Arts & Culture

Indie/punk/pop rockers Slingshot Dakota opened the festivities for Musikfest 2023 Thursday night, regaling the crowd with a succession of energetic hits.

As Musikfest enters its fifth decade, who have been the best of its 370 headline acts? Our music expert gives us his set list.

Lehigh Valley indie-rockers Slingshot Dakota are kicking off Musikfest at the Air Products Americaplatz at Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks stage at 5 p.m. Thursday, bringing their unique and creatively energetic punk rock sans guitar.

Welcome to LehighValleyNews.com's Fest in Show, a daily offering of some of the can't-miss acts on the stages of Musikfest.

Musikfest, a 10-day festival of music, food, refreshments and more, celebrates its 40th year beginning on Thursday.

The classic & antique car festival is expected to bring thousands of visitors and hundreds of cars to the park, dating back to the early 1900s.

The Musikfest show will be the first day — and second stop — in Allman’s See It All American Tour with Donovan Frankenreiter. The tour will be an attempt by Allman and Frankenreiter to set the official world record by playing 50 shows in 50 states in 49 days.

Philadelphia psyche-pop master Kurt Vile and The Violators, who topped the Adult Album Alternative charts with the 2015 song “Pretty Pimpin’” and have had three albums in the overall Top 50, will headline a concert with the late jazz great Sun Ra’s band The Sun Ra Arkestra at Allentown’s Miller Symphony Hall.

The opening acts for Musikfest's main stage headliners have been announced. They include several Lehigh Valley favorites.

A completely dry stretch of weather is almost unheard of this time of year, said meteorologist Bobby Martrich of EPAWA Weather Consulting, the official forecaster of Musikfest.

Kishi Bashi says he'll play from his entire catalog when he performs at 7 tonight, May 6, in The Arrow room at Allentown's Archer Music Hall. Tickets, at $38.50 for general admission standing, remain available.

David Lee Roth, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a vocalist for Van Halen, will perform at 8 p.m. Aug. 17, it was announced.

Marianas Trench, which was chosen the Junos' Group of the Year in 2013, will perform at Archer on Tuesday, Oct. 7, as part of its just-announced The Force of Nature Tour.

Lehigh Valley 250, a partnership among regional arts, culture, education and history organizations, was formed to create a series of exhibitions, walking tours, digital offerings and performances beginning this year and carrying through July 2026.

Sone Ntoh, an Emmaus High School graduate, will look to impress the Baltimore Ravens at its rookie camp the first weekend of May. The former Monmouth University star running back signed a free agent contract with the team.

The youth group's spring production of "Mary Poppins" begins on Friday, May 9, at the Charles A. Brown Ice House in Bethlehem.

Another Day Dawns, the only Lehigh Valley act in 55 years to hit any Billboard chart, will be direct support for Scranton metalcore group Motionless in White's two shows next week. The shows will be at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 9, and Saturday, May 10.

John Lodge, who was bassist for The Moody Blues for most of the band's 54 years, will perform at 8 p.m. July 24. And Staind, which sold 10 million copies of its first five albums, three of which hit No. 1, will perform at 8 p.m. Sept. 11.

Students from the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts will have their creations showcased at a new "Industrial Chic" exhibition at the school's Corpora Gallery. There will be a free reception Friday evening on May 2.

Willson's studio is at 1321 N. 15th St. The final open house will occur Friday, May 2, through Sunday, May 3.

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.

Black Violin, Dark Star Orchestra, Sam Bush all set shows for Musikfest Cafe at ArtsQuest Center art SteelStacks.