Music

Lehigh Valley indie-rockers Slingshot Dakota are kicking off Musikfest at the Air Products Americaplatz at Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks stage at 5 p.m. Thursday, bringing their unique and creatively energetic punk rock sans guitar.

Welcome to LehighValleyNews.com's Fest in Show, a daily offering of some of the can't-miss acts on the stages of Musikfest.

Musikfest, a 10-day festival of music, food, refreshments and more, celebrates its 40th year beginning on Thursday.

Philadelphia psyche-pop master Kurt Vile and The Violators, who topped the Adult Album Alternative charts with the 2015 song “Pretty Pimpin’” and have had three albums in the overall Top 50, will headline a concert with the late jazz great Sun Ra’s band The Sun Ra Arkestra at Allentown’s Miller Symphony Hall.

The opening acts for Musikfest's main stage headliners have been announced. They include several Lehigh Valley favorites.

The first celebration featured an array of talent with an emphasis on local artists.

As Musikfest kicks off next week, some notable figures in its history shared their perspectives on the humble beginnings and what it's become. Join in the action in Bethlehem from Aug. 3-13.

The iconic Martin on Main festival returned to historic Nazareth at noon on July 29.

The annual festival happened on July 29 in Nazareth.

Industry pros will share their secrets of success at the free event at the Ice House.

Augustana, best known for its Top 10 hit "Boston" in 2006 and Top 5 hit "Sweet and Low" in 2008, will play a free show at 7 p.m. Aug. 9 at the downtown and South Side Bethlehem music festival. The group is among a list of 323 musical acts Musikfest announced Wednesday will perform more than 500 concerts on its 15 free stages during the July 31-Aug. 10 festival.

Black Violin, Dark Star Orchestra, Sam Bush all set shows for Musikfest Cafe at ArtsQuest Center art SteelStacks.

Jamey Johnson, whose song "In Color" won Song of the Year from both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association in 2008, will perform at 6 p.m. Aug. 8 as part of the venue's Sounds of Summer concert series.

Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks announced a 2025 season of 48 concerts (two more than last year) in the venue's 15th year at a season reveal event at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks.

Citizen Soldier, whose songs "Heavy" and "Burden" made the charts last year, will perform on Aug. 16. Opening the show will be 10 Years and Adelitas Way.

Maren Morris, whose debut single "My Church" sold double platinum and hit Top 5 on the Country chart, then had a six-times platinum pop hit with "The Middle," and four-times-platinum "The Bones," and will play Wind Creek Event Center at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 16.

Turning the Tide, a Nazareth-based band that has played festivals and nightclubs from Killington, Vermont, to Key West, Florida — including in Boston and Atlantic City — will open the May 8 show.

Five choral ensembles from Bangor to Emmaus will perform at Carnegie Hall in May and June.

Lukas Nelson, son of country music icon Willie Nelson and leader of the popular country-rock band Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real, will perform Friday, July 18.

Elvis Costello, whose career bridged punk and new wave music with mainstream, will perform with his band The Imposters at 8 p.m. Sept. 8 at Wind Creek Event Center, it was announced. Joining him onstage will be guitarist Charlie Sexton, who hit the Billboard chart with his own album in 1989, then toured with Bob Dylan and recorded with Lucinda Williams and Shawn Colvin.

Eric Hutchinson's new Best Of tour stops at Musikfest Cafe at ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks at 7:30 p.m. tonight, April 23. Tickets for the show, at $40 (some areas are sold out) remain available at the SteelStacks website.

Submissions for the singing competition will be accepted until June, but organizers say early applicants have the competitive edge. The winner will take home $2,000.