Music
Staff Picks: Pub Sing, Mutlu, and Deus Ex Machina
Pub sing at McNeill’s // Saturday, June 16 There isn’t enough singing in our pubs around here. But McNeill’s in Brattleboro is working to fix that. Led by Tony Barrand and Amanda Witman, the bar is open for sea shanties, work songs, pub songs, and all the rest. Open...
Pick of the Day 6/13: of Montreal at Gateway City Arts
Throw caution to the wind and check out of Montreal at Gateway City Arts tonight. They’re music is an irrepressible synthesis of dance and modern psychedelia. They’ve been around since the ’90s and released their 15th album in January. It’s...
Pick of the Day 6/12: David Keenan at the Iron Horse
David Keenan is a 23-year-old Irish folk songwriter with poetic lyrics who has been described as “not just another lad with an acoustic guitar; the sound of Tim Buckley and Brendan Behan arguing over a few jars, while Kavanagh deals Dylan a suspicious hand of...
Local Calendar: Monday 6/11 – Thursday 6/14
MONDAY 6/11 MUSIC Music Mondays Cafe ~ An Evening with Peter Eldridge: 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. $15 adults / $10 students cash at the door. .June Music Mondays Cafe features Peter Eldridge and an evening of piano and vocal pop, jazz, standards and original works. Doors...
Pick of the Day 6/11: First Reformed
Ethan Hawke plays Reverend Ernst Toller a middle-aged parish pastor at a small Dutch Reform church in New York. It has a illustrious past, once a stop on the Underground Railroad. Now the congregation is shrinking and the new church, Abundant Life, is bright and shiny...
Folk and blues legend Chris Smither on songwriting, Chuck Berry, and living in the Pioneer Valley
Over the course of his more than 40 year career folk and blues guitarist and singer-songwriter Chris Smither has released dozens of albums and hundreds of songs. He was a part of the Cambridge folk music scene in the 1960s where he first got his start and is also a...
Tundrastomper on the Valley Advocate Sessions Stage
Tundrastomper is a DIY basement/ math rock band that excels at angular distorted experimental rock. Check out the band’s full Advocate Sessions performance in the video below. Interview with Tundrastomper:
Pick of the Day 6/10: Melissa Etheridge
This is an easy one. Melissa Etheridge, the legend, is at Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center tonight in Great Barrington. It’s worth the ride; Etheridge’s catalog of heartland rock and roll spans thirty years. Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, 14 Castle Street...
Pick of the Day 6/9: Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez
New Salem, yes, New Salem. It’s the town that borders Shutesbury, Wendell, Belchertown, Athol, Orange, Pelham, Ware — oh and Petersham. Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez: are out at the Meetinghouse tonight in New Salem to kick off the 2018 season! ...
Pick of the Day 6/8: Northampton Arts Night Out
How can two people be wrong? Both Dave Eisenstadter and Chris Goudreau chose Northampton Arts Night Out as their Staff Picks this week. Dave recommends CLICK Workspace which will host some ukulele bands that will perform in conjunction with two photography exhibits....
Local Calendar Thursday 6/7 – Sunday 6/11
THURSDAY 6/7 MUSIC Albert Castiglia: 7 p.m. Iron Horse Music Hall, 20 Center St., Northampton. Drop-in Traditional Music Sessions: 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Friendly traditional music sessions. Moderate swingy pace. Adults and teens of all skill levels welcome – and...
Review: Homesick for Daniel Chiaccio’s world
“‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul — and sings the tunes without the words — and never stops at all,” wrote Emily Dickinson, the grande dame of poetry. And down a bit from the hustle and bustle, Hope and Feathers Custom Framing and Art Gallery...
VIDEO: Tundrastomper on Valley Advocate Sessions Friday
This week’s Valley Advocate Sessions band is experimental math/basement rock group Tundrastomper. Check out a teaser video of the band’s upcoming Advocate Sessions video to be released this Friday.
Pick of the Day 6/6: Dave Hause at the Parlor Room
Veteran punk rocker Dave Hause will hit the Parlor Room tonight. He’s just released his third solo album Bury Me in Philly which he co-wrote with his 23-year-old brother Tim. Hause describes his album like what you might expect on stage tonight: “You want...
Pick of the Day 6/5: Northampton Jazz Workshop
Paul Arslanian, George Kaye, and Jon Fisher make up The Green Street Trio; for almost ten years, they’ve performed with a guest artist each Tuesday at City Sports Grille as the Northampton Jazz Workshop. This week they’re bringing in vocalist Wanda...
