BETHLEHEM, Pa. — An alt-rock band that started as Scranton/Wilkes-Barre high school students and amassed 2.5 million followers on social media platforms says it will play a free stage at Musikfest.
American Vanity, formerly known as Burn The Jukebox, started as high school students from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre who posting covers of popular songs on platforms such as TikTok.
It says on its website that it will perform at 6 p.m. Aug. 3 at Musikfest, though it doesn't list a venue.
Now that Musikfest has completed the announcements of the headliners on its main Steel Stage, the festival still has to reveal the wide offerings on the festival's 15 free stages.Musikfest
Now that Musikfest has completed the announcements of the headliners on its main Steel Stage, the festival still has to reveal the wide offerings on the festival's 15 free stages.
Last year, that was 323 performers who presented about 500 free shows at the 10-day festival (plus a preview night this year), which annually attracts 1 million people to downtown and South Side Bethlehem.
This year, Musikfest's 41st year will run July 31-Aug. 9, with a preview night July 30.
ArtsQuest, the organization that presents Musikfest, typically announces its free-stage lineups at the end of April.
But acts already are listing their upcoming free Musikfest shows on their own.
Here are more than 25 free shows that already are listed by the artists.
July 31
Rae the Band — 8:30 p.m. Main Street. On its website, the four-piece band from North Carolina says it has "a powerhouse female vocalist/rhythm guitarist, a soulful lead guitarist, a funk-driven bassist and a drummer with an unbeatable pocket deliver a dynamic sound."
The BC Combo — 7:30 p.m. Musikfest Cafe. On their website Lehigh Valley Blues singer Bev Conklin and her BC Combo say they'll play Musikfest twice (see also Aug. 8). Conklin is a popular Lehigh Valley area blues singer, and a frequent performer at ArtsQuest's Blast Furnace Blues festival, as she will be again this year.
Aug. 1
flavorless gum — 1:30 p.m. Musikfest Cafe. Philadelphia indie rock band High Society released its debut album, "High Society," last year. It lists the show on social media.
Audrey Kreitner — 6 p.m. Musikfest Cafe. New Jerey singer-songwriter now living in Boston, she blends elements of pop, R&B, blues and folk. (See also Aug. 2).
Aug. 2
Matt Bednarsky — Noon. Lehigh Valley-based singer/songwriter who's released five albums has gathered multiple streams on Spotify and views on YouTube. He lists the show on his website.
Joe Lazorik's Good Time Piano — 2 p.m. Lyrikplatz (Alehouse Cinema). Lazorik has more than 40 years of professional piano playing experience and performs folk, ballads, patriotic selections, show tunes, TV theme songs and hits of the 1950s, '60s and 70s. Expect to sing along.
Whiskey and Roses — 6-8 p.m. Festplatz. New Jersey band that plays classic and contemporary country music lists the show on a Facebook page.
Blair Crimmins and the Hookers — 6 p.m. The Atlanta-based ragtime and 1920s style Dixieland jazz group lists the show on its website. It played Musikfest in 2016 and 2018, ArtsQuest’s SouthSide Arts Festival in 2017 and a paid-ticket show at Musikfest Café in 2018.
Lilly Moss — 1:30 p.m. Main Stage. A Bethlehem native, Moss has had her country/Americana songs "Heartbreak Summer" and "Love Me Not" featured on Spotify's "All New Country" playlist. In 2024, she released her debut album, "Meet Me on Broadway," produced by Grammy-nominated Dan Malsch, and later was chosen ArtsQuest Foundation's Emerging Artist of the Year. She lists a "duo" show on her website.
Grace Morrison — 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Massachusetts pop/folk/country (she calls it "Saltwater Country") singer Morrison lists the shows on her website. She's released three albums.
Audrey Kreitner — 6:30 p.m. Musikfest Cafe. A New Jersey singer-songwriter now living in Boston, she blends elements of pop, R&B, blues and folk.
