While the August heat and the Olympics dominate headlines, Berkshire County is making its own news with a record-breaking 104 live music performances this week! The lineup is as diverse as it is impressive, featuring everything from classical and jazz to pop, rock, folk, blues, Broadway, South African, and family-oriented music. With such a wide range of genres and high-caliber shows, it’s a week not to be missed. Below are some highlights for the week ahead, followed by our comprehensive show rundown.
Classical and Opera
We have another week loaded with classical music, with 27 performances on the calendar. We can’t cover them all, but we will touch on the highlights. The music starts Monday at noon with Violinist Gary Capozziello and pianist Alan Murchie performing music by Mozart and Brahms at Saint John’s Episcopal Church in Williamstown. On Monday evening, you can enjoy Alan Gilbert and the TMC Conducting Fellows conduct Haydn, Ravel, Revueltas, and Dutilleux at Tanglewood.
On Tuesday, beginning at 2:00 p.m. and continuing into the evening, you won’t want to miss Tanglewood on Parade. There will be face-painting, a hot-air balloon, roaming musicians, and concerts in multiple venues across the Tanglewood property. The event will feature an 8:00 p.m. program in the Koussevitzky Shed with the BSO and the Boston Pops, followed by fireworks. See the event details for a complete schedule.
Wednesday afternoon at Tanglewood, you can catch TLI Open Workshops: Kirill Gerstein, piano. Thursday afternoon, enjoy TLI Open Workshops: Jeremy Denk, piano, and then in the evening, you’ll find Gustavo Dudamel conducts the National Children’s Symphony of Venezuela, performing works by Adams, Estevez, Ginastera, and Shostakovich. Friday evening, Tanglewood features Alan Gilbert conducts Rachmaninoff and Stravinsky featuring Kirill Gerstein, piano.
Saturday morning at Tanglewood, you can enjoy the Open Rehearsal for Sunday afternoon’s concert or the BU Tanglewood Institute Young Artists Chorus in the early afternoon. Also in the afternoon, TLI Presents: Palaver Strings with Nicholas Phan, tenor perform “A Change Is Gonna Come,” featuring the Grammy award-winning tenor Nicholas Phan and jazz and contemporary vocalist Farayi Malek. The program explores the country’s rich legacy of protest songs. Elsewhere on Saturday afternoon, you can listen to the Stockbridge Sinfonia at the Zion Lutheran Church in Pittsfield. The concert is a tribute to Ukraine, with compositions by several Ukrainian composers including the Ukrainian National Anthem sung by three Berkshire choruses, and concluding with Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony. The concert is repeated on Sunday early evening at St. James Place in Great Barrington. Or, at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, you’ll find Classical Concert: Rome is Falling, a “zany lesson on the absurdity of what can happen when powerful people lose power” composed by American Modern Opera Company member Doug Balliett.
Back at Tanglewood Saturday evening, you can enjoy the Prelude Concert featuring the music of Debussy, Montgomery, and Ravel, followed by Dalia Stasevska conducts Sibelius and Stravinsky featuring Leila Josefowicz, violin.
Sunday morning at Tanglewood, you’ll find TMC Chamber Music featuring works by Lewis, Ives, Sohn, and Brahms. In the afternoon, the featured performance is James Gaffigan conducts Clyne, Mozart, and Mahler featuring Elena Villalón, soprano. Elsewhere, you can enjoy one of three performances of the Ubi Caritas Concert, in which Berkshire Lyric presents its young a cappella chamber choir. You can see them at 3:00 pm at St. Mark’s Church in Pittsfield, 5:00 pm at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Stockbridge, and at 7:00 pm at the First Congregational Church of Sheffield.
Jazz
We have 10 jazz performances in the county this week. It all starts with Andy Wrba, Conor Meehan, and Benny Kohn hosting Monday Night Jazz at Pizzeria Boema in Lenox. On Tuesday, catch the Jazz Night with Paul Ostermayer and Friends at Tito’s Mexican Bar and Grill in Pittsfield. Wednesday night, you’ll find the Michael Junkins Trio at The Lion’s Den in Stockbridge.
Thursday late afternoon, enjoy jazz in a gorgeous setting when Standard Edition Sounds of Summer Music Series takes place at The Mount in Lenox. Or, catch Jazz in Persip Park with the Matt Steckler Quartet in Pittsfield.
