Articles
by Advocate Staff | Aug 21, 2017 | Articles, Missed Connections, Newsletter
The Missed Connections forum on Craigslist is a wasteland of terrible poetry, dick pics, and whining, but among the detritus are some truly fascinating, funny, and occasionally sweet entries. The following are highlights from the Western Mass Missed Connections forum,...
by Ilan Stavans | Aug 21, 2017 | Articles, Music
“Despacito” in Spanish means “slowly,” and the “ito” in “Despacito” adds a diminutive to the word that is impossible to translate. “Softly slowly,” perhaps? “Despacito” is the title of a record-breaking song by two Puerto Rican Reggaeton artists, Luis Fonsi and Daddy...
by Kristin Palpini | Aug 21, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Newsletter
Don’t Disappoint Halle PAIN Yo; To the Derby We Must Go On Saturday what may be the most anticipated rematch of the roller derby season is going down in Wilbraham when the Western Mass Furies go head-to-head against the Hartford Wailers. Hailed as the “Superbowl” of...
by Kristin Palpini | Aug 21, 2017 | Articles, Arts, News, Newsletter
A Fair-ly Long Run Celebrating its 149th year, the 2017 annual Cummington Fair will feature music, movement, agriculture, and competitions. Spanning four days, each date has a theme: Thursday is truck night, Friday is children’s night/cruise night, Saturday is...
by Advocate Staff | Aug 21, 2017 | Articles, Arts
Amherst Visitor’s Center: Pioneer Valley Perspectives II. Susan Dion will share art depicting local scenes in Western Mass. Portion of proceeds goes to Trustees of Reservations. Aug. 3-25. Free. 35 South Pleasant St., Amherst. sue1952us@yahoo.com. Anchor House of...
by Advocate Staff | Aug 21, 2017 | Articles, Letters from our Readers, News
Editor’s Note: Welcome to our letters to the editor page. Here you’ll find comments from readers on Advocate articles and other news. We collect readers’ opinions from emails, letters, Facebook comments, and comments to valleyadvcoate.com. Want to get in on this?...
by Dave Eisenstadter | Aug 21, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Film, News
Northampton Community TV’s Crowdsourced Cinema project has spawned shot-for-shot remakes of Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Princess Bride. But this year’s title — the time travel epic Back to the Future (aka my favorite movie OF ALL TIME) — meant the...
by Rob Brezsny | Aug 21, 2017 | Articles, Astrology, Wellness
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Welcome to Swami Moonflower’s Psychic Hygiene Hints. Ready for some mystical cleansing? Hint #1: To remove stains on your attitude, use a blend of Chardonnay wine, tears from a cathartic crying session, and dew collected before dawn. Hint...
by Advocate Staff | Aug 19, 2017 | Articles, Music
Old Flame is rollicking bluesy garage rock mixed with folk protest music. The local band performed on the Valley Advocate Sessions stage on July 18. The band released its debut EP – Wolf in the Heather – this year and are working on a follow-up EP. BONUS:...
by Kristin Palpini | Aug 18, 2017 | Articles
Sorry about the mix up in this week’s Advocate, Aug. 17-23, 2017. Here are the answers to the crossword puzzle, if you’re looking for them. – Kristin Palpini, editor, editor@valleyadvocate.com
by Chris Goudreau | Aug 21, 2017 | Articles, Between the Lines, News
While interviewing organizers of student-led college activist groups at UMass Amherst, Smith College, and Amherst College, I learned about the Coalition to End Rape Culture (CERC) at UMass , a campus group founded by survivors of sexual assault that is calling on the...
by Dave Eisenstadter | Aug 15, 2017 | Articles, News
Ernesto Cruz, one of 14 candidates for at-large seats on the Springfield City Council, is facing assault charges. The charges allegedly stem from an argument in which police say Cruz pushed his girlfriend up against a wall and grabbed her by the neck. Cruz was...
by Chris Rohmann | Aug 18, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Stage, Stagestruck
If there is a genuine epic in American drama − its ideas as expansive as its scope − it is surely Angels in America, Tony Kushner’s two-part, eight-hour “gay fantasia on national themes.” And if there is a consummate example of cross-disciplinary provenance on the...
by Yana Tallon-Hicks | Aug 17, 2017 | Articles, Columns, Newsletter, The V-Spot
Dear Yana, I’m a single woman in my late twenties, with no relationships on the horizon. But that’s OK, because I have a super intense, cordless Hitachi that I’m in love with. Problem is, recently, whenever I have attempted to reach orgasm, it never comes. I get the...
