The first week of September features 27 live performances across the Berkshires, blending Broadway, jazz, rock, Cajun, and classical. Highlights include Benjamin Lerner’s benefit concert at Barrington Stage, Cajun fiddler Jourdan Thibodeaux at Egremont Barn, and Broadway talent Julie Benko at BSC. MASS MoCA welcomes Lake Street Dive, while South Mountain Concert Hall opens its season with a world-class chamber ensemble. Other standouts include Tom Kitt at BSC, Heard World Jazz, and a Zeppelin tribute at The Stationery Factory—plus local favorites Wanda Houston, Johnny Irion, and The Lucky 5. Check out some highlights below—and be sure to review the full schedule to plan your next musical outing.
- Benjamin Lerner: Performer at Barrington Stage Company on Wednesday. Lerner is a Vermont-based Rapper, Composer, Writer, Recovery Advocate, Radio Host, and Viral Content Creator – and my colleague at Old Mill Road Media. Don’t miss this performance, which will benefit BSC’s Musical Theatre Lab, George B. Crane Memorial Center, and Living in Recovery. Read “Recovery Takes Center Stage” in the August issue of Berkshire Magazine before you go.
- Jourdan Thibodeaux at Egremont Barn on Thursday. Straight from the black, boggy woods of Cypress Island, Louisiana, Thibodeaux is one of the few young people speaking Cajun French today, and his soulful singing and fiddling are the perfect way to showcase his growing collection of original Louisiana French songs.
- Julie Benko at Barrington Stage Company on Thursday and Friday. Benko, an actress and singer, portrayed Fanny Brice in the Broadway revival of Funny Girl and originated the role of Ruth Stern in the Broadway musical Harmony.
- JOB CREATORS at Hot Plate Brewing Co on Friday. Job Creators returns to the Hot Plate taproom, blending progressive rock grooves with a variety of audio samples into fun and engaging songs. And before you go, check out my article about Hot Plate’s innovative music program, “The Live MUSIC Alternative,” in the August issue of Berkshire Magazine.
- Williams Chamber Players at Williams College on Friday. It’s the first classical music performance of the fall season at Williams, so for those experiencing withdrawal now that the Tanglewood season has ended, this might be the event for you.
- Four Sticks – Led Zeppelin Tribute at The Stationery Factory on Friday. If you’re in the mood to rock out to some classic Led Zeppelin hits, head over to Dalton to catch this amazing tribute band.
- Lake Street Dive (pictured above) at MASS MoCA on Saturday. LSD has been one of our favorite bands ever since we first saw them over a decade ago at Higher Ground in Burlington. Since then, the band, which formed at the New England Conservatory of Music, has performed at Madison Square Garden, Red Rocks, and Soldier Field.
- Heard World Jazz at New Marlborough Meeting House on Saturday. Together for 15 years, their lively sound draws influences from West Africa, Brazil, the Caribbean, and beyond.
- An Evening with Tom Kitt at Barrington Stage Company on Saturday and Sunday. See the talented composer, conductor, and musician who won two Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Next to Normal.
- Wu Han, piano; David Finckel, cello; Stella Chen, Bella Hristova, violins; Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, viola at South Mountain Concert Hall on Sunday. The quintet will perform works by Mozart, Mendelssohn, and Dvořák.
And don’t miss the incredible local musicians performing around the county this week, including the Wanda Houston Band, Johnny Irion & Friends, and The Lucky 5.
You can learn more about all of these performances in our day-by-day 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.
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No Performances.Please get out and support your local musicians and venues!
— Mark @ Music in the Berkshires