BETHLEHEM, Pa. — A 2000s punk rock band that turned a cover of Don Henley’s “The Boys of Summer” into a gold hit, a singer and saxophonist who’s been nominated for seven Blues Music Awards and a singer with pop favorites Post Modern Juke Box are among highlights of Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks’ 2023 season.
- Popular 2000s punk band The Ataris will perform a free show at Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks on June 4
- Other highlights for the venue's 13th season include top blues singer/saxophone player Vanessa Collier, jazz-pop singer Morgan James, Cincinnati indie-rockers Motherfolk and Grammy Award-winning Latin rock-fusion band La Santa Cecelia
- The season of nearly 50 free concerts and 10 free family movie nights will run from June 29 through Sept. 9
The Ataris, who in 2003 had the gold, Top 25 album “So Long Astoria” and saw its speedy cover of “Boys of Summer” also hit gold and chart in the Top 20, will perform on June 4, it was announced Sunday at a season reveal event at ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks.
Other highlights of the 46 concerts in the venue's 13th season include top blues singer/saxophone player Vanessa Collier, jazz-pop singer Morgan James, Cincinnati indie-rockers Motherfolk and Grammy Award-winning Latin rock-fusion band La Santa Cecelia.
"The countdown is on for great music this summer."Levitt SteelStacks Board Chair Erin Zebertavage
"The countdown is on for great music this summer," Levitt SteelStacks Board Chairwoman Erin Zebertavage said from the Musikfest Cafe stage.
The Ataris last played the Lehigh Valley as a headliner at the former club OneCentreSquare in Easton in 2017. They headlined Bethlehem's former RiverFusion festival in 2004.
The band's only remaining original member is lead singer/guitarist Kris Roe.
Vanessa Collier, Morgan James and more
Kicking off the free summer series will be fast-rising blues singer and saxophonist Vanessa Collier, whose four albums in six years have won her two Blues Music Awards and nominations for five more.
Collier, who headlined Allentown’s Blues, Brew & Barbecue festival in 2019, will open the Levitt Pavilion series on May 19.
Another highlight will be Postmodern Jukebox vocalist and jazz/pop chanteuse Morgan James. James, who has performed on Broadway in “The Addams Family,” “Godspell” and “Motown: The Musical,” will perform July 14.
She played a paid-ticket show at Zoellner Arts Center in Bethlehem in 2015.
Popular Cincinnati indie-rockers Motherfolk, who kicked off the Levitt Pavilion series in 2018, will return to play June 29.
The shows will be offered on some Thursday nights and most Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights through Sept. 9, when the series will close with a “Local Party” by longtime Lehigh Valley favorite party band The Aardvarks, a Musikfest mainstay.
La Santa Cecilia, which in 2014 won the Grammy for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album and has been nominated twice since, will perform at Levitt SteelStacks at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 26.
That group is the headliner for this year’s Levitt National tour, which stops at the six Levitt Pavilions nationwide.
Variety, festivals, local party
There also will be tribute shows to David Bowie (haZy cosmic jive on May 26), Linda Ronstadt (The Linda Ronstadt Experience, June 3), Notown (The Chiclettes, June 15), Guns N’ Roses (Night Train, July 15) and The Doors (Magical Mystery, Sept. 1).
Local favorite guitarist Craig Thatcher Blues Band will perform May 28. On July 4, The Allentown Band returns for a concert of patriotic music.
The series also will include festivals.
On June 23-25, ¡Sabor! Latin Festival will bring Latin heritage and Hispanic culture to the Levitt lawn.
On July 1, it will become the main stage for One Earth ReggaeFest, headlined by Mighty Mystic.
On July 21-23, it will be the site of Blast Furnace Blues Festival, with headliners Bywater Call, The Sensational Barnes Brothers and Toronzo Canon.
And for 11 days in early August, it becomes AmericaPlatz at Musikfest.
There also will be a Pride Night at Levitt SteelStacks through a partnership with Bradbury Sullivan LGBT Community Center in Allentown on June 2, featuring drag performer Ada Fox.
In all, the season will feature a wide variety of styles, including rock, pop, funk, Americana, country blues, country, indie, surf rock, reggae, Latin, soul, funk, World Music and Christian rock.
The Levitt Pavilion also will offer 10 family movies on Wednesday nights, May 24 to Aug. 2.
Season reveal event
The lineup for the 2023 Levitt season was announced at an event at Musikfest Cafe at SteelStacks, during which local recording artist Melody Cruz performed, with perhaps 500 supporters in attendance.
Levitt SteelStacks Executive Director Shayna Super noted the strength of the festival lineup.
"You can look forward to some of our favorite festivals," Super said.
