News
by Amanda Drane | Nov 16, 2015 | Articles, Food + Booze, News
When Caroline McDaniel opened ConVino ten months ago, she says she was still waiting on her beverage manager to arrive from California. A month and a half later, it became clear they weren’t coming. In a day wrought with stress over her wine bar’s management hole, she...
by Amanda Drane | Nov 16, 2015 | Articles, News, Scene Here
AMANDA DRANE PHOTO The holiday spirit arrives a bit early at Easthampton’s Keep Cottage Street Lit event at the Brass Cat. On this recent Wednesday night, the packed pub is a unified wall of happy noise as revelers clutch stemless, child-sized glasses and mill around...
by Kristin Palpini | Nov 16, 2015 | Articles, Arts, Music, News
Dark Star Orchestra, a Grateful Dead cover band that plays the Dead’s concerts instead of their albums will be in Northampton Tuesday. Dark Star, Nov. 24, 8 p.m. $27.50. Calvin Theatre, 19 King St., Northampton, (413) 586-8686.
by Hunter Styles | Nov 16, 2015 | Articles, Arts, Columns, Featured, Food + Booze, News, The Beerhunter
As the Advocate’s resident Beerhunter, my reportage on the art of the local craft brew has taken me up and down the Pioneer Valley, with the occasional stop in Brattleboro, Boston, and beyond. But there’s one big region on the Western Mass beer map that I’d been...
by Hunter Styles | Nov 9, 2015 | Articles, Local Elections 2015, News
In the weeks leading up to the Nov. 3 election, the Advocate asked the mayoral candidates of Holyoke, Chicopee, Springfield, West Springfield, Westfield, and Greenfield to share their thoughts on schools, the budget, taxes, and the environment. This week, we called...
by Amanda Drane | Nov 9, 2015 | Articles, Food + Booze, News, Wellness
Ashley Christian makes one trip to the grocery store every month; it’s a carefully coordinated and premeditated affair. She needs to buy foods that will still be edible at the end of the month, which means fresh fruits and vegetables are mostly out and frozen or...
by Kristin Palpini | Nov 9, 2015 | Articles, Arts, News
Imo Nse Imeh Ten Little Nigger Girls Art for the Soul Gallery, Tower Square, 1500 Main St., Springfield Imo Nse Imeh’s exhibit takes the wind out of visitors before they even enter the gallery. Most people will likely have a difficult time uttering the exhibit’s name....
by Advocate Staff | Nov 11, 2015 | Articles, Arts, Get Out With Staff Picks, Leisure, Music, News
Bo Burnham at the Calvin • Sunday Bo Burnham turned heads five years ago when, at 20 (he looked 16) he cracked up crowds of all ages with his self-deprecating, oft-dirty, and clever music-based comedy. On Sunday, he makes his way to his native Massachusetts for an 8...
by Kristin Palpini | Nov 9, 2015 | Articles, Between the Lines, News
So far in 2015, 965 people have been killed by U.S. police. A disproportionate number of those people are black, Hispanic or Latino; almost all are male. The causes of the deaths range from being shot by police to being hit by a police vehicle to dying — somehow — in...
by From Our Readers | Nov 9, 2015 | Articles, Letters from our Readers, News
Drowning in craft beer Dear well-intentioned, creatively-spirited, entrepreneurial-minded, mechanically-gifted, young white men, Please refrain from moving forward with your impending craft brewery project, as we here in the Valley have gone well beyond the number of...
by Chuck Shepherd | Nov 9, 2015 | Articles, News, News of the Weird
A 2015 decision of the Georgia Supreme Court has created a puzzle for drunk driver enforcement. In Georgia, and other states, blood alcohol tests are “voluntary” to bypass; meaning drivers can’t be forced, or even pressured, to endure a test that ultimately helps to...
