Music in the Berkshires: Weeks of December 18 & 25

We’ve come to the last two weeks of 2023, and there is a buzz in the Berkshires as people finish their holiday preparations, gather with friends, and hopefully catch some great live music in the County. We are doing something a little different this week and sharing two weeks of music since the final week of the year is shortened by the Christmas Holiday. We have 49 performances over the two weeks, with many holiday performances along with a healthy dose of rock, folk, blues, bluegrass, jazz, world, and classical music. Most of the national touring bands are taking a break, but we have many local favorites appearing around the county. Below are a few highlights, followed by the full show rundown.

Before we proceed, we’d like to emphasize the importance of supporting our local musicians and venues. The vibrant live music scene in our community is a treasure, but it’s vital that we recognize and actively contribute to its sustenance. In rural areas like The Berkshires, musicians and venue operators depend on our support, especially during the winter months when travel wanes and residents tend to hunker down. As we move into winter, let’s make it a priority to show our support for the Berkshire Music scene. Venture out to your favorite music venue—invite friends to join you, have some tasty food and beverages, pick up some merch as gifts, and do what you can to support the Berkshire Music scene. It’s a fun investment you’ll be glad you made.

Holiday

This week starts off with a wonderful holiday performance, Making Spirits Bright: Joe Rose and Friends, at The Foundry in West Stockbridge. Joe and some of the finest musicians in the County will be performing mostly holiday music with jazz, some pop, and a bit of comedy. We’ll be there for this show.

On Thursday, Music in the Berkshires Featured Musician Andy Wrba is hosting A Very Merry Wrba Christmas at Bousquet in Pittsfield. Andy has hosted this event for 14 years when it started in the early days of the Mission restaurant in downtown Pittsfield. Benny Kohn and Conor Meehan round out the house trio while many special guest musicians will be featured throughout the evening, including Wanda Houston, Don Mikkelsen, Chris Vecchia, Jeff Stevens, and more. Expect everything from classic jazz favorites to Elvis’ “Blue Christmas”. 

On Friday, you’ll find the holiday rock opera, The Wizards of Winter, at Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield. On Saturday, you can see The Soundry Studio Presents The Ventures Christmas Album at Egremont Barn. They will perform the classic holiday rock album from top to bottom and play other holiday tunes. 

There are several New Year’s Eve performances, but we will cover those under their respective genres.

Jazz

This week, we have four jazz performances, starting off Monday night with the Darryl Lowery Trio at Methuselah Bar & Lounge in Pittsfield. On Thursday, you can take in the Piano Bar with Benny Kohn at Shire Beer Company in Dalton. On Sunday morning, you’ll find a Jazz Brunch with Tariq Shaw at Race Brook Lodge in Sheffield.

The week of December 25, we have three jazz performances, including two on Friday when Benny Kohn and Friends perform at Firefly Gastropub in Lenox, and The Lucky 5 performs at Egremont Barn. On Sunday morning (New Year’s Eve), you can find Andy Wrba again as part of the Jazz Brunch with the Andy Wrba Quartet at Race Brook Lodge.

Classical

This week, we have no classical performances. The week of December 25, we have two. On Thursday, you’ll find The West Stockbridge Chamber Players Winter Concert at the West Stockbridge Congregational Church. We’ll be there for this wonderful performance featuring Brahms, Beethoven, and Mozart. On New Year’s Eve, The Berkshire Bach Society Presents: Bach At New Year’s – A Very Baroque Celebration at the Mahaiwe in Great Barrington. 

Popular (Rock, Pop, Folk, Blues, etc.)

These last two weeks of December offer numerous opportunities to see many of your local favorites. We won’t list all the performers, dates, and venues – please consult the Show Rundown (below) or our Music Calendar for details, but you can catch Misty Blues (twice), Melissa Brinton (twice), Wanda Houston, Colby Lewis and Steve Ide, The Eggmen, The BTUs, Chantell, Michael Aaron, Katherine Winston, Jack Waldheim, and Jackson Whalan, among others.