by Gary Carra | Aug 17, 2017 | Articles, Columns, Nightcrawler
The Who certainly aren’t kids anymore, but the iconic British rockers proved more than alright as they absolutely tore through a 21-tune, hit-laden set before a capacity crowd at Mohegan Sun (mohegansun.com) late last month. Catalog spanning radio staples like “I...
by Chris Rohmann | Aug 14, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Stage, Stagestruck
A pair of two-handers, playing through this month and just next weekend respectively, examine intimate, intricate relationships between women. Harbor Stage Company, one of the region’s most reliably stimulating summer theaters, premieres its adaption of a cinema...
by Advocate Staff | Aug 14, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Basemental, Columns, Music, Newsletter
I first caught Nanny at the 13th Floor in Northampton this past March; one of my bands was sharing a bill with them. Earlier this summer, I saw them again and had that feeling I was starting to grasp the songs. It wasn’t long before I learned a debut EP was right...
by Kristin Palpini | Aug 14, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Music, Newsletter
Living hip-hop legend Masta Ace blends classic rap rhythms with modern beats and messages, and he’ll be performing in Greenfield this weekend. A major player on the underground hip-hop scene since the ‘90s. His most acclaimed release is Disposable Arts, a concept...
by Kristin Palpini | Aug 14, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Music, Newsletter
The Millpond.Live Concert series is getting started in a big, booty-shakin’, celebratin’ kind of way this year by featuring a boogaloo bash. What’s boogaloo? A blend of mambo, doo-wop, R&B, and funk that was hot in the 1960s, but for some unthinkable reason (this...
by Advocate Staff | Aug 16, 2017 | Advocate Chat, Articles, News, Newsletter
The Advocate Chat is a recurring series where the Valley Advocate staff talks about a topic on their minds. The text below has been lightly edited. dave.eisen (Managing Editor Dave Eisenstadter): The past few weeks have had some shocking news. So we wanted to chat...
by Advocate Staff | Aug 14, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Music, Newsletter
By Kristin Palpini Lady and the Amp Rock n’ roll isn’t a given; it’s born, nurtured, and cultivated into existence. And one of the best incubators of rock in the Valley is the Institute for Musical Arts. Now in its 30th year, the Goshen program to support girls in...
by Advocate Staff | Aug 16, 2017 | Articles, Music, Newsletter
Old Flame is rollicking bluesy garage rock mixed with folk protest music. The local band performed on the Valley Advocate Sessions stage on July 18. Here’s a teaser of Old Flame’s performance, which will be available in its entirety this Friday. Can’t wait...
by Advocate Staff | Aug 14, 2017 | Articles, Food + Booze, Food Booze and Beyond, News, Newsletter
Whether you’re pulling an all-nighter cramming for a test, pub crawling with friends, working the graveyard shift, or just woke up in the middle of the night with the sudden urge for a slice of pizza, there are restaurants, diners, joints, and donut shops in the...
by Laura Holland | Aug 14, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Newsletter, Review
If a white cube is your comfort zone for viewing contemporary art, then the recent expansion of the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) pushes well outside the box. “Building 6” is the modest name of an ambitious project that adds 130,000 square feet...
by Advocate Staff | Aug 14, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Newsletter
By Kristin Palpini Outside Art Amid the apple trees at Park Hill Orchard one of the surprises you will see is a towering silver spear shooting into the sky. We don’t know what any of the other art installations will be, so expect lots more artful surprises at...
by Advocate Staff | Aug 14, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Cinemadope, Columns, Film, Newsletter
With the ongoing avalanche of reporting on Russia and that nation’s relationship with our current president, it feels almost quaint to look back on the days of the Reagan era. Certainly there was international intrigue then, but today, the jelly beans and faux...
by Kristin Palpini | Aug 14, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Newsletter
Amherst Town Hall: Echoes of the Past — Photographs of Abandoned Places explores the beauty of decay and what’s been left behind. Through Sept. 4. Free. Amherst Town Hall, 4 Boltwood Ave., Amherst. (413) 222-4924. echoesofthepast2014@gmail.com. Amherst Visitor’s...
by Chris Rohmann | Aug 14, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Columns, Stage, Stagestruck
New Century Theatre is closing its summer season as it began — with “a full-out comedy,” as director Sam Rush puts it. This one is The 39 Steps, a jokey reconstruction of Alfred Hitchcock’s epic 1935 thriller. Or perhaps I should say deconstruction, since it’s...
by From Our Readers | Aug 14, 2017 | Articles, Letters from our Readers, News
Editor’s Note: Welcome to our letters to the editor page. Here you’ll find comments from readers on Advocate articles and other news. We collect readers’ opinions from emails, letters, Facebook comments, and comments to valleyadvoate.com. Want to get in on this? Email...
