We continue to have an abundance of great live music in The Berkshires again this week, with the Freshgrass Festival being the centerpiece for the upcoming weekend. We have 50 performances (84 if you count each performance at FreshGrass!) across multiple genres, including bluegrass, rock, pop, punk, folk, blues, jazz, and classical. 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.
The FreshGrass Festival of Roots music takes place Friday evening through Sunday afternoon at MASS MoCA in North Adams. There are 35 different performances, with headliners including Dropkick Murphys Acoustic (Saturday), Lukas Nelson + Potr (Sunday), Sierra Ferrell (Friday), Rhiannon Giddens (Sunday, pictured above), The Devil Makes Three (Friday), Aoife O’Donovan (Saturday), and Allison Russell (Friday). I’m particularly excited to see Rhiannon Giddens again, who we saw last year at Tanglewood as part of the Silk Road Ensemble.
If FreshGrass is not in your plans, there is plenty of other popular music to choose from. Local favorite Misty Blues is performing at portaVia in Dalton on Wednesday as part of their month-long residency. Thursday, local rock and pop musician Evan Lanoue performs at the Ostrich Room at The Apple Tree Inn in Lenox, while experimental artist John Snyder is at Race Brook Lodge in Sheffield. Also, I’m pleased to see that the Calliope Cafe, hosted by retired teacher Mark Franklin, returns to The Stationery Factory in Dalton. Calliope Cafe is a free monthly “open mic” for high school students in Berkshire County to showcase their talents. Come out to support our next generation of musical talent in The Berkshires.
Friday night, you can catch local favorite Wanda Houston at The Lions Den in Stockbridge, while another local favorite, the BTU’s, performs at Egremont Barn, with Music in the Berkshires Featured Musician Steve Ide on guitar. They perform again Saturday night at the Guthrie Center.
Speaking of the Guthrie Center, the Black Legacy Project Album Release Show is at Guthrie Center on Friday night. The Black Legacy Project is a musical celebration of Black history to advance racial solidarity, equity, and belonging. It is a national project produced by the Berkshire-born Music in Common, a nonprofit organization that strengthens, empowers, and connects communities through the universal language.
Milton, another Music in the Berkshires Featured Musician, performs at the Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn in Lenox on Friday, while Bobby Sweet with Pete Adams and Lara Tupper play at Dream Away Lodge in Becket. If you are into Bon Jovi, then you won’t want to miss Don Jovi, the Bon Jovi tribute band, at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield.
Saturday night is another full night of music, including folks singer-songwriter Willy Welch, who wrote “Right Field,” recorded first by Peter, Paul & Mary. He is at Dewey Hall in Sheffield. Jake Manzi is at The Lions Den in Stockbridge, while folksinger, banjo player, and wandering musician Norma Dream performs at The Foundry in West Stockbridge. Journey fans won’t want to miss The Ultimate Journey Experience by Legend at The Stationery Factory in Dalton. And wrapping up the popular music rundown, you can catch the folk-goth cabaret group Charming Disaster at The Foundry in West Stockbridge.
Jazz lovers will find another jam-packed week of jazz in The Berkshires. Wednesday, you’ll find the Don Mikkelson Trio at The Lions Den in Stockbridge. Friday, Sonoro, who blends Latin, jazz, and classical music, performs at The Foundry in West Stockbridge, while you will find Karen Tchougourian at Gateways Inn in Lenox both Friday and Saturday nights. Sunday has three jazz opportunities, including the Domingo Brunch featuring the Richard Stanmeyer Trio at Dottie’s Coffee Lounge in Pittsfield, a Jazz Brunch with Tristan Geary at Race Brook Lodge in Sheffield, and later in the day, Michael Junkins and Friends at The Lions Den in Stockbridge.
For classical lovers, you’ve got just one option on our calendar this week: On Saturday afternoon Wincenc – Nikkanen – Asteriadou: Trio Calore will perform works by Jacques Ibert, Franz Doppler, Bohuslav Martinu, J.S. Bach, and others at the New Marlborough Meeting House.
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.
Monday
No performances.
Tuesday
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Pogo at Methuselah Bar & Lounge, Pittsfield.
Wednesday
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 Misty Blues at portaVia, Dalton. Learn more and listen here.
6:30 pm – 9:30 pm Don Mikkelson Trio at The Lions Den, Stockbridge
Thursday
5:15 pm – 9:00 pm Melissa Brinton at Oasis Bar and Grill, Lee. Learn more and listen here.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Mary Ann Palermo Trio at PortaVia for Prix Fixe Special Dinner and Special Fundraiser for CRA at portaVia, Dalton. Learn more and listen here.
7:00 pm Code Blue at Berkshire Palate, Pittsfield.
