Brutal? No, beautiful: Holyoke artist Michael Karmody has found beauty — and a decent living — in concrete creations
By Samuel Gelinas Staff Writer Artist Michael Karmody knows a hard truth about concrete — that it is often associated with sidewalks and jails, not attractive things. But, serious question. What does concrete actually look like? For Karmody, the only serious answer...
‘If you can hit one note and hit it hard’: Western Mass Sacred Harp singers ready for biggest annual event
By CAROLYN BROWN Staff Writer On Saturday, March 8, and Sunday, March 9, the Western Massachusetts Sacred Harp Community (WMSHC) will host their biggest annual event, the Western Massachusetts Sacred Harp Convention, at Bombyx Center for Arts & Equity in Florence...
‘There’s a majesty to grief’: Poet and UMass professor Peter Gizzi wins prestigious 2024 T.S. Eliot Prize for Poetry
By CAROLYN BROWN Staff Writer Peter Gizzi, professor of poetry at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, recently won the 2024 T.S. Eliot Prize for Poetry, one of the world’s most prestigious poetry awards. Gizzi’s book “Fierce Elegy” beat nearly 200 other...
Wheely funny: Chuckling Charlie Comedy Bus brings laughter through Northampton
By CAROLYN BROWN Staff Writer All the world’s a stage — but for two local comedians, their stage is a green and black bus. The Chuckling Charlie Comedy Bus, the creation of Northampton comedian and comedy producer Tim Lovett, has brought laughter to locals since last...
Artwork from the ashes: Heather Maloney’s new album, ‘Exploding Star,’ was almost too personal to share
By CAROLYN BROWN Staff Writer Heather Maloney almost didn’t release her upcoming album, “Exploding Star,” to the public. An album born of grief and loss was too raw, too personal, to go public, she felt, so she kept it for herself. But when her closest friends and...
Bluegrass lovers, rejoice: Monthly CitySpace Bluegrass jam session starts Feb. 1
By CAROLYN BROWN Staff Writer Bluegrass music (like this reporter) is native to the American South, but starting next week, it’ll have a new home here in the Valley. CitySpace in Easthampton will host CitySpace Bluegrass, a new monthly bluegrass jam session for...
‘The road to hell starts with good intentions’: New opera tells the story of Northampton’s notorious revivalist preacher, Jonathan Edwards
By CAROLYN BROWN Staff Writer Jonathan Edwards, one of Northampton’s most famous residents, was a revolutionary preacher whose legacy has endured through centuries. He was the first minister in Northampton to baptize African Americans, yet he did not free those he...
Looking into the depth: Works by the late artist Daniel Feldman to be exhibited at Gallery A3 in Amherst
By CAROLYN BROWN Staff Writer The late artist Daniel Feldman died in November at the age of 67, a few months before an exhibition of 14 of his works at Gallery A3 in Amherst was slated to open. When that exhibition, “Depth Be Depth,” opens on Thursday, Feb. 6, it will...
Knowledge is power, period: Turners Falls menstrual cycle educator offers holistic approach to pelvic health
By ERIN-LEIGH HOFFMAN Staff Writer To Julia Demillones Moore, knowledge about periods is power. Moore, who goes by “Julia Moon Beam” online, is a menstrual cycle educator and a pelvic steam practitioner from Turners Falls. Through her two businesses, Wise Gal Period...
Can’t take that away from me: With Jan. 20 on the horizon, the Queer Joy Collaborative sings, dances and fights for its life
By MELISSA KAREN SANCES For the Valley Advocate Glitter. Sparkle. Bedazzle. Shine. When Mara Levi and Nova Wehman-Brown started dreaming of a Winter Ball, these four words came to mind. The executive director and the board president of the Queer Joy...
The future is bright … and weightless: An eye-opening exploration of everything and nothing at a spa in Easthampton
By Bob Flaherty For the Valley Advocate My journey. Where it begins and ends I have no idea. I do know that I could use some healing along the way, I’m just not sure what it is I have. Although, yes, I am acutely aware of my mousetrap nervous system and my constantly...
Sessions
Check out our most recent performances in the playlist below, or click here to dig into interviews and related material!
O, Cannabis! How to Taste the Nuances of Marijuana Like a Pro
We’re on the road of cannabis no longer being thought of as some seedy contraband in a sandwich bag tossed through a car window to potheads, but a varied, quality — and dare I say, refined — hobby. With the ability to purchase and grow identified strains with known THC and other compound levels, weed smokers can zero-in on the buds they like and sample the best of what’s around.
Can you smell where I’m going with this? Weed tastings, ya’ll!
Mixtape: Bucket list concerts: Big names on tour this summer
By Jennifer Levesque For the Valley Advocate Everyone should have a bucket list of concerts they want to go to before, ya know, the end — artists you’ve been in love with since you can remember, or just for the ‘Wow, I can't believe I saw them’ factor. If live music...
V-Spot: Are Condoms Even Good?
Condoms are… good when we’re good at using them.
Staff Picks: Leafies, Lucy Wainwright Roche, farm stories, and Kimaya Diggs
They are poised to release their first album, Off Off Off Broadway, this weekend on the Flex Stage at 33 Hawley St. in Northampton.
The Beerhunter: Roadtrip to The Hudson Valley
On your own journey, consider stopping in at nearby Chatham Brewing, or at Crossroads Brewing Company in Athens. Wander further south to Hudson Valley Brewery in Beacon, or choose the more northerly route through Rare Form Brewing Company and Brown’s Brewing Company in Troy, or the several brewpubs in Albany. When it comes to road trips, it’s important to choose your own adventure.
Stagestruck: Coming Back to Live – Theaters took to the stage again this year, cautiously and creatively
After the spring, summer, fall and winter of our discontent — not to mention fear, frustration and isolation — this year area theaters tentatively, and often inventively, stepped onstage again. The sense of determination by performers and audiences alike to get back to live-in-person was unmistakable, along with the sheer joy of being back together.