by Amanda Drane | Nov 9, 2015 | Articles, Columns, Food + Booze, Madame Barfly, News
Nothing tastes like fall more than a pumpkin martini, unless it’s a pumpkin martini with a bone marrow bar snack. The Federal fine dining restaurant and pub in Agawam serves such tasty treats, but with an $11 price tag on the cocktail “Son of a Pumpkin” I was...
by Kristin Palpini | Nov 9, 2015 | Articles, Arts, Featured, News
Laura Radwell began to paint in the late ’80s and over the years has continued to explore various media: traditional oil painting, sculpture, calligraphy, and photography. The origin of her photo-based art is digital, a result of a familiarity and understanding of...
by Kristin Palpini | Nov 9, 2015 | Articles, Arts, News
This exhibit presents unique works of art from traditional Mayan villages in Guatemala. These paintings depict scenes such as harvesting crops, food markets, ceremonies and nature that are an integral part of the daily life and culture of these communities. Mayan Art,...
by Chris Rohmann | Nov 9, 2015 | Articles, Arts, News, Stage
John Sheldon is tired. Tired, he says, “of seeing how we treat each other, how we treat ourselves, how we treat our planet.” He’s embarked on a Journey to the Center of the Earth — “the place where everything intersects, where life really comes from.” His vehicle for...
by Kristin Palpini | Nov 9, 2015 | Articles, Arts, Film, News
A night of short films from local independent filmmakers, including the world premiere of horror short Girl In The Basement by Jared Skolnick. Here’s the line up: The Answer also by Skolnick — One of the oldest questions is settled. Protesters by Marty Lang — An...
by Kristin Palpini | Nov 9, 2015 | Articles, Featured, News, Scene Here
Photo by Greg Saulmon Motivated by hunger and a bit of sport, the peregrine falcon searches for a high perch from which she can keep a sharp lookout for prey. Her favorite meals are pigeons, ducks, and shorebirds, but in the lush Pioneer Valley any kind of medium-size...
by From Our Readers | Nov 3, 2015 | Letters from our Readers, News
Sedaris, for mature audiences only I was hoping to see a review or a letter or two in the Oct. 22-28 issue of the Valley Advocate regarding David Sedaris’ performance on Oct. 13 at The Academy of Music. I had seen him twice before, but this program was different in...
by Amanda Drane | Nov 5, 2015 | Get Out With Staff Picks, News, Uncategorized
Mass Appeal 2 • Saturday At this 413 Battle League event, it’s every Massachusetts man for himself — the event’s headline rap battles, Massachusetts vs. Everyone, pit Mass MCs against out-of-state rivals. As if watching these lyrical engineers fight to outwit and...
by Kristin Palpini | Nov 3, 2015 | Arts, News, Uncategorized
Military veterans aren’t always open to sharing their war stories with a public that can’t possibly comprehend what it’s like to be in a foreign land, with a gun, an enemy, and a mission. So when people who have given a portion of their lives to protecting the nation...
by Chuck Shepherd | Nov 3, 2015 | News, News of the Weird
Poor Little Rich Guys Among those struggling with psychological issues in modern America are the rich “one-percenters” — especially the mega-rich “one-percent of one-percenters” — according to counselors specializing in assuaging guilt and moderating class hatred....
by Kristin Palpini | Nov 3, 2015 | Between the Lines, News
We can debate whether there is an ongoing war on women, but the irrefutable fact is that issues important to women are being considered and laws are being created without much input from the ladies. The 2015 Congress is 80 percent men. Would abortion coverage be under...
by Kristin Palpini | Nov 3, 2015 | Arts, News
CiderDays This weekend venues across Franklin County will be celebrating apple cider with tastings, demos, and workshops. With more than 50 events — most of which are free — it’s enough to keep you busy. Some of the schedule’s highlights are: an orchard ride at Pine...
by Amanda Drane | Nov 3, 2015 | Articles, Featured, News
Erving Police Chief Chris Blair said that during his first day with a new body camera and a new policy making them mandatory for on-duty officers, an incident arose during which he was stoked to be so equipped. While out on a call, Blair said he was trying to wrangle...
