June is here, and with it comes the start of Berkshire County’s outdoor concert season. This week, live music returns to scenic spots like Great Barrington Town Hall and Lilac Park in Lenox — with many more al fresco shows just around the corner. Of course, the indoor scene is just as vibrant, with 44 performances on tap, spanning classical, jazz, rock, folk, Americana, reggae, soul, and even a youth choir. Dive into this week’s highlights below, and don’t forget to check out the full lineup of shows happening across the county.
Classical and Opera
We have three classical performances this week. Saturday evening, enjoy Claire Galloway, soprano Manon Hutton-DeWys, piano at The Southfield Church. They will perform works by Berg, Sibelius, and Poulenc. Also on Saturday night, you’ll find David Leisner, guitar at the Darrow School in New Lebanon. Leisner will perform works by Bach, Duarte, Schubert, Winslow, Mertz, plus his own compositions. On Sunday afternoon, you’ll find Close Encounters With Music: L’Amour Toujours – CEWM Commissioning Program World Premiere at the Mahaiwe in Great Barrington. The program features a new work for clarinet trio by composer Seth Grosshandler, Schubert’s “Shepherd on the Rock,” and love arias from favorite operas and Broadway sung by Metropolitan Opera soprano Danielle Talamantes and Kerry Wilkerson.
Jazz
We have seven jazz performances this week. Monday night, catch the first night of the summer series, Monday Night Jazz with Andy Wrba & Friends at Pizzeria Boema in Lenox. Join Andy Wrba, Conor Meehan, Benny Kohn, and special guest Jeff Stevens on trumpet. Wednesday night, catch the Michael Junkins Trio at The Lion’s Den in Stockbridge. Thursday night, you’ll find Gruppo Mondo at Bounti-Fare in Adams. Gruppo Mondo is a project of the talented Diego Mongue. You can read more about Diego in my profile for Berkshire Magazine. Music is back at The Gateway Inn in Lenox! This Saturday, they feature Live Piano with Karen Tchougourian. In addition to jazz, the talented musician also performs movie scores, Broadway tunes, and world folk music. You can also see him outdoors on Sunday afternoon in Lilac Park in Lenox.
Sunday morning, catch the Domingo Brunch featuring duo David Bartley and Pete Toigo at Dottie’s Coffee Lounge in Pittsfield. At midday, enjoy 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 “Junk” with Will Hudgins on vibraphone.
Popular (Rock, Pop, Folk, Blues, etc.)
The popular music category dominates our calendar this week, with over 30 performances. We can’t highlight them all, but we will mention a few (see our calendar or show rundown below for all the performances).
Wednesday night, you’ll find local favorites Colby Lewis & Steve Ide at the Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn in Lenox. Thursday night, you’ll find the funk-soul powerhouse Sample the Cat at The Egremont Barn. They perform again Friday night at Methuselah Bar & Lounge in Pittsfield. Local favorite Wanda Houston is at the Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn in Lenox. Local folk rockers Bobby Sweet & Lara Tupper perform at The Lion’s Den in Stockbridge. Neu Blume w/ Strawberry Runners are at Dream Away Lodge in Becket. Neu Blume is a Detroit-based indie-folk duo. The Strawberry Runners is the music project of Hudson Valley-based folk songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Emi Night.
Friday night, rock legend June Millington of Fanny (pictured above) performs at The Stationery Factory in Dalton. Fanny was the first all-female band to produce an album with a major record label. I had the chance to interview June a few weeks ago – read my profile of this fascinating trailblazer. The BTUs close out the season at Firefly Gastropub in Lenox. Firefly takes a musical break for the summer months. Americana band Rounders Revival is back at the Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn, while Bossa Nova Blues, described by frontman Brad Cole as “Not just bossa nova and blues, but rock, samba, jazz, R&B, old soul,” is at The Lion’s Den. Lovers of Aretha won’t want to miss the Aretha Franklin Tribute with Chantell & Friends at The Egremont Barn. You’ll find folk-rock performer Lisa Michelle Anderson w/G Winnard- Drums, Vocals. Simon Guthrie- Keys at Dream Away Lodge – read my recent interview with Lisa here. Up at Studio 9 in North Adams, you can catch Railway Cafe & Studio 9 Presents Cliff Eberhardt, a folk and blues artist.
On Saturday afternoon, fans of Neil Diamond won’t want to miss MPZ Productions presents DIAMOND – The Songs of Neil Diamond at The Stationery Factory. The performance repeats in the evening. Saturday night, catch a mother-daughter folk duo from a storied family when Suzzy Roche & Lucy Wainwright Roche perform at The Guthrie Center in Great Barrington. Down the road at The Egremont Barn, you can enjoy An Evening with James Maddock. We saw Maddock at The Barn in October 2023, and since then, I’ve been a big fan. Dorothy’s in Pittsfield features the music of psych-rock band Vaguely Pagan, while just down the road at Hot Plate Brewing, you’ll find Silver Lake Presents: Map of the Stars EP Release with Sentiments, Toluca Lake, B.U.G. World. Local favorite Melissa Brinton is at the Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn, while another local favorite, Chris Merenda, performs with his trio at The Lion’s Den. Singer-songwriter Namoli Brennet is back at The Foundry in West Stockbridge.