We will highlight a few performers that you don’t get to see quite as often. Indie-pop-rock artist Maisyn, originally from the Hudson Valley but now based in Los Angeles, will be at Egremont Barn on Thursday, December 28. I’ve been enjoying her song “Cool Grl,” as I write this and look forward to her performance. 

This week’s Music in the Berkshires Featured Musician Jordan Weller (pictured above with The Feathers) is performing as part of a special New Year’s Eve show with The Picky Bastards and Jordan Weller and The Feathers. Jordan Weller and The Feathers play a mix of rock, reggae, and funk, while The Picky Bastards play rock and bluegrass. We love both bands – it should be a great night. Read our interview with Jordan here. 

Also on New Year’s Eve, you can catch New Year’s Eve with Max Creek at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield. The band is known for its unique blend of rock, country, reggae, soul, jazz, and calypso.

Something Else

We have four performances in our  “Something Else” category this week. This Saturday, we have two sold-out performances by New Age/Earth musician The Paul Winter Consort Featuring Theresa Thomson at St. James Place in Great Barrington. Also on Saturday, Race Brook Lodge in Sheffield is hosting a special Vigil & Fundraiser For Gaza Victims With Mona Miari & Zafer Tawil. Proceeds from this event will go to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and their efforts to support people in Gaza. Next Wednesday, December 28, catch Raquy Danziger With Rami El Aasser at The Foundry in West Stockbridge. Raquy will perform a medley of original compositions, traditional Middle Eastern, and classical music on the darbuka and the Persian spiked fiddle. 

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.

Week of December 18

7:00 pm Making Spirits Bright: Joe Rose and Friends @ The Foundry, West Stockbridge. Jazz, Pop, Holiday.

7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Daryl Lowery Trio @ Methuselah Bar & Lounge, Pittsfield. Jazz.

6:30 pm – 9:30 pm Chantell @ Methuselah Bar & Lounge, Pittsfield. Soul.

No Performances.

7:00 pm A Very Merry Wrba Christmas @ Bousquet, Pittsfield. Learn more about Andy here. Read our interview with Andy here. Special guests include Wanda Houston, Don Mikkelsen, Chris Vecchia, Jeff Stevens, and others. Expect everything from classic jazz favorites to Elvis’ “Blue Christmas,” and sing-alongs.

7:00 pm – 10:00 pm GypZbilly @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox. Blues, Zydeco, Swing, Rockabilly. Learn more and listen here.

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

7:30 pm – 10:00 pm Jackson Whalan with Special Guest Qwill Opening @ Egremont Barn, South Egremont. Rap, Hip Hop. Learn more and listen here.

5:00 pm – 8:00 pm Jack Waldheim @ Balderdash Cellars, Richmond. Rock, Folk.

6:30 pm Piano Bar with Ben Kohn @ Shire Beer Company, Dalton. Jazz.

7:00 pm  Misty Blues @ Berkshire Palate, Pittsfield.Blues. Learn more and listen here. Read our Featured Musician interview with Misty Blues’ Gina Coleman.

7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Wanda Houston @ Firefly Gastropub, Lenox. R&B, Jazz, American Songbook. Learn more and listen here.

7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Sasquatch Inc. @ Methuselah Bar & Lounge, Pittsfield. Rock, Jazz.

7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Brother Sal Blues Band @ The Lions Den, Stockbridge. Blues. Learn more and listen here.

7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Erin Harkes @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox. Rock. Learn more and listen here.

7:30 pm The Wizards of Winter @ Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield. Holiday rock opera.

7:30 pm – 10:30 pm The Eggmen @ Egremont Barn, South Egremont. Rock; Pop. Beatles tribute band.

2:00 pm – 5:00 pm John & Pug @ Balderdash Cellars, Richmond. Rock, Folk.

3:00 pm – 5:00 pm The Paul Winter Consort Featuring Theresa Thomson (SOLD OUT) @ St. James Place, Great Barrington. Earth, New Age. Learn more and listen here.

5:00 pm – 7:00 pm LIVE Music with Mike Bosco @ GB Taproom @ Big Elm Taproom, Great Barrington.

6:00 pm – 10:00 pm Vigil & Fundraiser For Gaza Victims With Mona Miari & Zafer Tawil @ Race Brook Lodge, Sheffield. World.

