Articles
by Chris Rohmann | Jul 11, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Newsletter, Stage, Stagestruck
The KO Festival of Performance opened last weekend, kicking off a diverse five-week season clustered around the theme “Tactics for Trying Times.” First up was Jimmy & Lorraine, written by Talvin Wilks and developed with Hartford’s HartBeat Ensemble. The playwright...
by Jack Brown | Jul 10, 2017 | Articles, Cinemadope, Columns, Newsletter
At the risk of sounding impossibly out-of-touch, let me tell you something: I sure do miss Dialing for Dollars. That syndicated TV program — in which an afternoon movie was chopped into a few hundred pieces, allowing host George Allen to pick a number out of the area...
by Chris Goudreau | Jul 10, 2017 | Articles, Music, News, Newsletter
For years the Iron Horse Entertainment Group with its quintet of venues — Pearl Street Nightclub, The Calvin, The Basement, The Iron Horse Music Hall, and Mountain Park — reigned over the Pioneer Valley music scene. IHEG’s rule has irked some people. Frustration with...
by Chris Rohmann | Jul 10, 2017 | Articles, Columns, Review, Stage, Stagestruck
There’s a disclaimer of sorts in Jack Neary’s director’s note for The Foreigner, New Century Theatre’s season opener, playing through this weekend in its temporary digs at PVPA, the area’s performing arts high school in South Hadley. In it, Neary acknowledges that...
by Chris Goudreau | Jul 10, 2017 | Articles, Between the Lines, News
In the small Berkshire County town of Sandisfield, there’s a battle being waged over public lands and environmental concerns stemming from a natural gas pipeline being installed in Otis State Forest. More than 30 protesters have been arrested this year for trespassing...
by Hunter Styles | Jul 10, 2017 | Articles, Newsletter, The Beerhunter
Don’t let the name of their new Westfield brewery fool you — Mark Avery and Rich DeSousa aren’t preparing to quit their day jobs. But the two friends and business partners are still opening up every spare hour, every day they can, to get Two Weeks Notice Brewing...
by Kristin Palpini | Jul 10, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Newsletter, Review
Thirteen of America’s presidents gather for a summit. They listen as Thomas Jefferson explains this new majesty before them — a giant, wonderfully fluffy chocolate-glazed doughnut with rainbow sprinkles. Teddy Roosevelt gathers his jacket at the hip judging the round...
by Kristin Palpini | Jul 10, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Music, Newsletter, Stage
Get your Scot on at the 24th annual Glasgow Lands Scottish Festival Saturday at Look Park in Northampton. The day-long event is jammed with all things Celtic and “tidy” (that’s Scottish slang for excellent). The day will feature Scottish music, athletic feats of...
by Dave Eisenstadter | Jul 10, 2017 | Articles, News, News of the Weird
Last week we got the surprising news that longtime News of the Weird feature writer Chuck Shepherd is retiring! Like, very surprising, because we had no idea this was coming. BUT, the Advocate is all about weird news, so we’re going to keep it going ourselves! Without...
by Naila Moreira | Jul 10, 2017 | Articles, Columns, Down to Earth, News
We’re in the middle of a national crisis of public life. The idea that we can make life better by sharing our collective wealth (money and natural resources) and brainpower (science, engineering, literature and the arts) is under threat. In a recent article for Salon,...
by Rob Brezsny | Jul 10, 2017 | Articles, Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): It’s not your birthday, but I feel like you need to get presents. The astrological omens agree with me. In fact, they suggest you should show people this horoscope to motivate them to do the right thing and shower you with practical...
by Advocate Staff | Jul 10, 2017 | Articles, Letters from our Readers, News
Independent Media for the Win During this past presidential election season mainstream media focused their cameras on an empty podium waiting for Donald Trump to give a speech. They could have broadcast images of Bernie Sanders giving his message to the people but...
by Jennifer Levesque | Jul 10, 2017 | Articles, Columns, Music, Newsletter, Review, Review, Valley Show Girl
I hear the sound of jazz in the parking lot as I walk towards New City Brewery in Easthampton last Thursday night. People are gathered in the patio area enjoying the music while also enjoying the summer night air. Inside, the old factory building with exposed beams,...
by Yana Tallon-Hicks | Jul 10, 2017 | Articles, Columns, Newsletter, The V-Spot
I recently started going out with this girl, but it already feels like we are magnets to one another (both inside and outside of the bedroom). But the last time we had sex an issue came up that broke up that magnet-like feeling for me. I’m someone who really wants to...
by Dave Eisenstadter | Jul 7, 2017 | Articles, News, Newsletter
A religious pilgrimage is taking place to oppose fossil fuel use in New England. Members of the New England Yearly Meeting, a group made up of Quakers from the six New England states, plan to walk 60 to 70 miles the week of July 9 from Schiller Station power plant in...
