Vinyl addict since 1984: A review of two vinyls: J Prozac’s “Obsession” and Oh He Dead’s “Ugly”
By Jennifer Levesque For the Valley Advocate After a show in Rhode Island, I once told Thom Yorke (Radiohead, The Smile) that he was my antidepressant. “Good. I’m easier to come off on,” he said, then paused and smirked, “Oh that didn’t come out good, if you know what...
Reviving a local treasure: Parlor Room raising renovation funds to fix up Iron Horse Music Hall; reopening set for May 1
By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL Staff Writer When Chris Freeman was in eighth grade, his father took him to the Iron Horse Music Hall for his first concert at the venue, where he was immediately entranced by the atmosphere, sitting at one of the tables by the wall plastered...
Weed Utopia
By ROBIN GOLDSTEIN For the Advocate Weed Utopia is not a specific set of rules for growing weed or government policies. It is a patchwork of places and moments in history when weed has elevated the amount of love between people in the world, often against all odds....
Monte Belmonte Wines: Vivacious effervescence: Champagne in essence
By MONTE BELMONTE For the Advocate Dom Pérignon, the Benedictine monk, did not invent Champagne. But if you’ve seen his commercials with Lady Gaga, he will be happy to charge you $250 or more a bottle for it. Champagne is, first, a place. A place which our monk...
Theater Matters with Jarice Hanson: Holiday favorites blend old and new traditions
By JARICE HANSON For the Advocate For theater aficionados December has been rich with holiday performances that run the gamut from musical reviews to the classics, and occasionally, campy reminders that the holidays bring out the child in all of us. This year, three...
Think before you click: Center for Mindfulness Photography in Easthampton teaches a new view of yourself in the world
By MADDIE FABIAN Staff Writer It was a cold and icy winter day when Amy Thompson accidentally locked herself out of the house, with nothing but her phone and time to spare — not an uncommon tale. But rather than becoming frustrated with herself for wasting 40 minutes...
Best Bites: Laissez les bon temps rouler: Gombo’s Creole and Cajun cuisine greatly improves the flavor of downtown Northampton
By ROBIN GOLDSTEIN For the Advocate In New Orleans — the sultriest, eeriest, prettiest and drunkest city in America — filigree balconies dangle from creaky old mansions painted in blazing colors. Inside, on every block, their kitchens burst with the blazing flavors of...
Jump for joy: The Lindy League of Western Massachusetts makes swing dance accessible and fun
By MELISSA KAREN SANCES For the Advocate As snow mingles with rain this Tuesday evening, the door to Spare Time Northampton is cool to the touch. But inside the bowling alley’s City Sports Grille, the cracks of falling pins fade into the warm pulse of swing music. The...
Rooms of their own: New exhibit at Springfield Museums celebrates 200-plus years of work by a broad range of women artists
By STEVE PFARRER Staff Writer Paintings that date to the early 1800s. Native American crafts and textiles from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Depression-era photographs and ones taken just a few years ago. A quilt that offers interesting commentary on a pop...
Bridging a gap of understanding: Month-long visual arts and performance festival, “A Stone’s Throw,” examines the experiences of military veterans and their families
By STEVE PFARRER Staff Writer Though she was too young to understand many details at the time, Mollye Maxner remembers the Vietnam War had a profound effect on her family. Her father, Steve Maxner, served as a combat medic in the war and endured emotional turmoil from...
The Alternative Pioneers: Founders spill the tea as the Valley Advocate turns 50
By BOB FLAHERTY For the Advocate If it was just that hippie rag, as detractors liked to rank it, well we hippie ragamuffins devoured it front to back. It spoke our language, the F-laden part included, and it was as underground as the music we toked to. But we soon...
Sessions
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Peter J. Newland on the Valley Advocate Sessions Stage
This week’s Advocate Sessions performer is blues/ rock singer and songwriter Peter J. Newland (of legendary Valley-based band FAT).
The V-Spot: My Libido’s Got the Post-Birth Blues
What parts of sex help you feel most connected, Mama? Is it the pillowtalk afterwards? The intimacy and flirting before?
Get Out with Valley Advocate Staff Picks: Beatles Open Mic, Elton John Tribute, and 500 Years discussion
The open mic is a benefit for the Northampton Community Music Center and will feature more than two dozen performers playing through the extensive Beatles repertoire from the classics to the more obscure Beatles tunes.
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Stagestruck: Curtain Up on Stage 3
While most theaters in our area remain closed, others are looking past Zoom for ways to offer in-person performances. Last week, as I was thinking about this tipping point between lockdown and relaunch, I got an unexpected invitation.











