As spring breathes life into the Berkshires, vibrant flowers and blossoming fruit trees paint a picturesque landscape, just in time to celebrate Mother’s Day on Sunday. Amidst this kaleidoscope of colors, a palate of rich and diverse music awaits, promising delight not only for Moms but for all who love live music. We have 47 performances this week, spanning classical, jazz, rock, pop, folk, blues, Brazilian, and children’s music. Below are a few highlights of the week ahead, followed by our comprehensive show rundown.
Classical
We have seven classical performances this week, starting on Wednesday with the Collegium Concert at Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Great Barrington. Rennaisance music will be performed on the viola de gamba, a once-extinct instrument. Thursday night is a particularly strong night of music with three options. You can listen to the Choral Evensong at Williams College, featuring the anthem “Greater Love” by John Ireland. Or check out the Spring Chamber Ensemble Concert at Bard College at Simon’s Rock, with chamber performances of Suite for Trumpet and Strings by Arthur Frackenpohl and movements of Antonin Dvorak’s Quintet in G-major Op.77 for two violins, viola, cello, and double bass. And Thursday’s last show crosses boundaries with chamber, folk, and pop music when Council: Gabriel Kahane and Pekka Kuusisto make a stop on their nationwide tour at MASS MoCA in North Adams. Council is a collaboration between American singer-songwriter Gabriel Kahane and Finnish musician Pekka Kuusisto. They will be performing intimate and sonically varied songs and chamber music. The program is rounded out with music by J.S. Bach, Nico Muhly, and others.
You can head back to Williams College for the Williams Chamber Choir on Friday night. The program features Benjamin Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb, a powerful work for choir and organ. Saturday afternoon, you can listen to James Bagwell Conducts Magnificat at the First Congregational Church of Great Barrington, featuring two Magnificats by father and son—J.S. and C.P.E. Bach. On Mother’s Day afternoon, you’ll find Classical Music: Williams College Chamber Music Gala featuring piano, string, and wind chamber music at The Clark Art Institute, Williamstown.
Jazz
We have six jazz performances, starting Thurday night with Benny Kohn & Stefanie Weber at Dorothy’s Estaminet in Pittsfield. This is a unique performance combining piano and tap dancing. Friday night, you can groove to the Lucky Five at The Lion’s Den in Stockbridge, or head over to Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Great Barrington to listen to the Jazz Ensemble Spring Concert. You’ll hear pieces by Thelonius Monk, Johnny Mandel, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and John Myers’ original composition “Lifeline.”
On Sunday, celebrate Mother’s Day at the Jazz Brunch with The Luke Franco Trio at Race Brook Lodge in Sheffield or with the Michael Junkins Trio at Antimony Brewing in Lenox. Michael performs again in the evening with Michael Junkins and Friends at The Lion’s Den in Stockbridge, featuring Adythia Vidyan on Saxophone.
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 Monday when the rock, grunge, and funk band Billy Allen & The Pollies makes a stop at Tourists in North Adams as part of its free “Sing for your Slumber” series. On Tuesday, Bruce Mandel performs “In His Own Write” at Berkshire Athenaeum in Pittsfield, featuring folk and Americana music by the singer-songwriter. Just around the corner, you’ll find John Nalepa and Riverbend Orchestra at Methuselah Bar & Lounge.
Thursday night, you can find Sasha K.A. at The Lion’s Den or head to MASS MoCA in North Adams to hear Council: Gabriel Kahane and Pekka Kuusisto, a unique combination of chamber, folk, and pop music. And yes, you also saw this same performance covered above under our Classical categorization.
It’s a very busy Friday night with 15 performances! Catch Lyle Lovett and Lisa Loeb: In Conversation and Song at the Mahaiwe in Great Barrington. Lovett (pictured above) is a unique performer, crossing several genres – you can read about him and his love for the Berkshires in the latest edition of our sister publication, Berkshire Magazine. Loeb is best known for her hit “Stay,” which has over 155M streams on Spotify. Also on Friday, you can catch some blues at Gina Coleman ’90: Misty Blues 25th Anniversary Album Release Concert at Williams College. Gina is one of Music in the Berkshires Featured Musicians – you can read our interview with her here. Pittsfield native singer-songwriter Diana Quetti comes home to the Colonial Theatre and will perform songs from her recently released EP, Begin. At Dewey Hall in Sheffield, you’ll find a Singer Songwriter Night Double Bill: Steve Adams and Tom Ingersoll, where you can enjoy folk, country, and Americana music. Also in Sheffield at Race Brook Lodge, you can catch Nephrok! Allstars: Spring Dance Party for some soul, R&B, rock, and funk. Finally, local favorites Melissa Brinton is at Bousquet in Pittsfield, while The BTUs are at Firefly Gastropub in Lenox.
