Music in the Berkshires: Week of September 11

As I researched the bands and performers for the show rundown for the second week of September, I kept saying to myself, “Oh! I’d like to see them!” again and again. There is an abundance of great live music in The Berkshires again this week, with 56 performances across multiple genres, including jazz, classical, rock, pop, folk, and blues. Below are a few highlights, followed by the full show rundown. But before moving on, if you’ve not already done so, please subscribe to our free weekly Show Rundown to receive this content in your inbox each Monday – plus, you’ll receive exclusive information not found on our website or social media pages about recently announced shows and hot tickets. Subscribing also shows our supporters how much you value Music in the Berkshires.

It’s a huge jazz week, anchored by the Lenox Jazz Stroll, taking place Friday evening and Saturday. It kicks off Friday night with the Peggy Stern Trio at Gateways Inn. On Saturday afternoon in Lilac Park, you can catch The Lucky Five, Wanda Houston, the Michael Junkins Group, and headliner the Scott Robinson Quartet. During the evening, you’ll find the Benny Kohn Trio at Pizzeria Boema and the Ted Rosenthal Trio back at Gateways Inn. All events are free; reservations are encouraged for the events hosted at Pizzeria Boema and Gateways Inn.

Backing up a bit, there is more great jazz before the Stroll. Wednesday, you’ll find the Jason Ennis Trio at The Lions Den in Stockbridge. Thursday, you can catch the Jazz Jam with Luke Franco at Dewey Hall in Sheffield or show off your moves at a Swing Dance Night with the Don Mikkelsen Quartet at Berkshire Palate in Pittsfield. Jazz continues after the Lenox Stroll on Sunday, when Susan Dillard and David Bartley perform at Dottie’s Coffee Lounge in Pittsfield. Or catch the Jazz Brunch with Chad McLoughlin at Race Brook Lodge in Sheffield. Closing out the weekend, you’ll find Michael Junkins and Friends at The Lions Den in Stockbridge.

For classical lovers, you’ve got just one option on our calendar this week: Lich Gate Concerts in the Park at Sheffield Town Park on Sunday afternoon. You’ll hear works for string quartet by Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Astor Piazzolla, Jessie Montgomery, and Johannes Brahms. And don’t fret – I just added many classical performances to our music calendar for the coming months.

The rest of the performances fall loosely into the popular music category. Monday night, you can catch a rescheduled performance of the African rock group Zikina at Berkshire Botanical Garden. Local favorite Misty Blues is performing at portaVia in Dalton on Wednesday and then again at the Egremont Barn on Saturday. Thursday, you’ll find indie-folk-rockers Bird Streets at the Lion’s Den and local favorite Hot Sauce at Egremont Barn.

Friday night has many great shows. The Band of Heathens (pictured above) performs at The Stationery Factory in Dalton. Jordan Weller and the Feathers are back again at the Egremont Barn – they performed there this spring after a multi-year hiatus and found an adoring crowd who danced like there was no tomorrow (we were among those folks).  Bird Streets performs again Friday at the Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn, this time joined by Lisa Michelle Anderson. And last week’s featured musician, Billy Keane, performs at Dream Away Lodge in Becket, one week after releasing his new album Oh, These Days. 

Saturday also has many great choices. Dana Fuchs brings her blend of Southern rock, soul, roots, and blues to The Stationery Factory, while folk troubadour Tom Chapin (brother to Harry) performs at the Guthrie Center. Chatham Rabbits, from North Carolina, bring their unique blend of traditional folk, country, and bluegrass (aka old-time music) to the Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn. This is one stop on their current tour that includes The Egg (Albany), Club Passim (Cambridge), and AmericanaFest (Nashville). The Outcrops play at The Lions Den in Stockbridge – we saw them there in April and really enjoyed hearing their blend of rock, blues, funk, and soul. And if you love Motown, then you won’t want to miss Motor City Fever: A Musical Celebration of Motown at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield.

Sunday evening, The Clark Art Institute in Williamstown is hosting Senseless Optimism & Wendy Eisenberg in partnership with Belltower Records. And indie folk, pop, and rocker Dan Strauss performs at Dream Away Lodge in Becket. 

You can read about all of these performances and more in our weekly show rundown below or jump right to our music calendar. 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.

5:30 pm – 7:30 pm Zikina at Berkshire Botanical Garden, Stockbridge. African Rock. Learn more and listen here.

No performances. Rest up for Wednesday night!

4:00 pm – 8:00 pm Reggae Wednesday Pool Club With Berkshire Ska Orchestra at Race Brook Lodge, Sheffield.

5:15 pm – 9:00 pm Erik Erikson at Oasis Bar and Grill, Lee.

6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Misty Blues at portaVia, Dalton. Blues. Learn more and listen here.

6:30 pm – 9:30 pm Jason Ennis Trio at The Lions Den, Stockbridge. Learn more about Jason here.

5:15 pm – 9:00 pm Melissa Brinton at Oasis Bar and Grill, Lee. Learn more and listen here.

6:30 pm Jazz Jam with Luke Franco at Dewey Hall, Sheffield.

7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Evan Lanoue at Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn, Lenox.  Rock, Pop. Learn more and listen here.

7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Austin Honig at Firehouse Cafe & Bistro, Adams.

7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Swing Dance Night @ Berkshire Palate w/s/g Don Mikkelsen Quartet at Berkshire Palate, Pittsfield.

7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Tom Savoy at Antimony Brewing, Lenox. Learn more and listen here.

7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Bird Streets at The Lions Den, Stockbridge. Indie, Rock, Folk. Learn more and listen here.

7:00 pm – 10:00 pm DCSC: Kazimi at Race Brook Lodge, Sheffield. Listen here.

