Berkshire Magazine May/June 2024 | Page 18

music

B y M a r k G r e e n l a w
LEE EVERETT
The Wanda Houston Band has performed throughout the Berkshires , including the Lenox Jazz Stroll . A local favorite , look for them at the Great Barrington Concert Series and elsewhere this summer .

Great Music in the Great Outdoors MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR A SUMMER OF OUTDOOR CONCERT SERIES

The Berkshire region is world-renowned for its premiere summer outdoor concert venue , with Tanglewood ramping up its season in late June and continuing through Labor Day . The tradition of picnicking on the lush lawn embodies the essence of a Berkshire summer . Beyond Tanglewood , the landscape resonates with music from numerous outdoor music venues , each offering its own scenic charm . Many offer incredible natural scenery and allow food and beverages to be brought into the venue , much like Tanglewood . The Berkshires will host an impressive array of 11 outdoor concert series and seven one-day or weekend festivals . Here ' s a comprehensive guide to the musical feast awaiting you .
Berkshire Botanical Garden ' s Music Mondays series runs Monday evenings from July 1 through August 12 from 5 to 7 p . m . You can enjoy these ticketed performances from the lawn or while strolling through their delightful gardens in Stockbridge . Planned musicians include Misty Blues , Zikinna , and Brother Sal Blues Band . berkshirebotanical . org
Berkshire Busk offers ten weeks of performances on Friday evenings
and Saturday afternoons and evenings from June 28 to August 31 . Most performances are in downtown Great Barrington . Berkshire Busk typically has five to six performances each night , with more than 100 groups and 300 entertainers for the season . Highlighted acts include Rees Shad & The Conversations , Katherine Winston , Michael Aaron , and Sample The Cat . All shows are free ; tipping the buskers is highly encouraged . berkshirebusk . com
Clark Art Institute in Williamstown hosts outdoor concerts on five Wednesdays starting June 26 and a special August 31 performance by The Knights Orchestra , all tied to their upcoming exhibit of Guillaume Lethière ( see page 76 ), a neoclassical painter born in the French colony of Guadeloupe . Scheduled performers include Guadeloupe-born Jacques Schwarz- Bart , and Grammy ® -nominated Haitian-American musician Nathalie Joachim . Additionally ,
there will be two Sunday concerts in June and July . Concerts are free and open to the public . clarkart . edu
Dalton CRA continues its summer series with Wednesday and Sunday concerts at the CRA Memorial Lawn and at the corner of Mill and Main streets in Dalton . All shows are at 6:30 p . m . The season kicks off July 6 and wraps up in early August but may be extended for concerts rescheduled due
16 // BERKSHIRE MAGAZINE Spring May / June 2024 2024