After 11 days of cloudy weather, the sun finally reappeared in the Berkshires, bringing promises of spring and summer during this unusual non-winter. Punxsutawney Phil’s antics were bested by Tanglewood, which released its 2024 performance line-up, offering many incredible performances to look forward to. But we don’t have to wait to enjoy great live music, as we have 40 performances on our music calendar this week, spanning the genres of classical, jazz, rock, pop, folk, soul, blues, cabaret, and Broadway show tunes. Below are a few highlights, followed by our 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 through 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.
Classical
We have two classical music performances this week. On Saturday afternoon, see The Berkshire Bach Organ Masters: Renee Anne Louprette Plays The Historic Johnson Organ at the Unitarian Universalist Meeting of South Berkshire in Housatonic. Sunday afternoon at St. James Place in Great Barrington, you can enjoy The Art of the String Quartet — The Avalon, performing works by Garrop, Mendelssohn, and Puccini.
Jazz
We have six jazz performances this week, starting Thursday with Music in the Berkshires Featured Musician Andy Wrba & Friends at The Lion’s Den in Stockbridge. Benny Kohn and Conor Meehan join Andy this week. Also on Thursday, The Lucky 5 performs at Egremont Barn. Saturday night, you can catch the David Bartley Quartet at Dorothy’s Estaminet in Pittsfield – the new sister restaurant to Dottie’s Coffee Lounge – read our piece on this new venue here. On Sunday morning, see Redshift at Dottie’s Coffee Lounge, and in the afternoon, catch the Jazz Brunch with Tristen Geary at Race Brook Lodge in Sheffield. Sunday night, Michael Junkins and Friends are at The Lion’s Den in Stockbridge. Joining Michael this week is Don Mikkelsen on Trombone.
Popular (Rock, Pop, Folk, Blues, etc.)
We have over 25 performances in the popular music category – we can’t highlight them all but we will mention a few (see our calendar or show rundown below for all the performances). If you are looking to get out of the house Tuesday night, then head on over to Methuselah Bar & Lounge in Pittsfield to see guitarist Jonny Taylor.
Thursday night, “Classic Country meets the grit of Southern Soul” when Boston-based Hank Wonder plays at Tourists in North Adams. This is a great opportunity to check this band out – they will also be at the Back Porch Music Festival in North Hampton in March.
Friday night features a number of local favorites. Wanda Houston plays at the new Drifters restaurant at Bousquet in Pittsfield, while Misty Blues is at the new Dorothy’s Estaminet in Pittsfield. (They play again Saturday night at Shake off the Winter Blues with Misty Blues at The Common Room at the Zion Lutheran Church in Pittsfield.) The BTUs are at Firefly Gastropub in Lenox, while Evan Lanoue is at The Lion’s Den in Stockbridge. Led Zeppelin tribute band, The Four Sticks, plays at Egremont Barn.
If you love to get crazy on the dance floor, then Saturday night you’ll want to catch a special event at Race Brook Lodge in Sheffield: Bronco Bullfrog & Mod Dance Party. First, the 1969 mod rock classic movie Bronco Bullfrog will be shown, and then The Freaks will take the stage and play dance music of that era. The Freaks is a band put together by this week’s Featured Musician, Brian Kantor of Sheffield (pictured above). Read our interview with Brian to learn more about this show and Brian’s incredible musical journey.
Meanwhile, Chris Merenda of The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow and Picky Bastards will perform at the Becket Arts Center. Bird Streets bring their indie-folk-rock to The Lion’s Den. If you love music of the ’70s, then go catch The Best of the ’70s at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield – but please hurry if you don’t have tickets yet, as they’ve posted a low-ticket warning. Latin, Soul, and Rock artist Rene Lopez of NY City is at Egremont Barn.
Sunday night, the Egremont Barn hosts two incredible singer-songwriters, Antje Duvekot & Maia Sharp. Antje, of Boston, and Maia, of Nashville, are touring together across New England. If you want to catch some music earlier in the day – you’ll find Jack Waldheim at Antimony Brewing in Lenox, and Pogo will be in the taproom at Bright Ideas Brewing in North Adams.
Something Else
We have six performances on the calendar this week in our Something Else category. There are three opportunities to see the cabaret Fight or Flight at Studio 9 in North Adams – Friday and Saturday nights and a Sunday matinee. Friday night, the fabulous Tipsy Carol is back at The Foundry in West Stockbridge with Tipsy Carol’s Valentine Massacre Sing-Along. Saturday at noon, children of all ages will enjoy the Kids Concerts with Terry A La Berry and Friends at the Colonial Theatre. Sunday afternoon, singer Sherri James Buxton and pianist Bob Shepherd perform a variety of songs from the great American songbook, Broadway, and cabaret at Valentine Concert & Tea – “Songs in the Cycle of Love” at Ventfort Hall in Lenox.