by Advocate Staff | Jul 7, 2017 | Articles
Brickabrack is a indie garage rock/pop band with a lot of grunge attitude. The band draws its inspiration from popular culture with song names such as “The Abe Vigoda Birthday Bash” and “Tina Fey,” which are featured on their debut album Irrelevant Thoughts released...
by Will Meyer | Jul 3, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Basemental, Columns, Music, Newsletter, Review, Review
Tundrastomper, an explosive, chaotic, and notey rock band, formed about 10 years ago when Skyler Lloyd, Sam Brivic, Andrew Jones, and Max Goldstein were teenagers — about 13 years old each. They grew up in a town in Westchester, New York, called Ardsley. I looked it...
by Kristin Palpini | Jul 3, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Music, Newsletter
Before the sounds of mic checks and inflating balloons echo over the Greenfield Community College verdant field to signal the start of Green River Fest next weekend (July 14-16), this Friday (July 7) Sun Parade and Twisted Pine will give the Valley a taste of the the...
by Advocate Staff | Jul 5, 2017 | Articles, Newsletter
Brickabrack is an indie basement rock band with plenty of grunge rock attitude. The local trio played a set on the Valley Advocate Sessions stage and the full performance will be released this Friday on July 7. Until then, here’s a teaser for Brickabrack. Can’t...
by Advocate Staff | Jul 3, 2017 | Articles, Music, News, Newsletter
On July 14, attendees of the Green River Festival will get a taste of the future of music in the Valley. The Next Wave Stage will feature a five-band concert with local bands with members ages 18 and younger. As a bonus, anyone 18 and under gets into the festival for...
by Jack Brown | Jul 3, 2017 | Articles, Cinemadope, Columns, Film, Newsletter
In film, there have always been levels of stardom. There are those stars whose wattage is measured in tooth whiteness, and whose films are expected to earn many millions based more or less on their mere presence — your Pitts, your Cruises, your Lawrences. Then there...
by Advocate Staff | Jul 5, 2017 | Advocate Chat, Articles, News, News of the Weird
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): Last week we got the surprising news that longtime News of the Weird...
by Amanda Drane | Jul 3, 2017 | Articles, Third Eye Roaming, Wellness
Ah, farts. Can’t live with ’em and can’t live without passing ’em. When I started this column nearly two years ago, I knew that at some point I would have to broach the issue of passing gas in yoga class. It’s an endless point of fascination for folks who don’t do...
by Kristin Palpini | Jul 3, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Music, Newsletter
Woman of Rock Lexi Weege has picked up on how solo female acts are received: they’re objectified, controlled, censored, and restrained — but you won’t see any of that at a Weege show or hear it in her music. She’s punk AF in that way. Weege’s...
by Blaise Majkowski | Jul 3, 2017 | Articles, Blaise's Bad Movie Guide, Columns, Film, Newsletter, Review
For Father’s Day, I was treated to a screening of the new Wonder Woman movie. My daughter summed it up well: It was better than good, but not great. What I cannot understand is the fever this movie has generated. Women-only showings? Were there any women-only showings...
by Kristin Palpini | Jul 3, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Music, Newsletter, Stage
Do You Represent the Lollipop Guild? After more than 70 years since the film’s release (and more than 100 since the book’s), is there any more magic to be wrung from The Wizard of Oz? PaintBox Theatre has answered this jaded question with a resounding,...
by From Our Readers | Jul 3, 2017 | Articles, Letters from our Readers, News, Newsletter
With Rep. Neal in Office, Who Needs a Republican? Thank you for the excellent article on Representative Richard Neal (“Can Rankled Rural Voters Dethrone Congressman Neal?” June 22-28, 2017). I remember when the state redrew our districts so that Northampton and...
by Dave Eisenstadter | Jul 3, 2017 | Articles, News
When Donald Trump was making his announcement about reversing steps his predecessor — Barack Obama — took in normalizing relationships with Cuba, Holyoke City Councilor Jossie Valentin had just returned home from a trip to the island to talk with women there....
by Yana Tallon-Hicks | Jul 3, 2017 | Articles, Columns, The V-Spot
Check out a video of Yana’s Q&A with the Valley Advocate. Hi Yana, I’m a bisexual woman in a LTR with another woman. My issue is that I’m super bashful when it comes to asking for what I want during sex. I’ve been partnered for a while now and even though...
by Warren Johnston | Jul 3, 2017 | Articles, Columns, The Pour Man
Vintners have been making dry, pink wine in Provence since 600 B.C., and they have gotten pretty good at it. In fact, the region’s winemakers would say that Cotes de Provence makes the best rosé in the world, and I agree that the crisp, bright wines are awfully good....