by Rob Brezsny | Aug 14, 2017 | Articles, Astrology, Wellness
ARIES (March 21-April 19): “To disobey in order to take action is the byword of all creative spirits,” said philosopher Gaston Bachelard. This mischievous advice is perfect for your use right now, Aries. I believe you’ll thrive through the practice of ingenious...
by Will Meyer | Aug 11, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Basemental, Columns, Music, Newsletter, Review
I first caught Nanny at the 13th Floor in Northampton this past March; one of my bands was sharing a bill with them. Earlier this summer, I saw them again and had that feeling I was starting to grasp the songs. It wasn’t long before I learned a debut EP was right...
by Jack Brown | Aug 11, 2017 | Articles, Cinemadope, Columns, Film
With the ongoing avalanche of reporting on Russia and that nation’s relationship with our current president, it feels almost quaint to look back on the days of the Reagan era. Certainly there was international intrigue then, but today, the jelly beans and faux...
by Kristin Palpini | Aug 11, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Music
Click the image to hear Jack Dwyer’s style of jazz, folk, and blues in the spirit of Tin Pan Alley.
by Lena Wilson | Aug 11, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Columns, Film, Newsletter, Stream Queen
Since its inception in the late 19th century, film has evolved from a seemingly trivial medium into one of the most wide-reaching and popular industries. Film criticism has grown right along with it, as academic and journalistic reviewers endlessly argue over film’s...
by Dave Eisenstadter | Aug 14, 2017 | Articles, Between the Lines, News
It’s gotten beyond name-calling at this point. When Paul Krugman of the New York Times calls Donald Trump “not a real American,” he now has solid facts backing him up. Krugman’s Monday morning column, titled, “When The President Is Un-American,” lays out a convincing,...
by Chris Goudreau | Aug 10, 2017 | Articles, News, Newsletter
Local immigrant rights groups aren’t happy with Gov. Charlie Baker and his proposed legislation that would mandate state and local law enforcement to comply with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer requests. A group of more than 50 people affiliated...
by Advocate Staff | Aug 10, 2017 | Articles, Music
Jack Dwyer is a local singer-songwriter who plays a nylon-stringed guitar with a mix of jazz, folk, and blues in the spirit of Tin Pan Alley songs from the 1920s and 1930s. Dwyer performed on the Valley Advocate Sessions stage on July 18 and his full performance will...
by Chris Rohmann | Aug 10, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Stage, Stagestruck
The Fitzpatrick Mainstage on the Berkshire Theatre Group’s Stockbridge campus is the site of what I’m told is the country’s oldest continuously operating summer theater. For 89 years the building, converted from a former casino in 1928 by Broadway star Eva Le...
by Chris Rohmann | Aug 8, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Columns, Review, Stage, Stagestruck
This is the title of the play now running at Barrington Stage Company (through August 27). But it might be more accurately called This and That. Melissa James Gibson’s script is a grab-bag of seriocomic situations, satirical barbs and personal anguish that harks back...
by Advocate Staff | Aug 7, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Music, Stage
Company, one of Stephen Sondheim’s early musicals, is a funny, relatable, and insightful look at marriage, divorce, and single life. The story follows Bobby, a single man on his 35th birthday, who is celebrating with his married friends — who are all in various...
by Yana Tallon-Hicks | Aug 9, 2017 | Articles, Columns, Newsletter, The V-Spot
Hi Yana, What can we do to build our case to hesitant doctors to perform vasectomies on young people (between 18-25 years old)? What would you recommend to someone interested in this procedure? I have been trying to get my GP (general practitioner) on board since my...
by Dave Eisenstadter | Aug 9, 2017 | Articles, Bizarro Briefs, News, News of the Weird, Newsletter
Bear Takes Joyride Into Mailbox In Durango, Colorado, bears frequently break into cars looking for food. This week was the first that one resident can recall a bear actually taking the car for a short drive. After likely releasing a Subaru SUV’s parking brake in a...
by Jennifer Levesque | Aug 4, 2017 | Articles, Music, Newsletter, Review, Review
Back in January of this past year, the members of Westfield-based pop punkers, The Prozacs, parted ways. Formed in 2001 by Jay Gauvin (or better known as J Prozac), the band had seen many different line-ups of members throughout their time performing. Gauvin was going...
by Chris Rohmann | Aug 7, 2017 | Articles, Columns, Newsletter, Review, Stagestruck
Everyone needs something to live for. Some of us have a harder time finding it than others. Much harder. So … if you’re a young child and your mom has just tried to kill herself, what can you do about it? Well, you could give her a list of everything that makes the...
