The weather has been hot here in The Berkshires, and so has the live music scene, and this coming week looks to be more of the same. We have over 78 (!!!) live music performances to choose from this week, an incredible array of great live music all across Berkshire County, including classical, jazz, rock, pop, folk, African, hip hop – and even a hardcore band from Denver!
With so many shows, we attempted to streamline our show rundown this week, opting for a simple listing versus the narrative approach we’ve used in the past. Let us know what you think of this streamlined format. Before you dive into the show rundown, here are a few highlights:
The Tanglewood classical season is now fully underway after a beautiful opening night on Friday in which we were dazzled by pianist Daniil Trifonov. Across its multiple venues, Tanglewood has eight classical shows to choose from. Perhaps the highlight is Sunday afternoon’s performance: Andris Nelsons conducts Beethoven and Orff’s Carmina burana. Neo-classical piano prodigy BLKBOK (pronounced “Black Bach”) performs at MASS MoCA on Saturday. Also on Saturday, you can listen to Aston Magna: Baroque Celebration I at St. James Place.
This week also brings several national touring musicians to the county. On Thursday, you can see Liz Longley at The Stationery Factory (pictured above) – with special guest local favorite Billy Keane. Also on Thursday, Grammy Award-winning trumpeter and composer Chris Botti performs at Mahaiwe. Eliot Lewis, formerly of the Daryl Hall & John Oates band and The Average White Band, makes a stop at The Lion’s Den on Friday.
Jazz lovers have many opportunities to catch jazz in the usual places, but there are three noteworthy jazz performances. On Wednesday, jazz drummer and composer Makaya McCraven performs at The Clark Art Institute. On Saturday, the LuluFest Lenox Jazz Festival is at Shakespeare & Company, featuring three women-led bands: Mary Ann McSweeney’s Urban Fado Project, the Peggy Stern Quartet, and Grammy-nominated jazz violinist Sara Caswell and her band. And finally, on Sunday at St. James place, you can catch Jazz & Classics for Change, featuring Grammy-nominee Anat Cohen and Marcello Goncalves.
You can read about all of these performances and more in our weekly show rundown below, our jump right to our music calendar. Use the subscribe button below to receive this weekly rundown of upcoming performances in your inbox.
Monday
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm Tendai Muparutsa at The Barn Kitchen & Bar, Williamstown. Tendai is Artist in Residence in African Music Performance at Williams College. Listen here.
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm Misty Blues at Berkshire Botanical Garden, Stockbridge. Blues. Listen here.
7:00 pm Melanie Glenn at Greylock Works, North Adams. Moxie Monday Nights. Folk. Listen here.
8:00 pm Andris Nelsons and the TMC conducting fellows conduct Ravel, Stravinsky, and Debussy at Tanglewood, Lenox.
Tuesday
No performances on Tuesday. Rest up for Wednesday!
Wednesday
5:30 pm – 7:15 pm Moonshine Holler outdoors at Great Barrington Town Hall, Great Barrington. Folk, old-time country. Listen here.
5:30 pm – 9:00 pm David Reed at The Oasis Bar & Grill in Lee. Folk, blues, reggae. Listen here.
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Makaya McCraven outdoors at The Clark Art Institute, Williamstown. Jazz drummer and composer. Listen here.
6:30 pm The Berkshire Jazz Quartet outdoors at Lilac Park, Lenox. Jazz.
6:30 pm Bluesday Night outdoors at Windsor Lake, North Adams. Blues, rock, R&B. Listen here.
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm Happy Together outdoors at Dalton CRA, Dalton.
6:30 pm – 9:30 pm Tim Ward Trio at The Lions Den, Stockbridge. Jazz.
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Johnny Irion and US Elevator at Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn, Lenox. Rock. Listen here.
Thursday
6:00 pm Hot Plate goes Hardcore at Hot Plate Brewing Co, Pittsfield. Hard-core Alt-punk Destiny Bond from Denver, CO, along with special guests Jealous Mind, Sunbloc, Robbery, and Cutlass. Listen here.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Kathryn Anderson & Benny Kohn at Gateways Inn, Lenox. Jazz.
