Rhode Island
Best things to do in Rhode Island: Jan. 19-26 – The Boston Globe
It may be freezing out, but our calendar is hot this week, my friends. I found an eclectic grab-mag mix of fun in the 401 to cure both your cabin fever and your Frosted Windshield Blues: The Temptations and Bob Dylan tunes, a Joan Baez doc, wire sculpting, yoga, glass-painting, Dinosaur Jr., and more. Let’s roll.
OPENING NIGHTS!
Real Rhody stories make their world premiere with “La Broa’ (Broad Street)” by Orlando Hernandez at Trinity Rep Jan. 18. The show is inspired by “Latino History of Rhode Island: Nuestras Raíces” by Marta V. Martinez and directed by Tatyana-Marie Carlo. Trinity says the play focuses on Doña Rosa’s Market on La Broa’ (Providence’s Broad Street) and is based on real stories of Latina/Latino who have made Rhode Island their home. Watch a behind-the-scenes clip here and meet the costume designer here. Tickets from $24. Through Feb. 18. 201 Washington St. Providence. Details here.
BOB DYLAN, NEIL YOUNG & THE GRATEFUL DEAD
I’m not dreaming. The music of three of my favorites (the Venn diagram overlap of fans for these three are probably one circle) hits Rhody this week. Rock out with “Bob’s Heart of Gold Band: The Music of The Dead, Dylan and Neil Young” at The Met Jan. 21. Tickets $5. Doors 3:30 p.m., show 4 p.m.1005 Main St., Pawtucket. Details here.
LAST BITES
Foodies: the last dinner bell tolls for thee. Providence Restaurant Weeks runs through Jan. 20. Participating area restaurants feature deals and specials. For example: Nasturtium at Agawam Hunt in the Rumford neighborhood of East Providence offers a $40 prix-fixe dinner. You might start with sea bream crudo, then dig into Azorean cheese agnolotti with wild mushrooms, cauliflower and garlicky crumbs, before indulging in brown butter panna cotta with Meyer lemon ice cream. 5 Roger Williams Ave., Rumford. Meanwhile, Diego’s East Side offers a $28 prix fixe two-course lunch or dinner: You might start with Drunken Arrancini — crispy rice and sausage balls cooked in Rejects Beer with poblano queso fundido — before digging into al pastor tacos — al pastor pork, smoked pineapple salsa, ranchero sauce, onions and cilantro on flour tortillas. 195 Wayland Ave., Providence. #PVDEats. All details here.
PRINTMAKING LESSONS
Learn how to screen-print, cyanotype and more with AS220 classes this winter. This week, you might sign up for:
Intro. to Cyanotype Printmaking with Andre Lee Bassuet (aka sun-printing) Jan. 20 and 21, 9 a.m. ($120) or Intro. to Screenprinting: Shirts & Totes with Sin Seven
Jan. 23 and 25 at 7 p.m. ($120) “You’ll walk out with items of your own bearing your very own unique printed designs,” according to billing. I love this. 95 Mathewson Street, Suite 204, Providence. Learn more here.
JUST MY IMAGINATION
Nope, I’m not imagining this: “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations” hits PPAC Jan. 23-Jan. 28. Nominated for 12 Tony Awards, the musical follows The Temptations “journey from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame” in a “story of brotherhood, family, loyalty, and betrayal, as the group’s personal and political conflicts threatened to tear them apart during a decade of civil unrest in America.” Get ready to sing “Get Ready,” “My Girl,” “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” and more. Tickets from $45. 220 Weybosset St., Providence. Details here.
DINOSAUR JR.
This is not a drill. Massachusetts-born cult-fave indie-rockers Dinosaur Jr. plays Providence Jan. 25. According to their tour schedule, this show at The Strand is the only show this month — from Seattle to Burlington, Vt., — not yet sold out. Hop on this, Dino fans. They’re currently celebrating 30 years of “Where You Been.” From $35. Doors 8 p.m., show 9 p.m. 79 Washington St., Providence. Details here and here.
PAINT-YOUR-OWN MARGARITA GLASS
…. Sorry, I’m just looking for my lost shaker of salt. (Free glass idea.) Margarita lovers, and fans of the late great Jimmy Buffet, try your hand at painting your own margarita glass Jan. 25 at NYLO hotel. $25 per glass, includes all materials via Inebri-Art. Parrotheads, go forth! 6-9 p.m. 400 Knight St. Warwick. Details here.
