ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A Philadelphia favorite rock 'n' roll revivalist band that last year canceled a performance at Washington D.C.'s Kennedy Center to protest President Trump will play a free show in Allentown.
Low Cut Connie, led by charismatic and indefatigable front man Adam Weiner, will headline the Free Summer Concert Series at Union Terrace Amphitheater, it was announced.
The May 22 show will kick off five monthly concerts in the second year of free, family-friendly series "with an expanded and diverse lineup designed to bring the community together through live music, culture and shared experiences in the heart of Allentown," presenter ArtsQuest said in a release.
"The series will once again invite residents of Allentown — as well as visitors from across the Lehigh Valley — to enjoy live performances in a relaxed, open-air setting."ArtsQuest release
All concerts will be 6-9 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets. There also will be a variety of food vendors, with more details to be announced.
General street parking will be available on Union and Walnut streets.
"The series will once again invite residents of Allentown — as well as visitors from across the Lehigh Valley — to enjoy live performances in a relaxed, open-air setting," the release said.
Low Cut Connie in 2015 saw its song "Boozophilia" show up on Obama's presidential Spotify playlist. The tune was ranked the 31st best song of 2012 by Rolling Stone magazine.
In 2017 and 2018, the band was featured on Elton John's radio show "Rocket Hour," and in 2018 John dedicated a song to Low Cut Connie at his sold-out show at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
In 2018, while touring on its best-selling album "Dirty Pictures Part 2," Low Cut Connie appeared on "Late Night With Seth Meyers" and was included in Rolling Stone's list of "Newport Folk Festival 2018: 12 Best Things We Saw."
Canceling Kennedy Center show
But the band last year canceled a performance at the Kennedy Center after President Trump’s takeover of the venue.
“I was very excited to perform as part of this wonderful institution’s Social Impact series, which emphasizes community, joy, justice and equity through the arts,” Weiner wrote on the Low Cut Connie Instagram page.
“Upon hearing that this institution that has run non-partisan for 54 years is now chaired by President Trump himself and his regime, I decided I will not perform there."
In all, Low Cut Connie has released 10 albums since its 2011 debut "Get Out the Lotion," which got unexpected critical acclaim.
In 2023, its album "Art Dealers" was accompanied by a documentary film that was shown at the Philadelphia Film Festival, Richmond International Film Festival and the Sound Unseen festival.
Its latest disc, "Livin in the USA," is expected to be released in July.
The title track, released in February, critiques contemporary U.S. political and social issues, particularly immigration policies, with lyrics referencing ICE raids.
Low Cut Connie played free shows at Musikfest in 2016 and 2017 and a virtual show during the 2020 coronavirus-restricted Musikfest.
It also played a free show at Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks in 2017 and played at Musikfest Cafe in 2019 and 2025.
Opening for Low Cut Connie will be Allentown indie-rock keyboard-and-drum duo Slingshot Dakota, which 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.”
It has previously played Musikfest and other area shows.
Summer Concert Series lineup
Other shows in the Union Terrace series will be:
Friday, June 26: Reggae Night, with Red Fox with special guests G.O.E. Troupe and Space Kamp, hosted by Naj & DJ Romeo G.
Red Fox is a Jamaican-born dancehall/reggae artist who emerged in the early 1990s as a key figure in the Brooklyn reggae scene. Known for the hit "Come Boogie Down," he worked with Shaggy and the Ruff Entry Crew.
Friday, July 17: Clave Legacy with Sol Katana. Clave Legacy is a Lehigh Valley-based, predominantly a Latin-jazz and salsa fusion, faith-based band.
Friday, Aug. 21: Carbon Leaf with Fig for a Kiss. Carbon Leaf's 2006 album "Love, Loss, Hope, Repeal" and 2009 album "Nothing Rhymes with Woman" both rose high on the Heatseekers chart. Its 2004 song "Less Than Ordinary" was Top 5 on the Adult Alternative chart. The Virginia quintet’s musical style drift in and out of Americana, bluegrass, rock, folk, Celtic and pop traditions. In 2024, they played a headline show at Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks and at Musikfest Cafe at ArtsQuest Center in 2017, 2018 and 2020.
Friday, Sept. 11: Little Lies: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac
Little Lies, from Boston, has an eight-person lineup of professional musicians who carefully reconstruct the magic of Fleetwood Mac.