by Amanda Drane | Nov 3, 2015 | Articles, Arts, Featured, News
In front of a full crowd and three-piece band, a woman in a 1950s party dress, with her bangs curled and wearing bright red lipstick, wails on the mic. She’s like a Stepford wife gone rogue. This is Mandy Pachios, frontwoman and founding member of jazzy, funky...
by Amanda Drane | Nov 3, 2015 | News, Scene Here
AMANDA DRANE PHOTO A third of all the food that’s produced in the U.S. goes to waste, Jessica Harwood tells the 14 young gleaning helpers at Atkins Farm. Standing in a circle on a mild mid-afternoon, the children take turns offering up first names and their thoughts...
by Hunter Styles | Oct 26, 2015 | Columns, Food + Booze, News, The Beerhunter
In 1923, when The New York Times asked George Mallory why he wanted to climb Mount Everest, the adventurer quipped: “Because it’s there.” That’s not the most promising mantra to cling to — Mallory perished on the mountain the following year — but I fear it’s one that...
by Hunter Styles | Nov 3, 2015 | MGM Springfield Casino coverage, News, Uncategorized
Hooh, boy. It’s been a roller coaster ride for MGM Springfield over the past few weeks, replete with rejiggered construction timelines, changed plans, and urgent backroom meetings with the mayor’s office. Here are our greatest hits on the casino playlist this week:...
by Advocate Staff | Oct 27, 2015 | Arts, Get Out With Staff Picks, News
Halloween Student Pole Showcase — Saturday Seeing Barre & Pole owner Tekla Kostek and her students perform sweet pole tricks and burlesque routines means you won’t have to choose between Trick or Treat. In addition to Halloween-themed numbers, the event also...
by Amanda Drane | Oct 26, 2015 | Blogs, News, The Uncanny Valley
After my colleague Hunter Styles dispelled the myth that the characters in the Scooby Doo TV series were based on the academic personalities of the Valley’s Five Colleges, my attention should have immediately turned to another legend passed on to me when I was a wee...
by Micky Bedell | Oct 26, 2015 | News, Scene Here
A devil dances along the lane of Avenue A in Turners Falls. She’s joined by a witch, whose laughter breaks through the crowd in the purest delight. Through the droves of people a young princess pushes her small hands into a large pile of pumpkin guts. A tiny Jedi is...
by Jeffrey Good | Oct 26, 2015 | Between the Lines, News
Since my father died just shy of his 80th birthday, I’ve visited his grave only a few times. My mother finds comfort in sitting on the nearby granite bench, listening to the small planes come and go from a nearby airport and communing with her husband of more than...
by Amanda Drane | Nov 3, 2015 | News, Third Eye Roaming, Wellness
While in the throes of the dog days, it’s difficult to imagine willingly exposing oneself to a 105-degree room with 40 percent humidity. But now, as the temperatures drop and bodies start hunching inwards in the self-protective pursuit of warmth, yogis of the Valley...
by Kristin Palpini | Oct 26, 2015 | Letters from our Readers, News
Stop animal cruelty in Massachusetts Animals in factory farms often spend their entire lives cruelly confined in spaces so small that they cannot extend their limbs or stand up. This is not only inhumane but it is also unsanitary and unhealthy for people who consume...
by Advocate Staff | Oct 26, 2015 | Arts, News, Uncategorized
Through November 28th, the Forest Park Gallery is showing an exhibit by Dr. Gloria Caballer-Arce, a local artist and retired educator. The exhibit, Astonishing Inspirations, features work defined by geometric shapes, lines, and intense colors. The opening reception,...
by Connolly Ryan | Nov 3, 2015 | Arts, Letters from our Readers, News
On the bus to Northampton from Amherst, I was sitting across from an old man with the wrecked blue eyes of a sunken mariner. Eyes so wet and blue and seen-through as any screen-door of the Deep South ever was, that to be caught looking into them was to be trapped in...
