Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. – Berthold Auerbach
We have 38 live music performances this week in Berkshire County, ranging from classical and jazz to rock, psych, folk, goth-folk, bluegrass, and a few genre-defying acts that are tough to label. There’s something here to cleanse every musical palate. Below are some highlights for the upcoming week, along with a comprehensive rundown of all the shows.
Classical and Opera
We have two classical performances this week – both featuring Mozart. On Saturday afternoon, enjoy the Stockbridge Festival Chorus at the First Congregational Church of Stockbridge. The 60-voice community choir, directed by Tracy Wilson, will perform Mozart’s Requiem. On Sunday afternoon at the Tanglewood Linde Center, you’ll find the TLI Chamber Concert with Ala Jojatu and Sophie Wang (violin), Mary Ferrillo (viola), and Will Chow (cello) performing works by Mozart and Weiner. Classical music lovers may also enjoy the vocal ensemble Chanticleer, which is listed in our Something Else category.
Jazz
We have six performances this week, starting on Wednesday with the Hot Chestnuts playing at The Lion’s Den in Stockbridge. After a short spring break, music is back at the Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn in Lenox on Thursday night with the Bobby MacVeety Trio. Saturday night has two performances: The Lucky 5 at The Lion’s Den and Saturday Core Kitchen Dinner with music by Lonny Jarrett and Friends at Dottie’s Coffee Lounge in Pittsfield. Sunday midday, catch the Jazz Brunch with Natalia Bernal & Jason Ennis at Race Brook Lodge in Sheffield. On Sunday night, you’ll find Michael Junkins and Friends at The Lion’s Den. This week, Michael features Jen Allen on piano.
Popular (Rock, Pop, Folk, Blues, etc.)
The popular music category dominates our calendar this week, with over 25 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 Tuesday night with Melissa Brinton at Methuselah Bar & Lounge in Pittsfield. Wednesday night, enjoy Chris Merenda & Friends at The Stationery Factory in Dalton. Thursday night, you’ll find Les Chrostowski at the Dalton American Legion, North Carolina-based musician Jay Brown, who blends jazz, blues, and country, in the Down County Social Club at Race Brook Lodge in Sheffield, and Rounders Revival at The Lion’s Den in Stockbridge.
Friday night, catch Charming Disaster, the goth-folk duo from Brooklyn, at The Foundry in West Stockbridge. Up the road in Pittsfield, you’ll find the Friday Core Kitchen Dinner with Live Music by Fannie Pack at Dottie’s Coffee Lounge and an evening of hard-core rock at Silver Lake Presents: Fugue State Record Release Party With Special Guests The Damaged, Phröegs, The Straps at Hot Plate Brewing Co. The BTUs jam at Firefly Gastropub in Lenox, while Jordan Weller & The Way it Seems performs at The Lion’s Den, with a special guest set by his newest project, Whistle & The Stack. We saw Whistle & The Stack’s debut performance at The Dream Away Lodge last weekend and thoroughly enjoyed the show. Speaking of Dream Away, Rees Shad & the Conversations will perform there on Friday night. Unfinish’d Bizness is at the Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn, while up in North Adams, you’ll find Railway Cafe Presents: RJ Cowdery performing her soulful folk music at Studio 9.
Saturday night, the soulful alternative rock artist Daniel Kleederman performs Tourists in North Adams as part of their Sing For Your Slumber program. The Stevenson Ranch Davidians perform at the Dream Away Lodge, bringing a blend of ‘60s psych, folk, and soul with strands of early American roots music. Rounders Revival is at the Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn. Diana Ross fans won’t want to miss Lady Supreme: A Diana Ross Experience at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield.
Sunday morning, enjoy old-time, bluegrass, Americana, and folk music at the Domingo Brunch featuring Makin’ Hay at Dottie’s Coffee Lounge. On the Sunday afternoon “winery and brewery circuit,” you can enjoy Paul Zarvis at Balderdash Cellars in Richmond and Nate Martel at Antimony Brewing in Lenox. In the early evening, you’ll find Bobby Sweet and Laura Tupper at the Route 8 Pub in Becket.
Something Else
We have four diverse performances in our Something Else category this week. The Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble Chanticleer (pictured above) performs at the Mahaiwe Friday night. Their repertoire is rooted in the Renaissance and has continued to expand to include a wide range of classical, gospel, jazz, and popular music.
Saturday afternoon, children of all ages will enjoy the Kids Concerts with Terry A La Berry and Friends at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield. Saturday evening, catch Noh Bailey w/ The Little Man Who Makes The Music & Friends at The Foundry in West Stockbridge. Bailey, who is inspired by artists ranging from The Velvet Underground and T-Rex to Nina Simone and Judy Garland, will be joined by the puppeteers behind The Little Man Who Makes The Music, as well as Z the Clown and electronica producer/performer Zadie Belfer-Shevett (zbs.fm). Wow – that is an eclectic mix, living up to The Foundry’s reputation for bringing unique performances to Berkshire County.
Sunday night, enjoy Hiroya Tsukamoto at Studio 9 in North Adams. Tsukamoto blends fingerstyle guitar and evocative storytelling that transcends cultural barriers.
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. 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
No Performances.Wednesday
No Performances.Thursday
No Performances.Friday
No Performances.Saturday
No Performances.Sunday
No Performances.Please get out and support your local musicians and venues!
— Mark @ Music in the Berkshires