by Advocate Staff | Aug 7, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Music, Newsletter, Staff Picks
Smell You Later // Thursday The Osmotheque in Versailles, France, brings visitors to the museum on a journey of smells, cataloging the historic smells of perfumes. It’s name comes from the Greek words meaning “smell storehouse.” Now Williams College is taking a stab...
by Hunter Styles | Aug 4, 2017 | Articles, Columns, Food Booze and Beyond, Newsletter, The Beerhunter
The thing to remember about summer in the Valley — aside from which SPF to use and which local farm stands sell the best corn — is that it will be over before you know it. Sure, the swimming holes don’t really warm up until September, and the cows at Cook Farm gamely...
by Kristin Palpini | Aug 7, 2017 | Articles, Between the Lines, News, Newsletter
I have a confession to make: I’ve always worried about being underpaid. This concern has been present whether working for a supportive company or fast food joints. Why? Because I’m a woman aware of the U.S. wage statistics that say there’s a good chance I am being...
by Advocate Staff | Aug 7, 2017 | Articles, News, Newsletter
Blown Away Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Superman? Better. It’s LOTS of planes. This Saturday and Sunday Barnes-Airport, the home of the 104th Fighter Wing in Westfield, is hosting its insanely popular international air show. There will be live...
by Advocate Staff | Aug 7, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Newsletter, Stage
Ballet and farming go together like fine art and craft beer — the combo isn’t typical, but it should be. On Saturday, Vermont’s Farm to Ballet troupe will perform at Retreat Farm in Brattleboro, an historic farm dating back to 1836 that has long shared a connection...
by Advocate Staff | Aug 7, 2017 | Articles, Arts
Amherst Visitor’s Center: Pioneer Valley Perspectives II. Susan Dion will share art depicting local scenes in Western Mass. Portion of proceeds goes to Trustees of Reservations. Aug. 3-25. Free. 35 South Pleasant St., Amherst. sue1952us@yahoo.com. Anchor House of...
by Kristin Palpini | Aug 4, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Music, Newsletter
Go see it, go see it, go see it, here.
by Jennifer Levesque | Aug 7, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Columns, Review, Valley Show Girl
Staind. Remember them? I think at one point in our late-’90s lives we were all blasting “Tormented” or “Dysfunction” and relating to the ultra-sensitive alternative rock that was birthed right here in the Valley. Well, times have changed, and people change. Aaron...
by Dave Eisenstadter | Aug 7, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Film, News
I’ve always been interested in surrealism, but never quite enough to actually do any research into it beyond looking at some Salvador Dali paintings. But one reference to a surrealist work stuck with me. In the 2011 Woody Allen movie Midnight In Paris, the surrealist...
by Rob Brezsny | Aug 7, 2017 | Articles, Astrology, Wellness
ARIES (March 21-April 19): I hope you’re making wise use of the surging fertility that has been coursing through you. Maybe you’ve been reinventing a long-term relationship that needed creative tinkering. Perhaps you have been hammering together an innovative business...
by Naila Moreira | Aug 7, 2017 | Articles, Columns, Down to Earth, News
One favorable consequence of always carrying binoculars in plain view is that they help create an international citizenry of nature lovers. I’ve just returned from a trip to England visiting family. There, we camped in the chilly, Scotland-like region of northeast...
by Chris Goudreau and Christin Howard | Aug 7, 2017 | Articles, News
Barry Roberts has heard Massachusetts is facing an energy crisis, but he doesn’t buy it. Roberts is a commercial landlord who owns several buildings in Amherst including the Amherst Cinema building and the block where Amherst Ice Cream is located, as well as...
by Chris Goudreau | Aug 7, 2017 | Articles, News
The barricade is a small wooden cabin-like structure modeled off the one 1800s transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau built near Walden Pond. A life guard chair stands directly in front of a fence set up by Tennessee Gas where onlookers can view the 100-foot wide path...
by Advocate Staff | Aug 7, 2017 | Articles, Letters from our Readers, News
Editors’ Note: Welcome to our letters to the editor page. Here you’ll find comments from readers 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?...
by Warren Johnston | Aug 9, 2017 | Articles, Columns, Food + Booze, Food Booze and Beyond, The Pour Man
Riojana; Rosé, 2016; La Rioja, Argentina, $6.99 Not only is Riojana rosé a very good wine that sells for an incredibly low price, but it is also a wine that you can feel good about drinking. Riojana wines are produced by La Riojana, a certified Fairtrade cooperative...
by Dave Eisenstadter | Aug 3, 2017 | Articles, Bizarro Briefs, News, News of the Weird, Newsletter
Hipster Dogs Don’t Need Shots The anti-vaccination movement has expanded — to include additional species. Many pet owners in Brooklyn are refusing to vaccinate their beloved canines, in some cases for fear that the vaccines will give the dogs autism,...
