As we transition from July into August, Berkshire County is bursting with live music. Tanglewood continues in full force, the Mahaiwe is hosting its annual gala featuring Samara Joy, the Bang on a Can Loud Weekend takes place at MASS MoCA, plus many local and regional favorites are performing at venues across the county. With 93 live music performances, there’s a diverse array of genres to enjoy, including classical, jazz, pop, rock, folk, blues, Broadway, and several family-friendly shows. Below are some highlights for the week ahead, followed by our comprehensive show rundown.
Classical and Opera
We have another strong week of classical music, with 19 performances on the calendar. We can’t cover them all, but we will touch on the highlights. The music starts Monday at noon with a Viola Duo concert at Saint John’s Episcopal Church in Williamstown, where violists Chad Higdon-Topaz and James Bergin will perform music by Leclair, Morley, Stamitz, Bartok, and Bergin. Also on Monday, you can listen to Stefan Asbury and the TMC Conducting Fellows conduct Zwilich, Mackey, Anderson, and León at Tanglewood.
Tuesday late afternoon, you can enjoy the Concert & Afternoon Tea featuring Seth Josel & Lucia Mense at Hevreh of Southern Berkshire in Great Barrington. They will perform Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque music by diverse composers such as Hildegard von Bingen, Bach, Handel, and Telemann on recorder, traverse flute, and guitar. Tuesday night, the Moonlight Sonatas Farewell Concert takes place at Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Great Barrington, wrapping up the Berkshire High Peaks Music Festival.
Wednesday offers two performances at Tanglewood. In the afternoon, listen to TLI Open Workshops: Toby Oft, trombone, and in the evening enjoy Tanglewood Recital Series: Kirill Gerstein, Joshua Bell, and Steven Isserlis, featuring works by Debussy, Ravel, Mehldau, and Fauré.
Thursday, you’ll find the Tanglewood Recital Series: Danish String Quartet, performing works by Schubert.
Friday features one of the more popular events at Tanglewood as the John Williams Film Night takes place. It will include a special celebration of Henry Mancini’s 100th birthday. The performance repeats again on Saturday night. Prior to the Friday performance, you can enjoy the Prelude Concert, performing works by Seeber, Coble, and Dvořák.
Saturday at Tanglewood, you can enjoy the Open Rehearsal for Sunday afternoon’s concert, or see the performers of the future at the BU Tanglewood Institute Young Artists Orchestra. In the evening before the second performance of the John Williams Film Night, you can enjoy the Prelude Concert where works by Schumann, Boulanger, Bonds, and Saariaho will be performed. You can also go listen to Eugene Drucker & Friends at Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Great Barrington. They will be performing works by Bach, Mozart, Haydn, and Brahms.
Sunday morning at Tanglewood, you’ll find TMC Chamber Music, featuring works by Beach, Lewis, Bach, Miro Johnson, and Beethoven, followed by another showcase of our future stars at the BU Tanglewood Institute Young Artists Wind Ensemble. In the afternoon, the featured performance is Alan Gilbert conducts an all-Beethoven program featuring Kirill Gerstein, Joshua Bell, and Steven Isserlis. Elsewhere, in the evening you can enjoy Aston Magna: English Extravaganza at St. James Place in Great Barrington, featuring works by Henry Purcell and John Eccles.
See our Something Else section for two other Tanglewood performances.
Jazz
We have nine jazz performances in the county this week. It all starts with Andy Wrba, Conor Meehan, and Benny Kohn hosting Monday Night Jazz at Pizzeria Boema in Lenox. On Tuesday, catch the Jazz Night with Paul Ostermayer and Friends at Tito’s Mexican Bar and Grill in Pittsfield.
Wednesday night, you’ll find the Benny Kohn Trio at The Lion’s Den in Stockbridge.
Thursday late afternoon, Jazz of the Gilded Age | Prima Music Foundation takes place at Ventfort Hall in Lenox, featuring George Michael on the saxophone and Michael Shirtz on the piano and vocals. Thursday early evening in Pittsfield, you’ll find Jazz in Persip Park with Rees Shad and The Conversations. In the evening, enjoy the Mahaiwe Gala featuring Samara Joy (pictured above), the Berkshire debut for the jazz sensation. Check out the interview with Samara Joy conducted by Berkshire Magazine Editor-in-Chief Anastasia Stanmeyer in our May/June issue.
Saturday afternoon, you can enjoy Jazz in Persip Park with the Peggy Stern Trio in Pittsfield. Sunday morning, chill out at the Domingo Brunch featuring duo David Bartley and Pete Toigo at Dottie’s in Pittsfield, or head down to the Jazz Brunch with Charlie Tokarz at Race Brook Lodge in Sheffield. Also in the afternoon, you’ll find JoAnne Redding and Benny Kohn at the First Congregational Church of Lee. Sunday evening, Michael Junkins and Friends perform at The Lion’s Den. This week, Michael features a very busy Benny Kohn on piano.
