As 2024 winds down, Berkshire County comes alive with 44 performances over the next two weeks, offering a rich blend of classical, jazz, rock, and more—including nine exciting New Year’s Eve shows. Below are some highlights for the two weeks ahead, followed by our comprehensive show rundown.
Note: We are on vacation the week of December 30, so our Show Rundown includes listings for both the weeks of the 23rd and the 30th.
Classical and Opera
We have one classical performance this week: Crescendo: Christmas Oratorios & Contemporary Female Voices at St. James Place in Great Barrington. The Crescendo Chorus of forty singers will perform Bach’s fifth cantata of his Christmas Oratorio “Ehre sei dir, Gott, gesungen“ (Let honor be sung to you, O God).
The week of December 30, we have one classical performance, which is listed in our special New Year’s Eve section below.
Jazz
We have five jazz performances this week. Thursday, The Lucky Three is at the Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn in Lenox. Thursday night, catch the Phil Skaller Trio at The Lion’s Den in Stockbridge. Friday night, you’ll find Luke Franco at the Ostrich Room.
Sunday midday, chill out at the Jazz Brunch with Bobby MacVeety 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 Jeremy Udden on saxophone.
The week of December 30, we have three jazz performances besides the one listed under our New Year’s Eve section. On New Year’s Day, you can enjoy the Michael Junkins Trio at The Lion’s Den. On Sunday morning, catch the Domingo Brunch featuring duo David Bartley and Pete Toigo at Dottie’s in Pittsfield. Sunday night, you’ll find Michael Junkins and Friends at The Lion’s Den. Michael features Benny Kohn on piano.
Popular (Rock, Pop, Folk, Blues, etc.)
The popular music category dominates our calendar this week, with over 20 performances. We can’t highlight them all, but we will mention a few (see our calendar or show rundown below for all the performances).
The music starts Friday with local favorite Wanda Houston performing at Firefly Gastropub in Lenox. You can listen to a mix of jazz, blues and R&B at the Friday Supper Club featuring Benny Fingers with Susan Davis at Dottie’s and Dorothy’s in Pittsfield. Violinist Chris Murphy is at The Lion’s Den in Stockbridge – he performs there again Saturday night.
Saturday afternoon, Tom Corrigan is at Balderdash Cellars in Richmond. Saturday night, local favorites The BTU’s are at The Egremont Barn, while The Wild Weeeds jam at the Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn in Lenox. Nate Martel is at Antimony Brewing.
Sunday morning, enjoy the Domingo Brunch featuring Lexi Weege at Dottie’s in Pittsfield. On the Sunday afternoon “winery and brewery circuit,” you can see Melissa Brinton at Balderdash Cellars in Richmond or Mike Duffy at Antimony Brewing in Lenox. Meanwhile, Jack Waldheim performs at portaVia in Dalton.
The week of December 30, we have eight performances in our popular music category, in addition to the ones listed in our New Year’s Eve section.
On Monday, Mike McMann performs at Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort in Hancock. Thursday night, Glori Wilder (pictured above) is at The Lion’s Den. Friday, catch The BTU’s at Firefly Gastropub, Lisa Michelle Anderson at The Lion’s Den, or Austin Honig at Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort.
Saturday, you’ll find Evan Lanoue at The Lion’s Den, local favorite Melissa Brinton at Shaw Pond Club in Becket, and Jim Witherell at Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort.
New Year’s Eve
We have nine New Year’s Eve performances in the county, spanning several musical genres. Lovers of classical music will enjoy Berkshire Bach Society presents: Bach at New Year’s at the Mahaiwe in Great Barrington. Nine-time GRAMMY® Award winner and Artistic Director Eugene Drucker leads the Berkshire Bach Ensemble in performing the six Brandenburg Concertos.
We have a pair of two-fers: New Year’s Bash with Rounders Revival & Andy Wrba Trio at the Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn in Lenox and New Year’s Eve With The Feathers and The Picky Bastards at The Egremont Barn. Glori Wilder (pictured above), the incredibly talented soulful musician I just profiled in a article that appears in the current issue of Berkshire Magazine, rings in the New Year at Antimony Brewing in Lenox. Or catch New Year’s Eve with Max Creek at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield. The popular Berkshire County band is back again this year after an amazing performance last New Year’s Eve.
Up in Dalton, you can savor the incredible voice of Chantell, who will perform at the NYE DOPO with Chantell at portaVia. Chantell’s performance of “O Holy Night” at The Egremont Barn’s Holiday Spectravaganza this past week earned her the evening’s sole standing ovation. Elsewhere in Dalton, you can celebrate at the New Year’s Eve Dinner Dance With Movin’ On at the Dalton American Legion. The Hot Shot Hillbillies Duo will help you ring in the New Year at Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort in Hancock. Up in Becket at the Route 8 Pub, catch New Year’s Eve at The Pub with Dave Bacon & Simon Guthrie.
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.
Week of December 23
Monday
No Performances.
Tuesday
No Performances.
Wednesday
No Performances – Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah
Thursday
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm The Lucky Three @ Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn, Lenox.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Phil Skaller Trio @ The Lion's Den, Stockbridge.
Friday
6:00 pm – 10:00 pm Friday Supper Club featuring Benny Fingers with Susan Davis @ Dottie's and Dorothy's, Pittsfield.
