It’s an exceptional week of music ahead with opening night at two historic folk-rock venues, The Guthrie Center and Dream Away Lodge, plus many other great performances at ticketed and non-ticketed venues from north to south Berkshire County. We have 49 performances this week, spanning classical, opera, jazz, rock, pop, folk, blues, traditional Italian folk, and a children’s performance. Below are a few highlights of the week ahead, followed by our comprehensive show rundown.
Classical and Opera
We have six classical and opera performances this week, starting on Friday night with the Berkshire Concert Choir: The Sounds Of Music at The Common Room in Pittsfield. 75 singers from 8 to 80 will sing favorites from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music, Brahms’ Liebeslieder Waltzes, and contemporary British composer Cecilia McDowall. The performance is repeated on Saturday afternoon at St. James Place in Great Barrington. Also on Saturday afternoon, you can listen to the Young Singers Concert at the First Congregational Church of Stockbridge, performing the works of contemporary Estonian composer Arvo Pärt. Sunday afternoon offers three performances. An Anniversary Concert: Celebrating Cantilena Chamber Choir is at Trinity Episcopal Church in Lenox. In Great Barrington at the Mahaiwe, you’ll find Close Encounters with Music: Cafe Vienna – “Nervous Splendor,” performing music from operetta to waltz, including Beethoven’s Piano Trio, Schubert’s “An die Musik,” and Fritz Kreisler, “Caprice Viennois.” Finally, you can hear Classical Music: Zarabanda Variations with The American Modern Opera Company and Guests at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown. The performance is a “synthesis of European and Latin Baroque, folk, and contemporary musical traditions.”
Jazz
We have seven jazz performances, starting Monday afternoon with the Lose Your Blues Jazz Piano Concert Series with Noted Jazz Pianist Stephen Page at the Lenox Community Center. On Thursday, catch Ed Moran and Ben Kohn at Balderdash Cellars in Richmond for some jazz and standards. They’ll be back at Balderdash on Sunday. Saturday night, catch the David Bartley Quartet at Dorothy’s Estaminet in Pittsfield, or head up to Studio 9 in North Adams to catch BAAMS Presents: Steve Davis & Abena Koomson-Davis and the BAAMS’ Band, featuring world-renowned trombonist Steve Davis and his wife, vocalist Abena Koomson-Davis. On Sunday morning, you enjoy brunch with Jason Ennis & Natalia Bernal at Dottie’s Coffee Lounge in Pittsfield, and in the evening, you can catch Michael Junkins and Friends at The Lion’s Den in Stockbridge, featuring “The Regulars” with Will Hudgins on vibes.
Popular (Rock, Pop, Folk, Blues, etc.)
We have over 30 performances in the popular music category – we can’t highlight them all but will mention a few (see our calendar or show rundown below for all the performances).
The music starts Tuesday with the Riverside Brothers at Methuselah Bar & Lounge in Pittsfield. On Wednesday night, folk-pop and Americana performer Amelia White, who No Depression magazine calls the “Queen of the East Nashville underground,” will perform at Tourists in North Adams.
Thursday night, you won’t want to miss Elizabeth and the Catapult featuring Monica Giraldo at Egremont Barn. Elizabeth Ziman, whose music reminds me of Ingrid Michaelson, recently collaborated with Sara Bareilles on Apple TV’s “Little Voice,” and her song “Pop the Placebo” has over 2M plays on Spotify – it’s an ethereal pop song you should check out. Studio 9 in North Adams presents a Local Showcase: Rounders Revival Trio & Nate Goyette, while folk and Americana artist Griffin William Sherry swings through North Adams to perform at Tourists. You’ll find folk and pop artist Jake Manzi at The Lion’s Den in Stockbridge.
Friday night is opening night at the historic Dream Away Lodge in Becket, and the folk, bluegrass, and rock band The Mammals (pictured above) is back again this year to celebrate the new season. Chicago-based blues band Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials makes a stop on their national tour at The Stationery Factory in Dalton. Fans of The Grateful Dead will want to head over to Egremont Barn to hear Grateful Dread. We have several local favorites performing Friday night, including Lisa Michelle Anderson at Dorothy’s Estaminet, Katherine Winston at The Lion’s Den, the Amy Ryan Band at Firefly Gastropub in Lenox, and Chris Merenda of The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow and The Picky Bastards at Route 8 Pub in Becket.
On Saturday afternoon, head over to Springtoberfest at Bousquet to watch or play Cornhole and listen to music by Jack Waldheim and Rounders Revival, presented by Antimony Brewing. Music in the Berkshires and sister publication Berkshire Magazine are media sponsors for this fun outdoor event.
