The Rogovoy Report: Berkshire & Hudson Valley Cultural Preview

May 24-26, 2024

May 21, 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 …

SON LUX BRINGS ELECTRONIC-ROCK SOUNDS to MASS MoCA

Experimental trio Son Lux brings its singular brand of electronic rock to MASS MoCA in North Adams, Mass., on Saturday, May 25, at 8pm. The trio’s wildly inventive sound embraces influences from iconoclastic artists in soul, hip-hop, and experimental improvisation. Founded by Ryan Lott as a solo project and now featuring bandmates Ian Chang and Rafiq Bhatia, the band traces its connections to MASS MoCA to its first performance in 2009 through an Audio After Hours gallery soundtrack, multiple residencies and performances by its members with other projects, and a future large-scale installation collaboration currently in development. (Sat, May 25)

SLAMBOVIAN CIRCUS of DREAMS BRINGS GLAM-FOLK to CAFFE LENA

The Hudson Valley-based Slambovian Circus of Dreams brings its unique style of glam-folk to Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., on Friday, May 24, at 8pm. Veering into progressive rock territory, at times the group sounds like what would have happened if Bob Dylan sang with David Bowie’s voice. The group has also been compared to Pink Floyd, Incredible String Band, and the Waterboys. (Fri, May 24)

BoDeans (photo Luciana J Bilotti/courtesy artist)

BoDEANS BRINGS HEARTLAND ROCK to MAHAIWE

BoDeans brings the classic sounds of Midwestern heartland rock to the Mahaiwe in Great Barrington, Mass., on Saturday, May 25, at 8pm. The group, founded in Wisconsin in 1983, has released over a dozen albums, and gained fame through its song, “Closer to Free,” which served as the theme song for the smash hit television series Party of Five. BoDeans appeals to fans of John Mellencamp, Bruce Springsteen, and Tom Petty. (Sat, May 25)

Natalie Forteza (photo Rog Walker/courtesy artist)

NATALIE FORTEZA BRINGS SOUL-POP to HUDSON’S PARK THEATER

Singer-songwriter Natalie Forteza brings her unique stylistic blend of soul, jazz, Latin, Afrobeat, and pop instincts to Park Theater in Hudson, N.Y., on Saturday, May 25, at 8pm. Forteza is a commanding vocalist and songwriter of considerable impact, whose obvious touchstones include Sade and Norah Jones, with hints of Stevie Wonder, Astrud Gilberto and Anita Baker as well. (Sat, May 25)

CITV CONCLUDES SEASON with WORKS by BRAHMS, BRIDGE, AMRAM

Violist Ronald Carbone, along with mezzo-soprano Hailey McAvoy and pianist Thomas Weaver, are the featured performers in a concert of works by Brahms, Bridge, Amram, Honegger and Juon, bringing down the curtain on the season at Concerts in the Village at Van Buren Hall in Kinderhook, N.Y., on Saturday, May 25, at 3pm. Carbone has been principal violist of the American Ballet Theatre Orchestra, an associate member of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and member of the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and Barcelona Symphony Orchestra. (Sat, May 25)

Also of note:

British pianist Benjamin Grosvenor performs works by Chopin and Liszt at Union College in Schenectady, N.Y., on Thursday, May 23, at 7:30pm, as part of the Capital Region Classical series.

The Berkshire Comedy Festival promises three nights of laughter at Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield, Mass., Thursday-Saturday, May 23-25, at 8pm each night.

The Adams Theater in Adams, Mass., celebrates the opening weekend of its 2024 season with a concert by singer-songwriter Willi Carlisle on Friday, May 24, followed by the stand-up comedy of Liz Glazer on Sunday, May 26. Both events are at 7:30pm.

Singer-songwriter Avi Jacob brings his achy, vulnerable vocals and his melodic, soulful folk-rock to Dream Away Lodge in Becket, Mass., on Sunday, May 26, at 7:30pm.

The West Stockbridge Chamber Players, featuring clarinetist Catherine Hudgins, perform music by Mozart and Robert Fuchs, at Old Town Hall in West Stockbridge, Mass., on Sunday, May 26, at 5pm.

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The Rogovoy Report