Articles
by Chris Rohmann | Aug 3, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Stage, Stagestruck
What is it with all the Chekhov parodies? Just this summer Silverthorne Theater Company gave us Stupid Fucking Bird, Aaron Posner’s metatheatrical riff on The Seagull. There’s Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Christopher Durang’s Uncle Vanya mashup. And last year...
by Yana Tallon-Hicks | Aug 2, 2017 | Articles, Columns, Newsletter, The V-Spot
Hi Yana, I always thought of myself as a monogamous person who sometimes dabbled with non-monogamy, but lately I’ve really been struggling to determine just what my “relationship paradigm” is. It started when I was in a non-mono relationship that transitioned to a...
by Jack Brown | Aug 2, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Cinemadope, Columns, Film
For as long as stories have been told, they have been told about pairs: Odysseus and Penelope, Arthur and Merlin, Bugs and Elmer. It’s a rare tale that doesn’t focus, in some way, on that essential human desire to connect. It can bring us to ecstasy or despair —...
by Jack Brown | Jul 31, 2017 | Articles, Cinemadope, Columns, Newsletter
Summer Cinema Slam 2017 is taking place at the New England Youth Theater in Brattleboro this Saturday night. Featuring an all-Vermont slate of films and artists — the bill includes four shorts and one hour-long feature, with musical act Hungrytown providing ambiance...
by Advocate Staff | Jul 31, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Get Out With Staff Picks, Newsletter
DreamCycle at the Academy of Music // SATURDAY You won’t find any creepy clowns here. DreamCycle is a traditional circus with acrobats, jugglers, and aerial stunts complete with tightrope walkers tiptoeing across a narrow wire. Acrophobes be warned: you’ll...
by Advocate Staff | Jul 31, 2017 | Articles, Letters from our Readers, News, Newsletter
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 valleyadvocate.com. Want to get in on this?...
by Chris Rohmann | Aug 3, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Columns, Newsletter, Stage, Stagestruck
Two small-scale productions playing in the area this weekend have one thing in common. They both take place in the jungle. Apart from that, they couldn’t be more different. Slowgirl traces a tentative, emotionally fraught encounter between a motormouth teenager and...
by Advocate Staff | Jul 31, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Music, Newsletter
Ray Mason, the Valley’s Neil Young If there’s a mic and some place for him to plug in his old Silvertone guitar, you’ve got a good chance of seeing Ray Mason. The tireless musician gigs up and down the Valley several times a week and for good reason — he’s awesome....
by Advocate Staff | Jul 31, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Newsletter
Ales for Tails Hoist a pint for man’s best friend Friday in downtown Westfield for the third annual Ales for Tails Pub Crawl. Organized by Susie Howard, the roaming pack of beer nuts are raising money for the Westfield Animal Shelter. Things get going at 6 p.m. at...
by Advocate Staff | Aug 2, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Music, Newsletter
Krunkelstiltskin is a heavy electronic driven eclectic rock band with a sense of humor. The group played on the Valley Advocate Sessions stage on July 12. Krunkelstiltskin’s full performance will be available online this Friday. Until then, here’s a teaser...
by Chris Rohmann | Aug 1, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Columns, Newsletter, Stage, Stagestruck
A highlight of my summer theater season is always the magical change of pace afforded by Double Edge Theatre’s annual indoor/outdoor performance. This year, that peripatetic spectacle offers its own change of pace. Where previous seasons have given us captivating...
by Kristin Palpini | Jul 31, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Music, News, Newsletter
Music is never just some notes of a melody — it’s always something more, says legendary New Orleans jazz saxophonist Charles Neville. Neville, who grew up in New Orleans during the Jim Crow era, but now resides in Huntington with his wife and children, has seen music...
by Advocate Staff | Jul 31, 2017 | Articles, Newsletter, Stage
We (Sort Of) Hold These Truths When the U.S. ordered more than 100,000 Japanese Americans living on the West Coast to relocate to internment camps after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1942, Gordon Hirabayashi refused to listen. The son of Japanese immigrants and a...
by Steve Pfarrer | Jul 31, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Review
Put several dozen artists in a building called “The Beehive,” and what do you get? A space brimming and buzzing with new ideas and fresh perspectives on art, as a new exhibit at the Springfield Museums illustrates. Marc Chagall and Friends, a display of prints drawn...
by Kristin Palpini | Jul 31, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Newsletter
Metal Reflections “With bounced light, magic can happen. Curving or bending light and the resulting shapes and forms open a doorway for our subjective minds. Whimsical or mysterious possibilities abound,” says Tom Wyatt in his artist bio on the Salmon Falls Gallery...
