Music
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 Kristin Palpini | Aug 4, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Music, Newsletter
Go see it, go see it, go see it, here.
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 | 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 Kristin Palpini | Jul 20, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Music
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 Jack Brown | Jul 17, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Cinemadope, Columns, Film, Music, Newsletter
“Wimps and Wanna-Be’s need not apply!” That was the tagline of a print ad announcing an open audition for “FIERCE Male Dancers” who wanted to earn a spot on Madonna’s controversial, ground-breaking Blond Ambition Tour in 1990. It would have been a dream job for any...
by Jennifer Levesque | Jul 17, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Music, Newsletter
Cinematic Pop Music Boston/Western Mass’ Eddie Japan combines that feel good ‘60s pop with a splash of ‘80s alternative new wave that’s a blast. In 2013, Eddie Japan won Boston’s ultra cool Rock ‘n’ Roll Rumble, and picked up a Boston Music Award for “Live...
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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, 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 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 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.
by Advocate Staff | Jun 19, 2017 | Articles, Basemental, Columns, Music, Newsletter
Some might describe The Leafies You Gave Me as a “band,” but that would be an understatement. At least in the musical sense. Yes, they are musicians. And yes, they make music. But they are a band more like New Oxford American Dictionary’s second definition of the word...
by Advocate Staff | Jun 16, 2017 | Articles, Music, Uncategorized
Check out local singer/songwriter and powerhouse alternative rock vocalist Seth Newton perform for the Valley Advocate Sessions recorded on May 30 at the Valley Advocate Offices. BONUS: Interview with Seth Newton Like what you’re listening to? Check out the Valley...
by Kristin Palpini | Jun 12, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Music, News, Newsletter
Hot Gypsy Jazz Northampton’s annual Django in June is a week-long bonanza of Gypsy jazz workshops, concerts, and jamming with artists from across the globe. The event celebrates the musical stylings of Django Reinhardt. The music has been described as hot jazz or...
by Jennifer Levesque | Jun 12, 2017 | Articles, Columns, Music, Valley Show Girl
I walked into the entrance of The Arts Block Ballroom on Main Street in Greenfield to soundchecking and friendly, familiar faces. With a couple of hellos’ and hugs, I paid the $20 for the 2nd Annual Stoned To Death fest, put on by Promotorhead Entertainment, and...
by Advocate Staff | Jun 9, 2017 | Featured, Music
Check out Amherst-based indie/garage/ surf rock band Spirit Ghost’s Advocate Sessions performance recorded on May 23 in The Advocate Offices. BONUS: Interview with Spirit Ghost Like what you’re listening to? Check out the Valley Advocate Sessions page for...
by Kristin Palpini | Jun 5, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Music, Newsletter
In a new addition to the 30-plus -year-old Green River Fest, Signature Sounds has found the best local bands with musicians ages 18 and under to be featured performers Friday night on the Next Wave Stage. But wait there’s more! Friday night admission will be...
by Will Meyer | Jun 5, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Basemental, Columns, Music, Newsletter
Editor’s note: Jaclyn Walsh uses they/them pronouns. Valley musician, student, and DIY booker Jaclyn Walsh wants you to dump your boyfriend so much that they named their band Dump Him. On the surface such a statement might charm the misandrists and queercore punks...
by Advocate Staff | Jun 7, 2017 | Articles, Music, Newsletter
Spirit Ghost, an Amherst-based indie garage rock band with a splash of surf, came into the Valley Advocate Offices to record for Valley Advocate Sessions on May 23. The band’s full performance and interview will be available on Valley Advocate’s website...
by Advocate Staff | Jun 2, 2017 | Articles, Music
Check out 11-string arch-guitarist virtuoso Peter Blanchette and violinist Kenny Butler perform 1500s French Renaissance folk music, and other classical gems. Also visit our Sessions page, with an interview with the artist an all of our other Sessions...
by Kristin Palpini | Jun 1, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Music
Can’t wait for Friday to see more Sessions? Check out some local bands now.