JOAN BAEZ ON SCREEN
Catch “Joan Baez: I Am A Noise” Jan. 25 at The Columbus Theatre. Billed as “an unusually intimate psychological portrait” of the folk singer/activist, it’s “a visual memoir” anchored by “home movies, diaries, artwork, and audio recordings.” (Yes, she talks about her relationship with Bob Dylan.) I interviewed the Newport Folk fave previously here. Advance, $12; door $14.50. 270 Broadway, Providence. Details here; trailer here.
WIRE ART WITH BEER
Tired: Being tired. Wired: Getting wired. Let’s get wired by making wire trees with Byfield, Mass.-based wire artist Ryan Kelley. Kelley will teach us how to wind wires into metal trees at PVD’s Long Live Beerworks Jan. 25 from 6-8 p.m. $75 includes one free beer and all tools and materials. 40R Sprague St., Providence. Love this. Learn more here and here.
YOGA AT COMMON FENCE
Going nuts with cabin fever in this freezing weather? Same. Get your blood flowing and your mind settled with some gentle yoga for all levels at Common Fence Point Jan. 25 at 9:30 a.m. Suggested donation $10. 933 Anthony Road, Portsmouth. Learn more here.
JAZZ IN A MANSION
Attention, hep cats: Rhode Island Music Hall of Famer Greg Abate brings his jazz to Bristol’s Linden Place mansion Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. The saxophonist/flutist/composer is a 1971 Berklee College of Music alum who went on to play with Ray Charles Orchestra and the Artie Shaw Orchestra, and “ventured out as post hard bop soloist,” according to his website. At Linden Place, Abate will be joined by bassist Paul Del Nero, drummer Gary Johnson and pianist Matt DeChamplain, according to billing. $25. Reservations encouraged. 500 Hope St., Bristol. Learn more here.
HOT TICKETS
I launched this subsection of this column because (hopefully) Globe Rhode Island readers rely on this column to plan weekly fun, and I care that you rock Rhody to the fullest. These are big name or otherwise wicked cool events that I predict will sell out before I get time to alert you to them week-of. These two are coming soon:
FEW FOR BREW: There are few tickets left for the 11th annual Rhode Island Brew Fest — billed as “a celebration of American craft breweries featuring the best brews the Ocean State has to offer” — Jan. 27 at the WaterFire Arts Center. The fest hosts some 55 breweries offering samples of some 175 beers. $65.21. 475 Valley St., Providence. Details here and here.
VEGGIE TIME: OK, veggie fans: Feb. 3 GA tickets are sold out, and few Feb. 4 GA tickets remain for RI VegFest at PVD’s WaterFire Arts Center Feb. 3-4. They’ve now opened “late entry” tickets for both days, meaning you go from 2:30-5 p.m. The fully vegan fest showcases plant-based foods, beverages, artists, makers, and businesses. According to billing, this year’s lineup features some 85 vegan/vegan-friendly brands “from Rhode Island and 10 other states.” Shop vegan products, eat, drink, and learn. From $8. 475 Valley St., Providence. Details here.
ONGOING WINTER FUN
Baby it’s cold outside. That means…
ICE BUMPER CARS AND SKATING: A winter Rhody tradition: Grab your crew, and head to PVD’s BankNewport City Center rink. Bumper cars, from $13 per ride per person. Skating $9; seniors and kids 12-and-under, $6. Skate rental $8.41. Check online for weather notifications, register online. 2 Kennedy Plaza, Providence. Details here.
ZOO CREW: Beat the winter blues by hanging with the crew at the zoo. Roger Williams Park Zoo offers half-off admission now through Feb. 28. You can’t not smile when hanging with Keweng the tree kangaroo, or mom-and-son sloths Fiona and lil’ Jeffrey. I mean… c’mon. PSA: Providence residents score free admission to the zoo the first Saturday of each month. (If you have a Rhody library card, you might also be eligible for a discount.) See here for all details. Discount applied at checkout. 1000 Elmwood Ave.
HORSING AROUND: Liberty Farm & Carriage Company in Burrillville is a working farm that offers private horse carriage (or sleigh rides) year-round. As you might imagine, this is their busy season. As of this writing, they still have various private ride time slots available this week, according to their website. Prices vary. 60 Ironmine Road, Burrillville. Details, video and live schedule here.
WINTER WINE TASTING: Who says wine tasting is just for summer? West Greenwich’s Leyden Farm Vineyard & Winery invites guests to taste five wines and learn about each. Post-tasting, you might purchase a glass or bottle and stroll the vineyard, according to event billing — and keep the tasting glass. Ongoing, closed Wednesdays. Tasting for two $12. Tasting for four $22. 160 Plain Meeting House Road. Details here.
Until next week, Rhody: Keep rockin’.
Lauren Daley can be reached at ldaley33@gmail.com. Follow her on Twitter @laurendaley1.