In the evening, catch Music in the Berkshires Featured Musician Billy Keane at Dream Away Lodge. It’s opening night of the summer season at The Guthrie Center in Great Barrington, which will host She Came Along to Me with Anna Canoni and Annie Guthrie. The evening features a special multimedia presentation of the story of Woody & Marjorie Guthrie’s life with Huntington’s disease followed by a concert with Annie and Abe Guthrie and friends. Blues fans will want to head over to The Lion’s Den to catch Brother Sal Blues Band or get happy with The Beatles Tribute band, The Eggmen, performing at Egremont Barn. Finally, the horn-fueled party band from the Capital Region, The Refrigerators with the Hotshot Hillbillies, is at The Stationery Factory.
On the Sunday afternoon “winery and brewery circuit,” you find Jack Waldheim at Antimony Brewing in Lenox, the aforementioned Ed Moran and Ben Kohn at Balderdash Cellars in Richmond (we listed them under our jazz category, too, since you are never quite sure what this talented duo will play), and Nate Martel in the taproom at Bright Ideas Brewing in North Adams. Sunday evening features two performances: 5 Pound Horse will perform at the Mutual Aid for Gaza benefit show at Bondhu in New Ashford, and Lisa Bastoni with Sean Staples will close out the opening weekend at Dream Away Lodge.
Something Else
This week, we have two performances in our Something Else category. You’ll find traditional Italian folk music at Italian Night: Sblendorio’s Tarantellas at Race Brook Lodge in Sheffield on Thursday night. Saturday late morning, bring the kids to see “Giuseppe Grandini” and the Search for the World’s Greatest Opera Character at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox. This free family concert explores the music of Mozart, Verdi, Puccini, and more, recommended for audiences ages 8 – 14.
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
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm Lose Your Blues Jazz Piano Concert Series with Noted Jazz Pianist Stephen Page @ Lenox Community Center, Lenox. Jazz.
Tuesday
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Riverside Brothers @ Methuselah Bar & Lounge, Pittsfield.
Wednesday
8:00 pm Amelia White @ Tourists, North Adams. Folk-pop, Americana. No Depression magazine calls her “Queen of the East Nashville underground.” Learn more and listen here.
Thursday
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm Ed Moran and Ben Kohn @ Balderdash Cellars, Richmond. Jazz, Rock, American Standards.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Fannie Pack @ Dorothy’s Estaminet, Pittsfield. Folk, Rock, Pop.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Les Chrostowski @ Dalton American Legion, Dalton. Rock.
7:00 pm Dave Bacon & Simon Guthrie @ Route 8 Pub, Becket.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Jake Manzi @ The Lion’s Den, Stockbridge. Rock, Pop, Folk. Learn more and listen here.
7:00 pm Studio 9 Local Showcase: Rounders Revival Trio & Nate Goyette @ Studio 9, North Adams. Folk. Listen to Rounders Revival here. Learn more and listen to Nate here.
7:30 pm – 10:30 pm Elizabeth and the Catapult featuring Monica Giraldo @ Egremont Barn, South Egremont. Pop, Rock. Learn more and listen here.
8:00 pm Griffin William Sherry @ Tourists, North Adams. Folk, Americana, Rock. Learn more and listen here.
8:00 pm – 11:00 pm Italian Night: Sblendorio’s Tarantellas @ Race Brook Lodge, Sheffield. Traditional Italian folk music.
Friday
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Lisa Michelle Anderson @ Dorothy’s Estaminet, Pittsfield. Rock, Folk, Country. Learn more and listen here.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Jack Waldheim @ Bousquet, Pittsfield. Rock.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Katherine Winston @ The Lion’s Den, Stockbridge. Folk, Pop, Rock. Learn more and listen here.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Amy Ryan Band @ Firefly Gastropub, Lenox. Country, Blues, Rock. Learn more and listen here.
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm Berkshire Concert Choir: The Sounds Of Music @ The Common Room, Pittsfield. Favorites from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music, Brahms’ Liebeslieder Waltzes, and contemporary British composer Cecilia McDowall. Classical, Choral.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Pug + John @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox.
7:00 pm Chris Merenda @ Route 8 Pub, Becket. Rock, Bluegrass.
7:30 pm – 10:00 pm Grateful Dread @ Egremont Barn, South Egremont. The Grateful Dead tribute band.
7:30 pm – 9:30 pm Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials @ The Stationery Factory, Dalton. Blues. Learn more and listen here.
