Bennington Theater presents comedian Julia Shiplett
Bennington, Vt.— On Saturday, December 7th at 7:30 p.m., Bennington Theater presents comedian Julia Shiplett.
Get ready for a night of laughter! Known for her sharp wit and relatable humor, Julia blends personal stories with clever insights on everyday life, love, and identity. Her fresh, down-to-earth style has captivated audiences across the country, and now she’s bringing her signature charm to Bennington.
A rising star in the comedy world, Julia has been featured on HBO and Comedy Central, and her writing has appeared in The New Yorker and McSweeney’s. With a unique ability to turn the everyday into the hilarious, she explores everything from relationships to cultural identity with warmth and wit. Whether you’re a longtime fan or new to her comedy, this is a show you won’t want to miss.
The show is on Saturday, December 7th at 7:30 p.m. at Bennington Theater, located at 331 Main Street in Bennington, Vt. Tickets and more information can be found online.
***
Dottie’s Coffee Lounge presents Domingo Brunch featuring Christine Bilé
Pittsfield— On Sunday, December 8th from 10 a.m. to noon, Dottie’s Coffee Lounge presents Christine Bilé for Domingo Brunch, a weekly mix of delicious food, live music and extraordinary drinks.
Christine Bilé is an acoustic pop-folk singer-songwriter with a wide vocal range. Her music will empower you and make you smile, laugh, groove, and maybe even cry. In 2010, Christine won the Pittsfield Youth Commission Talent Show; in 2012, she won Berkshire Idol; and in 2015, she won the Pittsfield High School Talent Show. Her impressive resume also includes playing the lead role in Shakespeare and Company’s “Orpheus in the Berkshires.”
The brunch is on Sunday, December 8th with live music from 10 a.m. to noon at Dottie’s Coffee Lounge, located at 444 North Street in Pittsfield. More information can be found online.
***
Race Brook Lodge presents a three-concert residency featuring The Bobby Previte Pocket Orchestra’s re-alchemizing of Miles Davis’ ‘Bitches Brew’
Sheffield— On Saturday, December 7th from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., Race Brook Lodge presents the first concert of a three-concert residency featuring The Bobby Previte Pocket Orchestra’s re-alchemizing of Miles Davis’ ‘Bitches Brew.’
In each of these singular nights of music, Mr. Previte and his ensemble will use Miles’ iconic album as a jumping off place to explore a large-scale sonic conversation, equal parts arranged and improvised with the fattest funkiest freest rhythm pocket around, echoing Miles’ fusionary vision fifty-five years after it’s industry-changing recording sessions. In the vein of Miles’ iconic experiment these shows will invite the audience into an intuitive process of live musical discovery. A panoramic display of sound and groove that will transport our community into the past and the future all at once.
Bobby Previte began his lifelong exploration of the “Brew” at the Knitting Factory in New York City on the 30th anniversary of the recording in 1999. He later transported the project to the Hudson valley with his much lauded shows at Club Helsinki in 2014. The Bobby Previte’s Pocket Orchestra features a staggering lineup of musical brewers.
The concert is on Saturday, December 7th from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. in The Barnspace at Race Brook Lodge, located at 864 South Undermountain Road in Sheffield. The second and third concerts in the series are on January 17th and March 14th. Tickets and more information can be found online.
***
Egremont Barn presents Led Zeppelin tribute band Four Sticks
South Egremont— On Friday, December 6th at 7:30 p.m., the Egremont Barn presents Led Zeppelin tribute band Four Sticks.
Picture this: It’s 1990 at the Rock and Roll Cafe on Bleeker Street in New York City’s Greenwich Village, and Four Sticks, originally formed by drummer Tom Major, is bringing Zeppelin to life for sold out shows every Monday night for five straight years. Fast forward to 2018, missing the electricity of Zeppelin, Tom decided to reform Four Sticks in Berkshire County with local musicians, singer Chris Merenda, bassist Glenn Douglass Jubilee, and guitarist Rob Sanzone. In late 2020, guitarist Sanzone moved out of the area and Nunzio, the original guitar player from the 90’s, visited to play the Berkshire shows.
Now featuring Tom Major, Chris Merenda, Glenn Douglass Jubilee, and special guest guitarist Nate Thorn, Four Sticks still focuses on the musicianship and creative improvisation that made a Led Zeppelin live show such a powerful force. While there are many good Led Zeppelin tributes on the scene today, few compare to the raw energy, deep groove, and spirit of Four Sticks.
The concert is on Friday, December 6th at 7:30 p.m. at the Egremont Barn, located at 17 Main Street in South Egremont. Tickets and more information can be found online.
***
Williams College Museum of Art to exhibit Block #5298 of the National AIDS Memorial Quilt
Williamstown— From November 30th through December 13th, presented in conjunction with “Teddy Sandoval and the Butch Gardens School of Art” on exhibit through December 22nd and coinciding with World AIDS Day on December 1st, the Williams College Museum of Art will exhibit Block #5298 of the National AIDS Memorial Quilt.
“Block #5298, Williamstown, Mass” is one of 50,000 panels in the National AIDS Memorial Quilt, the largest community art project in the United States and a powerful tool for bringing generations together around the impacts of the ongoing epidemic. The Williamstown block was submitted in 1999 to memorialize eight Berkshire residents who lost their lives to HIV-related complications. To experience the whole quilt or look up a loved one’s name, click here.
The exhibit runs from November 30th through December 13th at Williams College Museum of Art, located at 15 Lawrence Hall Dr. Suite 2, in Williamstown. More information can be found online.
***
Berkshire Community Land Trust benefit concert
South Egremont— On Sunday, December 8th at 7 p.m., Berkshire Community Land Trust presents a benefit concert at the Egremont Barn.
Join local musicians and fellow community members to celebrate completion of a three-year community fundraising campaign to secure lands for Berkshire farmers through the Farmsteads for Farmers program. Premier Berkshire Jazz musicians Wanda Houston and Bennie Kohn will open for the groovin’ rock sounds of Steve Ide and Rob Putnam of the BTUs, and there may be a few surprises in store!
The concert is on Sunday, December 8th at 7 p.m. at the Egremont Barn, located at 17 Main Street in Egremont. Refreshments will be available for sale. Tickets and more information can be found online.
