Music

Country singer Brad Paisley played at Allentown Fair on Friday night. Although the crowd was subdued, the headliner pulled out the songs many know and love to sing along to.

"Rooted" is a collaboration between founders of Godfrey Daniels, Touchstone Theatre, Mock Turtle Marionette Theatre and the Bach Choir of Bethlehem. The public is invited to part of the filming on Saturday, Sept. 7, at Payrow Plaza.

David Archuleta is set to perform at Allentown Fair at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 30. He will open for hit a cappella group Pentatonix at the fair's grandstand.

At the Allentown Fair grandstand on Thursday, the hyperactivity was dialed back a measure for Blippi: The Wonderful World Tour, and the kids — who made up about half the audience of perhaps 3,000 — were at least exposed to learning.

The crowd at Allentown Fair for Cheap Trick and Blue Oyster Cult was there to hear the hits of their youth and — for the most part — got what they wanted.

Blippi: The Wonderful World Tour hits the grandstand stage at Allentown Fair at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29. Tickets, at $30 each, remain available at the fair website.

Nearly 50 years later, Blue Öyster Cult still is performing, and this year even released "Ghost Stories," its first album of new material in four years and only second in 23 years. The group also will open for fellow 1970s rockers Cheap Trick as the grandstand feature for opening night at Allentown Fair at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 28.

Jayna Elise, who auditioned on "Idol" in both Season 21 in 2023 and Season 22 the past spring, recently was chosen for the role of Turner in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, which performs at Easton's State Theatre on Oct. 1-2.

Allentown Fair’s main Grandstand stage is inarguably one of its biggest draws — offering top music, performances and other acts in the Lehigh Valley’s largest-capacity arena. Here's how we rank this year's headliners.

The Hooters play Univest Performing Center in Quakertown at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23. The group performed to a nearly sold-out crowd in Quakertown last year.

Post-hardcore band Chiodos, whose 2005 album "Bone Palace Ballet" hit No. 1 on Billboard's Rock, Indie and Alternative charts, will perform at 7 p.m. Nov. 22, it was announced. Joining it will be Hawthorne Heights, the rock band whose 2006 album "If Only You Were Lonely" hit No. 1 on the Indie chart and sold gold, and also had a gold album with 2005's "The Silence in Black and White."

Cardi B, best known for her 11-times-platinum hits "Bodak Yellow" in 2017 and "I Like It" (with Bad Bunny and J Balvin) in 2018, will appear in the area on Sept. 20.

The event will mark 80 years since WWII’s end and its sister city bond with Tondabayashi, Japan, on Saturday, Sept. 13 with a peace mural unveiling, taiko drumming, and concerts at the Bethlehem Area Public Library and Congregation Brith Sholom.

Morgan Freeman's Symphonic Blues Experience stops at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12 at Lehigh University's Zoellner Arts Center.

The Darkness is on a U.S. tour that stops Tuesday, Sept. 9, at Allentown's Archer Music Hall. Tickets, at $45.75 and $48.05, remain available at the Archer website.

Shop vinyl, vintage and handmade art at the Lehigh Valley Punk Rock Flea Market on Sept. 6 at the free family-friendly event and mini-concert. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with performances starting at 4:30 p.m.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra will return to Allentown's PPL Center with its The Ghosts of Christmas Eve: The Best of TSO & More show on Friday, Nov. 21, it was announced.

The Bacon Brothers play Zoellner Arts Center's Baker Hall, 420 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem, at 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 7.

Top country band Old Dominion plays Allentown's PPL Center at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 4. Tickets, at $49.70-$187.95, remain available at the PPL Center website or the box office at 701 Hamilton St., Allentown.

Fans at the Allentown Fair got a triple dose of hair metal nostalgia as Quiet Riot, Ace Frehley, and Great White shared the stage for a night of heavy riffs and anthems on Saturday evening.

Country singer Kane Brown's concert headlining Allentown Fair's grandstand Friday showed not only that it's real enough to connect with fans of both genres, but really good, too.

Heart's headline opening night of Allentown Fair's grandstand on Wednesday wasn't the typical 50th anniversary blowout, but seemed more an acknowledgement of the band's triumph.