First, I just love the name of this band and it’s fun to say out loud. Also, the music is very appealing. But they are getting a lot of buzz and this show will probably draw a good crowd. Frontman JP Pitts spoke with Rolling Stone

While the band’s members cite influences like Motown and the Jesus Lizard, Pitts tells Rolling Stone he’s most inspired by the 1990s indie rock that permeates Surfer Blood’s sound. “I was listening to mostly Pavement, Bedhead, Yo La Tengo,” Pitts says, “And that’s a huge part of what influenced the way I write songs and the way I play guitar.”

Pitchfork liked their debut cd ‘Astro Coast’ quite a bit. Also playing is Mast, Turbo Fruits, Black Clouds. Should be fun.

$6, 9pm, Wednesday, AS220, 115 Empire Street

I really, really, really, really hate to be posting a story about Facebook. But this one’s kind of intriguing, maybe:

The other day I got a friend request from Lucie Searle, the Development Manager and Preservationist at AS220. Since the new Facebook allows you to accept or reject friend requests without actually reading the other person’s profile I accepted. (I don’t know Lucie, really, although I interviewed her for an article once a few years ago and for some reason she’s always in Stop & Shop when I’m there. But I’m not particularly discerning about Facebook friend requests.)

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Go inside and see real live artists in their natural habitat (quiet please, mating season).

Ever wonder what’s happening on on the other floors of AS220? Curious about AS220’s history? Come on down and take a free tour of AS220 with artistic director and founder Bert Crenca! Meet in the Bar & Restaurant area at 115 Empire St. to join in.

Like what you see? There are currently two live/work studio vacancies at this location. Contact Susan Clausen at 831.9327.

6pm to 7pm, free, Thursday, AS220, 115 Empire Street

Can you plug those things in? And who was the first woman to say “Screw the laundry, I’m rockin’ out.”? Get the weekend started tonight at AS220 with some music. Moaning Creek delves into the sounds of Appalachia and the Delta for inspiration . . . American roots music. Hey Mama features the powerhouse duo, Avi & Celia with Jared Seabrook and Ben Kogan on drums and bass. The other act cancelled, or was cancelled, something.

$6, 10pm, Thursday, AS220, 115 Empire Street

Figuring out the world together — come learn about the hot environmental issues of the day from regional experts. What does ‘climate change’ mean for you, and what can you do about it? Join Sandra Brownell, of the Environmental Protection Agency, and other community members to discuss these topics at a special AS220 Happy Hour.

Monday, November 16, 5:30pm, AS220, 116 Empire St

AS220 has six to eight openings available for a new course being offered in conjunction with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Equipment has been purchased through the MIT Fab Labs program and you can learn how to use it. According to the ProJo,

Participants can learn how to use and create long-term projects using the lab’s machines, which include a small-scale laser cutter, a milling machine and a vinyl cutter, all of which are hooked up to a computer network that offers free open-access design software.

The course, now to be held at the Empire Street location and later to expand into the Mercantile Building, will include open labs, videoconferencing to MIT, but sadly, no fish tacos. For more info contact Fab Lab director Shawn Wallace (not to be confused with Wallace Shawn) at AS220.org where there is actually no mention of this whatsoever, but maybe that is your first test.

Tonight’s show features Novembers Calling (acoustic indie), Midtown Dickens (punkgrass from North Carolina), and Handshake Factory (americana blues folk).

$6, 9pm, Monday, AS220, 115 Empire Street

Get your shots — AS220 has just announced on its website that the special surprise guest stars for Saturday night are none other than Deer Tick!  Foo Fest has returned this year with a new wrinkle — a $5 entrance fee. Apparently Empire Street will be cordoned off somehow and this will help keep the riffraff out (or in).  That really doesn’t seem like much money for an entire day of music and stuff — and if that’s what it takes to make this possible every year, fine. Also scheduled to perform are, the Sun Ra Arkestra, Tinsel Teeth, Lolita Black, White Mice and Lightning Bolt! There will also be tons of artists doing art, and you can help create the giant pinata. (Are we having a pinata moment in Providence for some reason?) Empire Street will be blocked off between Washington and Westminster with vendors and things to eat and drink.  The weather looks good. Go crazy.

$5, 1pm to 1am, Saturday, 115 Empire Street

The August exhibitions open tonight at the AS220 Galleries.

The main gallery features a group exhibition, ‘On-The-Line: 19 on Paper‘. Collages by Christina Olszewski are in the Open Window. And ‘Quiet Riot’ new work by Sarah Samways is in the Youth Gallery.