Saturday afternoon, you can enjoy Jazz in Persip Park with Charlie Tokarz and Paul Arslanian in Pittsfield. Saturday night, catch Lonny Jarrett and Friends at Dottie’s and Dorothy’s in Pittsfield – Lonny will be performing again at Dottie’s at the Domingo Brunch on Sunday morning. Sunday midday, chill out at the Jazz Brunch with Bobby Macveety at Race Brook Lodge in Sheffield. Sunday night, you’ll find Michael Junkins and Friends performing at The Lion’s Den. This week, Michael features “Junk” with Will Hudgins on Vibes.
Popular (Rock, Pop, Folk, Blues, etc.)
This week, the popular music category has over 50 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 with the Lucky Bucket Band at the Great Barrington VFW. Also on Tuesday, Joseph Allred, Mal Devisa & God’s Wisdom, Rare Geese, and Wednesday Knudsen perform at Belltower Records in North Adams.
Wednesday night, you have a smorgasbord of outdoor concert options: Reggae Wednesday Pool Party With The Haughties at Race Brook Lodge in Sheffield, Eric & Frankie at the Great Barrington Town Hall, Sydney Worthley at Windsor Lake in North Adams, The Pug and John Show at Lenox’s Lilac Park, and Dan Gingras at the Dalton CRA. Indoor options include bluegrass and Americana artist Kathleen Parks at the Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn in Lenox.
Thursday night, you can experience something different by taking the chairlift to the top of Bousquet Mountain in Pittsfield to experience Summit Sounds @ Sunset with Movin’ On. You’ll find local pop, R&B, and soul artist Glori Wilder at The Lion’s Den in Stockbridge. Music in the Berkshires Featured Musician Clare Maloney & The Great Adventure are back in town, performing at The Egremont Barn. You can read our interview with Clare here and learn about her time as an opera singer and spending time at the BU Tanglewood Institute. Up at Dream Away Lodge in Becket, folk artist Avi Jacob performs.
Friday early evening, there are several outdoor performances: Beast Mode, a band fronted by Nate Martel, performs at Catamount in South Egremont. You’ll find Dave Brown in Persip Park in Pittsfield and the Joint Chiefs at the Great Barrington Town Hall. Berkshire Busk continues in downtown Great Barrington.
There is a special performance at The Lion’s Den on both Friday and Saturday nights: Songs of The Music Inn Celebration with Vaguely Pagan. For nearly 30 years, the Music Inn brought music legends to the Berkshires – you can read all about this magical venue in the August issue of Berkshire Magazine. Come celebrate its legacy with the local band Vaguely Pagan and enjoy songs written by legends like Woody Guthrie and Bruce Springsteen. The fun continues on August 11 at The Triplex in Great Barrington with films, interviews, and exhibits.
Other Friday night options include Railway Concerts Presents: Buddy Mondlock at Studio 9 in North Adams. Buddy’s songs have been recorded by artists such as Janis Ian, Joan Baez, Peter, Paul and Mary, and Cry, Cry, Cry. Local favorites The BTU’s perform at The Egremont Barn, StompBox Trio is at Dream Away Lodge, and folk artist Caroline Cotter performs at Tourists in North Adams.
Saturday night, you won’t want to miss the Bousquet Folk Festival at Bousquet Mountain in Pittsfield. Johnny Irion will perform along with Session Americana, Glori Wilder, and Rounders Revival. Also in Pittsfield, you can catch some hardcore music at Hot Plate Brewing when Silver Lake Presents: Perennial, Radical Joy, Cemetery Weather, and Things I Miss. In downtown Great Barrington, Berkshire Busk continues in the afternoon and evening with another three musical performances – see our Music Calendar for a list of performers. The Tangiers Blues Band is at The Egremont Barn, the Michael Lesko Trio is at the Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn, and Happiness is at the Dream Away Lodge. Finally, House of Hamill, which plays “upcycled Celtic Folk,” is at The Guthrie Center in Great Barrington.