by Advocate Staff | Jul 31, 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...
by Rob Brezsny | Jul 31, 2017 | Articles, Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In my astrological opinion, your life in the coming days should draw inspiration from the ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia, a six-day bout of revelry that encouraged everyone to indulge in pleasure, speak freely, and give gifts. Your...
by Amanda Drane | Jul 31, 2017 | Articles, Third Eye Roaming, Wellness
Yoga may free you from your suffering, but sometimes you’re suffering too much to do yoga. That’s where the marijuana comes in. Knee aching too much for warrior pose? There’s a THC-infused lotion that works well. Stress of the day weighing you down too much for yogic...
by Yana Tallon-Hicks | Jul 31, 2017 | Articles, The V-Spot
How does one respectfully remove themselves from a relationship that in fact does not have any huge problems? I’m with a righteous man who checks a lot of boxes but doesn’t get me excited. I enjoy his company, we have a great time and do a lot of cultural things. The...
by Dave Eisenstadter | Jul 31, 2017 | Articles, News, Wellness
Many people think of massage as a great way to relax and pamper yourself. That’s true, but it’s not the only reason to get one. Massage in and of itself has a number of health benefits. Darius Greenbacher, medical director of Baystate Medical Practices in sports and...
by Dave Eisenstadter | Jul 28, 2017 | Articles, Between the Lines, News
Following attacks on Muslims, refugees, immigrants, and the country of Cuba over the last several months, LGBTQ people became the latest group to be scapegoated by President Donald Trump and members of his administration this week. First came the announcement — by...
by Warren Johnston | Jul 31, 2017 | Articles, The Pour Man
Don’t let the price of this wine put you off. It’s a bit expensive for my purse too, but it frequently goes on sale for much less, and it is an excellent and well-balanced New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc that won’t drown you with overpowering grapefruit flavors or aromas...
by Chris Goudreau | Jul 31, 2017 | Articles, News
A federal grant is powering an effort to bring solar energy into more local low-income homes. Rays the Valley, a partnership between local organizations that aims on making solar array subscriptions affordable for everyone, received $60,000 from the federal Department...
by Chris Rohmann | Jul 31, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Stage, Stagestruck
At the beginning of At Home at the Zoo, Ann appears from the kitchen and says to her husband Peter, “We have to talk.” Then they talk for an hour, and by the time Peter leaves their apartment to have a quiet read in Central Park, we know a lot more about him than we...
by Dave Eisenstadter | Jul 27, 2017 | Articles, News
As the Adult Basic Education students walked before the podium in their caps and gowns on Wednesday, July 26, they put a seal on more than the usual 12 years of school. Some had waited for this moment for decades. There were 61 people who passed the High School...
by Advocate Staff | Jul 28, 2017 | Articles, Music
Outer Stylie is a head-banging heavy psychedelic rock band with plenty soul. The four-piece group played on the Valley Advocate Sessions stage on July 12. Like what you’re listening to? Check out the Valley Advocate Sessions page for bands and artists, including The...
by Chris Rohmann | Jul 28, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Stage, Stagestruck
I’ll get right to the point: Hold These Truths, at New Century Theatre, is possibly the most important play of the summer, with certainly one of the season’s most exhilarating performances. It’s not only searingly suggestive of our current national crisis, but is a...
by Chris Rohmann | Jul 27, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Stage, Stagestruck
Intimate Apparel is all about fabrics. The silky fabrics draping the figures of elegant Gilded Age matrons and the coarser fabrics worn by their servants, delineating both economic and social standing. The deceptively comfortable fabrics covering the women’s corsets,...
by Advocate Staff | Jul 27, 2017 | Articles, Music
Outer Stylie is a head-banging psychedelic rock band with plenty soul. The group played on the Valley Advocate Sesssions stage on July 12. Outer Stylie’s full performance will be available online this Friday. Until then, here’s a teaser showcasing the...
by Dave Eisenstadter | Jul 27, 2017 | Articles, News, News of the Weird, Newsletter
News of the Weird is no more, but fear not. The Advocate is continuing the tradition of delivering weird news, now as Bizarro Briefs. Perfectly Preserved Surrealist ‘Stache If you thought Salvador Dali’s mustache could not have gotten any more legendary, you were...
by Chris Rohmann | Jul 25, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Columns, Newsletter, Stage, Stagestruck
The two mainstage programs at Jacob’s Pillow dance festival last week offered intriguing contrasts in modern dance envelope-pushing. And perhaps surprisingly, it was the simpler, solo show that delivered more variety and excitement. Aakash Odedra is an Englishman of...
