This one is so unlikely. When you think of great music cities, your mind immediately names places like Nashville, Austin, or Los Angeles really, right? But in 2025, an extremely unlikely New England city has apparently been moving its’ way up the music chain. Providence, Rhode Island just claimed the title of the most underrated music hub in the country.
According to ripbs.org, Rhode Island’s music scene is a widely diverse hub of performers and musicians showcasing their talents that range from renowned artists like Sage Francis, Deer Tick, Jesse the Tree, and the Rhode Island Philharmonic to emerging local bands and cover acts. For music fanatics, exploring the local music scene is a must-do.
Yes, you read that right. Providence has become a hotspot for emerging and established musical talent. This is kind of wild as a few of my best friends went to college at URI which is located in Providence and when I’d visit them, you wouldn’t see more happening downtown than just a bar scene. After talking to one of my close friends Kristen who still lives in Rhode Island, she had said “the city has become a place where basement shows and fancy grand concert halls coexist surprisingly well together and it shows. A close friend of mine who DJ’s most events around town deemed the city the most underrated in the country based off of all of his experience behind the scenes.”
Is the cost of living in Rhode Island high?
As a resident for over 10 years, Kristen also says “the city’s affordable still (by New England standards) living costs so I think that has a lot to do with it. That, and how close we are to major cities you’d already expect talent to land in like Boston or New York.”…