Sunday early afternoon, you’ll find The Adams Brothers (Steve and Pete) followed by Charlie Fitzhugh outdoors at the First Congregational Church of Lee. On the Sunday afternoon “winery and brewery circuit,” you’ll find Nate Martell at Antimony Brewing in Lenox, Melissa Brinton at Balderdash Cellars in Richmond, and Pogo in the Taproom at Bright Ideas Brewing in North Adams. The Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, in collaboration with Belltower Records, is hosting Music On The Moltz Terrace: A.P.I.E., Family Underground, And Animal, Surrender! Folk-Americana artist Jude Roberts is at Dream Away Lodge and Fog Holler, which plays bluegrass and old-time music, makes a stop at Tourists in North Adams after swinging through the East Coast with performances at Club Passim and the Podunk Bluegrass Festival.
Something Else
This week, we have 14 performances in our Something Else category. Monday night, catch the East African folk band Zikinna as part of the outdoor Music Mondays series at the Berkshire Botanical Garden in Stockbridge. Also on Monday, the Tony Award-winning Broadway star Matt Doyle performs at the Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield.
Thursday night, you can catch Night at the Speakeasy at Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Great Barrington. You’ll enjoy the mood and music of a hideaway Roaring Twenties speakeasy. The performance repeats on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Friday night, the Mahaiwe is hosting Ladysmith Black Mambazo (pictured above). You can read all about this group in the piece written by my colleague Benjamin Lerner in the August issue of Berkshire Magazine. Their sound is rooted in the South African cultural and musical tradition of Isicathamiya, a style created by mine workers who found strength through music during the apartheid era. Also on Friday, Race Brook Lodge is hosting the Center For Conscious Living And Dying: Ceremonial Grief Concert. Or, catch My Evil Twin at the Becket Arts Center. Twin opera singers Jim and John Demler will blend opera with elements of Broadway and pop.
On Saturday morning, Terry ala Berry will perform a children’s concert at the Great Barrington Town Hall. And you won’t want to miss the West Stockbridge Zucchini Festival in downtown West Stockbridge. The Festival runs from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., with the music starting at 12:30 and continuing through most of the day.
Sunday morning, catch the family-friendly event Boston University Tanglewood Institute Community Day at the BU Tanglewood Institute in Lenox. In addition to listening to live music, families can enjoy food trucks, artisan vendors, face painting, and an instrument garden for young musicians. Sunday night, catch Pamela Z, a composer, performer, and media artist working primarily with voice, live electronics, sampled sound, and video at The Foundry in West Stockbridge. Or you can listen to Krysta Rodriguez at the Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield. Krysta will be sharing her favorite songs from her Broadway shows including Into the Woods, Spring Awakening, First Date, The Addams Family, In the Heights, A Chorus Line, and Good Vibrations.
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. Check our music calendar for shows we’ve added after our weekly publication deadline. 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
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Violinist Gary Capozziello and pianist Alan Murchie @ Saint John’s Episcopal Church, Williamstown.
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm Music Mondays: Zikinna @ Berkshire Botanical Garden, Stockbridge.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Monday Night Jazz @ Pizzeria Boema, Lenox.
8:00 pm Alan Gilbert and the TMC Conducting Fellows conduct Haydn, Ravel, Revueltas, and Dutilleux @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
8:00 pm Matt Doyle @ Barrington Stage Company, Pittsfield.
Tuesday
2:00 pm Tanglewood on Parade @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
5:30 pm – 8:30 pm Jazz Night with Paul Ostermayer and Friends @ Tito’s Mexican Bar and Grill, Pittsfield.
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Lucky Bucket Band @ Great Barrington VFW, Great Barrington.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Joseph Allred, Mal Devisa & God’s Wisdom, Rare Geese, Wednesday Knudsen @ Belltower Records, North Adams.
Wednesday
1:30 pm TLI Open Workshops: Kirill Gerstein, piano @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
4:00 pm – 8:00 pm Reggae Wednesday Pool Party With The Haughties @ Race Brook Lodge, Sheffield.
5:30 pm – 7:15 pm Eric & Frankie @ Great Barrington Town Hall, Great Barrington.
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm Sydney Worthley @ Windsor Lake, North Adams.
6:30 pm – 9:30 pm Michael Junkins Trio @ The Lion’s Den, Stockbridge.
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm The Pug and John Show @ Lilac Park, Lenox.
