BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Welcome to LehighValleyNew.com's Fest in Show, a daily offering of some of the can't-miss acts on the stages of Bethlehem's Musikfest festival.
Read us daily during Musikfest for suggestions of the best music — and more.
Here are music acts you should see today, Thursday, Aug. 3, on Preview Night for Musikfest 2023:
Slingshot Dakota, 5 p.m., Americaplatz
In 2016, while playing showcase performances at the massive South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas, Slingshot Dakota caught the attention of Rolling Stone magazine, which chose the keyboard-and-drum indie-rock duo among its “10 New Artists You Need to Know” and called it “one of the most unique rock bands in the United States.” But for area audiences, the attraction may be that Slingshot Dakota was born in Bethlehem. “Slingshot Dakota [is] obviously a local indie-rock band,” ArtsQuest Chief Programming Officer Patrick Brogan said. It kicks off Musikfest’s Preview Night.
Nxtime, 9 p.m., Americaplatz
Spritely synth-pop group out of New York City that – with the help of Mike Rogers, the producer of Deee-Lite’s 1990 hit “Groove is in the Heart” – has released 14 songs and has more than 2 million streams on Spotify. ArtsQuest’s Brogan says, “I think folks coming out of AJR [the night’s headline concert at SteelStage] are really going to enjoy this pop-indie rock group.”
Moonroof, 6:30 and 8:30 p.m., Town Square
Indie-pop band Moonroof started in Bloomsburg, Columbia County, and now is based out of Conshohocken, Montgomery County. Its 2021 EP “Dream State” debuted at No. 2 on the Alternative List on Apple's iTunes charts. “More alt-rock, but, again, very accessible for audiences who are around for AJR,” ArtsQuest’s Brogan said.
Nicotine Dolls, 7 p.m., Americaplatz
New Jersey indie-piano rock/R&B band Nicotine Dolls is one of Musikfest’s discovery acts this year. Singer Sam Cieri was a contestant on the 2022 season of “America’s Got Talent,” but withdrew. Cieri’s band also is very good – think Bruce Hornsby & The Range. It will play a sold-out, paid-ticket show at Philadelphia’s Milkboy in October. Check out its song “Tell Me What Makes You Sad,” used in the 2022 finale of ABC-TV’s “The Good Doctor.”
