admitted to law school. I work in a public agency that requires me to provide customer service and perform cognitive arithmetic. I also work as a political operative, conducting research and analyzing policy in order to try and sway political opinion at the polls and implement change at a legislative level. I have a degree in theater studies with a minor in English. I have read everything from Aeschylus to Shakespeare to Kushner and have a deep understanding of the human spirit, as well as a fearlessness to improvise publicly. Do I wish I was a little better with double-entry bookkeeping? Sure. But what I may lack in arithmetic expertise, I make up for in my ability to improvise and think around corners. This will help me in law school and beyond. This is what Rhode Island needs more of in schools. By emphasizing the arts and humanities as much as the maths and sciences, the term “well-rounded student” can be resurrected and Rhode Island can begin depositing creative capital into its innovation talent bank.