BETHLEHEM, Pa. — An Americana rock band that from the mid-2000s to the mid-2010s had six Top 20 hits on Billboard's Adult Alternative chart will play a free show at Musikfest in August, it was announced Wednesday.
Augustana, best known for its Top 10 hit "Boston" in 2006 and Top 5 hit "Sweet and Low" in 2008, will play a free show at 7 p.m. Aug. 9 at the downtown and South Side Bethlehem music festival.
The group is among a list of 323 musical acts Musikfest announced Wednesday will perform more than 500 concerts on its 15 free stages during the July 31-Aug. 10 festival.
The shows represent "every genre ... from rock to reggae, jazz to indie, there’s something for every music lover to discover all in the country’s largest free music festival."Musikfest, in a release
The shows represent "every genre ... from rock to reggae, jazz to indie, there’s something for every music lover to discover all in the country’s largest free music festival," Musikfest said in a release.
The release did not give times, dates or stages for the performers — it said that will be released "in the coming weeks."
But Augustana lists the time for its show on its website.
Augustana had four albums that hit the Top 100 on Billboard, with 2008's Can't Love, Can't Hurt and 2011's self-titled disc both hitting the Top 10 on the Rock chart.
Its most recent disc was "Something Beautiful" in 2024. It's last charting hit was "Ash and Ember" in 2014.
"Boston" was used on the third-season finale of the TV show "One Tree Hill" in 2006, and on shows such as "Scrubs" and "Big Bang Theory."
The group played a paid show at Musikfest Cafe in 2019 with Daughtry.
Nine Days, other highlights
Another band that had a Top 10 hit, Nine Days, also will perform on a free stage at Musikfest.
Nine Days, which in 2000 had the No. 1 pop chart hit "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)," does not yet have the show listed on its website.
That song helped push the group's 2000 fourth album, "The Madding Crowd," to gold sales.
A second song from it, "If I Am," also hit the Top 20.
The group had its last chart success with its next album, 2002's "So Happily Unsatisfied," which spawned the Top 30 Adult chart hit "Good Friend."
Nine Days has released three albums since, the last of which was 2016's "Snapshots."
Other highlights of the announced free shows at Musikfest are:
All The King’s Men: A tribute to polka king Jolly Joe Timmer by members of his former band.
ARKAI, an award-winning violin and viola duo that is touring with Lindsey Stirling this spring and headlined a free show at Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks last summer.
Bastard Bearded Irishmen, a Pittsburgh Celtic punk band that has headlined Bethlehem's Celtic classic festival. The group was mentioned in Rolling Stone online as a “band to watch from Pittsburgh.”
Dustin Douglas and the Electric Gentlemen, Wilkes-Barre blues rockers led by The Badlees guitarist Dustin Douglas.
Hector Rosado y su Orq Hache. Percussionist Rosado has toured with David Byrne and Tito Puente, has recorded for Warner Bros. Records, and has created tracks for “video Jams” as seen on the BET Network.
Jeremiah Tall: Bushy-haired-and-bearded Bucks County folk/Americana/roots singer who has opened for Steve Earle, Gary Clark Jr. and Langhorne Slim and played sets at The Philadelphia Folk Festival.
Jimmy Sturr: With 18 Grammy Awards (out of 24 nominations), trumpeter Sturr is on the Top Ten List of the All-Time Grammy Awards, and won more than any other polka artist.
The Discoteks: Formed in 2014 by Odell M, former bassist of the disco group The Trammps, the nine-piece band plays music from the golden era of disco and Motown. It will play a paid-ticket show at Musikfest Cafe on Dec. 27.
Scythian: Washington, D.C., Celtic band that for years has been a favorite of Celtic Classic and Musikfest.
Slingshot Dakota: Bethlehem-born duo that in 2016, while playing showcase performances at the massive South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas, was chosen among Rolling Stone magazine's,“10 New Artists You Need to Know.” Also played at Musikfest 2023.
The Vindys: Multi-genre pop-rock band from Youngstown, Ohio, known for their 2024–25 tours with Pat Benatar and its 2023 sports anthem "Are You Ready." Headlined a Levitt Pavilion show in 2024.
Yacht Lobsters and Boat House Row: The Yacht Rock fad of 1970s soft-rock cover bands will invade Musikfest with two bands that have played paid-ticket shows in the area.
Musikfest favorites, tributes, locals
Other listed artists include such Musikfest favorites as Igor and The Red Elvises, the Russian party band whosewebsite lists its shows as Aug. 1 and 2, and spooky masked carillon player
Cast In Bronze.
Also, tribute acts playing sets in homage to Dave Matthews Band, Pink Floyd, ABBA, The Grateful Dead (three acts!), The Beatles (also three acts!), Journey, Johnny Cash, Ann Wilson of Heart, Phil Collins, The Rolling Stones, Van Halen acts from The Warped Tour, Jeff Beck, Coldplay and Billy Joel.
Also listed are local and regional favorites such as BC Blue, Billy Bauer & Billy Bauer Band, Bren, Corinne, Craig Kastelnik and Friends, Craig Thatcher Band and Dave Fry Band.
Also, Cunningham & Associates, Dieruff High School Latin Ensemble, Dina Hall, George Hrab, Go Go Gadget, Great White Caps, James Supra Band and Jimmy and The Parrots.
Also, Joe Lazorik “Good Times Piano Music,” Kendal Conrad, Kristen Morgenstern, Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts, Lehigh Valley Girls Rock and Lehigh Valley Music Teachers Association.
Also, Lilly Moss, Lou Franco Project, Magnum, Philadelphia Funk Authority, Roi and the Secret People, Sara Ayers Band, School of Rock, Scott Marshall, Stacy Gabel and Steal the Sky.
Also, SteelStacks High School Jazz All Star Band, SteelWorkers Polka Band, Steve Brosky, The Aardvarks, BC Combo, The Large Flowerheads, Erin Kelly and Tim Harakal.
A full list of free-show artists is on the Musikfest website.
