Articles
Stagestruck: Total Immersion
It’s summer, folks, time to get off our butts and take some exercise. A little stroll, perhaps, to enjoy the scenery – and a play. That’s the current invitation from two hilltown theaters. Double Edge Theatre presents a brand-new Summer Spectacle on its Ashfield farm,...
Microplastics inspire one-man protest (with gas mask) in Easthampton
At least once a week, Jose Mediavilla, a 37-year-old Easthampton resident, stands near a crosswalk median along Main Street holding signs that read, “Microplastics are in our air and food.” He stands there holding the sign for passing cars and pedestrians for hours in...
Podcast: Chris Goudreau on Valley residents responding to the border crisis
Chris Goudreau, associate editor of the Valley Advocate, speaks with editor Dave Eisenstadter about his recent cover story, “From the Valley to the Border: Sickening news on the treatment of migrants inspiring locals to travel down to help.” Hear how he...
Free Will Astrology: It’s a bad time to set forest fires, Aquarius
ARIES (March 21-April 19): An Aries reader sent me a boisterous email. “I was afraid I was getting too bogged down by my duties,” he said, “too hypnotized by routine, too serious about my problems. So I took drastic action.” He then described the ways he broke out of...
Best of V-Spot: Why Can’t I Have Sex Without Drinking?
Originally published June 14, 2016 Note: Sexual trauma is addressed in this week’s column. Editor’s note: Sex and relationship advice columnist Yana Tallon-Hicks is currently on maternity leave. While she’s gone, we’re reprinting some of her best columns of the past...
Letters to the Editor: Reactions to refugees at the border
Historical examples appropriate in border discussion In response to “Between the Lines: A Moral and Humanitarian Crisis at the Border,” published July 4-10, 2019. Hello, Dave. My family background is similar to yours. My parents and grandparents were refugees from...
Hevvi Synthia on the Valley Advocate Sessions Stage
This week’s Advocate Sessions performer is Hevvi Synthia, a Greenfield-based band that combines heavy rock ‘n’ roll with synth, swagger, and grooves. Check out the band’s Valley Advocate Sessions performance in the video below. Interview with...
Bizarro Briefs Podcast: A popular Japanese poop museum, a late-night pizza walker, and waking up at your own funeral (July 9)
Valley Advocate editor Dave Eisenstadter and Hits 94.3 DJ Trumpy talk about the weird news of the week. Bizarro Briefs this week can be read at https://valleyadvocate.com/2019/07/10/bizarro-briefs-do-starfish-have-butts/. Listen here: You can hear more of the Valley...
Q&A with Springfield Rapper Championxiii (with audio)
Twenty-three-year-old Springfield rapper Championxiii, has garnered quite the Internet following nearly overnight. In what started out as a part of his video series “rappers be like” on the short video sharing app Tick Tock, Championxiii’s hit single “Becky” now has...
Valley Show Girl: TALOS, Over 10 Years in the Making
Ever have a project you are so excited about doing — then mid-way, you get road-blocked and you can’t finish it at that time? Then boom, for real! Another artistic idea pops in your head and you get all excited, and that project takes flight. The never-ending shelf of...
Staff Picks: Biking folk duo, Roar! comedy, and the Green River Festival
Folk Duo Tours to Shows by Bike // THURSDAY Fiddler Lissa Schneckenburger and her husband Corey DiMario are playing a series of shows they plan to get to on their bikes. They’ll be loading up their electrical gear, child, and instruments onto cargo bikes and peddling...
Public Information or Public Shaming?: Some say Chicopee Police enable bullying on their Facebook page
Springfield resident and Holyoke community organizer Jacqueline Velez said she no longer feels safe in her home after an action by the Chicopee Police: they posted her address on their Facebook page, along with her son’s mugshot. Velez’s son, who lives in her home,...
Editorial: Greenfield gets another shot at a Safe City Ordinance – Don’t blow it
It’s back. Greenfield’s “Safe City Ordinance,” which was voted down in a 6-4 vote in 2017, has been proposed once again by City Councilor Karen “Rudy” Renaud. The ordinance, which would prohibit city officials from asking about a person’s immigration status or to take...
Bizarro Briefs: Do Starfish have Butts?
Do starfish have butts? A sea star at an aquarium in California has gone viral after a photo of the starfish was shared showing it as seeming to have large assets on its lower half. Although it looks like the starfish has a butt, marine wildlife experts at the...
