ALLENTOWN, Pa. — It's been two weeks since rock band Heart postponed its opening-night headline concert at Allentown Fair, and it looks like the fair is set to announce a replacement.
The fair just posted on its Facebook page that an announcement is imminent.
Come back to LehighValleyNews.com to find out who it is.
With the fair, and the concert, just over a month away, it's pretty much do-or-die for finding a replacement.
Any later, and it would be very difficult for the fair to get the word out and get tickets sold for the show.
The last time a headliner canceled at Allentown Fair was in 2018, when "All About That Bass" singer Meghan Trainor had a vocal cord hemorrhage and canceled on June 12 — 2 1/2 months before the fair.Allentown Fair history
Heart's show was one of the fair's most anticipated of the year. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group, led by sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson, recently reunited after a three-year hiatus.
It's difficult to get that level of performer on such short notice.
There are some big acts in the area: Incubus will play Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Center the night before the fair date. Usher is playing Wells Fargo two days later.
The last time a headliner canceled at Allentown Fair was in 2018, when "All About That Bass" singer Meghan Trainor had a vocal cord hemorrhage and canceled on June 12 — 2 1/2 months before the fair.
She was replaced by comedian Jim Gaffigan, who was able to attract an audience of 2,971 — about a third of the grandstand capacity.
Other late cancellations — what happened
Bethlehem's Musikfest festival has also had its share of cancellations — some very late.
In 2018, ZZ Top canceled 10 days before its main Steel Stage show, too late to find a replacement. The festival originally announced the main stage would go dark that night, but it later offered a free show by Lehigh Valley blues guitarist Craig Thatcher.
In 2016, soul legend Aretha Franklin canceled her headline concert just 45 days before the show, and the festival replaced her with a free show of tribute bands.
One very late replacement worked out well for Musikfest.
In 2001, when singer Sheryl Crow canceled her Musikfest headline show on two days' notice, rock band Fuel — already headlining one sold-out night — was tapped to replace her.
Fuel ended up nearly selling out a second night. Crow and nearly sold out a second night.
Fuel sold about 11,500 tickets for the two headline shows that year — a record that still stands 23 years later.
Could Allentown Fair have similar luck?
Who do you want to see replace Heart?
