Happy Memorial Day! As we wrap up May and welcome the first notes of June, the Berkshires are already alive with the sounds of summer. It’s an amazing week of music with many outstanding local and regional acts performing. This week offers 45 live performances, encompassing classical, jazz, rock, folk, Americana, reggae, soul, and sea shanties. Check out the highlights below, and don’t forget to browse the full lineup of shows happening throughout the county.
Classical and Opera
We have just three classical performances this week. On Saturday, you can find Rachmaninoff and the Tsar at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield. The program intertwines music and history, giving a glimpse into the life of the legendary pianist-composer Sergei Rachmaninoff. It features Rachmaninoff’s C# minor Prelude, the Second Piano Concerto, and the Paganini Variations. The performance repeats on Sunday afternoon. Also on Sunday afternoon, you can find Berkshire Lyric’s performance Masterworks: Haydn, Beethoven and Mozart at Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood.
Jazz
We have seven jazz performances this week. On Wednesday, the Kris Allen Trio performs at The Lion’s Den in Stockbridge. Thursday night, the Good Vibes Organ Trio will be at the Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn in Lenox. Friday night, catch Benny Kohn & Friends at Firefly Gastropub in Lenox. Saturday night, listen to the music of Mary Ann Palermo Jazz Trio at Dottie’s Coffee Lounge in Pittsfield.
Sunday morning, enjoy Jazz Brunch with Bobby MacVeety at Race Brook Lodge in Sheffield. Sunday afternoon, you can attend the Taconic House Salon Series: Suzi Stern Group at a private home in Lenox – details for the show can be found in the event link in the daily show run-down below. 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. Slackers LTD plays at portaVia in Dalton. Elsewhere in Dalton, Chris Merenda & Friends perform at The Stationery Factory.
Thursday night, you’ll find Camellia at The Egremont Barn. Camellia is an indie-rock trio comprised of Taylor Slonacker, Hannah Braken, and Allana Sinclair. Music in the Berkshires featured musician Kendra McKinley is back in the county, performing at Dream Away Lodge in Becket. The second installment of the Original Voices Concert Series: Jake Manzi takes place at Hot Plate Brewing in Pittsfield. Evan Lanoue performs at The Lion’s Den in Stockbridge. Or, you can check out some of the emerging talent of the future at Calliope Cafe at The Stationery Factory.
Friday night, you can catch Clare Maloney & The Great Adventure at the Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn. Clare and the band just released the first single, “The Flood,” from their upcoming album Flood, Fire & Honey. If you want to learn more about Clare, read my 2023 interview with her here. Glori Wilder & the Moonflowers perform at Dream Away Lodge in Becket. Check out “Take Note: Glori Wilder” in Berkshire Magazine to learn more about this talented young musician. Folk rocker Reed Foehl is at The Stationery Factory, while Moonstompers Feat. I Anbassa performs a blend of roots, ska, and reggae at The Egremont Barn. Local favorite Wanda Houston is at The Lion’s Den.
Saturday night, you won’t want to miss Sean Rowe (pictured above) with opener Jenna Nicholls at The Egremont Barn. I’ve listened to Sean regularly since we first saw him at The Barn last year. His song “To Leave Something Behind” has over 12 million streams on Spotify, but my personal favorite, “I’ll Follow Your Trail,” always brings a tear to my eye. Chris Smither is performing at a sold-out show at The Guthrie Center in Great Barrington. Two great musicians have teamed up at the Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn: Andy Wrba & Friends feat. Tory Hanna. Hanna plays with The Whiskey Treaty Road Show but has been doing more collaborative performances in the region and recently released a solo single, “Run Outside for Love.” Another Music in the Berkshires featured musician, Milton, performs at The Lion’s Den. Purple Dawn performs at Dream Away Lodge, while fans of Ozzy Osbourne won’t want to miss the tribute band Crazy Train at The Stationery Factory.
On Sunday morning, you can hang out at the Domingo Brunch featuring King Manzi at Dottie’s Coffee Lounge in Pittsfield. King Manzi is the project of Ned King and Jake Manzi. On the Sunday afternoon “winery and brewery circuit,” catch Mike Wood at Antimony Brewing in Lenox and Susan Davis & Benny Kohn at Balderdash Cellars in Richmond. In the evening, you’ll find Latin folk artist Clara Guatta at Dream Away Lodge. Austin-based soul, rock, and Americana artist SISI performs at Tourists in North Adams as part of their “Sing For Your Slumber” series.
Something Else
We have three performances in our Something Else category. Thursday night, you’ll find Poetic Resistance: Poems & Songs about Current Events & The Environment with Noh Bailey, slink g moss, James Sherry, and Molly Murphy Weinberg at The Foundry in West Stockbridge. The performance features four artists who share words and songs that respond to current events and the environment. Also on Thursday, you’ll find Shinbone Alley in the Down County Social Club at Race Brook Lodge in Sheffield. Shinbone Alley is the project of Alex Harvey, who performs sea shanties and other old-time music. On Saturday afternoon, you can enjoy Singing Sandisfield’s Unsung Heroes at the Sandisfield Arts Center.
