As Hanukkah draws to a close and the holiday rush builds toward Christmas, the pace of live music slows a bit this week, with 19 performances across the county. That lighter schedule makes it an ideal moment to savor the simple joy of hearing music performed live—up close, unfiltered, and shared with others. Each show offers its own small escape, so take a moment to browse the full calendar and map out your next night out.
With such a light week on the calendar, rather than singling out ten highlights from a list of just 19 shows, I encourage you to browse the full lineup and follow your own musical instincts. A few standouts worth noting include Christmas Eve with Ben Kohn & Friends! at PortaVia on Thursday, the Night After Christmas Dance Party featuring the Jackson Whalan Live Band and a Jules Jenssen DJ set at Barrington Hall, and The Rejuvenators with Wanda Houston at Buttonball Barn on Friday, plus A Baroque Portrait: Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre at St. James Place on Saturday.
Instead of a longer highlights list, I’d like to share a few stories that speak to the impact Music in the Berkshires continues to have across the region. On Wednesday night, my wife and I attended a performance by Kongero at The Foundry in West Stockbridge—an exceptional evening with the acclaimed Swedish a cappella quartet. Before the show and during intermission, we chatted with two couples seated next to us who had driven nearly an hour from Savoy to attend. When I mentioned that I run Music in the Berkshires, they told me they read our newsletter every week and had discovered that very performance through it.
Encounters like this have become surprisingly common when my wife and I attend live shows. Time and again, people share how they’ve found new bands, venues, and musical experiences they might never have discovered without Music in the Berkshires.
I also regularly receive emails from readers, like one from Alan and his wife, Georgette, who wrote last week to say they’ve attended performances at venues such as the Clark Art Institute and discovered artists including The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow, Dead Man’s Waltz, Slambodian Circle of Dreams, and the BTUs through the site.
Hearing these stories never gets old. Knowing that Music in the Berkshires has helped others experience the same joy, connection, and sense of discovery that live music brings is the very reason I built the website in the first place.
From me, my wife Melissa, and everyone at Old Mill Road Media and our sibling publication Berkshire Magazine, we wish you a joyful holiday season filled with music, warmth, and good company.
Monday
No Performances.Tuesday
No Performances.Wednesday
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Christmas Eve with Ben Kohn & Friends! @ portaVia, Dalton.
Thursday
No Performances.Friday
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Amy Ryan Band @ Firefly Gastropub, Lenox.
7:00 pm – 11:00 pm Night After Christmas Dance Party with Jackson Whalan Live Band and Jules Jenssen DJ Set @ Barrington Hall, Great Barrington.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Jim Witherell @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Colby Lewis & Steve Ide @ The Lion's Den, Stockbridge.
7:30 pm – 10:30 pm The Rejuvenators with Wanda Houston @ Buttonball Barn, South Egremont.
7:30 pm – 9:30 pm Pug & John-Peak Music Series @ Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort, Hancock.
Saturday
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm Hot Vox Trio @ Balderdash Cellars, Richmond.
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm A Baroque Portrait: Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre @ St. James Place, Great Barrington.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Fred Gillen, Jr. @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox.
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Bobby Sweet & Lara Tupper @ The Lion's Den, Stockbridge.
7:30 pm – 10:30 pm The BTUS @ Buttonball Barn, South Egremont.
7:30 pm – 9:30 pm Jack Waldheim-Peak Music Series @ Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort, Hancock.
8:00 pm Sample the Cat Band @ Knox Trail Inn, East Otis.
Sunday
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm Robert Putnam @ Balderdash Cellars, Richmond.
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm Mike “Woody” Wood @ Antimony Brewing, Lenox.
5:00 pm Awake at the Wheel @ Route 8 Pub, Becket.
6:30 pm – 9:30 pm Michael Junkins & Friends @ The Lion's Den, Stockbridge.
7:30 pm – 9:30 pm Joe Adee & The Lug Nuts-Peak Music Series @ Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort, Hancock.
Please get out and support your local musicians and venues!
— Mark @ Music in the Berkshires