South County, Rhode Island, is full of outstanding things to do on your vacation, but that doesn’t mean you have to spend all your time in the area. After all, nearby communities have other attractions worth checking out, particularly if you’re in the mood for some live music.
The Greenwich Odeum is less than half an hour from Narragansett and Wakefield-Peacedale and is known as one of the state’s best performing arts venues. It’s a historic facility that opened as a vaudeville theater in 1926 before evolving into a movie theater and later a concert hall.
Today, this intimate 484-seat venue attracts internationally-recognized musical acts throughout the year. It also has a concession and a full bar to visit while you enjoy the show.
There’s an excellent lineup coming to the Greenwich Odeum in 2023. Here’s a look at some of the best-known acts you can check out during your South County vacation.
Soul Asylum
Soul Asylum is a Grammy award-winning and multi-platinum-selling band from Minnesota that’s best remembered for its 1993 smash hit “Runaway Train”. Other hits the band is responsible for include “Black Gold” and “Somebody to Shove”.
You should know that South Asylum is playing an acoustic show with special guest Mike Gent of The Figgs at the Greenwich Odeum on March 18, 2023. The concert is sure to be a sellout well in advance, so buy your tickets early if you’re looking to attend.
Orleans and Firefall
April 14, 2023, will bring another acoustic show to the theater, this time by Orleans with special guest Firefall. Orleans is a popular band from the 1970s, best known for its hits “Dance with Me” and “Still the One”.
Firefall also had some hits in the 1970s, including “You Are the Woman” and “Just Remember I Love You”. Both bands have been touring for over 40 years, so you know they’ll bring an energetic show to this small Rhode Island venue.
Gary Gulman
While most acts coming to the Greenwich Odeum are musical, they get the odd comedy show, too. Gary Gulman is one of the country’s top comedians, having performed on The Tonight Show, The Late Show, Conan, and Late Night. He has also released comedy specials on Comedy Central, HBO, and Netflix and appeared in numerous movies.
Gulman’s show in West Greenwich will bring side-splitting comedy to the theater on the evening of April 15. You won’t want to miss this performance if you’re in the South County area this spring.
Joan Osborne
Eight-time Grammy nominee Joan Osborne will perform at the Greenwich Odeum on April 22, 2023. Osborne is best known for her hit single “What If God Was One of Us” from her 1995 album Relish and has spent the last 25+ years touring since releasing that song.
It’s also worth noting that Osborne is a talented director and artist, having directed some of her music videos and designed the album cover for Relish. The show kicks off at 8:00 PM and will be an enjoyable South County evening for all who attend.
The Wallflowers
On May 7, 2023, The Wallflowers will perform at the Greenwich Odeum with special guest Tim Gearan. Of course, The Wallflowers are led by vocalist Jakob Dylan and had some of the top hits of the 1990s, including “6th Avenue Heartache”, “Heroes”, and “One Headlight”, which won Grammy awards for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and Best Rock Song in 1998. Billboard also named “One Headlight” the greatest adult alternative song of all time.
Dylan took some time away from the band to focus on solo work, including projects with Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Beck, and Fiona Apple, but The Wallflowers are touring again in 2023 for the first time in over nine years. The show is sure to feature some classics, along with music from their 2021 album Exit Wounds.
Debbie Gibson
It goes without saying that Debbie Gibson was one of the world’s biggest stars in the late 1980s, thanks to her debut album, Out of the Blue, which featured her number-one hit, “Foolish Beat”. Gibson would follow that release with another platinum album, Electric Youth, and eventually became a renowned Broadway performer.
Gibson released a new album called The Body Remembers in 2021, and her 2023 tour starts in late May. She’ll perform at the Greenwich Odeum on June 7 in a show that will take you back to the 80s in style.
Visiting the Theater
These shows are just a small sample of the entertainment you’ll find at the Greenwich Odeum during your South County vacation. The venue is minutes from many vacation rentals in Narragansett and South Kingstown, so you can check out a performance in the evening without traveling far.
Access to these world-class productions is reason enough to consider South County as your go-to vacation destination.