BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Welcome to LehighValleyNews.com's Fest in Show, a daily offering of some of the can't-miss acts on the free stages of Bethlehem's Musikfest festival.
This year, 422 acts will play those stages during the festival's 11 days.
Read us daily during Musikfest for suggestions of the best music — and more.
Here are music acts you should see today, the seventh official day of Musikfest 2024, Thursday, Aug. 8:
DJ Spooky presents Arctic Rhythms, 6 p.m. Americaplatz
In a night in which nearly all of the best free acts are at Americaplatz, DJ Spooky out of New York City will kick it off performing with a string quartet featuring Lehigh University faculty musicians. DJ Spooky, nee Paul D. Miller, is artist-in-residence at Yale University Center for Collaborative Arts and Media, and is a composer, multimedia artist and writer who blends genres, global culture, and environmental and social issues. His 2018 album, "DJ Spooky Presents: Phantom Dancehall," debuted at No. 3 on Billboard's Reggae chart.
TEKE::TEKE, 7:30 p.m., Americaplatz
Seven-piece Montreal band TEKE::TEKE plays an amalgamation of Japanese folk, psychedelia, Brazilian surf rock and other far-flung musical touchstones. "Man, they are like nothing else you're gonna see at Musikfest this year or ever," says ArtsQuest Senior Programming Director Patrick Brogan. "They are Japanese rock music and with it, with varied instrumentation." They'll play right before Preservation Hall Jazz Band on the same stage. "What a diverse night on the Levitt Pavilion that night," Brogan said. "That really represents Musikfest."
Preservation Hall Jazz Band, 9:30 p.m. Americaplatz
Brogan calls Preservation Hall Jazz Band "the pick of the festival ... one of those special free-stage shows at the festival," and he's arguably right. As the house band for New Orleans' iconic Preservation Hall since the early 1960s, the band offers all you want in a traditional Big Easy jazz band — the players, the music, the very vibe. The band has played paid-ticket shows at SteelStacks before, including as a supporting act on the main Steel Stage. "And they came to us and said, 'Hey, we want to come back up for the festival,'" Brogan said. "And obviously we didn't have a right fit for them on the main stage, and they said, 'We don't want to play the main stage.' ... And we said, 'OK, well, we can make that happen.' So a little bit of a stretch on the budget, but certainly to have artists of that caliber up there is special."
Mike Mains & the Branches, 7:30 p.m. Plaza Tropical
In his publicity, indie pop-rocker Mains says he "thinks aloud in his songs. He ponders events and experiences as well as their ensuing effects on his identity, telling intimate stories through artful pop rock." That's actually a pretty honest description. And while Mains' music is far more accessible alt-pop than new wave, there's a bit of quirky spiritual connection with Talking Heads and David Byrne.
Hot Club of Philadelphia, 8 p.m. Jazz Cabaret
The acoustic ensemble is dedicated to playing Gypsy Jazz — the music pioneered by the legendary original Hot Club of France Quintet, led by guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stephane Grappelli. But Hot Club's eclectic mix includes interpretations of songs by The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, John Prine and more.
