Music

The time-lapse was shot from the weather camera atop the Univest Public Media Center on the SteelStacks campus.

The 40th Musikfest drew to a successful close on Sunday night in Bethlehem. The nation's largest open-gate free music festival delivered more than 500 free performances, plus paid-ticket headliners. Organizers believe a record of roughly 1.25 million attended the 11-day event. An official count is expected to be announced Tuesday.

The legendary salsa group performed their biggest hits and displayed perfectly-timed dance moves.

The ArtsQuest annual fête has an estimated 900 volunteers in 2023.

The Goo Goo Dolls played a concert of 25 songs in 107 minutes at Musikfest that included all of its hits, deep cuts and new songs.

Goo Goo Dolls, the 1990s-2000s alternative rock group who produced the platinum hits “Name,” “Iris,” “Slide,” and “Black Balloon,” has sold out its concert for tonight, Aug. 9, on Musikfest’s Steel Stage.

From lack of parking and gridlock traffic to the increased prices for headliner tickets, as well as upticks in costs for food and beverages, there are plenty of reasons why some of the Lehigh Valley’s residents don’t like — with a contingent even going so far as to actively avoid — Musikfest.

Here are the Musikfest acts and more you should see today, Wednesday, Aug. 9.

Six years ago today, local noted musician Sal Ritz Jr. passed away shortly after performing at Musikfest. His widow, Laurie Ritz Dragotta, says a return to Musikfest is still too emotional for her.

Dan + Shay, a country duo from Nashville, played to a roaring crowd on the main stage at Musikfest 2023 on Sunday night. The two are just returning to touring as they've been recording a new album due out this fall.

Aly and AJ play Archer Music Hall in Allentown at 7 p.m. tonight, March 26. Tickets, at $46.05-$48.40, remain available at the Archer Music Hall website and the venue box office at 939 Hamilton St., Allentown.

ArtsQuest hasn't yet announced its summer lineup for its free Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks series, or for its various genre summer festivals. And maybe it hasn't finished announcing its paid-ticket Levitt Pavilion shows yet. But performers are announcing shows themselves.

Third Eye Blind, best known for the hits “Semi-Charmed Life,” “Jumper,” “How It’s Going To Be,” “Jumper” and “Graduate,” will perform at 7 p.m. Aug. 2, it was announced.

KC and the Sunshine Band will bring that music to Easton's State Theatre at perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 28. Tickets, at $90-$110, remain available, though some sections are limited.

Three Dog Night, which had hits such as "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)," "Joy to the World" and "Black and White," will perform at 7 p.m. Sept. 27, and the stage musical of Charles Dickens’s "A Christmas Carol," will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 3.

The Coral Reefer Band, which includes nine members who each played live shows with Jimmy Buffett for more than 25 years and appeared on multiple gold and platinum albums, will perform at Wind Creek Event Center at 7:30 p.m. July 9.

Russell Dickerson, best known for the 2017 triple-platinum hit "Yours" and the double-platinum hits "Blue Tacoma" in 2018 and "Love You Like I Used To" in 2020, will perform at 7 p.m. July 31, it was announced.

The My Generation Tour of Gary Lewis & The Playboys, The Lovin' Spoonful and The Hollies' Terry Sylvester that stopped Friday, March 13, at Easton's State Theater was a wonderful collection of memories — and an occasional surprise.

The Oak Ridge Boys will stop at 6 p.m. Sunday, March 15, at Easton's State Theatre. Tickets, at $65-$85, remain available at the theatre website and are expected to be available at the door at 453 Northampton St.

Gary Lewis & The Playboys and The Lovin' Spoonful will perform as part of The My Generation Tour at 7:30 p.m. March 13 at Easton's State Theatre. Joining them will be Terry Sylvester of The Hollies, one of those British groups with which they competed, and which had five Top 10 hits of their own in the 1960s.

Looking at what has transpired at The Archer since it opened, Live Nation Head of Clubs Programming Molly Warren said, "We had an amazing first year."

Wilco, whose songs "I Might" and "Speak Into the Rose" hit the Top 5 on Billboard's Singles chart in 2011, will play "An Evening With Wilco" show at Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks at 8 p.m. June 17.