On Friday night, May 10th, following weeks of flu-like symptoms, Dave was admitted to a hospital in Houston with complaints of fatigue and shortness of breath. An initial blood test revealed that he was severely anemic, with dangerously low red blood cell levels. Since being admitted to the hospital he has had several blood transfusions, to which he is responding well, and has undergone several tests to determine what is causing his illness. At this time there is no diagnosis.

MorganEve writes “We will be able to fly home on Saturday to pursue treatment in RI, and will be canceling a large percentage of shows until Dave is well enough to get back on the road. For us, canceling shows means not only disappointing our fans and missing out on what we enjoy most, but also going without income.”

What You Can Do: Donate to the special fundraiser page at YouCaring.com.

These are two of the kindest people you could hope to meet and are hardworking musicians. Please consider helping them out.

Open to the public, RISD’s annual Graduate Thesis Exhibition features work in a wide range of media created by the 194 master’s degree candidates graduating on June 1. Each student showcases a final body of work produced as the culmination of his or her experience in one of RISD’s 16 graduate departments: Architecture, Ceramics, Digital + Media, Furniture Design, Glass, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Interior Architecture, Jewelry + Metalsmithing, Landscape Architecture, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, Teaching + Learning in Art + Design, and Textiles.

A selection of additional graduate student work is on view from May 30th through June 3rd at Sol Koffler Graduate Student Gallery, 169 Weybosset Street.

(Seen here is ‘Beirut’ by Wael Morcos/Graphic Design)

Free and open to the public, daily from noon to 5pm, Hall A, RI Convention Center, One Sabin Street

You think you know a town. Old guard skaters Don Barley, Eric Pupecki, and Kevin Lynch give the Ride Channel a tour of Providence — and the rest of us a new perspective — visiting popular (and waxy) skate landmarks like the ‘Old Lady Banks’ and the ‘RISD Ledges,’ flying by Temple Emanuel and the Cathedral, then screaming down Thomas Street. They end up at Civil Skate Shop which has a new location at 231 Westminster Street. I realize that these guys are rough on the hardscaping but I like having them around.

Saturday — @the Parlour, Mark Cutler and Men of Great Courage, the Bob Kendall Band @AS220, Tovarish, Sea of Bones, Traces of Empire, Vomit Arsonist @Firehouse 13, Hope Anchor, Atlantic Thrills, the Legendary Rockin’ Prophets, Billy Bouchard

Sunday — @AS220, Doble Filo, Medusah Black, Pappyk @Machines With Magnets, The Body, Sandworm, Funeral Cone, Songs, Night Mode

(Photo of Atlantic Thrills)

City Farm is home to the Rare and Unusual Plant Sale every year. One weekend in May, hundreds of varieties of annuals, perennials, and fruit and vegetable plant starts are available for purchase. Most of the 18,000 plants were carefully cultivated through the late winter and early spring on-site by the City Farm team, including dozens of volunteers. Hundreds of other perennials and annuals are donated by generous local gardeners.

This celebrated event attracts 2,000 gardeners from all levels of experience, from the brand-new community gardener to seasoned home gardening experts. It is a wonderful kick-off to the growing season, featuring live music and several gardening experts on hand to assist gardeners new and old.

The SCLT has introduced the option of purchasing food plants using EBT and SNAP benefits, making the sale accessible to low-income families. All proceeds from the Plant Sale support Southside Community Land Trust’s education and community gardening programs.

10am to 2pm, Saturday, May 18th/Sunday, May 19th, SCLT, City Farm, Dudley and W. Clifford Streets (directions)

The designs shown in each year’s collection are juried by a panel of guest critics — professional designers who carefully review and discuss the work together, give students critical feedback and select the best garments for the runway show. This year’s panel includes Tommy Hilfiger.

Go here to view the work of the 2013 students. Seen here is the work of Elise Pelletier.

(Post-show sales take place the following Sunday: 11am to 5pm at ‘Clad In’ in Wayland Square; and noon to 4pm at the RISD Market House, College and South Main Streets.)

RISD Apparel Design Show, 7pm, Saturday, May 18, RI Convention Center, One Sabin Street

Join Providence Monthly and the Hope Street Merchants Association for our annual Hope Street Spring Block Party . . . bigger and better this year. ‘Beers for the Ballet’ will feature five great local breweries: Foolproof Brewing Company, Grey Sail Brewing of RI, Trinity Brewing, Narragansett Brewing Company and Newport Storm Brewery. New this year — win an iPad or a Grand Prize gift certificate package in the Street Scavenger Hunt.

Also: Gourmet Food Trucks * Sidewalk Sales * Kids Zone * Hayrides * Pedicabs * Outdoor Open Dance Classes * Roaming Street Entertainment.

The music lineup looks like this: 12:30pm Ben Walsh; 2pm the Silks; 3:30pm Ravi Shavi; 5pm the Rice Cakes.

Noon to 6pm, Saturday, May 18th, rain or shine (it’s totally going to shine), Hope north of Rochambeau

Hacking Politics is a firsthand account of how a ragtag band of activists and technologists overcame a $90 million lobbying machine to defeat the most serious threat to Internet freedom in memory. The book is a revealing look at how Washington works today – and how citizens successfully fought back.