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm Mike & Ruthy (of the Mammals) @ Dream Away Lodge, Becket. Folk, Bluegrass, Rock. Learn more and listen here.
Saturday
11:00 am – 12:00 pm “Giuseppe Grandini” and the Search for the World’s Greatest Opera Character @ Shakespeare & Company, Lenox. Free family concert exploring the music of Mozart, Verdi, Puccini, and more, recommended for audiences ages 8 – 14.
11:00 am – 5:00 pm Springtoberfest @ Bousquet, Pittsfield. Cornhole Tournament plus live music by Jack Waldheim and Rounders Revival. Listen to Rounders Revival here.
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm Dan Hamilton @ Balderdash Cellars, Richmond.
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm Young Singers Concert @ First Congregational Church of Stockbridge, Stockbridge. Choral, Classical. Performing the works of contemporary Estonian composer Arvo Pärt.
3:00 pm – 4:30 pm Berkshire Concert Choir: The Sounds Of Music @ St. James Place, Great Barrington. Favorites from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music, Brahms’ Liebeslieder Waltzes, and contemporary British composer Cecilia McDowall. Classical, Choral.
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm She Came Along to Me with Anna Canoni and Annie Guthrie @ Guthrie Center, Great Barrington. Special multimedia presentation of the story of Woody & Marjorie Guthrie’s life with Huntington’s disease followed by a concert with Annie and Abe Guthrie and friends. Learn more and listen to Annie here. Learn more about Abe here.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm David Bartley Quartet @ Dorothy’s Estaminet, Pittsfield. Jazz. Learn more and listen to David here.
6:30 pm Chalk Dust @ Knox Trail Inn, East Otis. Rock. Learn more and listen here.
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm BAAMS Presents: Steve Davis & Abena Koomson-Davis And The BAAMS’ Band @ Studio 9, North Adams. Jazz. Learn more and listen to Steve here. Learn more and listen to Abena here.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Brother Sal Blues Band @ The Lion’s Den, Stockbridge. Blues. Learn more and listen here.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Jack Waldheim @ Locker Room Sports Pub, Lee. Rock.
7:00 pm Amy Attias @ Route 8 Pub, Becket. Folk, Blues.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Micah Stone @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox.
7:30 pm – 10:30 pm The Refrigerators @ The Stationery Factory, Dalton. Rock. Learn more and listen to The Refrigerators here.
7:30 pm – 10:30 pm The Eggmen @ Egremont Barn, South Egremont. The Beatles tribute band.
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm Billy Keane @ Dream Away Lodge, Becket. Indie Rock, Americana. See our interview with Billy here. Learn more and listen here.
Sunday
10:00 am – 12:00 pm Domingo Brunch featuring Jason Ennis & Natalia Bernal @ Dottie’s Coffee Lounge, Pittsfield. Jazz, Latin. Learn more about Natalia here. Learn more about Jason here.
12:00 pm – 3:00 pm Jack Waldheim @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox. Rock.
1:00 pm BeatNest Student Showcase @ The Collab, Pittsfield. Students at BeatNest will be showing off their skills as electronic music performers.
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm Ed Moran and Ben Kohn @ Balderdash Cellars, Richmond.Jazz, Rock, American Standards.
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm Anniversary Concert: Celebrating Cantilena Chamber Choir @ Trinity Episcopal Church, Lenox. Chamber, Choral.
4:00 pm Close Encounters with Music: Cafe Vienna – “Nervous Splendor” @ Mahaiwe, Great Barrington. Performing music from operetta to waltz, including Beethoven’s Piano Trio, Schubert’s “An die Musik,” and Fritz Kreisler, “Caprice Viennois.”
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm Taproom Music: Nate Martel @ Bright Ideas Brewing, North Adams. Rock, Folk. Learn more and listen here.
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm Classical Music: Zarabanda Variations with The American Modern Opera Company and Guests @ The Clark Art Institute, Williamstown. “Synthesis of European and Latin Baroque, folk, and contemporary musical traditions.”
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm Mutual Aid for Gaza benefit show @ Bondhu, round 2 @ Bondhu, New Ashford. Folk, Rock. See our Instagram page for a reel of 5 Pound Horse.
6:30 pm – 9:30 pm Michael Junkins and Friends @ The Lion’s Den, Stockbridge. Jazz. Learn more and listen here.
7:30 pm – 9:30 pm Lisa Bastoni with Sean Staples @ Dream Away Lodge, Becket. Folk, Americana. Learn more and listen to Lisa here.
Please get out and support your local musicians and venues!
— Mark @ Music in the Berkshires