Saturday is nearly as crazy as Friday. Los Angeles-based alternative-Indie band Chicano Batman comes to MASS MoCA in North Adams as part of their international tour. Over at the Egremont Barn, you’ll find Fishbone’s frontman Angelo Moore. Scottish folk musician Louise Bichan is at The Foundry in West Stockbridge, while Simone White & Scott Matthew Singing Sad Songs in Spring is at Race Brook Lodge in Sheffield. You’ll find Music is My Story w/ Cliff Eberhardt at the Becket Arts Center featuring the prolific folk-rocker from Pennsylvania. At The Stationery Factory in Dalton, you can catch Spaghetti Western 2, featuring the music of Bobby Sweet and the Chaps, along with dinner and a western movie. “Fierce-folk” band 5 Pound Horse is at Bondhu in New Ashford, while Eavesdrop performs at The Lion’s Den in Stockbridge.
On Mother’s Day morning, you can listen to The Juckets at Dottie’s Coffee Lounge in Pittsfield. In the afternoon, Paul Zarvis is at Balderdash Cellars in Richmond, and you wrap up the weekend at Mother’s Day with the Sherwood Forest Duo at Papa Bob’s Entertainment Hall in Becket, featuring music from the ’70s, ’80s, and today’s country.
Something Else
This week, we have five performances in our Something Else category. Wednesday night, Latin performer Clara Guatta will be at Dorothy’s Estaminet in Pittsfield. Brazilian band Melodies Of A Treehouse is at Race Brook Lodge in Sheffield on Thursday, featuring Tarcisio (Taz) Ramos, who will explore improvisation on the Handpan drum and the Brazilian berimbau, sharing original songs in both Portuguese and English. Taz will be performing again Friday night with his band Quarteto de Samba at Dorothy’s Estaminet in Pittsfield. Also on Friday, you can join in on Tipsy Carol’s “Spring Fling Sing” at The Foundry in West Stockbridge. Saturday at noon, there is another edition of the popular Kids Concerts with Terry A La Berry and Friends at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield.
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
8:00 pm Billy Allen & The Pollies @ Tourists, North Adams. Rock, Grunge, Funk, and Soul. Learn more here. Listen here.
Tuesday
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm Bruce Mandel performs “In His Own Write” @ Berkshire Athenaeum, Pittsfield. Folk, Americana. Learn more and listen here.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm John Nalepa and Riverbend Orchestra @ Methuselah Bar & Lounge, Pittsfield.
Wednesday
7:00 pm Collegium Concert @ Bard College at Simon’s Rock, Great Barrington. 500-year old music of the Rennaisance played on the viola de gamba, a once-extinct instrument.
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Clara Guatta @ Dorothy’s Estaminet, Pittsfield. Latin.
Thursday
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm Choral Evensong @ Williams College, Williamstown. Featuring the anthem “Greater Love’ by John Ireland. Choral, Classical.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Benny Kohn & Stefanie Weber @ Dorothy’s Estaminet, Pittsfield. Jazz. Piano/tap dancing duo.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Sasha K.A. @ The Lion’s Den, Stockbridge. Rock. Learn more and listen here.
7:00 pm Spring Chamber Ensemble Concert @ Bard College at Simon’s Rock, Great Barrington. Chamber. Performing Suite for Trumpet and Strings by Arthur Frackenpohl and Antonin Dvorak’s Quintet movements in G-major Op.77 for two violins, viola, cello, and double bass.
8:00 pm Council: Gabriel Kahane and Pekka Kuusisto @ MASS MoCA, North Adams. Chamber, Folk, Pop. Collaboration between American singer-songwriter Gabriel Kahane and Finnish musician Pekka Kuusisto performing intimate and sonically varied songs & chamber music. The program is rounded out with music by J.S. Bach, Nico Muhly, and others. Listen to Council’s latest release here.
8:00 pm DCSC: Melodies Of A Treehouse @ Race Brook Lodge, Sheffield. Brazilian.
Friday
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm Pug and John @ Balderdash Cellars, Richmond.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Melissa Brinton @ Bousquet, Pittsfield. Folk, Pop, Rock. Learn more and listen here.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Quarteto de Samba @ Dorothy’s Estaminet, Pittsfield. Brazilian.
6:30 pm Brett Potter @ Knox Trail Inn, East Otis.
7:00 pm Singer Songwriter Night Double Bill: Steve Adams and Tom Ingersoll @ Dewey Hall, Sheffield. Folk, Americana, Country.