by Jennifer Levesque | Oct 26, 2015 | Arts, News, Uncategorized
This Halloween, get your costumes ready and head over to the Iron Horse for the Annual Halloween Bones Shakedown with DJs LeFox (Sugar Biscuit) & Hip Sockit (Pollinate). It’s a dance party with prizes, so to win, you gotta DANCE! A night of costumed attendees and...
by Photos and story by Amanda
Drane | Oct 26, 2015 | Food + Booze, News
For Valley foodies, Maria Moreno’s alfajores — Chilean cookies made with dulce de leche inside — are a novelty bought in local markets. But for Moreno’s two-year-old daughter, Olivia, they’re a daily staple. Inside Moreno’s home kitchen in Easthampton, where Moreno...
by Kristin Palpini | Oct 26, 2015 | Arts, News, Uncategorized
On Thursday, the anonymous feminist activist group Guerrilla Girls will be holding a public talk at Smith College, including a live performance conveying the story of the group’s activism and creative work, in order to discuss sexism and racism in the arts. The talk...
by Jack Brown | Oct 26, 2015 | Articles, Arts, Cinemadope, Columns, Film, News
There’s been a lot of talk lately about the upcoming reboot to the Ghostbusters franchise. Director Paul Feig’s (Bridesmaids) 2016 release is a female-centered take on the story that stars Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy as a pair of old friends who are thrown...
by Jennifer Levesque | Oct 26, 2015 | News
The message here needs no explanation. I am a war tax resister, and this was my fourth and last tattoo from Saved Tattoo in Brooklyn, NY. (right) — Tom Wilson, Shelburne Falls My favorite Disney movie is The Little Mermaid, so that’s the reason why I decided to do...
by Advocate Staff | Oct 26, 2015 | Arts, Music, News, Uncategorized
On Friday, UMass Amherst Fine Arts Center welcomes five-time Grammy winner Dianne Reeves. The jazz singer, accompanied by an award-winning quintet, is on tour performing work from her first new album in five years, “Life is Beautiful,” including covers of Bob Marley,...
by Advocate Staff | Oct 26, 2015 | Arts, Film, News, Uncategorized
Friday, the Bing Arts Center will host a costume party to accompany a screening of the vampire mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows (rated R). The film, which stars Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi, and Jonathan Brugh, follows the adventures of four vampires who live...
by Gary Carra | Oct 26, 2015 | Articles, Arts, Columns, Music, News, Nightcrawler
While new wave icon Howard Jones’ Nov. 4 Iron Horse show will be engaging, it will not be Engage, the crowd-funded multimedia project he recently performed in London, LA, and New York that includes interactive smartphone apps for audience members, specially...
by Chuck Shepherd | Oct 26, 2015 | News, News of the Weird
In October, a Harvard University debate team — three-time recent champions of the American Parliamentary Debate Association — lost a match to a team of prisoners from the maximum-security Eastern New York Correctional Facility. Prison debaters “are held to the exact...
by Hunter Styles | Oct 26, 2015 | Articles, Featured, Local Elections 2015, News
This year, the Advocate is covering the Valley’s mayoral races a little differently. We’ve asked each candidate the same four questions, which we hope will provoke thoughtful and illuminating answers — with a little editing for length and clarity. This week we quizzed...
by Amanda Drane | Oct 26, 2015 | Arts, News, Uncategorized
On Halloween, Carl and Martin Bridge — the brothers behind Janus Arts — will transform Gateway City Arts into a kaleidoscopic wonderland for the third year running. Swirling specters and luminous skeletons will abound as a host of musicians and DJs drop bone-rattling...
by Hunter Styles | Oct 26, 2015 | Articles, Featured, Local Elections 2015, News
This year’s mayoral race in Springfield is between incumbent Domenic Sarno, 52, who took office in 2008 and is currently in his third term, and Salvatore “Sal” Circosta, 30, the former owner of Sal’s Bakery and Cafe, who ran unsuccessfully for City Council in 2013....