by Chuck Shepherd | Jul 3, 2017 | Articles, News, News of the Weird, Newsletter
Editors Note: News of the Weird is ending, but we’ll be continuing the tradition at the Advocate, starting our own feature highlighting the oddities we find in the news. Watch for it next week! Weird News is forever, but this is my last “News of the Weird”...
by Rob Brezsny | Jul 3, 2017 | Articles, Astrology, Wellness
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Unless you were raised by a pack of feral raccoons or a fundamentalist cult, now is a perfect time to dive in to your second childhood. Is there a toy you wanted as a kid but never got? Buy it for yourself now! What were the delicious foods...
by Kristin Palpini | Jul 3, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Featured, Newsletter
Sticks and Stones II, the new exhibit at Hope & Feathers Framing and Gallery, is a contemplation of the very small and natural. The four artists contributing to this show meditated on things like pebbles, pieces of cloth, terra cotta, and textiles. The end result...
by Chris Rohmann | Jul 3, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Columns, Review, Stage, Stagestruck
Are we finally breaking through the color bar in American theater? Is the tokenism represented by theaters programming one “diverse” play during Black History Month giving way to broader representation and bolder casting choices? Judging from the area’s summer theater...
by Dave Eisenstadter | Jun 30, 2017 | Articles, Between the Lines, News, Newsletter
Four months ago, then-Advocate arts editor Hunter Styles wrote an excellent take-down of the hugely unpopular ad campaign trying to rebrand our region with the name “West Mass.” The heart of it was a list of questions about a dizzying, poorly-thought-out video...
by Advocate Staff | Jun 30, 2017 | Articles
EYES is a post-rock/experimental band that excels at creating poly-rhythmic soundscapes and walls of sound that are meditative and engaging. Check out the band’s full performance recorded on June 13 at the Valley Advocate Offices. BONUS: Interview with EYES Like...
by Chris Rohmann | Jun 30, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Stage, Stagestruck
Two shows now running in the Berkshires are rooted in the past but right up to the minute. Both Tireless, playing this week at Jacob’s Pillow, and Ragtime, at Barrington Stage through July 15, take their inspiration from the music of a bygone era while inviting us,...
by Chris Goudreau | Jun 29, 2017 | Articles, News
Over the last 20 years, medical education institutions across the nation have been phasing out the practicing of surgical procedures on live animals, but Baystate Medical Center in Springfield is bucking the trend and keeping it old school. The protest on June 29...
by Advocate Staff | Jun 28, 2017 | Articles, Newsletter
EYES is a post-rock band that excels at creating sonic soundscapes; walls of sound that are meditative and engaging. There are a lot of epic moments with EYES’ music that defy genre conventions. This local experimental quartet appeared on the Valley Advocate...
by Advocate Staff | Jun 27, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Get Out With Staff Picks, Newsletter
Giraffes? Giraffes! + More Math — Friday It’s a night of awesome math rock at Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center in Greenfield this Friday. Expect unusual time signatures, angular guitar lines, and sheer epic experimental forays into the boundaries of rock...
by Chris Rohmann | Jun 27, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Newsletter, Stage, Stagestruck
The publicity for Downstairs, which opened at the Dorset (VT) Theatre Festival last week, gives rather short shrift to the fact that it’s a world premiere by the prolific Theresa Rebeck, whose plays Bad Dates and Mauritius are also being produced in the region this...
by Chris Goudreau | Jun 26, 2017 | Articles, Music, Newsletter, Review
What do you get when you combine Pink Floyd’s brand of jazzy progressive rock; the bittersweet melodies of The Beatles; soulful R&B a la Stevie Wonder; and a punk rock attitude? You find a band like Sodada, which succeeds in being much more than the sum of its...
by Advocate Staff | Jun 26, 2017 | Articles, News, News of the Weird, Newsletter
Customs officials in Abdali, Kuwait, apprehended a pigeon in May with 178 ketamine pills inside a fabric pocket attached to its back. Update Three weeks ago, News of the Weird touted the “genderless,” extraterrestrial-appearing Hollywood makeup artist known as Vinny...
by Advocate Staff | Jun 26, 2017 | Articles, Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): This is a perfect moment to create a new tradition, Aries. You intuitively know how to turn one of your recent breakthroughs into a good habit that will provide continuity and stability for a long time to come. You can make a permanent...
by Jack Brown | Jun 26, 2017 | Articles, Cinemadope, Columns, Film, Newsletter
Many years ago, I found myself deep in the basement of the old Pleasant Street Theater (now the location of McLadden’s pub in Northampton), cleaning out some old storage lockers. From one of them, I pulled out a dented, dusty, film can, a flat circle of metal about 15...
