Articles
by Chris Rohmann | Dec 26, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Columns, Featured, Newsletter, Stage, Stagestruck
In this time of long-overdue comeuppance for sexual harassment and assault, I approached my annual reckoning of gender equity in theater with fresh eyes. Nationwide, women continue to be devalued and underrepresented in almost all areas of theatrical creation, on and...
by Jennifer Levesque | Dec 26, 2017 | Articles, Columns, Music, Newsletter, Valley Show Girl
I don’t know about any of you, but 2017 kicked my ass. But, as always, one of the things that keeps me sane, is music. So let’s bid a farewell to this year with some kick ass shows that are sprinkled throughout the Valley. There is literally something for everyone,...
by Advocate Staff | Dec 26, 2017 | Articles, Bizarro Briefs, News
It’s been about six months now since longtime “News of the Weird” writer Chuck Shepherd decided to call it quits, which means it’s been about six months since we’ve taken up the reigns and delivered you our “Bizarro Briefs” right from the Advocate newsroom. Here are...
by Rob Brezsny | Dec 26, 2017 | Articles, Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): “I need more smart allies, compassionate supporters, ethical role models, and loyal friends, and I need them right now!” writes Joanna K., an Aries reader from Albuquerque, New Mexico. On the other hand, there’s Jacques T., an Aries reader...
by Jack Brown | Dec 26, 2017 | Articles, Cinemadope, Columns, Newsletter
With the new year scratching at the door, it’s natural to take a reckoning of the one gone by. People tend to focus on the big changes — smoking, the gym, a reading list — but mixing up the smaller things can make a big difference too. Try getting your coffee at a...
by Advocate Staff | Dec 22, 2017 | Articles, Music
Singer-songwriter Nate Martel plays acoustic roots rock music that doesn’t skimp on soul. Martel is also a member of local psychedelic rock group, Outer Stylie, which previously performed on Valley Advocate Sessions. He recently released his first solo album, “Short...
by Advocate Staff | Dec 20, 2017 | Articles
Singer-songwriter Nate Martel plays acoustic roots rock music that doesn’t skimp on soul. Martel is also a member of local psychedelic rock group, Outer Stylie, which previously performed on Valley Advocate Sessions. He recently released his first solo album,...
by Letters from our readers | Dec 18, 2017 | Articles, Letters from our Readers, News, Newsletter
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...
by Advocate Staff | Dec 18, 2017 | Articles, Staff Picks
Songs of Joy and Peace — Holiday Benefit Show // THURSDAY It’s a night of music at the Sierra Grille featuring a plethora of local bands playing holiday music to benefit the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and Me Too. Bring $3 for donations of three items...
by Meg Bantle | Dec 18, 2017 | Articles
Well you’ve gone and done it again. Christmas is this weekend and your stockings hung by the chimney with care are going to empty unless you get moving. Fear not procrastinators! The Pioneer Valley is full of places to do your last minute shopping without breaking the...
by Advocate Staff | Dec 18, 2017 | Articles, Bizarro Briefs, News
Mark Burns is a South Carolina pastor who is such a big Trump fan that he would risk his life to save the president from sure peril. Sort of. Burns was standing behind Trump in the Oval Office on Monday for an award presentation when he saw a white spider the size of...
by Yana Tallon-Hicks | Dec 18, 2017 | Articles, Columns, Food Booze and Beyond, News, Newsletter, The V-Spot
Dear Yana, I have a cold, dead heart. Well, not really but pretty much, yeah. I was married to my ex-wife for nearly a decade and the end of our relationship was really complicated. I feel almost certain that I don’t have the capacity to be in love or be in a...
by Lena Wilson | Dec 18, 2017 | Articles, Stream Queen
As the embers of 2017 dwindle, many are reflecting on what great media the year has had to offer. Was A Ghost Story actually a good movie? Did we all sleep on Top of the Lake: China Girl? What will win Best Picture, Get Out or Lady Bird? It’s a time to fondly recall...
by Will Meyer | Dec 18, 2017 | Articles, Basemental, Columns, Featured, Newsletter
I am the Grinch. People who know me know this — my mom better than anyone. I scoff at Christmas songs and “holiday cheer,” wanting nothing to do with a holiday that is closely aligned with capitalism, patriarchy, and bad parties. But nothing warms my Grinch heart like...
by Monte Belmonte | Dec 18, 2017 | Articles, Monte Belmonte Wines
The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists’ Doomsday Clock is set at two and a half minutes until midnight. This is the closest to nuclear annihilation we have been since the clock was created in 1947. Time to prepare for the countdown to end all countdowns. And when our...
