The Rogovoy Report: Berkshire & Hudson Valley Cultural Preview

Aug 29-Sept 1, 2024

Aug 28, 2024

With so much going on culturally speaking in our greater Berkshires/Hudson Valley region, this is my highly selective, curated snapshot of some of the most promising upcoming events …

DARLENE LOVE BRINGS CLASSIC GIRL-GROUP SOUNDS to THE COLONIAL

Grammy Award-winning vocalist Darlene Love, who sang hits including “He’s a Rebel” and “He’s Sure the Boy I Love” and who accompanied artists including Sam Cooke, Dionne Warwick, the Beach Boys, the Ronettes and Frank Sinatra, performs at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, Mass., on Thursday, August 29, at 7:30pm. Love was featured in the 2013 documentary film 20 Feet from Stardom. (Thu, Aug 29)

BERKSHIRE OPERA BRINGS ‘FAUST’ to MAHAIWE

The Berkshire Opera Festival brings a fully-staged, reimagined version of the classic French opera, Faust, by Gounod, to the Mahaiwe in Great Barrington, Mass., tonight at 7:30pm. Faust has remained one of the world’s most popular operas ever since its premiere and is considered Gounod’s masterpiece. Based on Goethe’s play, the story introduces the original “Faustian bargain,” in which old Dr. Faust sells his soul to the devil to be young again, only to suffer devastating consequences. (Fri, Aug 30)

THE KNIGHTS PLAY OLD and NEW WORKS at THE CLARK

Contemporary orchestral collective the Knights perform a program of old and new works at the Clark in Williamstown, Mass., on Saturday, August 31, at 4pm. The concert features a double violin concerto by Joseph Bologne, and the world premiere of a new composition by Kyle Sanna, Undone Landscape, featuring renowned Syrian clarinetist Kinan Azmehas guest soloist. (Sat, Aug 31)

Helen GIllet (photo Jason Kruppa/courtesy artist)

HELEN GILLET BRINGS CELLO-BASED SONGS and IMPROVS to OPUS 40

Singer-songwriter Helen Gillet brings her delirious mix of original songs, French chanson, alt-rock, avant-garde jazz and classical minimalism to Opus 40 in Saugerties, N.Y., on Sunday, September 1, at 1pm. Gillet’s primary instruments are cello and voice, and she often employs loops to turn her solo performances into full-sonic experiences. Recommended to fans of PJ Harvey, X-Ray Spex, and Bang on a Can. (Sun, Sep 1)

Also of note:

Asher Isak of Bella’s Bartok brings their blend of gothic folk and Americana to the Dream Away Lodge in Becket, Mass., on Thursday, August 29, at 7:30pm.

Judy Collins, Indigo Girls, and Rufus Wainwright along with special guest Lucy Wainwright Roche perform an evening of modern folk music at Tanglewood in Lenox, Mass., on Friday, August 30, at 7pm.

DromFest ‘24 at the Avalon Lounge in Catskill, N.Y., on Friday, August 30, through Sunday, September 1, features three days of indie-rock and spoken word artists, including the Figgs, Thalia Zedek, King Missile, Karen Schoemer, and John S. Hall.

Terra String Quartet will perform works by Mozart, Britten, and Mendelssohn at Tannery Pond in New Lebanon, N.Y., on Saturday, August 31, at 7:30pm, in a presentation of Capital Region Classical.

Vermont-based Bow Thayer brings his Trio of Aether jams to Studio 9 at Porches in North Adams, Mass., on Saturday, August 31, at 7pm.

The Slambovian Circus of Dreams brings its psychedelic folk-rock sounds to the Guthrie Center in Great Barrington, Mass., on Saturday, August 31, at 8pm.

Seven-time Grammy Award nominee Joan Osborne brings her rootsy, folk-pop mix to the Colony in Woodstock, N.Y., on Saturday, August 31, at 8pm.

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