BETHLEHEM, Pa. — A band that in the 1990s had two charting albums of surf/punk/rockabilly music will be among concerts headlining the Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks’ 2026 free summer season.
So will a masked group of instrumental rock surf-rockers who have been the backing band for top talent while releasing more than 25 albums of their own and winning a Grammy Award.
Also, a California-based roots collective that has played paid-ticket shows at ArtsQuest's Musikfest Cafe.
And one of the best-known Latin percussionists in music today.
“We’re excited to kick off our 16th season with a lineup that truly has something for everyone, From returning favorites to new voices and expanded festival experiences, this summer is all about celebrating community, discovery and the joy of live music.”Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks Executive Director Cory Stevens
The Rev. Horton Heat, Los Straitjackets, Dustbowl Revival and Hector Rosado are among the highlights of Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks' 16th season, announced Sunday at a season reveal event at ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks.
The season will offer 48 shows. That's one fewer than last year — when the lineup drew 65,000 people — but the second-most shows in the past five years, Levitt SteelStacks board member Keith Micucci said.
"Music is power," Micucci, chief operating office at board Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg told Sunday's gathering. He said the upcoming season "is just fabulous ... it has a little bit of something for everyone, and then some."
Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks Executive Director Cory Stevens told the gathering, “We’re excited to kick off our 16th season.
“From returning favorites to new voices and expanded festival experiences, this summer is all about celebrating community, discovery and the joy of live music.”
The concerts will be offered Thursdays through Saturdays and select Sundays at 7:30 p.m., unless otherwise noted, on the Levitt Pavilion lawn at SteelStacks.
Attendees can bring lawn chairs and blankets.
Top headliners
The season will open May 15 with Baltimore pop singer-songwriter Enslow, who released her debut album, "Hello," in 2024.
Dustbowl Revival will perform June 4. The California-based collective merges old-school bluegrass, gospel, jug-band, swamp blues and the hot swing of the 1930s.
It's known for its inspired live sets which boldly bring together many styles of traditional American music.
It played previous shows at Musikfest and paid-ticket shows at ArtsQuest Center in 2017 and 2018.
Scythian, a popular Washington, D.C., Celtic rock band, will play June 12.
For years it has been a favorite of Musikfest and a regular at Bethlehem's Celtic Classic festival, and has played paid-ticket shows at Musikfest Cafe.
The Rev. Horton Heat has had two albums — "It's Martini Time" in 1996 and "Space Heater" in 1998 — hit the Top 200 on Billboard's Albums list. Its 2002 album "Lucky 7" hit No. 14 on the Indie chart, and 2018's "Whole New Life" hit No. 19 on that chart.Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks lineup
The Rev. Horton Heat will perform Aug. 28.
The band had two albums — "It's Martini Time" in 1996 and "Space Heater" in 1998 — hit the Top 200 on Billboard's Albums list.
Its 2002 album "Lucky 7" hit No. 14 on the Indie chart, and 2018's "Whole New Life" hit No. 19 on that chart.
In all, since 1990 the group has released 13 albums of new material, with the latest being 2023's "Roots of the Rev (Volume One)."
Its songs have appeared in the movies "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls" in 1995, "Bio-Dome" in 1996, "Free Willy 3: The Rescue" in 1997, "Major League: Back to the Minors" in 1998 and "The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas" in 2000.
Festivals
In addition to the headliners, the season will include annual festivals.
¡Sabor! Latin Festival, set for June 25-27, will feature Rosado on opening night.
He has toured with David Byrne and Tito Puente, has recorded for Warner Bros. Records, and has created tracks for “video Jams” as seen on the BET Network.
He's a go-to Latin percussionist on the East Coast, and makes his home in the Lehigh Valley, and also headlined the festival in 2024 and in previous years.
The previously announced One Earth ReggaeFest will be on July 11 and Blast Furnace Blues: Stars, Stripes & Steel will be July 17–18.
Also previously announced were ArtsQuest's first CountryFest, Aug. 21–22, and Lehigh Valley SoccerFest and viewing parties will take place on campus from June 11–July 19.
Because some Levitt shows will be on the same days as SoccerFest games, they'll start at different times: Scythian on June 12 will start at 7; Eric Ian Farmer & Friends on June 19 and Hunkajunk on June 25 both will start at 7:30 p.m. and The Polkamaniacs on June 20 at 6 p.m.
Also, during those shows, patrons will not be able to bring their own food.
And Christian music singer songwriter Hope Darst, whose Top 5 Christian chart hit "Peace Be Still" achieved gold record status, will headline a Christian Rock Night on July 25.
Darst also last year had the Top 3 Christian hit "Mighty Name of Jesus."
Tribute acts
Also again this year will be significant shows by tribute acts.
On May 30 will be Haus of Monsters: America’s No. 1 Tribute to Lady Gaga.
On June 18 will be Cinco12, a Cinco 12, a Brooklyn-based cumbia band that serves as a tribute to the "Queen of Tejano Music," Selena.
To celebrate the Fourth of July, Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks again will offer a patriotic concert by The Allentown Band from 5:30-7 p.m., followed by The Bruce Show: Bruce Springsteen Tribute ("Born in the U.S.A." get it?) 8:30–10 p.m.
Fireworks will follow the Springsteen tribute.
During the previously announced new CountryFest will be tribute acts Kevin Kenny — The Chesney Show on Aug. 21 and
Lainey Nation, a tribute to Lainey Wilson, on Aug. 22.
And on Aug. 15 will be Every Breath You Take: Sting and Police Tribute.
'Discovering new music'
For the first time in several years, the Levitt season won't close with a “Local Party” by longtime Lehigh Valley favorite party band The Aardvarks, a mainstay of Bethlehem's Musikfest festival.