7:30 pm – 10:00 pm Hot Sauce at Egremont Barn, South Egremont. Rock, Funk.

5:15 pm – 9:00 pm David Reed at Oasis Bar and Grill, Lee. Learn more and listen here.

6:00 pm – 9:00 pm John Nalepa at Bousquet, Pittsfield.

6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Lenox Jazz Stroll: Kickoff Concert with Peggy Stern Trio at Gateways Inn, Lenox. Learn more and listen to Peggy here.

6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Melissa Brinton at Knox Trail Inn, East Otis. Learn more and listen here.

7:00 pm Emo Night feat. Sinking, Arms Like Roses, Every Branch, Velveteen at Hot Plate Brewing Co, Pittsfield.

7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Jon Berman at Miraval Berkshires, Lenox.

7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Canna Provisions Presents Live Music at The Locker Room Featuring Sky Full of Dippers at Locker Room Sports Pub, Lee.

7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Katherine Winston and Michael Aaron at The Lions Den, Stockbridge. Folk, Pop, Rock. Learn more and listen to Michael here.  Learn more and listen to Katherine here.

7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Les Chrostowsky at Rusty Anchor Pub, Pittsfield.

7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Dippers, Sky Furrows, Luxor Rentals at Belltower Records, North Adams.

7:30 pm – 10:30 pm The Band of Heathens at The Stationery Factory, Dalton. Rock. Learn more and listen here.

7:30 pm – 10:30 pm Jordan Weller and The Feathers at Egremont Barn, South Egremont. Rock, Funk. 

7:30 pm – 11:00 pm Special Evening featuring Bird Streets & Lisa Michelle Anderson at Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn, Lenox. Learn more and listen to Bird Streets here. Learn more and listen to Lisa Michelle here.

8:00 pm – 11:00 pm Adelaide Punkin at Antimony Brewing, Lenox.  Learn more and listen here.

8:00 pm – 11:30 pm Billy Keane at Dream Away Lodge, Becket. Indie Rock, Americana. See our interview with Billy here. Learn more and listen here.

1:00 pm – 6:00 pm Lenox Jazz Stroll at Lilac Park, Lenox. Performances by The Lucky Five, Wanda Houston, the Michael Junkins Group, and headliner the Scott Robinson Quartet.

4:00 pm Lich Gate Concerts in the Park at Sheffield Town Park, Sheffield. Classical.

5:15 pm – 9:00 pm David Reed at Oasis Bar and Grill, Lee. Learn more and listen here.

6:00 pm Dave Brown at Sloane’s Tavern, Lenox.

6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Micah Stone at Bousquet, Pittsfield.

6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Lenox Jazz Stroll: Benny Kohn Trio at Pizzeria Boema, Lenox.

6:00 pm – 9:00 pm The Mike’s at Mt. Greylock Campsite Park, Lanesborough.

7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Ronnie Morris at Firehouse Cafe & Bistro, Adams.

7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Chatham Rabbits at Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn, Lenox. Folk, Country, Bluegrass. Learn more and listen here.

7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Canna Provisions Presents Live Music at The Locker Room Featuring Brian Benlein at Locker Room Sports Pub, Lee.

7:00 pm – 10:00 pm The Outcrops at The Lions Den, Stockbridge. Rock, Blues, Funk, Soul. Learn more and listen here.

7:00 pm – 10:00 pm One for One at Rusty Anchor Pub, Pittsfield.

7:30 pm Motor City Fever: A Musical Celebration of Motown at Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield.

7:30 pm – 9:00 pm Lenox Jazz Stroll: Ted Rosenthal Trio at Gateways Inn, Lenox. Learn more and listen here.

7:30 pm – 10:30 pm Misty Blues at Egremont Barn, South Egremont. Blues. Learn more and listen here.

8:00 pm Tom Chapin at Guthrie Center, Great Barrington. Folk. Learn more and listen here.

8:00 pm Rock 201 at Knox Trail Inn, East Otis.

8:00 pm – 9:30 pm Dana Fuchs at The Stationery Factory, Dalton. Southern Rock, Soul, Roots, Blues. Learn more and listen here.

8:00 pm – 10:30 pm Ciarra Fragale and Molly Parden at Dream Away Lodge, Becket. Learn more and listen to Ciarra here. Learn more and listen to Molly here.

8:00 pm – 11:00 pm Steve Adams & the Tangled Party at Antimony Brewing, Lenox.

10:00 am – 12:00 pm Domingo Brunch featuring vocalist Susan Dillard with David Bartley, piano at Dottie’s Coffee Lounge, Pittsfield. Jazz. Learn more and listen to Susan and David here.

12:00 pm – 3:00 pm Jazz Brunch with Chad McLoughlin at Race Brook Lodge, Sheffield. Learn more and listen here.

12:00 pm – 3:00 pm The Juckets at Pizzeria Boema, Lenox.

4:00 pm – 6:00 pm Taproom Music: Nate Goyette at Bright Ideas Brewing, North Adams. Learn more and listen here.

5:00 pm – 6:30 pm Senseless Optimism & Wendy Eisenberg at The Clark Art Institute, Williamstown. Learn more and listen to Senseless Optimism here. Learn more and listen to Wendy here.

6:30 pm – 9:30 pm Michael Junkins and Friends at The Lions Den, Stockbridge. Jazz. Learn more and listen here.

7:00 pm – 9:30 pm Dan Strauss at Dream Away Lodge, Becket. Indie-folk, Country, Pop, Rock. Learn more and listen here.

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That’s our performance rundown for the week of September 11. It’s a great week of live music in The Berkshires – get out there and enjoy it!

— Mark @ Music in the Berkshires