Revamped and revisited: Two older releases shine again in a brand new light
By Jennifer Levesque For the Valley Advocate Kaspar Hauser Live at Zone Art Center, Springfield, MA 4-24-1982 A few months ago I received a CD in the mail from Georgia. I ended up putting it aside for far too long. I already had a lineup of reviews to...
A toast to tranquility: Supporting farmers, winemakers from Ukraine with spirits from State Street
By Monte Belmonte For the Valley Advocate Perhaps Christmastime still has enough magic in it that small gestures toward peace can make us believe that peace is possible. And if that small gesture is drinking wine, count me in. Max Hastings in his book Catastrophe...
Rio Contrada’s debut film ‘Splinter’ screening in Northampton benefits local mental health services
By CAROLYN BROWN For the Valley Advocate Though filmmaker Rio Contrada no longer lives in Florence, he’s got plenty of love for his hometown — and he’ll be showing it off when he brings his debut feature-length film back to the Valley next week. Contrada will screen...
‘I have enjoyed it all, truly’: Academy of Music’s Debra J’Anthony announces her retirement
By CAROLYN BROWNFor the Valley Advocate After 18 years at the helm of the Academy of Music, executive director Debra J’Anthony has announced her retirement. J’Anthony started in her role at the Academy of Music in March of 2008. Her previous role was executive...
Longtime manager becoming owner of three Turn It Up! music stores
By ERIN-LEIGH HOFFMAN For the Valley Advocate MONTAGUE — As Turn It Up! approaches its 30th anniversary, the music store is falling into the hands of a new, but not unfamiliar, owner. Founders Patrick Pezzati and Chandra Hancock are selling the business, which has...
‘An act of faith’: Amherst Area Gospel Choir returns after 2-year hiatus
By MELISSA KAREN SANCESFor the Valley Advocate After two years of silence, the voices of the the Amherst Area Gospel Choir will rise again. On Saturday, Dec. 13, the group will present the Black Gospel Christmas Story at the Wesley Methodist Church in Hadley. The...
Traditional Irish band Socks in the Frying Pan brings high-energy music to Northampton
By CAROLYN BROWNFor the Valley Advocate Socks in the Frying Pan, the high-spirited, traditional music-playing trio from County Clare, Ireland, known for combining virtuosic musicianship with humor and charm and fervor for their roots, will soon grace the Iron Horse...
‘Wicked’ gown: Holyoke designer’s Dorothy-inspired dress stuns at New York City premiere
By CAROLYN BROWN For the Advocate A dress designed in Holyoke recently made its way to the New York City premiere of “Wicked: For Good.” Fashion designer Joseph Charles, who co-owns Paper City Fabrics in Holyoke, created a dress for “Oz” collector and historian Tori...
Reaching for the stars: Thirteen-year-old Florence singer Victoria Narvaez shines with new song
By Carolyn Brown For the Valley Advocate Thirteen-year-old Victoria Narvaez of Florence knows she’s a star — and she has a new song to prove it. Narvaez released her debut single, “I’m A Star,” at a listening party at her family’s business, Goodworks Coffee House in...
Art imitates life: ‘Swamped,’ a play bridging social divides, to be performed in Hadley
By Domenic Poli For the Valley Advocate Those who missed the theatrical debut of “Swamped,” the new play written and directed by Wendell resident Court Dorsey, at the Wendell Meetinghouse in October can see it be performed in December in Hadley. “Swamped” centers...
Dancing with yourself: Madelyn Farr’s class empowers sensuality, self-expression in older adults
By CAROLYN BROWN For the Advocate When daily life seems to be speeding up, who wouldn’t love to learn “how to embrace the nuances of our experience, the beautiful and the ugly, with grace and reverence?” Or share a “cathartic experience of transcendence” in a safe and...
Sessions
Check out our most recent performances in the playlist below, or click here to dig into interviews and related material!
Bank bails on Mass cannabis businesses
“We had to jump through some hoops to show that we are a political advocacy group, not engaged in the cannabis industry,” Bernard said.
‘I have enjoyed it all, truly’: Academy of Music’s Debra J’Anthony announces her retirement
By CAROLYN BROWNFor the Valley Advocate After 18 years at the helm of the Academy of Music, executive director Debra J’Anthony has announced her retirement. J’Anthony started in her role at the Academy of Music in March of 2008. Her previous role was executive...
V-Spot: Kinky and Platonic?
My partner is adamant that the kink community is only about hooking up for sex. She refuses to believe that relationships in the community can be non-physical.
Time to swing: Jazz drummer and South Hadley native Joe Farnsworth returns to the Valley for a concert honoring his idol, Max Roach
By STEVE PFARRER Staff Writer Joe Farnsworth was 10 or 11 when he got the chance to meet a drumming legend: Max Roach. It was at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, in 1979, where Roach taught. Farnsworth, who grew up in South Hadley, remembers how one of his...
The Beerhunter: The Art of the Basement Brewpub
“We generally do classic styles with a little bit of a twist on them,” says Crane, who spent more than three years developing beer recipes with Whalen before Shire Breu-Hous opened.
Stagestruck: Black Plays Matter
2020’s Summer of Rage following the murder of George Floyd gave rise to much soul-searching in many areas of American society, including the theater community. Some of the fruits were on view this summer.