Popular (Rock, Pop, Folk, Blues, etc.)
This week, the popular music category has over 45 performances. We can’t highlight them all, but we will mention a few (see our calendar or show rundown below for all the performances).
The music starts with Music Mondays: Brother Sal Blues Band at the Berkshire Botanical Garden in Stockbridge. We saw Brother Sal there last summer, and had a blast – check out our short video from that performance on our Instagram page.
Tuesday night, catch indie-rockers Sun June w/Allie at Tourists in North Adams. The Austin-based band is making this stop as part of their East Coast tour.
Wednesday night, you have three outdoor concert options: Hale Mountain Band at Windsor Lake in North Adams, Happy Together at the Dalton CRA, and Wanda Houston and the HBH Band featuring Charlie Tokarz at Lilac Park in Lenox. Indoor options include The Wild Weeeds at the Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn in Lenox.
Thursday night, catch Katherine Winston & Micheal Aaron at The Lion’s Den in Stockbridge, or one of our favorite banjo players, Chris Merenda of The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow and Picky Bastards, at Dream Away Lodge in Becket.
Friday early evening, there are several local favorites performing: RJ Mccarty and his band at Catamount in South Egremont, the Wanda Houston Band outdoors at the Great Barrington Town Hall, Melissa Brinton at Bousquet in Pittsfield, Mr. Doubtfire at Hot Plate Brewing in Pittsfield as part of First Fridays at Five, followed by the First Fridays After Party with the Tap at Dottie’s and Dorothy’s. You’ll also find Berkshire Busk in downtown Great Barrington. Other options include the Singer/Songwriter Circle with Lance Cowan, Natalia Zukerman, and Rees Shad at Studio 9 in North Adams, Campfire Jams with Eli Elkus at Race Brook Lodge in Sheffield, folk artists Bobby Sweet w/Pete Adams & Lara Tupper at Dream Away Lodge in Becket, and Cantrip with its Scottish roots at The Stationery Factory in Dalton. We saw Cantrip at The Foundry last year and thoroughly enjoyed the show.
Saturday is an incredible day of music with 27 performances county-wide across all genres. Berkshire Busk continues in downtown Great Barrington in the afternoon and evening with another six musical performances – see our Music Calendar for a list of performers. Dead Heads will want to make their way to Fire on the Mountain outdoors at Bousquet in Pittsfield. Dead Man’s Waltz, which plays the music of the Grateful Dead, the Allman Brothers Band, and The Band will be joined by Legion of Jerry, Grateful Dread, and Kind Bud.
We have two other local favorites playing across the county: Melissa Brinton at the Dalton CRA and Evan Lanoue at The Lion’s Den in Stockbridge. Up in North Adams, you’ll find Studio 9 Presents: Saints & Liars, a Vermont-based Americana band. Down at The Egremont Barn, James Maddock with opener Jordan Weller performs. We saw James perform at the Barn last October and loved his performance, particularly his song “Lavender Blue” which you can watch on our Instagram page here. Over at The Guthrie Center, Cole Quest & The City Pickers perform, a bluegrass band led by the grandson of Woody Guthrie. Arone Dyer is at Race Brook Lodge in Sheffield, performing a paired-down re-contemplation of her most recent solo album with multi-instrumentalist Matthew Schrieber of Hinterlands. Footings, a rock band out of Peterborough, NH, is at Dream Away Lodge. Fans of Fleetwood Mac will want to head up to The Stationery Factory to see Wild Heart Tribute: Stevie Nicks & Fleetwood Mac.
Sunday early afternoon, you’ll find Christine Bilé at the First Congregational Church of Lee. On the Sunday afternoon “winery and brewery circuit,” you’ll find Greg Caproni at Antimony Brewing in Lenox, Paul Zarvis at Balderdash Cellars in Richmond, and Tony Lee Thomas in the Taproom at Bright Ideas Brewing in North Adams. Sunday late afternoon, Bobby Sweet kicks off the outdoor concert series at Washington Town Park, and Aimee Van Dyne performs at The Barn Kitchen and Bar in Williamstown.
Something Else
This week, we have seven performances in our Something Else category. Thursday night, Bang on a Can’s Loud Weekend commences at MASS MoCA in North Adams. It is a three-day eclectic mix of creative, experimental, and unusual music that continues through Sunday. Also on Thursday, you can listen to Raquy and Rami at Race Brook Lodge in Sheffield. They feature Darbuka drummer Raquy Danziger, who will showcase her dazzling finger techniques and be accompanied by percussionist Rami El Aasser.
