An Amherst man’s quest to become the world’s biggest Ant-Man fan?
By Bob Flaherty For the Valley Advocate "Hi. My name is Aaron Damon-Rush and I’m attempting to set a Guinness World record.” Thus, a young Amherst man publicly states his case. Damon-Rush, 26, aims to set a record for the most memorabilia related to Ant-Man and the...
The V-Spot with Yana Tallon-Hicks: My boyfriend worked for evil. Should we break up?
By Yana Tallon-Hicks For the Valley Advocate Dear Yana, My boyfriend (“Tim”) knowingly violated a red-line boundary of mine by accepting a job at a particularly Evil Company. As a result, we've been on a break. They've apologized and have since left that...
Mixtape: Time to make the music: Local icons, Donut Kings celebrate 40 years of making music
By Jennifer Levesque For the Valley Advocate Celebrating a 40th anniversary of any kind is a huge milestone in life. When it comes to an artistic form, there’s typically a slew of work to look back on and enjoy. For the Donut Kings, they have over 10 studio albums, a...
‘Love is not a fact; it’s faith’: Local band Pretty Killer follows a singer’s journey from addiction to recovery
Editor's note: The following piece includes candid depictions of substance use and addiction that may be triggering for some readers. Reader discretion is advised. By Melissa Karen Sances For the Valley Advocate In the spring of 2013 at an empty sober house in Boston,...
‘It was a surreal experience’: Documentary made about Greenfield man recording at Abbey Road Studios after contest win
By Domenic Poli Staff Writer A dream came true last year for Jamie Manning when he spent two days recording an original song in England after winning a competition that garnered 5,500 entries from — one could say — here, there and everywhere. The Greenfield resident...
‘The imagination is endless’: New exhibit at Forbes Library showcases creativity through fiber arts
By Carolyn Brown Staff Writer It is rare to encounter a gigantic stuffed snake in a library, but a new exhibition makes it possible, showcasing the creature alongside other works crafted from scraps and repurposed fiber materials. The Fiberistas’ exhibition, “Bits and...
Monte Belmonte Wines: Rosé by any other name
“That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” I’ll take some poetic license with ol’ Will Shakespeare: “That which we call a rosé by any other name would smell as sweet.” But here’s the thing: rosés aren’t always sweet, either in smell or in...
Academy of Music launches accessibility initiatives, fundraising campaign
By Carolyn Brown For the Valley Advocate The Academy of Music recently launched two initiatives to make performances more accessible to guests with disabilities: a capital campaign to raise money for an assisted listening system, and a partnership with Valley Eye...
Connecting on a different level: Playfighting class in Florence helps participants shed inhibitions and build strength
By Carolyn Brown For the Valley Advocate On a recent Saturday morning in Florence, two friends were arguing over who would be the first to hug the other. “I’m gonna hug you, bro!” said Aaron Cantor. “I’m gonna hug you, bro!” said Joseph Goldin. The friends were...
Director shares how travel restrictions are impacting Green River Festival lineup
By Sheryl Hunter For the Valley Advocate The lineup of the 2026 Green River Festival is evolving in the wake of international travel restrictions implemented by the Trump administration. DSP Shows recently announced that Nigerien band Etran de L’Aïr and Colombian...
‘Like a little side trip to Fantasyland’: Folk-blues singer-songwriter Chris Smither celebrates Oscar win with cast and crew of ‘The Singers’
By Carolyn Brown For the Valley Advocate Acclaimed folk-blues singer-songwriter Chris Smither, who lives in Amherst, never expected to be cast in a Netflix movie — and he certainly never expected to be part of a project that won an Oscar. “It’s pretty special, all the...
Sessions
Check out our most recent performances in the playlist below, or click here to dig into interviews and related material!
O Cannabis: Swapping bongs to benefit the Holyoke Creative Arts Center
“This is a way to get people together who are cannabis friendly people and now that we have this new law that we’re legal to use marijuana in this state, it just seemed to me to be just a cool event to put together,” Sherry said.
‘Love is not a fact; it’s faith’: Local band Pretty Killer follows a singer’s journey from addiction to recovery
Editor's note: The following piece includes candid depictions of substance use and addiction that may be triggering for some readers. Reader discretion is advised. By Melissa Karen Sances For the Valley Advocate In the spring of 2013 at an empty sober house in Boston,...
The V-Spot with Yana Tallon-Hicks: I’m Threatened By My Girlfriend’s Masturbation Habits
Hey Yana, I’ve been in a serious relationship for almost two years now and am only now feeling strong flare-ups of intense insecurity around sex. My partner and I have been having sex every day at least once a day, if not two or three, consistently for the...
Best Bites: Ordering off the kid’s menu: 9-year-old budding food critic shares his top 15 places to eat
By AZAI DUGGER and ROBIN GOLDSTEIN For the Advocate Note from Robin Goldstein: For this column, I asked my 9-year-old nephew and co-author Azai Dugger to choose his favorite restaurants and briefly describe each one — the same task as I undertook for my last Gazette...
Beerhunter: A conversation with the ‘bros’ keeping tabs on all of Massachusetts’ 200 breweries
It’ll probably be 201 by the time you finish reading.
Stagestruck: Becomings
In the Valley this weekend and next, there’s a show in which a man becomes a woman, one in which a man becomes a feminist, and a few more that feature (mostly) women who promise to become hilarious.