Aug. 3
Drew Kiddoo and The Blackouts — 8 p.m. The Ithaca, New York-based band has played its brand of country music for nearly a decade. Drawing inspiration from the golden era of American music, it fuses 1960s honky-tonk and classic country with a gritty rockabilly edge for a twangy, and dark, sound. The show is listed on the band's website.
American Vanity — 6 p.m. Formed as Burn The Jukebox, an alt-rock band of high school students from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the group amassed 300 million views posting covers of popular songs on platforms such as TikTok, and performed across the country. Its website, which lists the Musikfest show, says it's preparing to release its first full-length album with Grammy-nominated producer Matt Squire (Panic! at the Disco, All Time Low, Ariana Grande).
littlebird & the bad eggs — 3 p.m. Main Street stage. Littlebird and The Bad Eggs is an eclectic, nine-member indie-rock ensemble based in the Poconos that mixes blues, jazz, folk, Americana and even hip-hop to play originals and covers. It previously played Musikfest Cafe and Musikfest. The show is listed on social media.
Aug. 4
Brody Schenk — 6 p.m. Lyricplatz. Making his Musikfest debut, rising singer-songwriter Schenk, from Rochester, New York, lists the show on his website. His new album, "Everyday Magic," is due out April 24.
Aug. 5
Hayley Jackson — Noon, Main Street stage. Bethlehem pop singer-songwriter inspired by Adele, Amy Winehouse and Sam Smith, Jackson puts her own spin on popular covers. She lists the show on her website.
Garden State Radio — 8 p.m. Musikfest regulars Garden State Radio, which performs covers of favorite modern and throwback hits, and mashups and medleys like a live DJ, with a huge light show. It lists the show on its website.
Zaire Band — 5:30 p.m. A New Jersey cover band that has been together 45 years, plays classic rock including The Beatles, Tom Petty, The Eagles, Lynyrd Skynyrd and more, focusing on harmonies. It lists the show on its website.
Melody Cruz — 3-4 p.m. Main Street Stage. Catasauqua-born Lehigh Valley favorite singer-songwriter Melody Cruz lists the show on her website, as well as another later in the week.
Aug. 6
TEMMA — 7-11 pm. ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks. TEMMA, who performs TEMMA performs around the Lehigh Valley, Philadelphia and New York City has a debut EP, “Searching for the Sky,” out now, Her show is listed on several websites.
The Warped Band — The Official Tribute to Warped Tour — 9:30-11 p.m. Levitt Pavilion stage. The band, which says it "recreates the experience and nostalgia of the iconic Warped Tour," lists the show on Facebook. It performs songs of Blink 182, Green Day, Sublime, NOFX, Pierce The Veil, Falling in Reverse, All Time Low, Avril Lavigne, Limp Bizkit and Eminem.
Aug. 7
Brain Damage — A Tribute to Pink Floyd — 9 p.m. Zinzenplatz. The group, which has played the East Coast for 23 years lists the show on its website. Made up of musicians with more than 35 years experience each, Brain Damage says it "replicates every nuance of the Pink Floyd catalog."
Aug. 8
Kat Rivers & the Second Sight — 3 p.m. Zinzenplatz. Philadelphia-based, female-fronted blues-rock band inspired by Led Zeppelin, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals and Heart. Last year released its debut EP, "Deception." The show is listed on the group's website.
The Band Palm — 4-6:30 p.m. Town Square stage. New Jersey alt/pop rock band with two leading female vocalists. It lists the show on its website.
Melody Cruz — 4:30-6 p.m. Zinzenplatz. Catasauqua-born Lehigh Valley favorite singer-songwriter lists the show on her website as a "band" performance.
BC Blue — 9-11 p.m. Liederplatz. Lehigh Valley blues singer Bev Conklin says on her website that she'll "end this day with nothing but the Blues in this beautiful courtyard setting."
Aug. 9
Whole Lotta Led — Aug. 9. Noon on the Town Square stage. The group, which has performed for 30 years and calls itself lists "the longest running, full-time professional tribute to Led Zeppelin" and that it has "performed ‘Stairway To Heaven’ more times than any other band in the world — including Led Zeppelin," lists the show on its Instagram page.