Local Calendar: Monday 6/4 – Thursday 6/7
MONDAY 6/4 MUSIC An Evening with Gaelic Storm: 7 p.m. Iron Horse Music Hall, 20 Center St., Northampton. STAGE/FILM/DANCE We Made a Thing: A Tiny Audience Show: 9 p.m. – 9:45 p.m. Everyone is invited to this weekly super casual – and totally free!...
Pick of the Day 6/4: Gaelic Storm
Celtic band Gaelic Storm is at the Iron Horse tonight. They perform traditional Irish music, Scottish music, and original tunes in both the Celtic and Celtic rock genres. Go Climb A Tree, their most recent album, was released last year. 7 p.m. at the Iron Horse...
Pick of the Day 6/2: Sweetback Sisters
Honky Tonk goodness with the Sweetback Sisters hits the Berkshires tonight. Their unique brand of classic country and rockabilly rave-ups is a hootin’ good time. This is real deal musicianship at its best. Catch the show at 7:30 p.m. Hancock Shaker Village,...
Local Calendar: Friday 6/1- Sunday 6/3
FRIDAY 6/1 MUSIC Bob Stabach 4tet: 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. The Lounge, 4 High St., Brattleboro. Live Music on The Deck Friday & Saturday: 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. The Deck at Union Station has live music all summer long! Friday and Saturday from 6-9pm. Check...
Flathead Rodeo on the Valley Advocate Sessions Stage
Flathead Rodeo is a roots and rockabilly band with plenty of country twang. Check out the band’s Valley Advocate Sessions performance in the video below. Interview with Flathead Rodeo:
Pick of the Day 5/31: A night of music at Luthier’s Co-op
Say goodbye to May 2018 — it’s been real. But you have one last night together so go spend it with a line of up of music at Luthier’s Co-Op in Easthampton. The music starts at 7 p.m., and three acts are scheduled to perform. Pamela and Anand at 7 p.m.,...
#LOCAL gallery brings a big city feel to Easthampton’s cultural district
Earlier this month Lennie and Elizabeth Applequist opened #LOCAL: A Gallery with a Twist on Cottage Street in Easthampton, happily joining the eclectic array of shops, galleries, restaurants, and watering holes that make Easthampton center special. In 2013 the...
The CDs You Gave Me: Uncluttering the genre tropes with magic realism and psychedelia
When you think of a psychedelic rock band, you don’t tend to think about uncluttering the gutter spouts or other mundane tasks , but Greenfield-based alternative psych-folk band, The frost heaves and hales, does just that — marrying everyday tasks with a dash of magic...
Pick of the Day 5/30: Sir Sly
Clean and sleek, L.A. indie group Sir Sly comes to Northampton Wednesday, May 30. Front man Landon Jacobs’ cool, light voice combined with instrumentalists Jason Suwito and Hayden Coplen make this synth-rock trio a must see. Their 2017 Don’t You Worry, Honey...
Valley Show Girl: Stoned to Death III – A day full of doom, sludge, stoner metal, and the memory of Joe Magrone
Churches are the most beautiful architectural buildings, in my opinion. I’m not a religious person, so when I do get a chance to enter these beauties, it’s because of a wedding or a funeral and I just look forward to leaving — the religion part of it just makes me...
Pick of the Day 5/29: The Northamptones at the Iron Horse
The Northamptones are an audition-based advanced a cappella group at Northampton High School. They’ve performed all over New England, including at the Academy of Music, John M. Greene Hall, the Calvin Theatre, the Iron Horse, Fenway Park, and the Massachusetts...
Local Calendar: Monday 5/28 – Thursday 5/31
MONDAY 5/28 MUSIC Strange Creek Campout: Camp Kee-Wanee, 1 Health Camp Rd., Greenfield. Baby and Me: 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Free. Wheeler Memorial Library, 49 East Main St., Orange. 978-544-2495. Paradise City Arts Festival: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Live music, 260...
Pick of the Day 5/28: Paradise City Arts Festival
It’s year 24 for the Paradise City Arts Festival, and 250 artists from 20 states are prepared to thrill you with their original works of art and one of kind crafts. Because the Festival is directed by artists, you can be sure the very best in ceramics, painting, art...
Pick of the Day 5/27: Let the Sunshine In
Zut Alors! If you’re in the mood for a little french with English subtitles, Let the Sunshine In is the film for you! Juliette Binoche plays a divorced Parisian painter searching for love, but she refuses to just settle for any ol’ body. Amherst Cinema...