Saturday morning, Terry ala Berry will be performing a children’s concert at the Great Barrington Town Hall. Another family performance is on Sunday morning at Tanglewood when they present TLI for Families: In collaboration with the Norman Rockwell Museum. Led by hip-hop and theater artist Baba Israel, this is a highly interactive performance designed to engage kids of all ages. On Sunday evening, you can see TLI Presents: Kirill Gerstein and HK Gruber perform Cabaret music from 1920s Berlin at Tanglewood, or check out Noah Aronson & His Powerhouse Band at the Duffin Theatre at Lenox High School. Aronson has been “creating and inspiring audiences in communities and summer camps around the world with his heartfelt and soulful music for the last twenty years.” You can also enjoy Massachusetts native and Tony Award-winning Broadway star Matt Doyle at the Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield.
You can read about all of these performances and more in our day-by-day show rundown below or jump right to our music calendar. Please note that our deadline for inclusion in the weekly narrative above and the day-by-day listing below is Wednesday at noon. Check our music calendar for shows we’ve added after our weekly publication deadline. Use the subscribe button below to receive this free weekly rundown of upcoming performances in your inbox each Monday. And if I missed a performance, please contact me, and I’ll add it to the calendar.
Monday
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Viola Duo concert @ Saint John’s Episcopal Church, Williamstown.
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm Music Mondays: Brother Sal Blues Band @ Berkshire Botanical Garden, Stockbridge.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Monday Night Jazz @ Pizzeria Boema, Lenox.
8:00 pm Stefan Asbury and the TMC Conducting Fellows conduct Zwilich, Mackey, Anderson, and León @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
Tuesday
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm Concert & Afternoon Tea featuring Seth Josel & Lucia Mense @ Hevreh of Southern Berkshire, Great Barrington.
5:30 pm – 8:30 pm Jazz Night with Paul Ostermayer and Friends @ Tito’s Mexican Bar and Grill, Pittsfield.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm John and Puggy @ Methuselah Bar & Lounge, Pittsfield.
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Happy Together Band @ Great Barrington VFW, Great Barrington.
7:30 pm – 9:30 pm Sun June w/Allie @ Tourists, North Adams.
7:30 pm – 9:00 pm Moonlight Sonatas Farewell Concert @ Bard College at Simon’s Rock, Great Barrington.
Wednesday
1:30 pm TLI Open Workshops: Toby Oft, trombone @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
6:30 pm – 9:30 pm Benny Kohn Trio @ The Lion’s Den, Stockbridge.
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm Hale Mountain Band @ Windsor Lake, North Adams.
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm Happy Together @ Dalton CRA, Dalton.
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm Wanda Houston and the HBH Band featuring Charlie Tokars @ Lilac Park, Lenox.
7:30 pm – 9:30 pm The Wild Weeeds @ Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn, Lenox.
8:00 pm Tanglewood Recital Series: Kirill Gerstein, Joshua Bell, and Steven Isserlis @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
Thursday
1:00 pm TLI Talks and Walks, featuring conductor Ken-David Masur @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm Jazz of the Gilded Age | Prima Music Foundation @ Ventfort Hall, Lenox.
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm Jazz in Persip Park with Rees Shad and The Conversations @ Persip Park, Pittsfield.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Live Music with Clara Guatta @ Tito’s Mexican Bar and Grill, Pittsfield.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Katherine Winston & Michael Aaron @ The Lion’s Den, Stockbridge.
7:30 pm – 10:00 pm Chris Merenda @ Dream Away Lodge, Becket.
7:30 pm – 5:00 pm Bang on a Can Summer Music Festival @ MASS MoCA, North Adams.
8:00 pm Tanglewood Recital Series: Danish String Quartet @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm DCSC: Raquy And Rami @ Race Brook Lodge, Sheffield.
8:00 pm Mahaiwe Gala featuring Samara Joy @ Mahaiwe, Great Barrington.
Friday
2:00 pm TLI The Art of Conducting: Alan Gilbert @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Banjo Pickin’ Gals @ Bidwell House Museum, Monterey.
5:00 pm – 8:30 pm RJ Mccarty and his band @ Catamount, South Egremont.
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm First Fridays at Five with Mr. Doubtfire @ Hot Plate Brewing Co, Pittsfield.
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm Mike Fabrizio @ Balderdash Cellars, Richmond.
5:30 pm – 7:15 pm WANDA HOUSTON BAND @ Great Barrington Town Hall, Great Barrington.
6:00 pm Prelude Concert @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Melissa Brinton @ Bousquet, Pittsfield.
6:30 pm – 10:00 pm Berkshire Busk @ Downtown Great Barrington, Great Barrington.
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm Berkshire Busk @ Downtown Great Barrington, Great Barrington.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Sam Brown @ The Lion’s Den, Stockbridge.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm First Fridays After Party with the Tap @ Dottie’s and Dorothy’s, Pittsfield.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Jon Berman @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox.
