Music | MASS MoCA

The captivating nordic duo My Bubba “sound like their generation’s Simon and Garfunkel. With just a guitar and vocals, they are mesmerizing in their softer than soft, lilting songs.” (No Depression)

Bennington singer-songwriter Jacqui Alpine opens the show.

What to expect
This event will be “up in the club” with cabaret-style seating. Preferred ticket seats are located by the venue stage. Lickety Split serves a special dinner menu that includes grass-fed beef “Greek” burgers, BBQ Korean beef shortrib flatbread, Reuben paninis, Thai crunch salad, tomato pasta soup, and homemade quiche. The bar is always well-stocked with Bright Ideas Brewing beers and Berkshire Mountain Distillery spirits. Be ready to make new friends — our tables seat five, and, if your party is smaller, you might find others at your table. Cheers to live events up in the club!

photo by Johan Rosenmunthe

Mavis Staples is one of the great alchemists of American music, crossing genre lines like no musician since perhaps Ray Charles, and weaving her voice into the very fabric of gospel, soul, folk, pop, R&B, blues, rock, and hip-hop. From her time in the legendary Staples Singers, to her Grammy-winning 2010 collaboration with Jeff Tweedy, You’re Not Alone, to her recently released Livin’ on a High Note, produced by M. Ward and featuring contributions by Neko Case, Justin Vernon, Ben Harper, and Tune-Yards, Staples is a classic artist who is as vital today as at any point in her legendary career.

What to expect
Seating is general admission on the floor. Preferred tickets are general admission seats located in the first rows of the theater. A full bar serves Bright Idea Brewing beers and Berkshire Mountain Distillery spirits.

Planning on dinner before the show? Our museum café Lickety Split rolls out a special menu that includes grass-fed beef “Blue Moon” burgers, Reubens, nachos supreme, Mediterranean flatbreads, fresh field greens salads, and homemade quiche.

photo by Chris Strong Photography

Claiming the holy trinity of Bob Marley, Michael Jackson, and God as his primary inspirations, the Sierra Leonean singer Janka Nabay has almost single-handedly revived the ancient tradition of Bubu, updating a form with 500-year-old roots in magic-infused folk ceremony into frenetic, hypnotic dance music with flourishes of electronica.

What to expect
This event will be “up in the club” with cabaret-style seating. Preferred ticket seats are located by the venue stage. Our café will deliver your dinner, and the bar is always well-stocked with Bright Ideas Brewing and Berkshire Mountain Distillery spirits. Be ready to make new friends — our tables seat five, and, if your party is smaller, you might find others at your table. Cheers to live events up in the club!

photo by Sidney Schleiff and Oliver Citrin

The former Apollo Sunshine and Yellowbirds frontman Sam Cohen is a dazzling guitarist (he’s lent his talents to the likes of Bob Weir and Cee-Lo), but also a songwriter of disarming skill. Count on him and his band to bring some lazy summer afternoon vibes to a cold winter’s night.

What to expect
This event will be “up in the club” with cabaret-style seating. Our café will deliver your dinner, and the bar is always well-stocked with Bright Ideas Brewing and Berkshire Mountain Distillery spirits. Be ready to make new friends — our tables seat five, and, if your party is smaller, you might find others at your table. Cheers to live events up in the club!

photo by Shawn Brackbill

The innovative ensemble Sō Percussion explores America’s fraught relationship with guns in this theatrically staged concert. Taking mallets to disassembled sniper rifles and assorted drums, the musicians serve as Greek chorus, commenting instrumentally on sung and spoken texts drawn from the nightmares and nostalgia of armed experiences. Obie-winning director Ain Gordon and choreographer Emily Johnson give depth to this probing work.

Museum galleries open until 7pm.

What to expect
Seating is general admission. Preferred tickets are general admission seats located in the first rows of the theater. A full bar serves Bright Idea Brewing beers and Berkshire Mountain Distillery spirits.

Planning on dinner before the show? Our museum café Lickety Split rolls out a menu of favorites including Vermont black bean burgers, Angus burgers, tasty paninis, quiche, and an array of fresh salads featuring field greens, goat cheese, and grilled pineapple, all priced at $10 or less.

photo courtesy of the artist

Presiding over consciousness-expanding arrangements of Sly and the Family Stone, Duke Ellington, Jelly Roll Morton, Allen Toussaint, The Band, and more — with a wicked horn section — trumpeter and bandleader Steven Bernstein whips up a blowout Free Day concert that will alter your brain chemistry.

With Bernstein on horns, the band features Duane Eubanks (trumpet), Arthur Baron (trombone), Curtis Fowlkes (trombone), Oscar Noriega (sax and clarinet), Erik Lawrence (saxophones of all kinds), Ben Stapp (tuba), and Billy Martin of Medeski Martin & Wood on percussion.

Join us in the galleries for the museum’s annual Free Day, from 11am to 7pm.

What to expect
Dance! Dance! Some seating will be available in the Hunter Center. A full bar serves Bright Idea Brewing beers and Berkshire Mountain Distillery spirits.

photo by Michael Weintrob

My Bubba with Jacqui Alpine

The captivating nordic duo My Bubba “sound like their generation’s Simon and Garfunkel. With just a guitar and vocals, they are mesmerizing in their softer than soft, lilting songs.” (No Depression)

The former Apollo Sunshine and Yellowbirds frontman Sam Cohen is a dazzling guitarist (he’s lent his talents to the likes of Bob Weir and Cee-Lo), but also a songwriter of disarming skill. Count on him and his band to bring some lazy summer afternoon vibes to a cold winter’s night.