6:00 pm – 10:00 pm Lea Thomas at The Chalet at MASS MoCA, North Adams. Indie-folk-pop. Listen here.
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Brother Sal Blues Band at Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn, Lenox. Chicago-style blues. Listen here.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm DCSC: Sandy Baily at Race Brook Lodge, Sheffield. Folk-Americana. Listen here.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm The Hold On Honeys at The Lions Den, Stockbridge. Indie folk minimalist vocal trio. Listen here.
7:30 pm – 9:00 pm The Lentils at Dream Away Lodge, Becket. Rock, pop. Listen here.
7:30 pm – 10:30 pm Liz Longley wsg Billy Keane at The Stationery Factory, Dalton. Rock, pop. Listen here.
7:30 pm – 10:30 pm An evening with STL GLD & Jackson Whalan at Egremont Barn, South Egremont. Hip Hop. Listen here.
8:00 pm Chris Botti at Mahaiwe, Great Barrington. Grammy Award-winning master trumpeter and composer. Listen here.
8:00 pm Julia Bullock, soprano at Tanglewood Ozawa Hall, Lenox. Julia Bullock, classical singer, John Arida, piano. Program to include songs by Schubert, Wolf, Weill, Billie Holiday, and Nina Simone.
9:00 pm – 11:30 pm Lina Tulgren at Dream Away Lodge, Becket. Listen here.
Friday
4:30 pm Sister Funk at Catamount, South Egremont. Rock-country, folk-pop. Listen here.
5:30 pm – 7:15 pm Lucky Bucket Band outdoors at Great Barrington Town Hall, Great Barrington.
6:00 pm Scott Salvia at Knox Trail Inn, East Otis.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Dave Brown at Bousquet, Pittsfield.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Suzi Stern Quintet at Gateways Inn, Lenox. Jazz.
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm Berkshire Busk outdoors at Downtown Great Barrington. Performances include Eli Elkus, Naomi, Ryan Leddick, and Eric Bascom & Ted Levin.
7:00 pm RJ McCarty at Berkshire Palate, Pittsfield. Folk-Americana. Listen here.
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Johnny Irion and US Elevator at Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn, Lenox. Rock. Listen here.
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Jon Berman at Miraval Berkshires, Lenox. Beach-Americana. Listen here.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Eliot Lewis from Hall and Oates Band at The Lions Den, Stockbridge. Rock. Listen here.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Brian Benlien at Rusty Anchor Pub, Pittsfield.
7:30 pm Duo Nouveau at The Foundry, West Stockbridge. Classical, flamenco, and jazz. Listen here.
7:30 pm – 10:30 pm Glori Wilder at Egremont Barn, South Egremont. R&B, soul, and pop singer-songwriter. Listen here.
7:30 pm – 11:00 pm Sam Lardner & Barcelona at Race Brook Lodge, Sheffield.
8:00 pm Two Pianos: Who Could Ask for Anything More? At Tanglewood, Lenox. Keith Lockhart, conductor Michael Feinstein, vocalist and piano Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano.
8:00 pm – 11:00 pm Adelaide Punkin at Antimony Brewing, Lenox. Rock, pop, folk. Listen here.
8:00 pm – 9:30 pm EDT at Dream Away Lodge, Becket. Listen here.
9:30 pm – 11:00 pm Nova One at Dream Away Lodge, Becket. Listen here.
Saturday
10:30 am Open Rehearsal: Andris Nelsons conducts Beethoven and Orff’s Carmina burana at Tanglewood, Lenox.
12:00 pm – 4:00 pm Berkstock Food and Music Festival at Christ Trinity Church, Sheffield.
1:30 pm Boston University Tanglewood Institute Young Artists Orchestra at Tanglewood, Lenox.
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Berkshire Busk Downtown Great Barrington. Music features Warren Sieme at Robin’s Candy.
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm Locals at the Lunder: Jeanines and bobbie at The Clark Art Institute, Williamstown. Indie-pop. Listen here.