Pick of the Day 5/26: The Soul Rebels at Mass MoCA
New Orleans brass always sounds good. The phenomenal brand of brass music that originates out of the bayou is personified by the eight-piece powerhouse group The Soul Rebels. The Village Voice says the Soul Rebels are “the missing link between Public Enemy and...
Gabe’s Band on the Valley Advocate Sessions Stage
Check out the full Valley Advocate Sessions performance of local anarchistic rock n’ roll group, Gabe’s Band. Make sure to watch until the end for some classic rock styled chaos. A Not So Serious Interview with Gabe’s Band:
Staff Picks: Bishops Lounge, Open Hearth Cooking Demo, and Fiddlers Green Contra with Luke Donforth
Open Hearth Cooking Demonstration // SATURDAY Mmmm, there’s nothing like home cooked food; but what’s even better is learning how to cook food from scratch an open hearth flame. Explore old cookbooks with Historic Deerfield’s Open Hearth Cooking Demonstration, which...
Pick of the Day 5/24: Pope Francis: a Man of His Word
Granted, religion is one of those polarizing hot buttons, but it behooves us to take a look at one another’s points of view. Check out this doc written and directed by three-time Academy Award® nominee Wim Wenders. Described on Amherst Cinema’s site as...
Local Calendar: Thursday 5/24- Sunday 5/27
THURSDAY 5/24 MUSIC An Evening Peter “Archguitar” Blanchette: 7 p.m. $15 – $45. Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center, 289 Main St., Greenfield. Buddy McEarns Band: 8:30 p.m. – 11 p.m. Whetstone Station Restaurant and Brewery, 36 Bridge St., Brattleboro....
Pick of the Day 5/23: Mantis Toboggan
Welcome to Hump Day! You might know Mantis Toboggan as a Dr. with … uh … let’s say dubious credentials: Danny DeVito’s hysterical and obscene Dr. Mantis Toboggan on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is sheer madness. But local Valley...
VIDEO: Gabe’s Band on Valley Advocate Sessions Friday
Check out a teaser for anarchistic local rockers, Gabe’s Band. The group’s complete Valley Advocate Sessions video will be released this Friday.
Pick of the Day 5/22: Scott Guberman Band
Keyboardist Scott Guberman’s band is in town tonight at Hawks and Reed in Greenfield. He’s kind of the psychedelic cousin of the Grateful Dead; known for his work with the Dead’s bassist Phil Lesh and keyboardists Tom Constanten and Vince Welnick....
‘Big-hearted’ Problem with Dragons bassist Joe Magrone dies at 38
Known as a big-hearted guy, a talented musician, and, sometimes, a gruff-but-lovable curmudgeon, Joe Magrone, bassist for Problem with Dragons, died on May 18 at the age of 38, two weeks shy of his 39th birthday. Dave Fournier first met Magrone in 1985, when he went...
Blame Cadence on the Valley Advocate Sessions Stage
Blame Cadence is a one woman chorus of looped soulful a cappella pop. Watch Blame Cadence’s full Valley Advocate Sessions performance in the video below. Interview with Blame Cadence:
Pick of the Day 5/17: Matthew Logan Vasquez
Matthew Logan Vasquez is a bit of a modern Bob Dylan … no really. He’s got similar qualities but his music is meatier and his vocals are better — which isn’t that difficult. Dylan insults aside, Vasquez brings his storytelling and agreeable sound to...
Local Calendar: Thursday 5/17- Sunday 5/20
THURSDAY 5/17 MUSIC CLICK Music Presents: Annie Patterson & Peter Blood: 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. Advance Sales $12, Door Sales $15. Join Annie Patterson & Peter Blood in an in evening of music and stories. CLICK Workspace, 9 1/2 Market St., Northampton....
VIDEO: Blame Cadence on Valley Advocate Sessions Friday
Blame Cadence is a one woman chorus of looped soulful a cappella pop. Check out a teaser video of Blame Cadence’s Valley Advocate Sessions performance, which will be released this Friday.
Holyoke-based granola business features blends of local bands
Maple Local Granola, a Holyoke-based granola business that uses locally-sourced ingredients, has released different blends of granola inspired by local bands such as indie pop group, And the Kids, as well as bluesy Amherst-based art rock band Old Flame. Tony...
Pick of the Day 5/16: Rising Appalachia
Two sisters from New Orleans bring the sounds of the Appalachians to Northampton tonight. Multi-instrumentalists Leah and Chloe Smith pick, strum, drum and sing — nothing fancy but appealing all the same. It’s quiet music that expects you to listen to the...