Stagestruck: “Culture is my food!”
This year’s through-theme at the Ko Festival of Performance, is Habitat (human) – a topic that also runs through two more current Valley offerings: How I Learned to Drive, from Ghost Light Theater in Holyoke, and Moving Water, a work in progress at Serious Play...
Valley music staple F. Alex Johnson says ‘goodbye for now’
In October of 1991, guitarist and singer-songwriter F. Alex Johnson moved to the Pioneer Valley from Fall River to be part of the strong musical community. In the here and now, almost three decades later, Johnson is a mainstay in the Valley music scene. He’s played...
The Beerhunter: The Proof is in the Pilsner
Every now and then, a four-word notification pops up on the homescreen of my phone. It says: “batch from the patch.” That’s my calendar, reminding me to hop over to Turners Falls — specifically, the 11th Street bridge to the Patch neighborhood — and purchase a batch...
Cinemadope: Visionaries
We often consider our visual artists in terms of their medium — a watercolorist, a sculptor, a portrait painter. But whatever their chosen tools, almost all artists share one thing that is so fundamental that we often overlook it: the gift of vision. And here I’m not...
Free Will Astrology: Roller coasters can be problem solvers, Sagittarius
ARIES (March 21-April 19): You’re in the Land of Green Magic. That’s potentially very good news, but you must also be cautious. Why? Because in the Land of Green Magic, the seeds of extraneous follies and the seeds of important necessities both grow extra fast. Unless...
Stagestruck: Out of the Shadows
“Who knew?” is the question in the air these days at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. For example: Who knew that many of the great Duke Ellington’s compositions were written by someone else? And who knew that the pious religious community known as Shakers had...
Pamela Means on the Valley Advocate Sessions Stage
This week’s Advocate Sessions performer is singer-songwriter Pamela Means, who writes politically conscious roots music and jazz. Check out her full performance in the video below. Interview with Pamela Means:
Valley Advocate Staff Picks: Brazilian folk-pop and music in the morning
Brazilian folk-pop with Sessa at Historic Northampton // SATURDAY Historic Northampton will kick off its Parsons Lawn Concert Series with Brazilian folk-pop artist Sessa this Saturday, who will be accompanied with three vocalists and a percussionist. Sessa is a...
Letters to the Editor: Eric Suher solutions
Editor’s Note: Welcome to our letters to the editor page. Here you’ll find reader comments on Advocate articles and other news. We collect readers’ opinions from emails, letters, Facebook comments, and comments to valleyadvocate.com. Want to get in on this? Email...
Stagestruck: Dreams Deferred
More than any other summer theater festival in these parts, Williamstown thrives on stars. For the theater it’s a sure-fire audience and income generator, but for the stars it’s an opportunity. Here they can dig into roles they might not otherwise be offered, and...
From the Valley to the Border: Sickening news on the treatment of migrants inspiring locals to travel down to help
Sharon Lehmann, 69, was watching the news on TV at her home in Granby more than a month ago and saw a story about militia groups aiming guns at migrant families. She turned to her partner, Audrey Walker, 66, and said, “I can’t watch this. I just can’t do this anymore....
Bizarro Briefs: UFO abduction memorialized
UFO abduction memorialized There’s now a historical landmark in Pascagoula, Mississippi, where two men claimed to be abducted by aliens near a river in southern Mississippi in 1973. The two men were said to have been on the shores of the Pascagoula River when aliens...
Editorial: A moral and humanitarian crisis at the border
Independence Day is here again — the 243rd anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. But as we celebrate the foundation of this country, it is difficult to ignore the human rights abuses being perpetrated in its name on our southern border. The...
Basemental: Thoughts on Fashion and Fascism – Q&A with Deerhoof drummer Greg Saunier
Deerhoof has been making topsy-turvy, explosive rock music for over 25 years. Founded in the ‘90s, the group is still at it. They have released 15 albums, collaborated with countless musicians, and have inspired many more (myself included). The band will play Hawks...
Monte Belmonte Wines: The All-Women Wine List at the Lake House
Her shirt read “Thunder Cunt” as she sallied up to her bar at The Ashfield Lake House. She had the shirt printed because she says it is her “lifestyle brand.” Dre Rawlings is a nasty woman, in the best most badass way. In the way that would piss off the Commander-in...