by Advocate Staff | Jul 24, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Letters from our Readers, News, Newsletter
Letters to the Editor In Defense of Iron Horse Entertainment Group Tiring to see all the IHEG (Iron Horse Entertainment Group) bashing [“Behind the Music: The People and Promoters Going Beyond IHEG,” July 13-19, 2017]! First, people don’t realize how fortunate we are...
by Kristin Palpini | Jul 24, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Music, Newsletter
Buddy McEarns Your Musical Respect Good time, blusey bar band Buddy McEarns rocks with driving, classical guitar riffs and just the tiniest dash of hippie jam. There’s something comforting about The Buddy McEarns Band, like looking at an old friend named...
by Kristin Palpini | Jul 24, 2017 | Articles, Arts, News, Newsletter, Stage
Charlie Brown Would Be So Emo If you’ve ever wondered what happened to Good ‘ol Chuck, from the Peanuts comics, Gateway City Arts can fill you in; A week-long run of Bert V. Royal’s Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead begins Friday. Satirizing...
by Kristin Palpini | Jul 24, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Featured, Newsletter, Stage
Queen Margaret, Historical Bad-Ass Before there was Game of Thrones and Cersei, there was the War of the Roses and Queen Margaret of Anjou. In fact, many people believe the hit HBO show was based on the War of the Roses, a 30-year war (of which Margaret was a key...
by Advocate Staff | Jul 24, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Leisure, Music, Newsletter
200 Master Beaders, 1 Project — ALL WEEKEND This weekend maser beadwork artist Darcy Rosner and beaders from SweetBananberry will be at Three Sisters Sanctuary in Goshen adding another whimsical art installation to the outside gallery. They’ll be assembling a...
by Compiled By Kristin Palpini | Jul 24, 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 Christin Howard | Jul 24, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Leisure, Newsletter
In its heyday in the 1970s and ‘80s, roller derby was known for fierce females, fishnets, spiked hair and names like “Iron Maven.” After a lull in the ‘90s, roller derby was resurrected in the early 2000s as an all-female, athletic sport. But in the Pioneer Valley,...
by Chris Goudreau | Jul 24, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Music, Review
Lexi Weege is the type of performer who draws you in immediately. She’s a blues and jazz songstress with a voice that combines intimate and heartbreaking cabaret singing, in the vein of French chanteuse Edith Piaf, with 1960s boisterous rock n’ roll frontwoman...
by Kristin Palpini | Jul 24, 2017 | Articles, Columns, Food Booze and Beyond, News, O Cannabis!
We’re no Nevada, but last week Massachusetts took two rippin’ steps toward weed legalization and protection in the state. First the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that a business cannot fire an employee for being a medical marijuana patient — a decision...
by Kristin Palpini | Jul 24, 2017 | Articles, Arts
Natural Fibers and Uncommon Weaves Cloth may seem like something you can find in nature, something that just is; but people do have to make it. And creating cloth by hand is becoming a lost art. See why textiles are glorious at The Crafted Cloth, an exhibit of...
by Jack Brown | Jul 24, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Cinemadope, Columns, Film, Newsletter
My first exposure to Egon Schiele came via Deane G. Keller, an artist and professor whose figure drawing classes remain one of my most lasting memories of art school. We had been working on some hand studies when he suggested I might enjoy the Austrian artist’s work,...
by Kristin Palpini | Jul 24, 2017 | Articles, Food + Booze, News
Nathan pulls his mother by the hand through the Springfield downtown farmers market stopping at none of the booths she wants to visit: the cookie stand, the hand-made jewlery display, the gourmet chips, and honey. The 2-year-old loves the farmers market, his mother...
by Dave Eisenstadter | Jul 24, 2017 | Articles, Between the Lines, News
The cost of a University of Massachusetts Amherst education has increased on average by more than $1,000 each year for the past three years. This, in a world where most working people can expect a 2 -percent cost-of-living raise — if that. In the summer of 2015, the...
by Dave Eisenstadter | Jul 24, 2017 | Articles, Food + Booze, Food Booze and Beyond, News, Wellness
Why should the farmers have all the fun harvesting the fresh fruits and vegetables from their own farms? U-pick farms abound in the Pioneer Valley. Strawberry season has mostly gone by, but blueberries are ripe for the pickin’, and it won’t be long before apple season...
