Coffee Roasters Adds Live Music to the Menu

On Friday night, the stimulating scent of freshly ground coffee beans native to 181 Willett Avenue will be accompanied by the vocal stylings of local music group Collington.

has recently obtained an entertainment license from the city and now hopes to showcase local talent in its store.

"At our grand opening we had a jazz band, which everyone loved, so once we saw the response, we tried to arrange music," said Stacy Smyth, manager of Providence Coffee Roasters manager.

Coffee Roasters had to wait up to three months to obtain a license before setting up the event with Collington for this Friday. James Collington, the lead vocalist of the group, is a "regular" at Coffee Roasters, according to Smyth.

"James was always at the top of the list," Smyth said.

"This is like a home show for me," James Collington of Collington said. "I love coffee; I'll do whatever I can for Coffee Roasters."

Collington is primarily a solo project by James Collington with accompaniment by Jessica Shoe. It came together in 2009, when Colligton began working on songs while a student at Rhode Island College. He describes his music as "raw acoustic."

"We have a  small local following and we are hoping that the show will bring a lot of new faces," Collington said. "I think the show will just be awesome."

Currently, Collington is in the process of recording their first album. They are also still available for bookings.

Coffee Roasters, in the meantime, hopes to book more acts in the future.

"We're really open to local artists and musicians, and we really want to get the community involved," Smyth said. "I would love to make this a regular thing."