About
Speakeasy is a swing, cabaret, and vintage night in Providence, RI!
BREAKING NEWS: Speakeasy will have it’s own outdoor, all day, FREE and ALL AGES stage at Sound Session, Providence’s genre defying music festival! More information and updates available HERE.
The event was started in summer 2009 as an ode to vintage culture and aesthetic, and an homage to the timelessness of a rebellious spirit. The early decades of the 20th century were a time of fierce independent mindedness, irreverence, and often debauchery, not entirely unlike the punk rock movement of the late 70s. We have tried to capture this spirit with an event that is at once decadent, exuberant, and with tongue firmly placed in cheek.
Since our first event in August 2009, we have brought you live music from diverse acts such as Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band, Brokedown Serenade, Route .44, Niki Luparelli and the Gold Diggers, and Miss Wensday and the New Medicinals. Past performers have included the renowned Sparkles McTitsy of Thru the Keyhole Burlesque, Bettysioux Tailor, and Tempest performing her unique Nouveau Noir belly dance. We’ve had instructors from Providence Swings and That Dancin’ Feeling teach you how to boogie in style, and hosts have included the salacious sex educator Megan Andelloux of www.ohmegan.com, and our regular host, the lovely and charming Miss LuLu Locks of www.providencepinup.com.
Past Speakeasy themes include the sold out Winter Blues Ball, and the charity benefit events Bawdy Broads and the Speakeasy Circus. With each event we try to create a unique environment that manages to both invoke the spirit of past eras while also retaining a timeless sense of fun. We aim to be the place to be, whether you’re a dedicated vintage enthusiast or someone looking for a different kind of good time than the run of the mill club scene.
Our musical format encompasses swing, cabaret, jazz, bluegrass, rock and roll, and vintage revival music, ranging from the turn of the century up to modern day reinterpretations of classic styles. There’s something for everyone, from swing kids looking to cut up the dance floor, to loungers looking for tunes to sip a martini to, and rockabilly jives for greaser guys and gals.
We are also VERY appreciative of our fabulous sponsors, Narragansett Beer and the Motif Magazine, for their efforts to keep the local art scene alive!
We’d also like to thank the Motif for their cover story on vintage culture in Providence, which prominently featured Speakeasy, and also for nominating us for Best Cabaret in the Motif Awards! Congratulations to Sabrina Blaze, winner of the Best Cabaret award – we didn’t think we could compete with a 6 foot tall blonde drag queen who can sing, and we were right.
So remember, come to Speakeasy and beat the economic recession blues the way it was originally done!