Stagestruck: Upstarts – A brand-new theater and a newly minted king
Last weekend, Strident Theatre strode confidently onto the Valley stage. The brand-new company debuted at Smith College with The Final Say, a dramedy by local playwright Meryl Cohn. According to founder Susanna Apgar, who co-directs the show with Shakespeare &...
Podcast: Jennifer Levesque talks about her experience with abortion and gun violence response programs
Jennifer Levesque, the Valley Advocate’s art director, also writes columns for us. Recently, she wrote two hard-hitting pieces: one about her personal experience with abortion, and the other about gun violence response programs at her son’s school....
Cinemadope: Show and tell — films and filmmaking
Since its inception in 2007, the Ashfield Film Festival has become an annual gathering point for film lovers of the Valley. With an emphasis on local filmmaking, the fall festival — co-founded by Ashfield Cultural Council chair Tamsen Merrill and film editor Harry...
Free Will Astrology: Be versatile like SpongeBob, Cancer
ARIES (March 21-April 19): When the universe began 13.8 billion years ago, there were only four elements: mostly hydrogen and helium, plus tiny amounts of lithium and beryllium. Now there are 118 elements, including five that are key components of your body: oxygen,...
Stagestruck Abroad: The National Theatre, London
When I was in England recently, I saw two shows at the country’s flagship playhouse, the National Theatre. One is a new play, the other a timely revival, both of them responding to current hot topics. Small Island, the premiere, reflects the crisis of...
Best of the V-Spot: 15 Reasons to Masturbate Right Now
Editor’s note: Sex and relationship advice columnist Yana Tallon-Hicks is currently on maternity leave. While she’s gone, we’re reprinting some of her best columns of the past several years, and are looking forward to her return in September. In the mean time,...
Lush Honey on the Valley Advocate Sessions stage
Lush Honey is a and that makes funky soul and progressive rock ‘n’ roll. The band performed live at the Summit View in Holyoke during the 2019 Best of the Valley Readers’ Poll party.
Clueless Parent: Traveling with a Toddler
When I was expecting my son, I started to watch YouTube channels about traveling with kids. I felt a little smug sometimes watching a young child run happily through a World Heritage Site during a polished montage set to an indie track. “Oh, please,” I scoffed. “This...
Letters to the Editor: Three reasons not to put a biomass burning plant in Springfield, and what to do about it
Three reasons not to put a biomass burning plant in Springfield, and what to do about it In response to “Biomass isn’t Clean Energy: Springfield activists blast state plan at hearing,” published June 13-19, 2019. The state Department of Energy Resources (DOER) has its...
Staff Picks: Guitars, fireworks, and a debate watch party
Happy Valley Guitar Orchestra at Hawks & Reed // FRIDAY, June 28 The Valley’s own premier guitar orchestra extraordinaire will be performing a show in Greenfield this Friday at Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center. The guitar orchestra is made up of 15...
Editorial: How do you solve a problem like Eric Suher?
Last week, New England Public Radio published a report quoting multiple former employees of the Iron Horse Entertainment Group (IHEG) alleging labor violations, including improper payroll deductions (also known as wage theft), late paychecks, and failure to post...
Journeys Through Fact and Fantasy: Peter Sís at the Eric Carle Museum
Aptly named and thoughtfully installed, The Picture Book Odyssey of Peter Sís (at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art through October 27), lets us follow the artist’s footsteps on a pathway that is anchored in fact but also spins off into fantasy. Born in...
Bizarro Briefs: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Seal
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Seal Researchers in Scotland have taught three gray seals to sing songs like “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” and the theme to “Star Wars.” Scientists at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland raised the trio of seals from birth in order to...
Bizarro Briefs Podcast 6/26/19: Weird news from the week
Dave and Trumpy talk about this week’s weird news — stories about disembodied toes, Bill Cosby’s prison lecture series, bringing your daughter to a crime spree, and multiple stories about poop. Listen here: You can hear previous episodes of the...
Valley Show Girl: A dose of happy pills, I mean tunes, with the Prozacs
“Hey Levesque,” I was greeted while walking up to the entrance. “Hey Levesque,” I replied. Not too many people share my last name, but it just so happens one of the bartenders at the Tank in my hometown of Agawam, does. The Cheers in Hampden County, where everyone...