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Aston Magna: Baroque Celebration I at St. James Place, Great Barrington.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Karen Tchougourian at Gateways Inn, Lenox. Jazz.
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm Berkshire Busk outdoors in Downtown Great Barrington. Performances include Quiet Houses, Natalie Lewis, Rick and Marilyn.
6:30 pm – 10:00 pm Berkshire Busk outdoors in Downtown Great Barrington. Main Stage music performances include Garrin Benfield.
7:00 pm LuluFest Lenox Jazz Festival Shakespeare & Company, Lenox. Featuring three women-led bands: Mary Ann McSweeney’s Urban Fado Project, the Peggy Stern Quartet, and Grammy-nominated jazz violinist Sara Caswell and her band.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm All Over the Map at Rusty Anchor Pub, Pittsfield. Brad Licht and Zoltan Nemeth from the band SHYNE .
7:30 pm – 10:30 pm Sample The Cat at The Foundry, West Stockbridge. Soulful Rock. Listen here.
7:30 pm – 10:30 pm Wanda Houston Band at Egremont Barn, South Egremont. Rock, R&B, jazz. Listen here.
8:00 pm Andris Nelsons conducts Mozart’s Così fan tutte at Tanglewood, Lenox.
8:00 pm BLKBOK at MASS MoCA, North Adams. Neo-classical piano prodigy BLKBOK (pronounced “Black Bach”). Listen here.
8:00 pm The Slambovian Circus of Dreams at Guthrie Center, Great Barrington. SOLD OUT.
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm Milton at Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn, Lenox. Rock, folk, blues, jazz. Read our Featured Musician article on Milton.
8:00 pm – 11:00 pm Elizabeth & the Catapult at Antimony Brewing, Lenox. Listen here.
8:00 pm – 11:30 pm Damn Tall Buildings at Dream Away Lodge, Becket. Bluegrass. Listen here.
8:30 pm Mr. Doubtfire Rocks the Knox! At Knox Trail Inn, East Otis. Punk, Alternative rock. Listen here.
Sunday
10:00 am TMC Chamber Music at Tanglewood, Lenox.
10:00 am – 12:00 pm Domingo Brunch featuring Chantell at Dottie’s Coffee Lounge, Pittsfield.
12:00 pm – 3:00 pm Jazz Brunch with Bobby MacVeety at Race Brook Lodge, Sheffield.
12:30 pm – 2:30 pm Dominic Cucinotti & Kilishandra Band outdoors at First Congregational Church of Lee, Lee.
1:30 pm BU Tanglewood Institute Young Artists Wind Ensemble at Tanglewood, Lenox.
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm Melissa Brinton at Antimony Brewing, Lenox. Rock, pop, folk. Listen here.
2:30 pm Andris Nelsons conducts Beethoven and Orff’s Carmina burana at Tanglewood, Lenox.
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm Jack Waldheim outdoors at Dalton CRA, Dalton. Folk, rock, Americana. Listen here.
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm Jazz & Classics for Change: Anat Cohen & Marcello Goncalves at St. James Place, Great Barrington. Listen to them on The Tiny Desk here.
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm David Clark Carroll at Bright Ideas Brewing, North Adams. Bluegrass. Listen here.
4:30 pm – 5:30 pm Eric Arn, Glenn Jones, Zoots Houston at Belltower Records, North Adams.
6:30 pm – 9:30 pm Micheal Junkins & Friends at The Lions Den, Stockbridge. Jazz.
7:00 pm Tae & The Neighborly at Studio 9, North Adams. Soul-pop R&B. Listen here.
7:30 pm – 9:00 pm Darren Jesse (of Ben Folds 5) at Dream Away Lodge, Becket. Rock. Listen here.
8:00 pm TMC Vocal Music at Tanglewood, Lenox.
8:00 pm – 9:30 pm Scott Hirsch at Tourists, North Adams. Rock. Listen here.
That’s our performance rundown for the week of July 10. We hope you’ll get out at least once this week to take advantage of the incredibly rich array of live music we have in The Berkshires!
— Mark @ Music in the Berkshires