Live Shows: The 5th Annual Mausoleum Hill Sessions, North Burial Ground, Providence, RI 10/18/26

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I've been wanting to check out the Mausoleum Hill Sessions ever since I found out about them a few years back, but it never quite worked out with my schedule. A mini-festival that takes place in a historic cemetery, partially after dark? In October? That's practically tailor made just for my interests. This year finally worked out for me, so I headed down to North Burial Ground in Providence to check it out. The event was even more magical than I could have hoped, with vendors perfect for the occasion and two stages of fantastic bands. Here is who I was able to see, and apologies to any bands not mentioned. Nothing personal, but the schedule imploded a bit so that bands were playing at the same time, and I kept getting distracted by different vendors and wandering around looking at gravestones.

Wyn Doran

It was originally scheduled to be a Wyn & The White Light performance, but with The White Light being sick, it was Wyn solo. Kicking things off for the day, she was a perfect choice, and set up her setlist to mirror the stages of grief. She played the rarely performed "Can the World Change," making her set even more special. It was an emotional and powerful shows, which is one of the reasons I love seeing her perform whenever I can. Seeing Wyn Doran's dark folk/alt-rock singer-songwriter in this magical setting was perfect.

Thee Phibbs

Thee Phibbs are a husband/wife duo that play "Febrile Swamp-Yankee Folk Debaucherie." For their set, Jason Principi played guitar and stomp box and Ariana Principi played singing saw. The singing saw helped give every song a spookier vibe, which couldn't have been more perfect. Their set was filled with dark, old timey folk songs perfect for dancing. It was a fun dark time that fit the mood of the festival, and helped remind everyone that gloomy can be a good time.

Roz Raskin

NOVA ONE's Roz Raskin brought some dreary beauty to the night. Performing just as dusk transitioned into darkness, their set was filled with their dreamy songs that mix indie rock with vintage 60's girl group pop. Aside from the cemetery setting, this was the absolute perfect time of day to see Raskin perform, and they kept the audience rapt throughout. To close out their set, they played a gorgeous cover of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You," which fit everything perfectly.

The Bandit Queen of Sorrows

The name The Bandit Queen of Sorrows sounded familiar, but I couldn't quite place it. Once the one woman band's performance began, I remembered I had seen her play back in 2024 at the Red Apple Farm in Phillipston, MA, and had previously covered her song "Tomorrow'll Come Too Soon." It was a very pleasant surprise, and her dark folk music was perfect. Playing the Mausoleum Hill Stage well after dark with only stage lighting was the perfect setting. If hearing music performed in a cemetery after dark sounds like a good time to you, chances are you'll love The Bandit Queen of Sorrows.

Gossip Collar

Seeing a goth/post-punk/darkwave band in a cemetery is perfect, and that's exactly what Gossip Collar provided. More than any other artist I saw, they were extremely reverent of the dead in North Burial Ground, but still brought the party. I'm the type that finds goth, post-punk, and darkwave fun, but Gossip Collar make that style of music fun for everyone. They definitely rocked more than the previous artists I saw did, and brought the awkward goth dancing to The 5th Annual Mausoleum Hill Sessions. A good (dark) time was had by all.

On Repeat...

Failure - "The Air's on Fire"

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Photo by Lyndsey Byrnes With their upcoming seventh overall studio album, the highly influential band Failure will have released more albums since reuniting in 2014 than they did during their first run. The first single from that album, "The Air's on Fire," shows the band expanding their sound while still being rooted in what has always made them great. The song is a dark and moody one that is always threatening to explode but never quite does. This is an example of 90's alt-rock meets art rock at its very finest. It's the kind of song that could easily have come out thirty years ago, but that doesn't mean it sounds dated. After the first listen, "The Air's on Fire" will sound like a killer alt-rocker from a 90's band that hasn't lost a step at all. The more you listen, the more complex Failure get on the single, and the more the song reveals itself to you. Ken Andrews says of his band's latest single: “That song is directly about my ...
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Hiding Places - "Waiting"

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Photo by Calli Westra Brooklyn's Hiding Places are originally from North Carolina, and that sound is all over their latest single. "Waiting" has a strong alt-country meets dark indie rock sound. The song is as hypnotic as it is heartbreaking. Even if you're not paying attention to the lyrics, the vibe of the song is overwhelmingly dark and somber. There's plenty of country twang and indie rock fuzz throughout the song, with the music carrying the weight of the song as much as vocalist/guitarist Nicholas Byrne's voice does. The song is stunning, both in its beauty and mood. I feel like I've been sitting on "Waiting" for a while now until I could fully wrap my head around it. Hiding Places has something truly special here. Nicholas Byrne says of his band's latest single: "Hiding Places’ first bassist, Anthony Cozzarelli, left the band in July of 2022. I wrote the chorus the day before Anthony left the band. I recalled the slow death of my ...
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Mama's Broke - "How it Ends"

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Mama's Broke, the post-folk Canadian duo of Lisa Maria and Amy Lou Keeler, have just released a break up song that might be their most accessible yet. While the previous singles from their upcoming album have a certain darkness or a sense of foreboding, "How it Ends" sounds relatively upbeat. Considering this is a song about how you never think you'll find someone as good as your ex after a break up, that's quite a feat. This is a traditional folk song with some slightly modern folk harmonies. As much heartbreak as their is in "How it Ends," there is also the warmth of remembering a recent relationship. You can listen to "How it Ends" below. Narrow Line is due out May 13 on Free Dirt Records, and can be pre-ordered here . For more on Mama's Broke, check out the artist's website .
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