by Lena Wilson | Jun 26, 2017 | Articles, Columns, Newsletter, Stream Queen
Filmmaker Michelle Ehlen practically invented multitasking. Her IMdB profile stretches on with credits that range from editing and production to cinematography and soundtrack. Though she’s had a hand in other LGBT films, like the popular Eating Out series, Ehlen is...
by Kristin Palpini | Jun 26, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Newsletter
It’s Going to be a Blast Communities all over the region are lighting off fireworks this week to celebrate America’s independence — July 4, the day, back in 1776, the 13 colonies told King George to kick rocks. It’s a good time to party and reflect on what made the...
by Kristin Palpini | Jun 26, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Newsletter
The Family That Rhymes Together … This hip-hop workshop is family-friendly and focused on training young people in fashion, rhythmic poetry, and visual arts. The weekly class integrates inner-city arts and graffiti using constructive “off the wall” methods....
by Kristin Palpini | Jun 26, 2017 | Articles, Arts, News, Newsletter
Take in Some Trash Trailer Trash is headlining this Friday’s edition of Summit View’s Pavilion Summer Concert Series. The immensely popular weekly shows at the banquet hall, on Route 5 in Holyoke, are free and open to the public. There’s a BBQ buffet for purchase and...
by Advocate Staff | Jun 26, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Film, Food + Booze, Get Out With Staff Picks, Leisure, Music, News, Newsletter, Stage
Hanging around the house is something we all do, but usually in an unfocused, squished-between-chores-and-obligations sort of way. But when you stay home for vacation, your dwelling can become a sanctuary, free from the day-to-day grind. If you can’t afford to get out...
by Yana Tallon-Hicks | Jun 26, 2017 | Articles, Columns, The V-Spot
Hi Yana! I’m currently in a mono-poly relationship. My primary partner is monogamous and has no interest in being with other people. He is reading More Than Two by Franklin Veaux and Eve Rickert and is searching for resources when feelings of jealousy or envy come up....
by Dave Eisenstadter | Jun 26, 2017 | Articles, News, Review
What do you do when the state of the world makes you so angry and/or demoralized that you don’t even want to leave the house? A new board game called Rise Up: The Game of People & Power, and created by former Hampshire College students, is the answer! Rise Up is a...
by Kristin Palpini | Jun 26, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Featured, News, Newsletter
Familiar Forgotten Places Catherine Gibbs picked a ubiquitous, but faded piece of local history for her exhibit at the Elusie Gallery in Easthampton: Mill buildings and train yards. Though not as much is manufactured here anymore, not that long ago people in places...
by Kristin Palpini | Jun 26, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Featured, Newsletter
Art in a (Butter)Nutshell Strolling through booths of fine art with a glass of wine in your hand underneath a sunny sky in the Berkshires isn’t a bad way to spend an afternoon, or two. That’s what you’ll get at the 16th Berkshires Arts Festival at the Ski Butternut...
by Advocate Staff | Jun 26, 2017 | Articles, Letters from our Readers, News, Newsletter
Readers Respond to Story on Congressman Neal Several readers wrote in about our cover story on rural and progressive activist dissatisfaction of Congressman Richard Neal [“Can Rankled Rural Voters Dethrone Congressman Neal?” June 22-28, 2017]. Here are some of the...
by Jennifer Levesque | Jun 26, 2017 | Articles, Columns, Valley Show Girl
After drinking sangria and picking at BBQ all day at a bridal shower this weekend, I shrugged off the floral shackles of proper wedding etiquette and hit The Cove in Southwick for the first time. Danny Pease and The Regulators put together a one-day summer bash at The...
by Kristin Palpini | Jun 26, 2017 | Articles, Cannabis!, Columns, News, Newsletter
The battle over how recreational marijuana will be taxed and managed in Massachusetts will come to a head Friday. Gov. Charlie Baker has said he wants a bill on his desk by June 30 in order to allow enough time for retailers to apply for marijuana sales licenses and...
by Kristin Palpini | Jun 26, 2017 | Articles, Newsletter
A food so splendid it gets its own day of the week (Taco Tuesdays!); tacos are a comfort food built for the summer. They’re sturdy, can be super healthy (or not), and are a little messy to eat (great for munching outdoors). Whether you like them soft or crunchy, corny...
by Advocate Staff | Jun 23, 2017 | Articles, Music
Check out Sodada, a dreamy indie jazz band combined with soulful punk rock, recorded for Valley Advocate Sessions on May 30 at the Valley Advocate Offices. BONUS: Interview with Sodada Like what you’re listening to? Check out the Valley Advocate Sessions page for...
by Advocate Staff | Jun 21, 2017 | Articles, Music, Uncategorized
Sodada is a quintet that plays dreamy jazz meets soulful punk rock. Stay tuned for the band’s full performance out this Friday. Can’t wait for Friday to see more Sessions? Check out some local bands now.