Blaise’s Bad Movie Guide: Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster
Looks like Godzilla, king of the monsters is falling on hard times. Our reptilian friend’s new movie is having a hard time wooing audiences away from a flick about another prehistoric beast, sir Elton John. Even appearances by fellow cohorts Mothra, Rodan, and King...
Stagestruck: Ghosts on Summer Stages
The best thing about summer theater in this region is its variety. Last weekend, for instance, I saw an Irish drama, an American musical and a world premiere. The premiere, at Barrington Stage Company, is a metaphor within a satire that becomes an indictment. America...
Stagestruck Abroad: The Bard
When I was in London this month, I saw two Shakespeare plays. No, make that two and a half: the Bard’s most popular comedy, one of his least performed, and a new play in which he’s a character – and a plagiarist. Just a stroll along Thameside from the National...
Podcast: Lauren Simonds on being an old stoner in a brave new world of legal weed
Lauren Simonds recently wrote a cover story for the Advocate, “An Old Stoner’s Guide to Modern Cannabis.” Here she sits down with editor Dave Eisenstadter on what research for the story was like, and also lamenting the time when stoners knew how to...
Free Will Astrology: Six fortune cookies for all
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Here are your fortune cookie-style horoscopes for the months ahead. JULY: Discipline your inner flame. Use your radiance constructively. Your theme is controlled fire. AUGUST: Release yourself from dwelling on what’s amiss or off-kilter....
V-Spot: How Do I Get Over My Unhealthy Ex?
Content note: This column talks about nonconsensual relationship dynamics. Hi Yana! I’m a pansexual woman currently in college. I had a really bad relationship for about three months, and I ended it about nine months ago. I struggle with depression, anxiety, and PTSD,...
Gundermann at Amherst Cinema highlights Germany’s Springsteen
The trope of the working-class-hero has long had a place in American music, but particularly so since Bruce Springsteen’s career began to take off in the mid-1970s. Things only got more blue around the collar when his megahit album, “Born in the U.S.A.,” was released...
Ch’Chunk! on the Valley Advocate Sessions Stage
Ch’Chunk! blends together swing, gypsy jazz, and Americana to create its own modern take on jazz and roots music. The band performed live at the Summit View in Holyoke during the 2019 Best of the Valley Readers’ Poll party.
Letters from Our Readers: Poetry by Connolly Ryan
Poetry by Connolly Ryan To an Unidentified Sunset Soloist I can’t see who it is singing her little heart out, perseverating her sweet head off, up in the attic of a red maple tree, but whoever it is belting it out like that, like there is no known limit to the...
Monte Belmonte Wines: A ‘Shot Through the Heart’ of Bon Jovi’s Wine Venture
It’s all the same. Only the names have changed. Everyday, it seems we’re drinking rosé. Sometimes you tell the day by the bottle that you drink. And times when you’re all alone, all you do is think. About rosé. Also, it’s not all the same. New Jersey’s second most...
Valley Advocate Staff Picks: Sam’s Folk Club, Mr. Liam, and Shambhala Center Meditation
Sam’s Folk Club: 1967 // FRIDAY You won’t need a TARDIS or a Delorean to travel back in time to the 1960s on Friday. The Shea Theater in Turners Falls and Eggtooth Productions will be hosting its swingin’ 1960s folk club as part of its Sam’s Club series. It’s a...
Stagestruck Abroad: Norway
One of the first things I noticed about Norway when I was there earlier this month – along with the brisk air, the clean streets, and the tall blondes (and taller blonds) striding along those streets – was the 19 hours of daylight. Not quite “midnight sun,” but it...
Yoga in Jail: Hampden County program offers release in pre-release center
Dori Digenti does not know the criminal histories of her yoga students at the Hampden County Pre-Release Center. “To me, they’re participants in a yoga class,” said the founder and owner of Breathing Space Yoga & Mindfulness Studio in Holyoke. “They’re just who...
Editorial: Pioneering a Journalism Support Model in the Pioneer Valley
I was on a hike with a friend and former colleague in 2012 when I first seriously considered the idea the Advocate is now undertaking. As we talked, it didn’t take us long to get to our frustrations that so many journalistic organizations were on shaky financial...
Bizarro Briefs: Definitely not “Saved by the Bell”
Definitely not “Saved by the Bell” A man from Vermont learned that looking up clips from 1990s sitcom “Saved by the Bell” and driving on the open road don’t exactly mix. The man sideswiped a police car while trying to find an episode of the TV show on the internet....E-Edition
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