The Aardvarks will play the season's penultimate show on Sept. 11.
The season will conclude Sept. 12 with a concert by Musikfest favorites Los Straitjackets, who have released has released 14 of its own studio albums and was nominated for a Grammy Award.
"How lucky are we to have a free, world-class music venue like Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks? As soon as the Lehigh Valley starts to thaw, it is time to look forward to the Levitt Pavilion season."Hillary Harper, chair of the Friends of Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks board
Los Straitjackets, celebrating 38 years together, backed 1980s hitmaker Marshall Crenshaw at a Musikfest Cafe show in 2017 and new wave singer Nick Lowe there in 2018.
Last year, Los Straitjackets released a “What’s So Funny About Peace Love And Los Straitjackets,” an album of its surf-rock instrumentals of song Lowe’s songs, including, “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding,” which became a hit for Elvis Costello.
In all, the group has released 14 studio albums, four collaboration albums and eight live discs. In 2003, They were nominated for a Grammy Award for their album "Rock 'N' Roll City," a collaboration with late blues singer Eddy Clearwater.
"How lucky are we to have a free, world-class music venue like Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks?” said Hillary Harper, chair of the Friends of Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks board.
“As soon as the Lehigh Valley starts to thaw, it is time to look forward to the Levitt Pavilion season.
"It's always been about making free music accessible to everyone. Every family, every individual who walks on the lawn feels genuinely welcome.
"Levitt has genuinely improved out community ... gets us off our screens and out of our house and onto the lawn with our friends."
Picking favorites
Harper, who is project manager, ePMO and Operational Excellence at Victaulic, was among Levitt and ArtsQuest officials who Sunday listed their favorite upcoming shows.
"There are a few bands coming that I'm excited to dance to, including Dustbowl Revival, Reverend Horton Heat and Los Straightjackets," she said.
Another must-see for her will be Latin fusion artist Sol Katana on May 24.
ArtsQuest Programming Manager for Music Alli Poczak listed as her choices The Psycodelics, a six-piece funk/soul band on Sept. 4; blues artist Kelly Bell Band on June 13 and Boys Go to Jupiter, a "dreamy indie-pop" band on July 9.
ArtsQuest Programming Director of Music Shayna Super chose funk/folk band Slap Dragon on July 10, zydeco-fusion artist Ruben Moren & Zydeco Re-evolution on May 21 and southern rockers Holy Roller on May 29.
And Stevens chose season-opener Enslow, who he described as "high energy with familiar pop meoldies"; the funk and brass of Hot 8 Brass Band on May 23; and Chuwi, an indic plena/Carribbean artist who has collaborated with Bad Bunny and is a "fresh new band on a meteoric rise" on Aug. 20.
Harper said, "My family will be on the lawn for as many shows as possible.
"We look forward to discovering new music and enjoying extraordinary movies with our community this summer season at SteelStacks."
Levitt season lineup
The confirmed Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks show schedule is:
Friday, May 15 — Enslow
Saturday, May 16 — Lindsay Jordan
Sunday, May 17 — Next Gen Live
Thursday, May 21 — Ruben Moreno & Zydenco Re-evolution
Friday, May 22 — The Ruen Brothers
Saturday, May 23 — Hot 8 Brass Band
Sunday, May 24 — Sol Katana
Thursday, May 28 — Lydio Von Hof
Friday, May 29 — Holy Roller
Saturday, May 30 — Haus of Monsters: America’s No. 1 Tribute to Lady Gaga
Thursday, June 4 — Dustbowl Revival
Friday, June 5 — Koser
Saturday, June 6 — Lizzie No
Thursday, June 11 — Hold Mojoflo
Friday, June 12 — Scythian (7–8:30 p.m.)
Saturday, June 13 — Kelly Bell Band
Thursday, June 18 — Cinco12: Selena tribute act
Friday, June 19 — Eric Ian Farmer & Friends
Saturday, June 20 — The Polkamaniacs (6–7:30 p.m.)
Thursday, June 25 — Hunkajunk
Friday, June 26 — ¡Sabor! Hector Rosado y su Orq Hache
Saturday, June 27 — ¡Sabor! Cita Rodriguez
Thursday, July 2 — Parker Barrow
Friday, July 3 — U.S. Army Band
Saturday, July 4 — The Allentown Band (5:30–7 p.m.); The Bruce Show: Bruce Springsteen Tribute (8:30–10 p.m.)
Thursday, July 9 — Boys Go to Jupiter
Friday, July 10 — Slap Dragon
Saturday, July 11 — Reggaefest: Jesse Royal
Thursday, July 16 — Doc Robinson
Friday, July 17 — Blast Furnace Blues: Jontavious Willis
Saturday, July 18 — Blast Furnace Blues: Larry McCray Band
Thursday, July 23 — Haggis X-1
Friday, July 24 — Pepperwine
Saturday, July 25 — Hope Darst
Friday, Aug. 14 — The Saint Cecelia
Saturday, Aug. 15 — Every Breath You Take: Sting and Police Tribute
Thursday, Aug. 20 – Chuwi
Friday, Aug. 21 — CountryFest: Kevin Kenny — The Chesney Show
Saturday, Aug. 22 — CountryFest: Lainey Nation
Thursday, Aug. 27 — Craig Thatcher Band
Friday, Aug. 28 — The Reverend Horton Heat
Saturday, Aug. 29 — Judith Hill
Friday, Sept. 4 — The Psycodelics
Saturday, Sept. 5 — Judy Blank
Sunday, Sept. 6 — Adam Ezra Band
Friday, Sept. 11 — The Aardvarks
Saturday, Sept. 12 — Los Straitjackets