Written by the core Internet figures – video gamers, Tea Partiers, tech titans, lefty activists and ordinary Americans among them – who defeated a pair of special interest bills called SOPA (“Stop Online Piracy Act”) and PIPA (“Protect IP Act”), Hacking Politics provides the first detailed account of the glorious, grand chaos that led to the demise of that legislation and helped foster an Internet-based network of amateur activists.

Included are more than thirty original contributions from across the political spectrum, featuring writing by Internet freedom activist Aaron Swartz; Lawrence Lessig of Harvard Law School; novelist Cory Doctorow; Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA.); Jamie Laurie (of the alt-rock/hip-hop group The Flobots); Ron Paul; Mike Masnick, CEO and founder of Techdirt; Kim Dotcom, internet entrepreneur; Tiffiniy Cheng, co-founder and co-director of Fight for the Future; Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit; Nicole Powers of Suicide Girls; Josh Levy, Internet Campaign Director at Free Press, and many more.

Suggested price for e-book, $10. Go to OR Books now and for a limited time just “pay what you can.” (Also available in paperback for $25).

The citizens of America have more to fear from the loss of a free press than they do from any individual terrorist plot; and yet, according to The New York Times, Attorney General Eric Holder is defending the recent seizure of A.P. journalists’ phone records (cellular, office, and home) as a needed security measure. In response to Holder’s insistence that the information leak “Put the American people at risk, and that is not hyperbole.” the A.P.’s president and chief executive, Gary Pruitt responded,

“We held that story until the government assured us that the national security concerns had passed,” he said. “Indeed, the White House was preparing to publicly announce that the bomb plot had been foiled.”

So it wasn’t even true — the threat had passed — but this is beside the point. What’s appalling is that the country’s top law enforcement officer, sworn to uphold the Constitution, is targeting journalists at all.

Read Edward Fitzpatrick’s excellent piece in today’s ProJo in which Rosanna Cavanagh, executive director of the New England First Amendment Coalition, discusses the chilling effect these actions could have on investigative journalism.

“This broad and unparalleled intrusion into the phone records of one of the world’s largest news organizations reflects a misunderstanding of the crucial role played by the press in our contemporary society,” she said. “Our First Amendment protections for the press embody our founders’ vision that only an unfettered press can protect the free flow of information upon which any true democracy depends.”

Cavanagh suggests a federal media-shield law could provide journalists more protection. In the meantime, the entire country would benefit greatly from a new attorney general. President Obama needs to send Eric Holder home to spend more time with his family.

Wednesday — @Machines With Magnets, Manzanita, Lori Goldston, Vio/Mire @AS220, Fucking Invincible, Tinsel Teeth, Curmudgeon, Holy Night @Dusk, metal night

Thursday — @the Parlour, the ‘Mericans, Detroit Rebellion, Daniel Chase @95 Empire Black Box, Fielded, Gel Set, Virusse, Yeri

(Photo of Tinsel Teeth)

Özbek purchased the diner in 2003 — the visionaries behind the Eagle Square shopping center were apparently unable to appreciate its charm. After years in storage the diner was moved to its present location where it has been attached to an old auto-repair garage. The restaurant will be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with seating for 110 people, including a bar in the back, and some patio seating. According to the article,

Poirier’s Diner first opened in1947, during Providence’s industrial peak, at 581 Atwells Ave. near Eagle Square, nestled among manufacturing giants such as General Electric, U.S. Rubber, Uncas Manufacturing, Blacher Brothers and others. The diner went through a succession of owners and names through the decades. It was known as Squires, Top Hat and El Faro before closing for good in 1999.

It’s not altogether clear whether the name will remain the same.

Gallery Night Providence is a free introduction to Providence’s exciting art scene. On the third Thursday of the month, from March through November, over two dozen of the city’s hot “art spots” open their doors inviting you to a visual arts party.

Tours leave from One Regency Plaza at the Gallery Night info center at 5:20pm and leave at 20-minute intervals ending at 7pm. Enjoy a private two-hour guided tour for free.

Opening reception Thursday at Yellow Peril Gallery for the work of S.W. Dinge (through June 16). Seen here: “Loose Screws.”

Free, 5pm to 9pm, Thursday, May 16, Gallery Night,

(Mommie Dearest marathon all day on IFC)

The show opens on Monday, May 13th at 7pm with a gallery exhibit of interdisciplinary works downtown at 77 Eddy Street, 3rd Floor. The film screenings will occur at the Main RISD Auditorium at One Market Square, Tuesday through Saturday nights (May 14th through May 18th) at 7pm, and Sunday, May 19 at 2pm. (Complete screening schedule here.)

Admission to the gallery is free; tickets to the film screenings are $5 for general admission, $3 with a RISD ID (or other student ID). For advance ticket orders, email rpaiva@risd.edu with the desired date(s) and number of tickets.  All tickets are to be picked up and paid for at the door.

The public is welcome despite the somewhat forbidding look of the building with the ‘Admissions’ sign on the front. Just walk in through the gate on Prospect Street, up the path to the side, and push on the door where it says “push.”

Seen here is ‘Yumi Chair’ fabricated from ash and steel by Laura Kishimoto (BFA Furniture Design 2013).

Woods-Gerry Gallery, 62 Prospect Street, Hours: Friday, Saturday, Monday 10am – 5pm/Tues 10am to 4pm/Sunday 2pm to 5pm