(still in Cranston, RI)
Live Music
On Saturday, I went to see Julia and her band perform at a downtown Providence park near the Pedestrian Bridge, which appropriately named, connects the East side of the city to the Innovation District. Down the middle of the bridge are curved, wood-slat benches with attached tray tables that remind me of the desks we had in elementary school. There is sufficient room on either side of the benches for you to pause and enjoy the view of the Woonasquatucket River. On the East side of the bridge are food vendors, most notably Del’s lemonade which I’ll get to later. On the West side is a large open grassy space where the stage is set.
Julia’s all female band, the Persisters, is composed of four guitarists, a drummer, and a sixth member who plays keyboard and electric violin. All are young mothers who are neighbors or members of Julia’s church. For Julia, and I suspect of the others, the Band is an escape from the heavy responsibilities of work and family. They played well-known covers in addition to original songs written collectively by the group. The lyrics to the original songs resonated with me. I’m now a Persisters groupie.
Last night, Julia and I went to see Brett Eldredge at Bold Point Park, an outdoor waterfront concert venue. Brett gave an amazing concert. There were no video screens or high-tech lighting, just a handsome man singing songs with beautiful lyrics. I’m a fan of his music and of him, who has been open about his battles with his mental health. For the first half of the concert, Julia and I were close to the stage where we sang and swayed with raised arms amidst the friendly, flannel-wearing crowd. Later we walked around the park to see and hear the concert from another perspective.
I haven’t been to a live concert in quite a while, and this week I saw two different but equally enjoyable performances.
Lemonade (and other local delicacies)
Cranston is all about Del’s frozen lemonade. You can buy it at stand-alone stores, ice cream shops, push carts and trucks that conveniently appear at concerts, sporting events and schoolyards as children let out for the day. The DeLucia family started selling the refreshing ade from a little stand in Cranston in 1948. I am new to Del’s and was fortunately educated by my Rhode Island family on how to be a proper consumer. It is wrong to use a straw to sip or a spoon to scoop the frozen treat with pieces of real lemon, even the rind. The right way is to hold the drink and let the heat from your hand melt it a little bit, then sip. Anyone seen with a straw sticking out of their Del’s cup is considered an outsider.
Another interesting Rhode Island edible is pizza strips, essentially pizza without the cheese. Also known as party pizza, bakery pizza or tomato pie, the snack or party food is about one-half-inch focaccia style bread covered in one-quarter-inch spicy pizza sauce, served cold. It is delicious. Rhode Island has productized the dipping of bread in your leftover spaghetti sauce.
If you’re into baked goods, (and I am), Seven Stars is the place. Their counter is a sensual overload. The aroma of breads and pastries mixed with the scent of rich espresso floating through the air is music to your nose. The miniature risers hold rows of cookies, scones, Danishes, croissants, muffins, cinnamon buns, sticky buns, cakes, quiche, and new to me, Kouign Amann. Pronounced “kween-yah-mann” it’s shaped like a muffin, is the consistency of a croissant with caramelized butter and sugar on top and throughout.
Whether it’s food, drink or music, I am savoring my new surroundings.