6:00 pm PAPA & Friends @ Knox Trail Inn, East Otis.
6:30 pm – 9:30 pm Luke Franco Trio @ Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn, Lenox.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Wanda Houston @ Firefly Gastropub, Lenox.
7:00 pm – 10:30 pm CANCELED – The Rejuvenators @ Egremont Barn, South Egremont.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Chris Murphy @ The Lion's Den, Stockbridge.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Jim Witherell @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox.
7:30 pm – 9:30 pm Jack Waldheim @ Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort, Hancock.
Saturday
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm Tom Corrigan @ Balderdash Cellars, Richmond.
6:00 pm Jason & Trev Acoustic @ Knox Trail Inn, East Otis.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Chris Murphy @ The Lion's Den, Stockbridge.
7:00 pm Razztime @ Route 8 Pub, Becket.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Nate Martel @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox.
7:30 pm – 10:00 pm The Wild Weeeds @ Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn, Lenox.
7:30 pm – 10:30 pm The BTUs @ Egremont Barn, South Egremont.
7:30 pm – 9:30 pm Closet Classics @ Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort, Hancock.
Sunday
10:00 am – 12:00 pm Domingo Brunch featuring Lexi Weege @ Dottie's and Dorothy's, Pittsfield.
12:00 pm – 3:00 pm Jazz Brunch with Bobby MacVeety @ Race Brook Lodge, Sheffield.
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm Jack Waldheim @ portaVia, Dalton.
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm Melissa Brinton @ Balderdash Cellars, Richmond.
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm CRESCENDO: Christmas Oratorios & Contemporary Female Voices @ St. James Place, Great Barrington.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Mike Duffy @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox.
6:30 pm – 9:30 pm Michael Junkins and Friends @ The Lion's Den, Stockbridge.
7:30 pm – 9:30 pm Joe Adee & the Lug Nuts @ Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort, Hancock.
Week of December 30
Monday
7:30 pm – 9:30 pm Mike McMann @ Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort, Hancock.
Tuesday
5:30 pm NEW YEAR’S EVE Dinner Dance With MOVIN’ ON @ Dalton American Legion, Dalton.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm NYE DOPO with Chantell @ portaVia, Dalton.
6:00 pm Berkshire Bach Society presents: Bach at New Year’s @ Mahaiwe, Great Barrington.
7:00 pm New Year’s Eve at The Pub with Dave Bacon & Simon Guthrie @ Route 8 Pub, Becket.
7:00 pm – 12:00 am New Years Bash! with Rounders Revival & Andy Wrba Trio @ Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn, Lenox.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Glori Wilder @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox.
8:00 pm – 1:00 am New Years Eve! With The Feathers and The Picky Ba$tards @ Egremont Barn, South Egremont.
8:00 pm – 12:00 pm Hot Shot Hillbillies Duo @ Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort, Hancock.
8:30 pm New Year’s Eve with Max Creek @ Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield.
9:00 pm – 12:00 am New Year’s Eve Jazz @ Methuselah Bar & Lounge, Pittsfield.
Wednesday
6:30 pm – 9:30 pm Michael Junkins Trio @ The Lion's Den, Stockbridge.
Thursday
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm Rees Shad Trio @ Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn, Lenox.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Glori Wilder @ The Lion's Den, Stockbridge.
Friday
6:30 pm – 9:30 pm Luke Franco Trio @ Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn, Lenox.
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm Jordan Franklin @ Appetito, Lee.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm The BTU*s @ Firefly Gastropub, Lenox.
7:00 pm – 8:00 pm Live Music With Acclaimed Violinist and Composer, Todd Reynolds @ Heart's Pace, North Adams.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Livio Gravini @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Lisa Michelle Anderson @ The Lion's Den, Stockbridge.
7:00 pm Rounder’s Revival @ Shaw Pond Club, Becket.
7:30 pm – 9:30 pm Austin Honig @ Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort, Hancock.
Saturday
2:00 pm – 6:00 pm RJ McCarty in the Catamount Lodge @ Catamount, South Egremont.
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm The Mikes @ Balderdash Cellars, Richmond.
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm Tom Turci, Jenna Nicholls with Jon Ladeau @ Ostrich Room at Apple Tree Inn, Lenox.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Kollin Kozlowski @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Evan Lanoue @ The Lion's Den, Stockbridge.
7:00 pm Kilashandra @ Methuselah Bar & Lounge, Pittsfield.
7:30 pm – 9:30 pm Jim Witherell @ Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort, Hancock.
8:00 pm Melissa Brinton @ Shaw Pond Club, Becket.
Sunday
10:00 am – 12:00 pm Domingo Brunch featuring duo David Bartley and Pete Toigo @ Dottie's and Dorothy's, Pittsfield.
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm Les Chrostowski @ Balderdash Cellars, Richmond.
4:30 pm – 6:30 pm The Hot Club of New England, with Matt and Atla DeChamplain @ Proprietor's Lodge, Pittsfield.
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm Jason & Trev @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox.
6:30 pm – 9:30 pm Michael Junkins and Friends @ The Lion's Den, Stockbridge.
Happy New Year – and please get out and support your local musicians and venues!
— Mark @ Music in the Berkshires