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Downtown Pittsfield Summer Music Series – Free!
August 23 @ 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
An event every week that begins at 5:00 pm on Friday, repeating until September 6, 2024
The Downtown Pittsfield Cultural Association, with partners the City of Pittsfield, MassDevelopment’s Transformative Development Initiative (TDI), and Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. (DPI), are presenting a free Downtown Pittsfield Summer Music Series on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays (and select Thursdays) through early September.
Fridays will feature a variety of local musicians and performers live at Persip Park, 175 North Street, from 5 to 8 pm. Saturdays will feature live Jazz in collaboration with Berkshires Jazz from 2 to 5 pm at Persip Park; and Sundays will feature Latin Dance Instruction in Dunham Mall, 100 North Street, from 5 to 7 pm.
Friday, July 26, 5 to 8 pm: Moe Greene in Persip Park
Moe Greene is a singer songwriter from the Upper Hudson Valley who performs original material along with tasteful interpretation of blues, Americana, and rock covers.
Friday, August 2, 5 to 8 pm: First Fridays at Five in Persip Park with the Wandering Dance Society: Swing Dance with Rushelle Bowie and Step & Dance with Youth Alive
Persip Park, 175 North Street, will feature interactive performances presented by the Wandering Dance Society as part of the August 2 First Fridays at Five and the free Downtown Pittsfield Summer Music Series. Dancers of all ages and abilities are encouraged to participate throughout the evening.
East Coast Swing Lesson with Rushelle Bowie: 5 to 6:15 pm
Step, Dance, and Drumline with Youth Alive: 6:30 to 8 pm
Featuring guests: R.O.P.E. member Abby Percy and James Ryan
Rushelle Bowie will be teaching a basic lesson in East Coast Swing from 5 to 6:15 pm. East Coast Swing is a fun, upbeat dance guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. The lesson will be followed by a short demo and open dancing.
Rushelle has been sharing her passion for dancing for over 15 years, offering group and private lessons in East Coast Swing, Rumba, Cha-Cha, Foxtrot, and Waltz. She also provides personalized dance instruction for weddings, parties, and other special events. Her dance studio is located in Dalton, MA, where it is always ‘Time to Dance’.
There will be a performance of Step, Dance, and Drumline with Youth Alive from 6:30 to 8 pm. Youth Alive, Inc. (YA) is a multi-cultural, community-based organization founded in 1995 by two teenagers, Akilah Edgerton and Erica Young, in Pittsfield, MA. The purpose of YA is to teach life skills to youth aged six to eighteen using performance arts as the teaching vehicle. YA performs at major cultural institutions such as Jacob’s Pillow, MASS MoCA, and Williams College, and YA has performed and been recognized at the Massachusetts State House for their impact. YA has impacted hundreds of young people’s lives in the Berkshires, who are now contributing adult citizens – some in key leadership positions locally and beyond. The New Era of YA steppers, dancers, and drummers are being coached by YA phenomenal alumnus: Step Coach Chyenne VanBramer, Dance Coach Serina Saunders, and Musical Director, Percussionist and Spoken Word Artist Jerome Edgerton Jr.
In the case of inclement weather, the Wandering Dance Society performances will be at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, 28 Renne Avenue.
Friday, August 9, 5 to 8 pm: Dave Brown in Persip Park
Pittsfield native Dave Brown has been performing for decades, both backing up and leading bands of all different types in the Berkshires and beyond. He’ll be performing his solo set at Persip Park consisting of primarily classic rock covers.
Friday, August 16, 5 to 8 pm: The Whinin’ Boys in Persip Park
The Whinin’ Boys, featuring Jeff Gonzales and Mike Mercier, are a finger picking blues based acoustic duo who perform The Music of Hot Tuna along with blues, folk and rock covers from the 60’s and 70’s.
Friday, August 23, 5 to 8 pm: DJ Young Champ in Persip Park
New Jersey born and raised in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, DJ Champ has been lighting up the dance floor since 2008 – doing everything from celebrity events to the smallest of venues. He is the founder of Young Champ Foundation which helps the community with back-to-school supplies and Christmas gifts as well as providing mentoring for our youth. There’s nothing DJ Champ hasn’t touched in Berkshire County. One thing you can be sure of is that when he is around the vibe with be great!
Friday, August 30, 5 to 8 pm: Christine Bilé with full band in Persip Park
Christine Bilé is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Pittsfield, MA, known for her acoustic pop-folk original music and covers. Influenced by artists like John Mayer, Tracy Chapman, and Beyoncé, Christine’s performances are captivating and emotionally engaging, featuring her wide vocal range and skills on guitar and ukulele. Her music is designed to empower, make you smile, laugh, groove, and maybe even cry. Christine will be playing at the Downtown Pittsfield Summer Music Series on August 30th with a full band including Tony Berkley (Guitar), Zen Reinhardt (Bass), and John Harris (Drums).
Friday, September 6, 5 to 8 pm: Housie Shakers in Persip Park (First Fridays at Five)
While the Housie Shakers are a new band on the Berkshire music scene, its members have deep local roots and have been playing music in the area for decades. All four members grew up in the Berkshires, and after various adventures living around the country and the world, returned here to raise their families. Having played together informally for various short-term projects in recent years, they decided the time was ripe to solidify the lineup and start playing out more.
The Housie Shakers bring a variety of styles to the mix, with wide-ranging covers and original music spanning rock, blues, pop, bluegrass, reggae, Americana, and improvisational groove. They don’t take themselves too seriously and have no ambitions to go on the road (as if the 12 kids they have collectively would make that possible anyway)… they’re just out to play local gigs and give people a chance to hang out, let loose, dance, and have a good time! The band’s name is a nod to their home community and the people and places that have shaped their musical journeys.
The Housie Shakers are Simeon Bittman (drums & vocals), Noah Cook-Dubin (guitar, cavaquinho & vocals), Jonathan Denmark (guitar & vocals), and Colin Ovitsky (bass).
Follow along with @downtownpittsfield on Facebook for updates including cancellations due to weather.