by Rob Brezsny | Dec 18, 2017 | Articles, Astrology, Wellness
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Your life in the first half of 2018 will be like a psychological boot camp that’s designed to beef up your emotional intelligence. Here’s another way to visualize your oncoming adventures: They will constitute a friendly nudge from the...
by Jack Brown | Dec 18, 2017 | Articles, Cinemadope, Columns, Newsletter
Speak of nuclear winter, and my thoughts go not to bleak, windswept plains. There are no undead hordes clawing at my clapboards, no marauding gangs out collecting rainwater. In my (admittedly hopeful) imagined ruins, we can all rely on the safety of one thing: the...
by Blaise Majkowski | Dec 18, 2017 | Articles, Blaise's Bad Movie Guide, Columns, Newsletter
The holidays are almost upon us, so I decided to curl up with my dog Sasha and watch a 1951 festive Christmas movie. Titled The Painted Hills, this western tells the story of two gold prospectors on the verge of striking it rich. Except that one gets a tad greedy and...
by Advocate Staff | Dec 15, 2017 | Articles, Valley Advocate Sessions
Ursula Elmes is a local singer-songwriter and member of progressive folk group, Mad Habits, who has powerhouse soul vocals with a dash of honky-tonk twang. Elmes performed her solo material on Valley Advocate Sessions on Nov. 28. Interview with Ursula...
by Advocate Staff | Dec 13, 2017 | Articles
Ursula Elmes is a local singer-songwriter and member of progressive folk group, Mad Habits, who has powerhouse soul vocals with a dash of honky-tonk twang. Check out a trailer for her full Valley Advocate Sessions performance online this Friday.
by Meg Bantle | Dec 11, 2017 | Articles, Featured, News, Newsletter
Emily Cooper, 23, is a graduate student at UMass Amherst who has taken oral contraceptives since she was 15 years old. In 2013, when a condom failed during a snowstorm, University Health Services (UHS) and the university bus system were both closed due to the weather....
by Dave Eisenstadter | Dec 11, 2017 | Articles, Between the Lines, Featured, News, Newsletter
Let me start by saying that I would avoid the internet if I could. It is creepy to think about huge corporations tracking each page I visit, and, potentially through my smartphone, actually physically tracking me wherever I go. Social media interactions are a far cry...
by Jason Pramas | Dec 11, 2017 | Articles, News, Newsletter
With a little help from its friends, the “regulators” at the Department of Public Utilities It is perhaps understandable that one of the most important Massachusetts news stories of the year was buried in the avalanche of reports coming out of Washington last week....
by Advocate Staff | Dec 11, 2017 | Articles, Staff Picks
Overcoming Depression // SATURDAY Chris Goudreau wrote a great piece on transcranial magnetic stimulation (in a crude sense getting zapped by a magnet) as a way to treat depression. The treatment has been shown to be effective enough that the FDA approved its...
by Letters from our readers | Dec 11, 2017 | Articles, Letters from our Readers, News
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...
by Gina Beavers | Dec 11, 2017 | Articles, Featured, Newsletter, Review
Celebrating 10 years of performance theater, The Royal Frog Ballet trades the wild outdoors for the pristine white walls of A.P.E. Gallery in downtown Northampton this month. Their retrospective, HINDSIGHT/FORESIGHT, is a thoughtful and vivid collection of paintings,...
by Advocate Staff | Dec 11, 2017 | Articles, Bizarro Briefs, News
For more than 40 years, Mumtaz Begum has been reading the fortunes of visitors from within the cage of a Pakistani zoo. With a body of a fox and a head of a woman, Begum is one of the oddest attractions at the zoo. However, the fortune teller is actually played by...
by Chris Rohmann | Dec 11, 2017 | Articles, Columns, Stage, Stagestruck
In this season of holiday entertainments that cater to our appetite for cozy tradition (I’m talking about you, Nutcracker, Messiah, and Christmas Carol), two shows this weekend hit the nostalgia nerve from contrary angles. In the Berkshires, a new play adds a “What...
by Lena Wilson | Dec 11, 2017 | Articles, Columns, Film, Stream Queen
If you’ve turned on a radio recently or gone into any store, you may have noticed that the holidays are approaching — some faster than others, as Hanukkah began this week. For most of us, that means that it’s time to prepare for family gatherings, gift exchanges, and...