The AS220 Project Space holds ‘Pieces’ new work by Sharon N. Kahn Cutts and Wendyll Brown.

Opening Reception 4pm to 7pm, Sunday, AS220, 115 Empire Street

(Digital photograph by Hiroko Shikasio ‘19 on Paper’)

For those of you with too much income, good news. AS220 will soon have a couple of unrestricted units ready to rent. (Oh no, pampered poseurs in predistressed jeans. On the other hand, they might buy the beer. Keep an open mind.) At any rate, if you desire a life within stumbling distance of Local 121 and cool, creative types, apply now for one of the four vacancies coming online in the Dreyfus Building — one for August 1st and three for September 1st. According to AS220,

Two of AS220’s three unrestricted units are becoming available this summer at the Dreyfus building in downtown Providence. This is the first time we have had an opening available in any unrestricted units since we opened in 2007, so you know they must be amazing! “Unrestricted” means that these apartments are not held to the affordable housing income cap we keep on all other units (under $25,600 yearly), so go on be as rich if you are lucky enough to be.

For specs and details on how to apply, go here. Application deadline, 5pm July 24th.

It was an eclectic blend of rhythmic story telling, headlined by some good old rock & roll, as Stalemate, Brook Pridemore, and Mutiny Amongst Friends, played AS220 on Tuesday, June 23rd.

Mutiny Amongst Friends was first to take the stage. A four piece from Connecticut, this group could be described as more »

Tonight, join Rebel L and twenty-five of his closest friends at the third annual Not About The Buildings Spelling Bee.  I’ll be hosting, and the first thirty-six spellers to sign up will be competing for fame and fabulous prizes donated by Tiny Showcase, if’n books, and What Cheer Antiques.  The lucky bee winner will also receive a membership to the Providence Athenaeum, which (if you didn’t know) is an awesomely fantastic prize.

Spellers are encouraged to show up early, since last year we had to turn some tardy spellers away.

Spelling Bee
AS220
115 Empire St.
9pm
$5 to spell, free to watch

Head downtown to the AS220 Project Space (on Matthewson Street) for an artist talk with Ben Watkins and Nick Hollibaugh (I have now seen three different spellings of this poor guy’s name — I feel your pain, buddy). Their current show got a favorable review by Ben Van Siclen in the ProJo,

. . . themes of absence, loss and dislocation can be found in many of the show’s pieces, which range from a series of large painted-wood sculptures (Hollibaugh) to an a array of paintings and mixed media works (Watkins).

July 18th
9pm $6
@ AS220
115 Empire St

TJR Presents:
I Destroyer (mem.Dropdead/ATSS/Suffing Bastard)
jesuscentric
ghosting. (from VT)
HYEO (from MA)

Friday — @AS220, Stinking Lizaveta, Darsombra, Tides, and Lolita Black (Cancellation @Firehouse 13, no Essence of Pain tonight) @The Blackstone, Chelsy Lau Band with The Jesse Minute, Jeff Byrd and Dirty Finch @16, Vic Rawlings and Bryan Eubanks, Malcy Duff, Ashley Paul and Sakiko Mori, Leo Larmes

Saturday — @The Blackstone, Sex Coffee w/Grand Army, Just Survive, 3D Mystery

Sunday — @White Electric, The Spicyrobertredford Mustardstevemcqueen String Quartet, Emily Dix Thomas, also a Super8 film(?) by Cerealtonin Dialogues (starts 7pm, ends 9pm), @AS220 Deflag Haemorrhage/Haien Kontra, Drunkdriver, Green Cobweb, and Morgan Egg

Special Friday WaterFire — Welcome RISD Parents and Alums.

Be advised, The Providence Roller Derby bout has been rescheduled from Friday to 5pm Sunday, more later.

AS220’s biennial Photo Lottery is taking place this Saturday, and there’s still time to get tickets through their website.  For just $100 you can win one of 150 photos donated by 150 photographers, including heavyweights like Mona Kuhn, Henry Horenstein, and Jock Sturges, whose 40X50 print will probably be the biggest deal of the night.  When you show up you draw a number corresponding to one of the photos.  So if you’re lucky you could get a really cool print of the Corliss Steam Engine made from a glass slide made in 1876.  Or, if you’re not so lucky, you could get the one I donated (heh heh).

The Lottery is the biggest fundraiser for the Paul Krot Community Darkroom, which is actually the only community darkroom in the state.  A lot of really cool youth programming happens there, too, which you can learn about by checking out AS220’s website or dropping by on Saturday.  It’s free to attend, and fun to see the work of so many different people at once; get their early, though; art will start coming off the walls as soon as the first numbers are drawn.