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Singer/Songwriter Circle with Lance Cowan, Natalia Zukerman, And Rees Shad @ Studio 9, North Adams.
7:30 pm – 9:30 pm Campfire Jams with Eli Elkus @ Race Brook Lodge, Sheffield.
7:30 pm – 9:30 pm Bobby Sweet w/Pete Adams & Lara Tupper @ Dream Away Lodge, Becket.
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm Cantrip @ The Stationery Factory, Dalton.
8:00 pm John Williams’ Film Night @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
Saturday
10:30 am Open Rehearsal: Alan Gilbert conducts an all-Beethoven program featuring Kirill Gerstein, Joshua Bell, and Steven Isserlis @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
10:30 am – 12:00 pm Terry ala Berry @ Great Barrington Town Hall, Great Barrington.
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm All Ten and John @ Balderdash Cellars, Richmond.
1:30 pm BU Tanglewood Institute Young Artists Orchestra @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm Jazz in Persip Park with the Peggy Stern Trio @ Persip Park, Pittsfield.
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Berkshire Busk @ Downtown Great Barrington, Great Barrington.
2:30 pm TLI Presents: “Black Voices in Cabaret – Josephine Baker” @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
3:00 pm – 10:30 pm Fire on the Mountain Jam @ Bousquet, Pittsfield.
5:00 pm Eugene Drucker & Friends @ Bard College at Simon’s Rock, Great Barrington.
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm Sky Full of Dippers @ Balderdash Cellars, Richmond.
6:00 pm Prelude Concert @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
6:30 pm – 10:00 pm Berkshire Busk @ Downtown Great Barrington, Great Barrington.
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm Melissa Brinton @ Dalton CRA, Dalton.
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm Berkshire Busk @ Downtown Great Barrington, Great Barrington.
6:30 pm – 7:30 pm Bunnybrains, Nod, Michael Slyne at the shop @ Belltower Records, North Adams.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Kollin Kozlowski @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox.
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm TomKat @ Firehouse Cafe & Bistro, Adams.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Evan Lanoue @ The Lion’s Den, Stockbridge.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Studio 9 Presents: Saints & Liars @ Studio 9, North Adams.
7:30 pm – 10:30 pm James Maddock with opener Jordan Weller @ Egremont Barn, South Egremont.
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm Cole Quest & The City Pickers Live at The Guthrie Center @ Guthrie Center, Great Barrington.
8:00 pm John Williams’ Film Night @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm Footings @ Dream Away Lodge, Becket.
8:00 pm – 11:00 pm All Over the Map @ Locker Room Sports Pub, Lee.
8:00 pm – 10:30 pm Wild Heart Tribute: Stevie Nicks & Fleetwood Mac @ The Stationery Factory, Dalton.
8:00 pm – 11:00 pm Arone Dyer: Arone x s t a r g a z e @ Race Brook Lodge, Sheffield.
9:00 pm – 11:59 pm Cobblestone Road @ Knox Trail Inn, East Otis.
Sunday
10:00 am – 12:00 pm Domingo Brunch featuring duo David Bartley and Pete Toigo @ Dottie’s and Dorothy’s, Pittsfield.
10:00 am TMC Chamber Music @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
10:30 am TLI for Families: In collaboration with the Norman Rockwell Museum @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
12:00 pm – 3:00 pm Greg Caproni @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox.
12:00 pm – 3:00 pm Jazz Brunch with Charlie Tokarz @ Race Brook Lodge, Sheffield.
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm Christine Bilé @ First Congregational Church of Lee, Lee.
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm JoAnne Redding and Benny Kohn @ First Congregational Church of Lee, Lee.
1:30 pm BU Tanglewood Institute Young Artists Wind Ensemble @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm Paul Zarvis @ Balderdash Cellars, Richmond.
2:30 pm Alan Gilbert conducts an all-Beethoven program featuring Kirill Gerstein, Joshua Bell, and Steven Isserlis @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm Taproom Music: Tony Lee Thomas @ Bright Ideas Brewing, North Adams.
4:00 pm Bobby Sweet @ Washington Town Park, Washington.
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm Aimee Van Dyne @ The Barn Kitchen and Bar, Williamstown.
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm ASTON MAGNA: ENGLISH EXTRAVAGANZA @ St. James Place, Great Barrington.
6:30 pm – 9:30 pm Michael Junkins and Friends @ The Lion’s Den, Stockbridge.
7:00 pm TLI Presents: Kirill Gerstein and HK Gruber perform Cabaret music from 1920s Berlin @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
7:30 pm – 9:30 pm Noah Aronson & His Powerhouse Band @ Duffin Theatre, Lenox.
8:00 pm Matt Doyle @ Barrington Stage Company, Pittsfield.
Please get out and support your local musicians and venues!
— Mark @ Music in the Berkshires