by Chris Goudreau | May 30, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Music, Newsletter
Polka, doo-wop, jazz swing, and country western music — you wouldn’t think one band would cover these eclectic genres across six songs, but The Johnny Memphis Band, based out of Florence, does just that and more on its new record, Rarities. The sole songwriter for the...
by Advocate Staff | May 26, 2017 | Articles, Music
Check out ten-piece Afrobeat meets old school funk and jazz ensemble Shokazoba. Also visit our Sessions page, with an interview with the artist an all of our other Sessions bands.
by Chris Goudreau | May 22, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Music, Newsletter
Local singer-songwriter Lisa Marie Ellingsen smiles with an air of satisfaction. She’s wearing a leather jacket and flannel shirt, leaning against a rustic wooden backdrop on the front cover her new album, NoLa to NoHo. The photos were shot at the Florence Pie Bar,...
by Advocate Staff | May 24, 2017 | Advocate Chat, Articles, Music, 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. kristinpalpini (Editor-in-Chief Kristin Palpini): OK, so today we are talking about songs that get stuck in our heads....
by Kristin Palpini | May 17, 2017 | Arts, Featured, Music
\/ \/ Scroll down for video. \/ \/ Recorded May 9, 2017, at the party for Best Of the Valley Readers’ Poll 2017 first place winners hosted by the Valley Advocate at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. Want more Sessions now? Go to sessions.valleyadvocate.com to...
by Jennifer Levesque | May 15, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Columns, Music, Newsletter, Valley Show Girl
A couple of weeks ago on The Still’s Instagram page they posted a beautiful picture of a mint julep. I’ve never had one, but always wanted to try the drink simply because that’s what they drank in The Great Gatsby. So, when I saw that The Greys were playing at The...
by Kristin Palpini | May 15, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Music, Newsletter
Valley Music Showcase Genres clash in the most melodic way possible Friday night in Easthampton. The Valley Music Showcase at the New City Brewery is a “bi-monthly mini music fest” — or as I like to call it, the Bi-Mon Min-MuFest — and it pulls from all musical...
by Advocate Staff | May 12, 2017 | Featured, Music
Check out Appalachian Still: Also visit our Sessions page, with an interview with the artist and all of our other Sessions bands.
by Kristin Palpini | May 11, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Music
Check out the full Appalachian Still Sessions concert Friday online at valleyadvocate.com. Can’t wait for Friday to hear more Sessions? Great! Head over to the archive and listen to sets by the likes of The Suitcase Junket, Ray Mason, Eavesdrop Trio, Hannah...
by Kristin Palpini | May 8, 2017 | Arts, Featured, Music, News, Newsletter
Got that Galaxy Grass A Kitchen Dwellers show is a true Montana bluegrass experience … that’s been strapped to a rocket, shot into space, and looped around Saturn a few times. Dubbed “galaxy grass,” the band’s sound is high-energy and exploratory jamming with...
by Kristin Palpini | May 8, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Music, Newsletter
Join the Herd Quintessential ’90s folk rock band Donna the Buffalo is coming to Holyoke as part of the group’s politically-active Stampede Tour. In addition to providing groove-heavy dance-able tunes, Donna the Buffalo seeks to bring attention to the inappropriate use...
by Kristin Palpini | May 8, 2017 | Articles, Arts, Music, Newsletter, Stage
So, You Know They Can Dance An homage to Wes Anderson’s highly stylized films and a self-reflective, choreographed spoken-word piece called “Perception” were among the performances featured in Hatchery’s debut show this winter. The pre-professional dance troupe’s...
by Blaise Majkowski | May 8, 2017 | Articles, Blaise's Bad Movie Guide, Columns, Film, Music, Newsletter
I was saddened when I heard the news that Paul O’Neil, the founder of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, had died. It seems my favorite bands have either passed away (the Ramones, the Cramps), or are eligible for AARP but continue to stumble on. In addition to Sparks and...