by Jack Brown | Dec 11, 2017 | Articles, Cinemadope, Columns, Newsletter
Even among artists, Joseph Beuys has often flown under the radar, someone known more for his enduring impact than his individual works. During my days in art school, Beuys was a name dropped conspicuously into conversations by those who wanted to make sure you knew...
by Yana Tallon-Hicks | Dec 11, 2017 | Articles, Columns, Newsletter, The V-Spot
Hi Yana, So, I was recently dumped. Woo! During “the conversation,” my now-ex told me a lot of confusing reasons as to why he thought we should break up, but the one that I can’t stop thinking about: “You’re too nice.” He said that he didn’t know how to be in a...
by Naila Moreira | Dec 11, 2017 | Articles, Columns, Down to Earth
Well, Congressional Republicans have passed the tax bill. The only thing remaining before it becomes law is reconciliation between the House and Senate versions of the bill. I’m not the columnist to describe the full span of ways this bill will hurt the middle class....
by Rob Brenszny | Dec 11, 2017 | Articles, Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): According to a Sufi aphorism, you can’t be sure that you are in possession of the righteous truth unless a thousand people have called you a heretic. If that’s accurate, you still have a ways to go before you can be certified. You need a few...
by Jennifer Levesque | Dec 11, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Columns, Featured, Music, Newsletter, Uncategorized, Valley Show Girl
About a month ago, Valley musician Nate Martel came into the Advocate office to drop off his debut solo album “Short Stay.” Being a fan of his role in rock group, Outer Stylie, I was pumped to get the CD into my car as soon as I left work. And that I did. Recorded at...
by Hunter Styles | Dec 11, 2017 | Articles, Columns, Food + Booze, Food Booze and Beyond, Newsletter, The Beerhunter
Now that the colder months have blown in, bar managers across the Valley are pulling IPAs, pale ales, and pilsners from their tap handles to make room for some thicker, darker brews like stouts, porters, and barrel-aged specials. Seasonal variety is all well and good,...
by Meg Bantle | Dec 11, 2017 | Articles
Many people call this the season of giving. The Network for Good Digital Giving Index found that in 2015, 29 percent of giving occurred in December alone, and that 11 percent of giving happened in the last three days of the year. With those three days fast...
by Advocate Staff | Dec 8, 2017 | Articles
Esperanto is a blues-driven alternative rock band from Westfield. Check out the band’s full Valley Advocate Sessions in the video below. Interview with Esperanto:
by Chris Rohmann | Dec 7, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Stage, Stagestruck
“Bedlam” is an apt moniker for the ever-adventurous theater company going by that name. Their whirlwind adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility recently wowed New York (and comes to Cambridge beginning this weekend – see below). Now they’re back on sort-of...
by Advocate Staff | Dec 6, 2017 | Articles
Esperanto is a blues-driven alternative rock band from Westfield. Check out a teaser video for the band’s Valley Advocate Sessions performance, which will be online this Friday.
by Advocate Staff | Dec 4, 2017 | Articles, Featured, News, Newsletter
We know our winters in Western Massachusetts. As the last of the color fades from the leaves, the realization sets in that it’s going to be a while before the warm and colorful days of spring. But winter doesn’t have to be all about darkness and cold. Winter is a time...
by Dave Eisenstadter | Dec 4, 2017 | Articles, Between the Lines, Featured, News, Newsletter
During now-President Donald Trump’s hateful and divisive campaign, Northampton’s Human Rights Commission noted anecdotally how even in this Western Massachusetts community, there seemed to be an increase in racism, sexism, and anti-semitism, spurred on by Trump’s...
by Letters to the editor | Dec 4, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Letters from our Readers, News
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...
by Chris Goudreau | Dec 4, 2017 | Articles, Featured, Music, Newsletter, Review, Review
Northampton-based funk sextet Fat Bradley’s new self-titled five-song extended play (EP) recording is an acid jazz fusion of instrumental kaleidoscopic funky rock that grooves along with frantic energy and a sense of reckless abandon that’s downright entertaining....
by Advocate Staff | Dec 4, 2017 | Articles, Staff Picks
Nate Martel Album Release at Hawks & Reed // SUNDAY Nate Martel, best known for being the singer/guitarist of Northampton rock group Outer Stylie is releasing his debut solo album — and it’s on his birthday! The release show will feature a handful of musicians...
by Will Meyer | Dec 4, 2017 | Articles, Basemental, Columns
The joke about Eastampton shoegazers Kindling is that if they play a house show, some uptight neighbor might call the cops. There’s a reason for this: Kindling is very loud. Too loud for poorly insulated residential basements. When they play gigs, their three...