7:00 pm – 11:00 pm Nephrok! Allstars: Spring Dance Party @ Race Brook Lodge, Sheffield. Soul, R&B, Rock, Funk.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm The BTUs @ Firefly Gastropub, Lenox. Rock, Blues. Featuring local musicians Steve Ide, Bobby Macveety, and Rob Putnam.
7:00 pm Williams Chamber Choir @ Williams College, Williamstown. Choral, Classical. The program features Benjamin Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb, a powerful work for choir and organ.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Lucky Five @ The Lion’s Den, Stockbridge. Swing Jazz. Learn more and listen here.
7:00 pm Jazz Ensemble Spring Concert @ Bard College at Simon’s Rock, Great Barrington. Performing pieces by Thelonius Monk, Johnny Mandel, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and others, including John Myers’ original composition “Lifeline.”
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Gina Coleman ’90: Misty Blues 25th Anniversary Album Release Concert @ Williams College, Williamstown. Blues. Learn more and listen here. Read our Featured Musician interview with Misty Blues’ Gina Coleman.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Jon Berman @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox. Rock. Listen more and listen here.
7:30 pm Diana Quetti @ Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield. Pop, Rock. Learn more and listen here.
7:30 pm Tipsy Carol’s “Spring Fling Sing” @ The Foundry, West Stockbridge. Sing-along.
8:00 pm Lyle Lovett and Lisa Loeb: In Conversation and Song @ Mahaiwe, Great Barrington. Country, Swing, Jazz, Folk, Gospel, Blues, and Pop. Learn more and listen to Lyle here. Learn more and listen to Lisa here.
Saturday
12:00 pm Kids Concerts with Terry A La Berry and Friends @ Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield. Childrens.
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm Jason and Trev @ Balderdash Cellars, Richmond.
4:00 pm James Bagwell Conducts Magnificat @ First Congregational Church of Great Barrington, Great Barrington. Classical, Baroque. Performing two Magnificats by father and son—J.S. and C.P.E. Bach.
6:00 pm – 9:30 pm Spaghetti Western 2 @ The Stationery Factory, Dalton. Featuring the music of Bobby Sweet and the Chaps. Folk, Country. Learn more and listen to Bobby here.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Simone White & Scott Matthew Singing Sad Songs in Spring @ Race Brook Lodge, Sheffield. Indie, Folk, Rock. Learn more and listen here.
7:00 pm 5 Pound Horse @ Bondhu, New Ashford. Rock, Folk, Americana. See our Instagram page for a reel of 5 Pound Horse.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Eavesdrop @ The Lion’s Den, Stockbridge. Americana Folk-Pop. Learn more and listen here.
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Music is My Story w/ Cliff Eberhardt @ Becket Arts Center, Becket. Folk, Rock. Learn more and listen here.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Jake Manzi Duo @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox.Rock, Pop, Folk. Learn more and listen here.
7:00 pm Charlie Hunter & The Blush Hollow Band @ Route 8 Pub, Becket.
7:30 pm – 10:00 pm Angelo Moore @ Egremont Barn, South Egremont. Reggae, Alternative/Indie, Rock. Learn more and listen here.
7:30 pm Louise Bichan @ The Foundry, West Stockbridge. Scottish Folk. Learn more and listen here.
8:00 pm Mr. Doubtfire @ Knox Trail Inn, East Otis.
8:00 pm Chicano Batman @ MASS MoCA, North Adams. Alternative-Indie. Learn more and listen here.
Sunday
10:00 am – 12:00 pm The Juckets @ Dottie’s Coffee Lounge, Pittsfield. Americana, Bluegrass.
11:00 am – 2:00 pm Michael Junkins Trio @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox. Jazz. Learn more and listen here.
12:00 pm – 3:00 pm Jazz Brunch With The Luke Franco Trio @ Race Brook Lodge, Sheffield. Jazz.
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm Paul Zarvis @ Balderdash Cellars, Richmond.
3:00 pm – 6:00 pm Mother’s Day with the Sherwood Forest Duo @ Papa Bob’s Entertainment Hall, Becket. Music from the 70s, 80s, and today’s country.
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm Classical Music: Williams College Chamber Music Gala @ The Clark Art Institute, Williamstown. Classical, Chamber.
6:30 pm – 9:30 pm Michael Junkins and Friends @ The Lion’s Den, Stockbridge. Featuring Adythia Vidyan on Saxophone. Learn more and listen here.
Please get out and support your local musicians and venues!
— Mark @ Music in the Berkshires