7:00 pm – 9:00 pm The Paul Winter Consort Featuring Theresa Thomson (SOLD OUT) @ St. James Place, Great Barrington. Earth, New Age. Learn more and listen here.

7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Canna Provisions Presents Live Music at The Locker Room Featuring Dave Brown @ Locker Room Sports Pub, Lee. Rock.

7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Jeb Colwell and Dirty Cosmos @ The Lions Den, Stockbridge. Rock. Learn more and listen here.

7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Tom Savoy @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox. Rock, Folk, Pop, Country. Learn more and listen here.

7:00 pm – 10:30 pm The Soundry Studio Presents The Ventures Christmas Album @ Egremont Barn, South Egremont. Holiday, Rock. Listen to the original album here.

7:30 pm A Festivus Miracle! It’s: Immune Friction / Fugue State /HardCar @ Hot Plate Brewing Co, Pittsfield. Rock.

10:00 am – 12:00 pm Domingo Brunch featuring Katherine Winston @ Dottie’s Coffee Lounge, Pittsfield. Folk, Pop, Rock.  Learn more and listen here.

12:00 pm – 3:00 pm Jazz Brunch with Tarik Shak @ Race Brook Lodge @ Sheffield. Learn more and listen here.

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Week of December 25

Merry Christmas!

No Performances.

7:30 pm Raquy Danziger With Rami El Aasser @ The Foundry, West Stockbridge. World. Learn more and listen here.

5:00 pm The West Stockbridge Chamber Players Winter Concert @ West Stockbridge Congregational Church, West Stockbridge. Classical. Featuring Brahms, Beethoven, and Mozart.

6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Melissa Brinton @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox. Folk, Pop, Rock. Learn more and listen here.

7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Colby Lewis & Steve Ide @ The Lions Den, Stockbridge. Learn more and listen to Colby here. See our interview with featured musician Steve Ide here.

7:30 pm – 10:00 pm Maisyn @ Egremont Barn, South Egremont. Indie-Pop-Rock. Learn more and listen here.

7:00 pm  Misty Blues @ Berkshire Palate, Pittsfield. Blues. Learn more and listen here. Read our Featured Musician interview with Misty Blues’ Gina Coleman.

7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Benny Kohn and Friends @ Firefly Gastropub, Lenox. Jazz.

7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Melissa Brinton @ The Lions Den, Stockbridge. Folk, Pop, Rock. Learn more and listen here.

7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Matchstick Architects @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox. Indie-rock. Learn more and listen here.

7:30 pm – 10:30 pm The Lucky 5 @ Egremont Barn, South Egremont. Jazz. Learn more and listen here.

7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Canna Provisions Presents Live Music at The Locker Room Featuring Melissa Britton @ Locker Room Sports Pub, Lee. Folk, Pop, Rock. Learn more and listen here.

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

7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Adelaide Punkin @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox. Rock, Folk. Learn more and listen here.

7:00 pm – 10:00 pm A December to Remember @ Methuselah Bar & Lounge, Pittsfield.

7:30 pm – 10:30 pm The BTU’s @ Egremont Barn, South Egremont. Rock.

12:00 pm – 3:00 pm Jazz Brunch with the Andy Wrba Quartet @ Race Brook Lodge, Sheffield. Learn more about Andy here. Read our interview with Andy here.

6:00 pm The Berkshire Bach Society Presents: Bach At New Year’s – A Very Baroque Celebration @ Mahaiwe, Great Barrington. Baroque.

6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Jon Berman @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox. Rock. Listen more and listen here.

7:45 pm – 12:45 am New Years Eve with The Picky Bastards & Jordan Weller and The Feathers @ Egremont Barn, South Egremont. Rock, Reggae, Bluegrass. Read our Featured Musician interview with Jordan Weller here.

8:00 pm New Year’s Eve with Max Creek @ Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield.  Rock, Country, Reggae, Soul, Jazz, and Calypso. Learn more and listen here.

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Happy New Year! We look forward to more incredible music in the Berkshires in 2024!

— Mark @ Music in the Berkshires