by Amanda Drane | Oct 21, 2015 | Arts, Get Out With Staff Picks, Music, News
Llama Lasagne’s Ladies Night • Oct. 29 Local band Llama Lasagne — a conglomeration of musicians from The Mary Jane Jones, Alchemystics, and more — is hosting a Ladies Night event at the Depot at Union Station in Northampton. A portion of Ladies Night ticket sales will...
by Amanda Drane | Oct 19, 2015 | Articles, Arts, Featured, Scene Here, Uncategorized
AMANDA DRANE PHOTO The Mary Jane Jones kicks off the night of comedy and lingerie at One Bar and Grill in Northampton with several soulful love songs. Eyes closed, lead singer Mandy Pachios growls a velvet reverie. A shot girl in a form-fitting, black nightgown with a...
by Kristin Palpini | Oct 19, 2015 | Arts, News
This is a tattoo done by Tim Senecal at Off the Map completed January 2015. It is an autism representation for my son. The humming birds are piecing together morning glory flowers with an eagle watching above giving strength and guidance. — Julie Turgeon, Holyoke I...
by Emily Atkinson | Oct 19, 2015 | Arts, News
College students are well known for their recklessness, and occasionally that recklessness ends in tragedy. Imagine a group of young women. Frolicking together outside on their college campus. One of them trips and falls into a pillar outside a building under...
by Hunter Styles | Oct 19, 2015 | Articles, Featured, News
This year, the Advocate is covering the Valley’s mayoral races a little differently. We’ve asked each candidate the same four questions, which we hope will provoke thoughtful and illuminating answers — with a little editing for length and clarity. This week we quizzed...
by Kristin Palpini | Oct 19, 2015 | Food + Booze, News, Taste-Off!
Cider is a great fall treat that’s sadly been smothered by the wave of pumpkin spice that overtakes New England when the leaves start to change. Tart, tangy, sweet, a punch of apple to the taste buds, the underappreciated cider is a robust beverage that truly deserves...
by Kristin Palpini | Oct 19, 2015 | Between the Lines, Uncategorized
For as long as they’ve been around, charter schools have been a controversial topic in education. But the federal government has the power to settle this beef once and for all: Stop pitting schools against each other for funding and provide all schools with adequate...
by Kristin Palpini | Oct 19, 2015 | Arts, News
For the tenth year in a row, the dead will rise and go drinking in downtown Northampton. The Zombie Pubcrawl is going down Saturday night starting at 6 p.m. at Sam’s Pizza. More than 1,000 of the undead on Facebook have said they plan to don their most scraggly,...
by Amanda Drane and Hunter Styles; Photos by Amanda Drane | Oct 19, 2015 | Articles, Featured, News
When the railroad tracks that run through the Valley were improved for heavy freight trains and passenger rail service, people were excited about the potential of ditching their cars and using the train to get up and down the Valley, taking it to work or to a show and...
by Advocate Staff | Oct 19, 2015 | Articles, Arts, Featured, Food + Booze, News
Greenfield doesn’t get the same attention for being an arts and cultural center like Northampton, Amherst or Springfield, but we’d like to help change that perception. There’s a lot to love about this town and not just for its obvious attributes: Greenfield’s...
by Kristin Palpini | Oct 19, 2015 | Arts, News
Can a bunch of bound-up garbage be art? Hell yeah. Steven Siegel has been making this point for years. The artist is famed for amassing garbage from the sea, landfills, and illegal dumps and turning the detritus into something to be admired and abhorred. While his...
by Kristin Palpini | Oct 19, 2015 | Letters from our Readers, News
Baby-killing clinics don’t deserve support Editor Kristin Palpini says, “Abortion isn’t the murder of a baby” (Between the Lines: Defund cancer screenings? Oct. 1-7, 2015). Excuse me? Of course it is. What a despicable sentiment! Planned Parenthood is in the business...