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm Dan Gingras @ Dalton CRA, Dalton.
7:30 pm – 9:30 pm Kathleen Parks @ Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn, Lenox.
Thursday
1:00 pm TLI Talks and Walks @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
1:30 pm TLI Open Workshops: Jeremy Denk, piano @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
4:30 pm – 7:00 pm Standard Edition Sounds of Summer Music Series @ The Mount, Lenox.
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm Jazz in Persip Park with the Matt Steckler Quartet @ Persip Park, Pittsfield.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Summit Sounds @ Sunset with Movin’ On @ Bousquet, Pittsfield.
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Tequila Jim @ Firehouse Cafe & Bistro, Adams.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Live Music with Clara Guatta @ Tito’s Mexican Bar and Grill, Pittsfield.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Glori Wilder @ The Lion’s Den, Stockbridge.
7:30 pm – 10:30 pm Clare Maloney & The Great Adventure @ Egremont Barn, South Egremont.
7:30 pm – 9:30 pm Avi Jacob @ Dream Away Lodge, Becket.
7:30 pm Night at the Speakeasy @ Bard College at Simon’s Rock, Great Barrington.
8:00 pm Gustavo Dudamel conducts the National Children’s Symphony of Venezuela @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
Friday
2:30 pm TLI Presents: “Decolonizing American Music” with George Lewis @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
4:00 pm TLI Presents: “This Is America,” Part 1, with Johnny Gandelsman, violin @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm Dave Brown in Persip Park @ Persip Park, Pittsfield.
5:00 pm – 8:30 pm Beast Mode @ Catamount, South Egremont.
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm Brian Benlien @ Balderdash Cellars, Richmond.
5:30 pm – 7:15 pm Joint Chiefs @ Great Barrington Town Hall, Great Barrington.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Jack Waldheim @ Bousquet, Pittsfield.
6:00 pm Jordan Weller @ Roberto’s Pizza, Sheffield.
6:00 pm Prelude Concert @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm Berkshire Busk @ Downtown Great Barrington, Great Barrington.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Songs of The Music Inn Celebration with Vaguely Pagan @ The Lion’s Den, Stockbridge.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Center For Conscious Living And Dying: Ceremonial Grief Concert @ Race Brook Lodge, Sheffield.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Tim Gallagher @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox.
7:30 pm Railway Concerts Presents: Buddy Mondlock @ Studio 9, North Adams.
7:30 pm – 10:30 pm The BTU’s @ Egremont Barn, South Egremont.
7:30 pm Night at the Speakeasy @ Bard College at Simon’s Rock, Great Barrington.
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm StompBox Trio @ Dream Away Lodge, Becket.
8:00 pm Alan Gilbert conducts Rachmaninoff and Stravinsky featuring Kirill Gerstein, piano @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
8:00 pm – 9:00 pm My Evil Twin @ Becket Arts Center, Becket.
8:00 pm Ladysmith Black Mambazo @ Mahaiwe, Great Barrington.
8:00 pm – 9:30 pm Caroline Cotter @ Tourists, North Adams.
Saturday
10:00 am – 10:00 pm Music at the West Stockbridge Zucchini Festival @ Downtown West Stockbridge, West Stockbridge.
10:30 am Open Rehearsal: James Gaffigan conducts Clyne, Mozart, and Mahler featuring Elena Villalón, soprano @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
10:30 am – 12:00 pm Terry ala Berry @ Great Barrington Town Hall, Great Barrington.
1:30 pm BU Tanglewood Institute Young Artists Chorus @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm Jazz in Persip Park with Charlie Tokarz and Paul Arslanian @ Persip Park, Pittsfield.
2:00 pm TLI Presents: Palaver Strings with Nicholas Phan, tenor perform “A Change Is Gonna Come” @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Berkshire Busk @ Downtown Great Barrington, Great Barrington.
3:00 pm Night at the Speakeasy @ Bard College at Simon’s Rock, Great Barrington.
3:00 pm – 4:30 pm Stockbridge Sinfonia @ Zion Lutheran Church, Pittsfield.
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm Classical Concert: Rome is Falling @ The Clark Art Institute, Williamstown.
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm Helen Hummel @ Bright Ideas Brewing, North Adams.