by Meg Bantle | Dec 4, 2017 | Articles, Newsletter, Wellness
On a blustery and cold November morning last week, people inside the Northampton Senior Center were keeping warm in a group exercise class and in the fitness room. Stan Plaza and his wife, Darlene Plaza, try to come to the Fitness Center a few times a week to use the...
by Advocate Staff | Dec 4, 2017 | Articles, Bizarro Briefs, News, Newsletter
Celery isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about a flavor of soft drink, but surprisingly it was one of the first. In 1869, Dr. Brown (Is that you, Doc?!) founded the Cel-Ray soda company. The good doctor made tonics intended to alleviate bowel and...
by Chris Goudreau | Dec 4, 2017 | Articles, Newsletter
Winter 2018 in the Pioneer Valley is bursting at the seams with interesting cultural and artistic events. Whether that’s checking out the latest art exhibit at MASSMoca or seeing a performance by world renowned musicians. This is just a snippet of what’s taking...
by Yana Tallon-Hicks | Dec 4, 2017 | Articles, Columns, Featured, Newsletter, Valley Show Girl
Hi Yana, I’m with a guy with an uncircumcised penis for the first time in my 16 years of being sexually active. I love how he looks, and it feels great when we can have sex. But, after three years, we haven’t been able to get into a good rhythm, sex-wise. I’m not...
by Monte Belmonte | Dec 4, 2017 | Articles, Monte Belmonte Wines, Newsletter
Holiday get-togethers are like a minefield of bad wines. A winefield, if you will. You are casually exchanging theories about The Last Jedi with your nephew when a well-intentioned relative hands you a glass of “red” because they know you like “red wine.” What on...
by Jack Brown | Dec 4, 2017 | Articles, Cinemadope, Columns
The Valley and the Berkshires have long offered a snug home — or a cozy getaway — for artists, musicians, and playwrights looking for a nourishing balance of quiet and culture. For visiting New Yorkers, especially, it seems to be an irresistible draw as a spot to...
by Rob Breszney | Dec 4, 2017 | Articles, Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): You may get richer quicker in 2018, Aries — especially if you refuse to sell out. You may accumulate more clout — especially if you treat everyone as your equal and always wield your power responsibly. I bet you will also experience deeper,...
by Advocate Staff | Dec 1, 2017 | Articles
Check out the full Valley Advocate Sessions performance for Brattleboro-based indie jazz-tinged rock group, Nomad v. Settler. The band, consisting of local teens, performed a set at the Valley Advocate Offices in November. Interview with Nomad vs....
by Advocate Staff | Nov 30, 2017 | Articles
Check out Brattleboro-based indie jazz-tinged rock group, Nomad v. Settler. The band, consisting of local teens, performed a set at the Valley Advocate Offices in November. Check out our teaser video filmed by Northampton Community Television and recorded by Signature...
by Chris Rohmann | Nov 30, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Stage, Stagestruck
Perhaps surprisingly, the Brits do American musicals really well. The National Theatre, in particular, has a long history of reinvigorating Broadway classics. The theater’s extensive relationship with Stephen Sondheim’s works continues with its current hit production...
by Chris Goudreau | Nov 27, 2017 | Articles, News
When Andrea Marian, executive director of Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen and Pantry in Chicopee, first read an email offering to match the funds the pantry raises over Facebook this Giving Tuesday on Nov. 28, she thought it was a spam message. “We got an email from Facebook...
by Chris Goudreau | Nov 27, 2017 | Articles, Featured, News, Newsletter
It’s been more than two years, since former Valley Advocate staff writer Amanda Drane wrote an article about residents in the Mason Square neighborhood of Springfield who rallied together, collecting 1,300 grocery receipts totaling more than $50,000, to entice...
by Dave Eisenstadter | Nov 27, 2017 | Articles, Between the Lines, Featured, News, Newsletter
Each year, Gateway Regional High School in Huntington holds an event welcoming back alumni to share their experiences about college and post-graduate life. This year, however, the event was closed to one graduate: Marcelle LaBrecque, who spent 12 years in the Gateway...
by Chris Goudreau | Nov 27, 2017 | Articles, Music, Review
Northampton-based garage pop and indie rock trio Hammydown excels at tapping into youthful angst with charming, sarcastic glee on its debut five-song extended play recording, “Pizzaface,” released July 21. At its heart, Pizzaface is a record about dual identities and...
by Letters from our Readers | Nov 27, 2017 | Articles, Letters from our Readers, News
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...
