What Cheer? Antiques & Vintage is celebrating their 10 year anniversary this weekend, and are having a giant sale to commemorate the occasion.  We at Speakeasy are huge fans of What Cheer; their cozy location and friendly demeanor have always made shopping there a great pleasure.  We caught up with Chris from What Cheer, and chatted with him about how the last 10 years have been, and what it’s like running a vintage store here in Providence.

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How did What Cheer get started?

We started What Cheer so that we’d never have to work for anyone else again. Aside from our desire to be self-employed, we have both always been big on cool old stuff and our pack-rat tendencies meant we had accumulated lots of stuff over time.

Since you opened 10 years ago, what are some of the most significant changes you’ve seen in Providence?

So much has changed in Providence since we first opened in 1999 – back then, Clinton was still President, the dot com boom was in full swing, and the mall had yet to open. Our store did well from the start, but over time the economy has changed dramatically and we’ve had to come up with other avenues of generating income and interest in what we do, such as our Rock And Roll Yard Sale events held here in Providence and also up in Somerville, Mass. Small independent shops like ours are what makes Providence unique, but it is hard to compete with the malls and chains sometimes.

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What demographic or type of shopper do you have in mind when you buy stock for What Cheer?

We pretty much buy what we like & the buying is the most fun part of our jobs. When we opened in Wayland Square, we really didn’t know what to expect – it is kind of a stuffy neighborhood with only a few stores that are at all similar to what we do. At first we thought we’d have to do what other people wanted, but over time, we’ve found that just going with our own interests and instincts has worked out just fine.

Continue Reading “What Cheer? 10th Year Celebration This Weekend” …

We’re still glowing from this past Saturday, but we received even more good news today! Our photographers from last night finished processing their photos, and have put them online for everyone! We have put together a small slide show of the photos, but feel free to view the full-size versions at Natalie’s flickr stream. Enjoy!

Thank you so much to everyone who came out and made Speakeasy such a success! Thank you to our dancers, Tempest and “Sparkles McTitsty” of Thru the Keyhole, and to Brokedown Serenade for a great acoustic set. And most of all, thanks to the 20s flappers, 30s and 40s guys and gals, 50s rockabilly kids, and all the other lovely folks who came out! It was great seeing a full dancefloor of couples swing dancing, a bar full of martinis being sipped, and everyone enjoying the sights and sounds of eras past!

The photographers took some great photos which will be posted to the site shortly. Stay tuned for announcements about our January event; we’ve got even bigger and better things planned!

We are pleased to announce that our friends Dana and Natalie will be providing free photography services at tonight’s Speakeasy!  Be sure to stop by the glowing umbrellas tonight and get a portrait photo of yourself  in your vintage finest!

For your perusal, examples of Natalie’s day-to-day photo adventures can be found here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/observationpost/

Join us Saturday, November 21st, for Speakeasy! If you are a fan of swing, cabaret, blues, jazz, and the modern reinterpretations thereof, Speakeasy! is the place to be! Break out your vintage finest (or best imitation) from the wardrobe so that our staff photographers can record your revelry! Enjoy the tantalizing burlesque of Thru the Keyhole, and the mysterious enchantment of Nouveau Noir dance with Tempest! Brokedown Serenade provide the musical accompaniment and LuLu of ProvidencePinup.com provides her hosting duties. This is not to be missed!

Those of imbibing age should come by 201 Westminster St. in Providence at 9:30 and for a small bribe our doorman will tell you the password.

As we promised, here are the photos of our friends, Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band, playing at this year’s “Pronk! Fest.”

If you’d like the see them in action this Halloween week, Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band will be playing at the Somerville Theatre as part of The Big Broadcast, from October 29-31.  Click the link for more info and tickets!

This past Monday was a great reminder as to why we are so happy to be in Providence!  The What Cheer? Brigade were joined by our friends, Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band, as well as bands from Italy, Brooklyn, and all over for this year’s Pronk! Fest on the east side of Providence.  For those who missed it, or those who caught it and wish for some keepsakes of the event, we were able to take photos and put them onto Flickr for you to cherish.  Enjoy!

We’ve also begun confirming everything for the next Speakeasy!, which will be November 21st at The 201.  Lulu from Providence Pinup will be back, as will Thru The Keyhole Brulesque!  Tempest will be making her debut on our stage as well, and we are sure you’ll love her “Nouveau Noir” dance!  More updates are coming soon!!

We are pleased to announce the next installment of Speakeasy! will be September 26th, at The 201, on 201 Westminster Street, downtown Providence!  We have more dancers, including the incredibly talented Tempest, doing her Nouveaux Noir dance, as well as a return performance by Thru The Keyhole burlesque, who rocked our world last time around!  The featured band at this Speakeasy! will be Dracula Jones Band, a one-man-band with a distinctive old-time blues sound that will keep you on your feet!  Of course, Lulu from Providence Pinup will be there, as well as our DJs spinning the music you loved from last time, as well as some new surprises!

We have more planned, so check back here here for updates, as well as more information on our upcoming performers!  Stay tuned here, and mark your calenders — September 26th is a date you won’t want to miss!!

The next Speakeasy! is this Saturday, August 8th, at Firehouse 13. Firehouse 13′s address is:

Firehouse 13
41 Central Street
Providence, RI

This time it’s louder, more decadent, and even crazier than before! Here’s what’s coming:

Speakeasy! is a night of burlesque, swing dancing (or however you do it!), and live music! Featuring Providence Swings giving swing lessons at the beginning of the night, two performances by Thru The Keyhole Burlesque, photography and hosted by ProvidencePinup.com, and live music from Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band! August 8th, 9:30-1:00, at Firehouse 13!

See you there this Saturday!