Sunday afternoon, Nate Martel is at Antimony Brewing in Lenox, and John Street Jive is at PortaVia in Dalton. Later in the afternoon, The Mikes perform at The Route 8 Pub in Becket. And just down the road, you’ll find R&B and folk artist Purleyville at Dream Away Lodge.
Something Else
We have two performances in our Something Else category. Wednesday early evening, catch the Sunday Strummers Ukulele Ensemble Free Concert outdoors at the Great Barrington Town Hall. Saturday afternoon, you can enjoy a talented youth choir at Vocalis: Earth, Sea & Sky at St. James Place in Great Barrington.
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
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Monday Night Jazz with Andy Wrba & Friends @ Pizzeria Boema, Lenox.
Tuesday
No Performances.Wednesday
5:30 pm Sunday Strummers Ukulele Ensemble Free Concert @ Great Barrington Town Hall, Great Barrington.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Colby Lewis & Steve Ide @ Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn, Lenox.
6:30 pm – 9:30 pm Michael Junkins Trio @ The Lion's Den, Stockbridge.
Thursday
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm Tom Corrigan @ Balderdash Cellars, Richmond.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Wanda Houston @ Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn, Lenox.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Bobby Sweet & Lara Tupper @ The Lion's Den, Stockbridge.
7:30 pm – 10:00 pm Sample The Cat @ Egremont Barn, South Egremont.
8:00 pm – 11:00 pm Gruppo Mondo @ Bounti-Fare, Adams.
8:00 pm – 11:00 pm Neu Blume w/ Strawberry Runners @ Dream Away Lodge, Becket.
Friday
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm Jack Waldheim @ Balderdash Cellars, Richmond.
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm The Housie Shakers @ First Fridays at Five @ Persip Park, Pittsfield.
5:30 pm “Playing It Forward GB” Lee Rogers & Friends – FREE CONCERT @ Great Barrington Town Hall, Great Barrington.
6:30 pm Jason & Trev @ Knox Trail Inn, East Otis.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm The BTU*s @ Firefly Gastropub, Lenox.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Sample the Cat, Berkshire’s Own Soul Funk Powerhouse! @ Methuselah Bar & Lounge, Pittsfield.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Bossa Nova Blue @ The Lion's Den, Stockbridge.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Rounders Revival @ Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn, Lenox.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Jim Witherell @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox.
7:30 pm Railway Cafe & Studio 9 Presents Cliff Eberhardt @ Studio 9, North Adams.
7:30 pm – 10:30 pm Aretha Franklin Tribute with Chantell & Friends @ Egremont Barn, South Egremont.
8:00 pm – 11:00 pm Lisa Michelle Anderson w/G Winnard- Drums, Vocals. Simon Guthrie- Keys @ Dream Away Lodge, Becket.
Saturday
12:00 pm – 3:00 pm Dan Gingras @ Balderdash Cellars, Richmond.
3:00 pm MPZ Productions presents DIAMOND – The Songs of Neil Diamond @ The Stationery Factory, Dalton.
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm Vocalis: Earth, Sea & Sky @ St. James Place, Great Barrington.
4:00 pm – 7:00 pm Tony Bernardo @ Balderdash Cellars, Richmond.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Live Piano with Karen Tchougourian @ Gateways Inn, Lenox.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Dorothy’s features the music of Vaguely Pagan @ Dottie's Coffee Lounge, Pittsfield.
7:00 pm Silver Lake Presents: Map of the Stars EP Release with Sentiments, Toluca Lake, B.U.G. World @ Hot Plate Brewing Co, Pittsfield.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Melissa Brinton @ Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn, Lenox.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Sean Robert Jones @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox.
7:00 pm Claire Galloway, soprano Manon Hutton-DeWys, piano @ The Southfield Church, Southfield.
7:00 pm MPZ Productions presents DIAMOND – The Songs of Neil Diamond @ The Stationery Factory, Dalton.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Chris Merenda Trio @ The Lion's Den, Stockbridge.
7:30 pm – 8:30 pm David Leisner, guitar @ Darrow School, New Lebanon.
7:30 pm Namoli Brennet @ The Foundry, West Stockbridge.
7:30 pm – 10:30 pm An Evening with James Maddock @ Egremont Barn, South Egremont.
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm An Evening with Suzzy Roche & Lucy Wainwright Roche @ Guthrie Center, Great Barrington.
8:00 pm D-Rod and the Uprising @ Knox Trail Inn, East Otis.
Sunday
10:00 am – 12:00 pm Domingo Brunch featuring duo David Bartley and Pete Toigo @ Dottie's Coffee Lounge, Pittsfield.
12:00 pm – 3:00 pm Nate Martel @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox.
12:00 pm – 3:00 pm Jazz Brunch with Natalia Bernal & Jason Ennis @ Race Brook Lodge, Sheffield.
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm John Street Jive @ portaVia, Dalton.
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm Les Chrostowski @ Balderdash Cellars, Richmond.
3:30 pm Karen Tchougourian @ Lilac Park, Lenox.
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm Close Encounters With Music: L’Amour Toujours – CEWM Commissioning Program World Premiere @ Mahaiwe, Great Barrington.
5:00 pm The Mikes @ Route 8 Pub, Becket.
6:30 pm – 9:30 pm Michael Junkins and Friends @ The Lion's Den, Stockbridge.
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Purleyville @ Dream Away Lodge, Becket.
Please get out and support your local musicians and venues!
— Mark @ Music in the Berkshires