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
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Slackers LTD @ portaVia, Dalton.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Colby Lewis & Steve Ide @ Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn, Lenox.
6:30 pm – 9:30 pm Kris Allen Trio @ The Lion's Den, Stockbridge.
7:00 pm Chris Merenda & Friends @ The Stationery Factory, Dalton.
Thursday
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Good Vibes Organ Trio @ Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn, Lenox.
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Calliope Cafe @ The Stationery Factory, Dalton.
7:00 pm Original Voices Concert Series: Jake Manzi @ Hot Plate Brewing Co, Pittsfield.
7:00 pm Evan Lanoue @ The Lion's Den, Stockbridge.
7:30 pm – 10:00 pm Camellia @ Egremont Barn, South Egremont.
7:30 pm Poetic Resistance: Poems & Songs about Current Events & The Environment with Noh Bailey, slink g moss, James Sherry, and Molly Murphy Weinberg @ The Foundry, West Stockbridge.
8:00 pm – 11:00 pm Kendra McKinley @ Dream Away Lodge, Becket.
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm DCSC: Shinbone Alley @ Race Brook Lodge, Sheffield.
Friday
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm Jim Witherell @ Balderdash Cellars, Richmond.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Clare Maloney & The Great Adventure @ Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn, Lenox.
7:00 pm Jack Swindlehurst @ Shaw Pond Club, Becket.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Wanda Houston @ The Lion's Den, Stockbridge.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Benny Kohn and Friends @ Firefly Gastropub, Lenox.
7:00 pm Kilashandra @ Route 8 Pub, Becket.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Buddy McEarns @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox.
7:30 pm – 10:30 pm Moonstompers Feat. I Anbassa @ Egremont Barn, South Egremont.
8:00 pm – 11:00 pm Glori Wilder & the Moonflowers @ Dream Away Lodge, Becket.
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm Reed Foehl @ The Stationery Factory, Dalton.
Saturday
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm Jason & Trev @ Balderdash Cellars, Richmond.
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm Singing Sandisfield’s Unsung Heroes @ Sandisfield Arts Center, Sandisfield.
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm Hot Vox Trio @ Balderdash Cellars, Richmond.
6:30 pm – 9:00 pm Dorothy’s features the music of the Mary Ann Palermo Jazz Trio @ Dottie's Coffee Lounge, Pittsfield.
7:00 pm Milton @ The Lion's Den, Stockbridge.
7:00 pm All of Us @ Methuselah Bar & Lounge, Pittsfield.
7:00 pm Razztime @ Route 8 Pub, Becket.
7:00 pm Rachmaninoff and the Tsar @ Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Jason & Trev Acoustic @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Andy Wrba & Friends feat. Tory Hanna @ Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn, Lenox.
7:30 pm – 10:30 pm Sean Rowe with opener Jenna Nicholls @ Egremont Barn, South Egremont.
7:30 pm – 11:30 pm Goblet 12 Year Anniversary w/ Black Pyramid, Tentacles, Datura @ Zion Lutheran Church, Pittsfield.
8:00 pm General Gist @ Knox Trail Inn, East Otis.
8:00 pm – 11:00 pm Purple dawn @ Dream Away Lodge, Becket.
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm Chris Smither In Concert @ Guthrie Center, Great Barrington.
8:00 pm – 10:30 pm Crazy Train @ The Stationery Factory, Dalton.
Sunday
10:00 am – 12:00 pm Domingo Brunch featuring King Manzi @ Dottie's Coffee Lounge, Pittsfield.
12:00 pm – 3:00 pm Mike Wood @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox.
12:00 pm – 3:00 pm Jazz Brunch with Bobby MacVeety @ Race Brook Lodge, Sheffield.
2:00 pm Rachmaninoff and the Tsar @ Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield.
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm Susan Davis & Benny Kohn @ Balderdash Cellars, Richmond.
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm Masterworks: Haydn, Beethoven and Mozart @ Tanglewood, Lenox.
3:30 pm Sasha Klare-Ayvaziar @ Lilac Park, Lenox.
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm Taconic House Salon Series: Suzi Stern Group @ Private Venue, Lenox.
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm Music by Jo Anne Spies and Doug Tanner @ Bascom Lodge, Adams.
6:30 pm – 9:30 pm Michael Junkins and Friends @ The Lion's Den, Stockbridge.
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Clara Guatta @ Dream Away Lodge, Becket.
8:00 pm SISI @ Tourists, North Adams.
Please get out and support your local musicians and venues!
— Mark @ Music in the Berkshires