The subjects interviewed for Underground Rhode Island were selected, among many possibilities, for several reasons. The eldest were likely to have been part or the "hip" scene around jazz and the Celebrity Club of the 1950s. More than a few had a connection with AS220 and its circle, at some time in the past. And the youngest members have been active in the Rhode Island arts scene, in one way or another, during the last twenty years or so. Not all are either "lost" or "unknown"; some of them have long been prominent. And yet they represent a self-consciously offbeat take on the mainstream culture of Middle America. They are "underground" even when "overground," part of a world more recognizable to Allen Ginsberg (or Bruce Springsteen) than the people in the White House or Wall Street. And they were intriguing to the students who chose to interview them.
You may expect to find a photo--not necessarily from the recent past--a short biography, a recording of the subject's own voice, a verbatim transcript of the interview, and links to related materials. Not all these are present for each interview--some are still being gathered (or recovered)--but they definitely represent a sense of a life and creative work within that life.
Sean "Tiger" Chaffee grew up in Providence, on Governor Street, in 1957, and is best known as the president and one of the owners of Round the Corner Café. Growing up in Fox Point, Tiger attended Hope High School and remained in Providence after graduation. He worked for several city establishments throughout the years, including the Port of Providence for ten years, and the city of Providence's Water Department. Currently, he is one of the many owners of Round the Corner Café, a neighborhood tavern purchased in May of 1999 and located on 12 Governor Street.
© 2005