"Our goal is to build a diverse community with amazing live music."Levitt Steelstacks Board Chairwoman Erin Zebertavage
Among her favorite performers, she said, will be Musikfest veterans Hotel Fiction, an indie band from Athens, Ga., on June 22; R&B/soul singer Celisse on Aug. 24; and cabaret jazz singer Grace Kelly on July 8.
Zebertavage, the board chairwoman, chose as her favorites country-pop singer Roberta Lea on May 20, surf-indie rocker Emily Drinker on May 25 and Pittsburgh Americana band Buffalo Rose on June 16.
"Our goal is to build a diverse community with amazing live music," Zebertavage said.
Among the favorites cited by ArtsQuest Chief Programming Officer Patrick Brogan were The Ataris, Motherfolk, American-folk duo Chatham Rabbits on Sept. 2, The Chiclettes and classical violin duo Sons of Mystro on July 27.
Here’s a list of the full season:
Concerts at Levitt Pavilion
- Friday, May 19 – Vanessa Collier, Blues
- Saturday, May 20 – Roberta Lea, Country
- Thursday, May 25 – Emily Drinker, Surf Indie Rock
- Friday, May 26 – haZy cosmic jive - David Bowie Tribute, Tribute
- Saturday, May 27 – Tomberlin, Alt Indie
- Sunday, May 28 – Craig Thatcher Band, Blues / Funk
- Friday, June 2 – Ada Vox, R&B / Soul
- Saturday, June 3 – The Linda Ronstadt Experience, Tribute
- Sunday, June 4 – The Ataris, Rock
- Thursday, June 8 – Jackson Pines, Americana/Roots
- Friday, June 9 – The Outcrops, Rock
- Saturday, June 10 – Drew Angus, Rock/pop
- Thursday, June 15 – The Chiclettes, Motown tribute
- Friday, June 16 – Buffalo Rose, Americana / Roots
- Saturday, June 17 – Henry & the Reggae Rockers, Reggae
- Thursday, June 22 – Hotel Fiction, Indie
- Friday, June 23 – Herencia Jibara, Latin
- Saturday, June 24 – Little Johnny Rivero Y Su Cartel, Latin
- Thursday, June 29 – Motherfolk, Indie
- Friday, June 30 – Garth, Indie / Soul
- Saturday, July 1 – One Earth ReggaeFest - Mighty Mystic, Reggae
- Tuesday, July 4 – The Allentown Band, Patriotic
- Thursday, July 6 – Kyshona, Folk / R&B / Soul
- Friday, July 7 – Erin & the Wildfire, Indie
- Saturday, July 8 – Grace Kelly, Jazz
- Thursday, July 13 – Bassel & the Supernaturals, Funk
- Friday, July 14 – Morgan James, Pop / Soul / Jazz
- Saturday, July 15 – Night Train – The Guns n' Roses Tribute
- Experience, Tribute
- Thursday, July 20– De Tierra Caliente, Latin / World
- Friday, July 21 – Bywater Call, Blast Furnace Blues Festival
- Saturday, July 22 – The Sensational Barnes Brothers, Blast Furnace Blues Festival
- Sunday, July 23 – Toronzo Cannon, Blast Furnace Blues Festival Weekend
- Thursday, July 27 – Sons of Mystro, Reggae Pop
- Friday, July 28 – Argonaut & Wasp, Indie
- Saturday, July 29 – Ryan Stevenson, Christian Rock
- Friday, Aug. 18 – Flow Tribe, Funk
- Saturday, Aug. 19 – Reservoir Hill, Country
- Thursday, Aug. 24 – Celisse, R&B / Soul
- Friday, Aug. 25 – Bumpin' Uglies, Reggae Rock
- Saturday, Aug. 26 – La Santa Cecilia, Latin
- Thursday, Aug. 31 – Certainly So, Indie Rock
- Friday, Sept. 1 – Magical Mystery, Doors Tribute
- Saturday, Sept. 2 – Chatham Rabbits, Roots/Americana
- Thursday, Sept. 7 – Southern Avenue, Soul / Blues
- Friday, Sept. 8 – Metalachi Metal, Mariachi/Cover
- Saturday, Sept. 9 - The Aardvarks, Local Party
Movies at Levitt Pavilion
- Wednesday, May 24 – “Minions: Rise of Gru”
- Wednesday, May 31 – “Sing”
- Wednesday, June 7 – “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish”
- Wednesday, June 21 – “The Lego Batman Movie”
- Wednesday, June 28 – “Mulan”
- Wednesday, July 5 – “Paddington 2”
- Wednesday, July 12 – “Princess and the Frog”
- Wednesday, July 19 – “Encanto”
- Wednesday, July 26 – “Moana”
- Wednesday, Aug.2 – “Frozen”