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 Guitarist Jonny Taylor @ Methuselah Bar & Lounge, Pittsfield.
Wednesday
No performances.
Thursday
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Andy Wrba & Friends @ The Lion’s Den, Stockbridge. Jazz. Learn more about Andy here. Read our interview with Andy here.
7:30 pm – 10:30 pm The Lucky 5 @ Egremont Barn, South Egremont. Jazz. Learn more and listen here.
8:00 pm Hank Wonder @ Tourists, North Adams. “Classic Country meets the grit of Southern Soul.” Learn more and listen here.
Friday
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Wanda Houston @ Bousquet, Pittsfield. R&B, Jazz, American Songbook. Learn more and listen here.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Misty Blues @ Dorothy’s Estaminet, Pittsfield. Blues. Learn more and listen here. Read our Featured Musician interview with Misty Blues’ Gina Coleman.
7:00 pm Fight or Flight @ Studio 9, North Adams. Cabaret.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm The BTUs @ Firefly Gastropub, Lenox. Rock.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Jon Berman @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox. Rock. Listen more and listen here.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Evan Lanoue @ The Lion’s Den, Stockbridge.Rock, Pop. Learn more and listen here.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm The Beaks @ Methuselah Bar & Lounge, Pittsfield.
7:30 pm Tipsy Carol’s Valentine Massacre Sing Along @ The Foundry, West Stockbridge.
7:30 pm – 9:30 pm Mike McMann @ Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort, Hancock. Rock, Bluegrass, Roots. Learn more and listen here.
7:30 pm – 10:30 pm The Four Sticks @ Egremont Barn, South Egremont. Led Zeppelin tribute band.
Saturday
12:00 pm Kids Concerts with Terry A La Berry and Friends @ Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield.
2:00 pm The Berkshire Bach Organ Masters: Renee Anne Louprette Plays The Historic Johnson Organ @ Unitarian Universalist Meeting of South Berkshire, Housatonic.
5:00 pm Shake off the Winter Blues with Misty Blues @ The Common Room, Pittsfield. Blues. Learn more and listen here. Read our Featured Musician interview with Misty Blues’ Gina Coleman.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm David Bartley Quartet @ Dorothy’s Estaminet, Pittsfield.Jazz. Learn more and listen here.
7:00 pm Fight or Flight @ Studio 9, North Adams. Cabaret.
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Chris Merenda @ Becket Arts Center. Rock, Bluegrass, Americana.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Bronco Bullfrog & Mod Dance Party @ Race Brook Lodge, Sheffield. Mod Rock Dance music featuring Brian Kantor – see our featured musician interview with Brian.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Pug + John @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Bird Streets @ The Lion’s Den, Stockbridge. Indie, Rock, Folk. Learn more and listen here.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm John Nalepa & Riverbend Orchestra @ Methuselah Bar & Lounge, Pittsfield.
7:30 pm The Best of the ’70s @ Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield.
7:30 pm – 9:30 pm Jason & Trev @ Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort, Hancock.
7:30 pm – 10:30 pm Rene Lopez @ Egremont Barn, South Egremont. Latin, Soul, Rock. Learn more and listen here.
8:00 pm – 11:00 pm Canna Provisions Presents Live Music at The Locker Room Featuring Whiskey City @ Locker Room Sports Pub, Lee.
8:00 pm – 11:00 pm Shyne @ Knox Trail Inn, East Otis. Rock. Listen here.
Sunday
10:00 am – 12:00 pm Domingo Brunch featuring Redshift @ Dottie’s Coffee Lounge, Pittsfield. Jazz.
12:00 pm – 3:00 pm Jazz Brunch with Tristen Geary @ Race Brook Lodge, Sheffield. Learn more and listen here.
2:00 pm Fight or Flight @ Studio 9, North Adams. Cabaret.
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm Jack Waldheim @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox.
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm Valentine Concert & Tea – “Songs in the Cycle of Love” @ Ventfort Hall, Lenox. Singer Sherri James Buxton and pianist Bob Shepherd perform a variety of songs from the great American songbook, Broadway and cabaret.
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm The Art of the String Quartet — The Avalon @ St. James Place, Great Barrington. Classical. Performing works by Garrop, Mendelssohn, and Puccini.
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm Taproom Music: Pogo @ Bright Ideas Brewing, North Adams.
6:30 pm – 9:30 pm Michael Junkins and Friends @ The Lion’s Den, Stockbridge. Jazz. Learn more and listen here.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Antje Duvekot & Maia Sharp @ Egremont Barn, South Egremont. Folk, Americana. Learn more about Antje Dovekot here. Learn more about Maia Sharp here.
Please get out and support your local musicians and venues!
— Mark @ Music in the Berkshires