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm Music Brings Communities Together – Simon Guthrie & Amy Attias @ Becket Arts Center, Becket.
5:00 pm – 10:00 pm Bousquet Folk Festival @ Bousquet, Pittsfield.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Lonny Jarrett and Friends @ Dottie’s and Dorothy’s, Pittsfield.
6:00 pm Prelude Concert @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
6:00 pm Silver Lake Presents: Perennial, Radical Joy, Cemetery Weather, and Things I Miss @ Hot Plate Brewing Co, Pittsfield.
6:30 pm – 10:00 pm Berkshire Busk @ Downtown Great Barrington, Great Barrington.
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm Berkshire Busk @ Downtown Great Barrington, Great Barrington.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Songs of The Music Inn Celebration with Vaguely Pagan @ The Lion’s Den, Stockbridge.
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm Berkshire Piano Academy @ St. James Place, Great Barrington.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Ari + Jeff Lynch @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox.
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Austin Honig @ Firehouse Cafe & Bistro, Adams.
7:30 pm – 10:30 pm Tangiers Blues Band @ Egremont Barn, South Egremont.
7:30 pm Night at the Speakeasy @ Bard College at Simon’s Rock, Great Barrington.
7:30 pm – 9:30 pm Michael Lesko Trio @ Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn, Lenox.
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm House of Hamill Live at The Guthrie Center @ Guthrie Center, Great Barrington.
8:00 pm Dalia Stasevska conducts Sibelius and Stravinsky featuring Leila Josefowicz, violin @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
8:00 pm – 10:30 pm Happiness @ Dream Away Lodge, Becket.
8:00 pm – 11:00 pm Mr. Doubtfire @ Knox Trail Inn, East Otis.
Sunday
10:00 am – 12:00 pm Domingo Brunch featuring Lonny Jarrett and friends @ Dottie’s and Dorothy’s, Pittsfield.
10:00 am TMC Chamber Music @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
10:00 am – 2:00 pm Boston University Tanglewood Institute Community Day @ BU Tanglewood Institute, Lenox.
12:00 pm – 3:00 pm Nate Martel @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox.
12:00 pm – 3:00 pm Jazz Brunch with Bobby Macveety @ Race Brook Lodge, Sheffield.
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm The Adams Brothers (Steve and Pete Adams) @ First Congregational Church of Lee, Lee.
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm Charlie Fitzhugh @ First Congregational Church of Lee, Lee.
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm Melissa Brinton @ Balderdash Cellars, Richmond.
2:30 pm James Gaffigan conducts Clyne, Mozart, and Mahler featuring Elena Villalón, soprano @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
3:00 pm Ubi Caritas Concert @ St. Mark’s Church, Pittsfield.
3:00 pm Night at the Speakeasy @ Bard College at Simon’s Rock, Great Barrington.
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm Taproom Music: POGO @ Bright Ideas Brewing, North Adams.
4:00 pm Razztime @ Washington Town Park, Washington.
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm Music On The Moltz Terrace: A.P.I.E., Family Underground, And Animal, Surrender! @ The Clark Art Institute, Williamstown.
5:00 pm Ubi Caritas Concert @ St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Stockbridge.
5:00 pm TLI Presents: “This Is America,” Part 2, with Johnny Gandelsman, violin @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm Rounders Revival @ The Barn Kitchen and Bar, Williamstown.
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Stockbridge Sinfonia: 2024 Summer Concert @ St. James Place, Great Barrington.
6:30 pm – 9:30 pm Michael Junkins and Friends @ The Lion’s Den, Stockbridge.
7:00 pm Pamela Z @ The Foundry, West Stockbridge.
7:00 pm Ubi Caritas Concert @ First Congregational Church of Sheffield, Sheffield.
7:00 pm TLI Presents: Jeremy Denk, piano, performs The Battle of Manassas by ‘Blind Tom’ Wiggins and Ives’s Concord Sonata @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
7:30 pm – 9:30 pm Jude Roberts @ Dream Away Lodge, Becket.
8:00 pm Krysta Rodriguez @ Barrington Stage Company, Pittsfield.
8:00 pm – 9:30 pm Fog Holler @ Tourists, North Adams.
Please get out and support your local musicians and venues!
— Mark @ Music in the Berkshires