Pick of the Day 5/14: The Sea and Cake
The Sea and Cake is an indie band formed in the way back — 1992. They’re straight out of Chicago and they’re in Northampton tonight at the Iron Horse. Their sound is light and airy, a friendly flurry of melodies and hooks that are very hard to dislike....
Pick of the Day 5/11: The Wailers
The legendary Wailers band is at Hawks and Reed tonight. Yep, Bob Marley’s bandmates Aston “Familyman” Barrett, Julian Junior Marvin and Donald Kinsey are in Greenfield to carry on what Spin Magazine listed as #4 in the “50 Greatest Bands of All...
Amber Belle on the Valley Advocate Sessions Stage
Amber Belle is a singer-songwriter with a honey toned voice who performs original folk and country music. (To watch Amber Belle’s performance click on the video below) Interview with Amber Belle:
VIDEO: Amber Belle on Valley Advocate Sessions Friday
Amber Belle is a singer-songwriter with honey toned vocals who performs folk and country songs. Check out a teaser video of her upcoming Advocate Sessions video to be released this Friday.
Staff Picks: The Invisibles, Mudbound, and Christa Joy and Scott Meyers
Mudbound MASS MoCA // SATURDAY, MAY 12 Mudbound has been on my list of things to see since it first started making waves at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. While it is available to watch online, MASS MoCA is bringing in the director of the film Dee Rees for a...
Pick of the Day 5/9: Brand X at the Iron Horse
Brand X has been on the music circuit off and on since 1975, and they’re coming to the Iron Horse tonight. They’re “a multi-national jazz fusion band formed in London by the great Phil Collins and a couple of other blokes. They’ve recently...
Pick of the Day 5/7: Bob Schneider at the Iron Horse
Bob Schneider is a bona fide artist. Not only is this guy an award winning singer/songwriter, he’s a terrific visual artist, as well. The Dallas Morning News says of his musical stylings: Bob Schneider is “a musical omnivore eager to devour any genre that...
Valley Advocate Q&A with YouTube star and political song parodist Randy Rainbow
Randy Rainbow achieved Internet stardom with his series of political spoofs and song parodies satirizing mainstream media and conservative leaders such as Donald Trump through green screened mock interviews and now he’s set to bring his unique brand of song comedy to...
The Gaslight Tinkers on the Valley Advocate Sessions Stage
The Gaslight Tinkers perform traditional Celtic fiddle music mixed with Afrobeat, funk, reggae, and Latin grooves. Check out the band’s Advocate Sessions performance in the video below. Interview with The Gaslight Tinkers:
VIDEO: The Gaslight Tinkers on Valley Advocate Sessions Friday
The Gaslight Tinkers perform traditional Celtic fiddle music mixed with Afrobeat, funk, reggae, and Latin grooves. Check out a teaser video of the band’s Advocate Sessions performance, which will be online this Friday.
From the Palace to the Parlor Room: Celtic fiddler Jamie Laval on playing for Dave Matthews, Queen Elizabeth
American Celtic fiddler Jamie Laval is world renowned for his unique approach to traditional Scottish music by adding virtuosity and a contemporary ear to ancient reels or jigs. Laval will be performing in Western Massachusetts on Sunday, May 13 at the Parlor Room in...
Pick of the Day 4/28: OroborO, John Trudeau, Rebel Base, and Joy on Fire
Chris Goudreau is a music aficionado; he thinks this show at Hawks and Reed is a must see. He says, “It’s a night of awe inspiring, shredding, progressive bands this Saturday at Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center in Greenfield, including Amherst-based math...
Pick of the Day 4/29: Salt City Shakedown at the Stone Church in Brattleboro
Syracuse may be one of the dreariest cities in the union, but that doesn’t mean their music scene doesn’t have a few bright spots. Check out Salt City Shakedown, a three band tour featuring Sophistafunk, who combines spoken-word, old-school hip hop, and funky rhythms;...
Pick of the Day 4/27: Gaslight Tinkers at Hawks and Reed in Greenfield
This pick is like a nesting doll: My buddy and co-worker Meg Bantle gave the green light for The Gaslight Tinkers performing tonight at Hawks and Reed as her Staff Pick. Her pick is based on our buddy and co-worker Chris Goudreau’s description. Here’s how...
World Renowned Saxophonist and Valley resident Charles Neville dies at age 79
One of the brightest music stars in the Pioneer Valley and the world succumbed to pancreatic cancer. Saxophonist Charles Neville, age 79, passed away Thursday, April 26, at his home in Huntington. A member of the acclaimed Neville Brothers band, Charles...E-Edition
Best Of 2024
Readers Choice 2024