by Kristin Palpini | Jul 24, 2017 | Articles, News
MONDAYS PALMER — Three Rivers, Hryniewicz Park, 1-5 p.m. Through October SPRINGFIELD — Church in the Acres, 1383 Wilbraham Road, 2-6 p.m. Through first week of October TUESDAYS GREENFIELD — Between Green Fields Market and King’s Gym, Sears Avenue, 1:30-6:30 p.m....
by Yana Tallon-Hicks | Jul 24, 2017 | Articles, The V-Spot
I love reading all of your stuff. I was wondering if you had any advice on getting back into a sexual relationship. My partner and I have been together for over four years and our sex has fizzled out a bit. I think now we feel really nervous about it and don’t know...
by Dave Eisenstadter | Jul 24, 2017 | Articles, News
When I first got a farm share several years ago, I had a dream of a bounty of tomatoes, carrots, and other recognizable vegetables. The reality was that yes, these vegetables were there, but there were also oddball veggies I’d never heard of or seen before; and...
by Rob Brezsny | Jul 24, 2017 | Articles, Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Are you feeling as daring about romance as I suspect? If so, I’ve composed a provocative note for you to give to anyone you have good reason to believe will be glad to receive it. Feel free to copy it word-for-word or edit it to suit your...
by Dave Eisenstader | Jul 24, 2017 | Articles
The Knightscope security robot, an R2D2-shaped rolling bot, can turn, beep, and whistle while on patrol. It can also self-destruct, as one proved while working outside the Georgetown Waterfront in Washington, D.C. It rolled into a decorative fountain and drowned....
by Jennifer Levesque | Jul 24, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Columns, Music, Newsletter, Review, Valley Show Girl
Ahead of their show at the Iron Horse, I plug my purple Skull Candies into my ears, and click play on the intro track to Eddie Japan’s Golden Age. The sound of static pulls me in, reminding me of vinyl, so I pretend I’m listening on a record player, not my computer at...
by Chris Rohmann | Jul 24, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Stage, Stagestruck
Chapatti, now playing at Silverthorne Theater Company, is one of the sweetest comedies about grief, loneliness and suicide I’ve ever seen. The title is unfortunate, even confusing, since Christian O’Reilly’s play takes place in Dublin, not Delhi, and the name has...
by Kristin Palpini | Jul 21, 2017 | Articles, Columns, News, Newsletter, O Cannabis!
We’re no Nevada, but last week Massachusetts took two rippin’ steps toward weed legalization and protection in the state. First the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that a business cannot fire an employee for being a medical marijuana patient — a decision...
by Advocate Staff | Jul 21, 2017 | Articles
Alex Rohan & Joe Staf are half of Springfield-based acoustic jam rock band, Feel Good Drift. The duo performed for Valley Advocate Sessions LIVE on the front lawn of the Daily Hampshire Gazette on June 29. Like what you’re listening to? Check out the Valley...
by Kristin Palpini | Jul 20, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Music
by Christin Howard | Jul 20, 2017 | Articles, News, Wellness
In its heyday in the 1970s and ‘80s, roller derby was known for fierce females, fishnets, spiked hair and names like “Iron Maven.” After a lull in the ‘90s, roller derby was resurrected in the early 2000s as an all-female, athletic sport. But in the Pioneer Valley,...
by Dave Eisenstadter | Jul 20, 2017 | Articles, News, News of the Weird
A Suicidal Robot Our D.C. office building got a security robot. It drowned itself. We were promised flying cars, instead we got suicidal robots. pic.twitter.com/rGLTAWZMjn — Bilal Farooqui (@bilalfarooqui) July 17, 2017 The Knightscope security robot, an R2D2-shaped...
by Chris Rohmann | Jul 20, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Newsletter, Stage, Stagestruck
Reid Thompson’s setting for Speech & Debate, now receiving a near-perfect production at Barrington Stage Company, is a high school classroom. Maps and historical posters line the walls and headshots of famous Americans form a frieze above a pair of whiteboards –...
by Advocate Staff | Jul 17, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Music, News, Newsletter
Draco and the Malfoys • Saturday I held out on Harry Potter mania for years, but finally succumbed when the last book came out in 2007. I read them all in a matter of months, but I didn’t go as far as these folks, who wrote albums of Harry Potter-inspired...
by Will Meyer | Jul 17, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Basemental, Columns
I’ve played in about a half dozen bands over the past seven years here in the Valley. I’ve played on the steps of my beloved Goodwin Memorial Library in Hadley (for free) and I’ve played The Calvin (for $250); I’ve played countless basements (including “The...