7:00 pm dB & the Hertz at Hot Plate Brewing Co, Pittsfield.
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 Calliope Cafe hosted by Mark Franklin at The Stationery Factory, Dalton. Read our story about Calliope Cafe.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm DCSC: John Snyder at Race Brook Lodge, Sheffield. Experimental.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm 50 Years Later at Antimony Brewing, Lenox.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Ivan Dalia at The Lions Den, Stockbridge.
Friday
Friday – Sunday FreshGrass Music Festival at MASS MoCA, North Adams.
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 Mike Duffy at Bousquet, Pittsfield.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Karen Tchougourian at Gateways Inn, Lenox.
7:00 pm Sonoro The Foundry, West Stockbridge. Latin, Jazz, Classical. Learn more and listen here.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Wanda Houston at The Lions Den, Stockbridge. Learn more and listen to Wanda here.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Puggy & John at Rusty Anchor Pub, Pittsfield.
7:30 pm – 10:30 pm The BTU’s at Egremont Barn, South Egremont. Rock.
7:30 pm Don Jovi at Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield. Bon Jovi tribute band.
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm Black Legacy Project Album Release Show at Guthrie Center, Great Barrington. Learn more and listen here.
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm Milton at Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn, Lenox. See our Featured Musician interview with Milton. Listen to Milton here.
8:00 pm – 11:00 pm dB & the Hertz at Antimony Brewing, Lenox.
8:00 pm – 11:30 pm Bobby Sweet with Pete Adams and Lara Tupper at Dream Away Lodge, Becket. Learn more and listen to Bobby here.
Saturday
Friday – Sunday FreshGrass Music Festival at MASS MoCA, North Adams.
11:00 am – 12:00 pm Young at Heart: Willy Welch at Dewey Hall, Sheffield. Folk. Learn more and listen here.
11:00 am – 1:00 pm Lenox Apple Squeeze: The Juckets in Downtown Lenox.
4:30 pm – 6:00 pm Wincenc – Nikkanen – Asteriadou: Trio Calore at New Marlborough Meeting House, New Marlborough. Classical.
5:15 pm – 9:00 pm The Beaks at Oasis Bar and Grill, Lee.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Ernesto Burden at Bousquet, Pittsfield.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Karen Tchougourian at Gateways Inn, Lenox.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Jim Witherspoon at Mt. Greylock Campsite Park, Lanesborough.
6:30 pm Schenectavoidz, Cheap Heat, Ground Sweat, Main Breaker at Belltower Records, North Adams. Hard Core Punk.
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Michael Aaron at Firehouse Cafe & Bistro, Adams. Learn more and listen here.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Canna Provisions Presents Live Music at The Locker Room Featuring Deuce Moose at Locker Room Sports Pub, Lee.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Jake Manzi at The Lions Den, Stockbridge. Rock, Pop, Folk. Learn more and listen here.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Hot Shot Hillbillies Duo at Rusty Anchor Pub, Pittsfield.
7:30 pm – 10:00 pm Norma Dream at The Foundry, West Stockbridge. Listen here.
7:30 pm – 10:30 pm The Ultimate Journey Experience by Legend at The Stationery Factory, Dalton. Journey tribute band.
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm The BTUs at Guthrie Center, Great Barrington. Rock.
8:00 pm – 11:00 pm The Best Times at Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn, Lenox. Rock. Learn more and listen here.
8:00 pm – 11:00 pm Melissa Brinton at Antimony Brewing, Lenox. Learn more and listen here.
8:00 pm – 11:30 pm Vaguely Pagan at Dream Away Lodge, Becket.
Sunday
Friday- Sunday FreshGrass Music Festival at MASS MoCA, North Adams.
10:00 am – 12:00 pm Domingo Brunch featuring the Richard Stanmeyer Trio at Dottie’s Coffee Lounge, Pittsfield. Jazz. Learn more and listen here.
12:00 pm – 3:00 pm Jazz Brunch with Tristan Geary at Race Brook Lodge, Sheffield. Learn more and listen here.
12:00 pm – 3:00 pm The Juckets at Pizzeria Boema, Lenox.
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm Jon Berman at Antimony Brewing, Lenox.
3:30 pm Stephen Page Trio at Lilac Park, Lenox. Cabaret.
6:00 pm Charming Disaster at The Foundry, West Stockbridge. Folk-Goth. Learn more and listen here.
6:30 pm – 9:30 pm Michael Junkins and Friends at The Lions Den, Stockbridge. Jazz. Learn more and listen here.
That’s our performance rundown for the week of September 18. It’s a great week of live music in The Berkshires – get out there and enjoy it!
— Mark @ Music in the Berkshires