Music

It's a rite of summer. Three styles of Musikfest mugs, illustrated by local artist Lauren Beck, are now on sale online and at three locations in Bethlehem.

Band of Horses, best known for its double-platinum 2006 hit "The Funeral," and City and Colour, known for its 2015 Adult Alternative chart hits "Wasted Love" and "Lover Come Back," will perform Sunday, Sept. 8.

Better Than Ezra, which had the No. 1 Modern Rock single “Good,” and the Top 5 Modern Rock hit “In the Blood” from its 1993 debut album “Deluxe,” will join the show Friday, Aug. 2, on Musikfest’s main stage

J&J Demolition Derby, a Labor Day mainstay at Allentown Fairgrounds, will return to the fair for its closing-night grandstand entertainment offering on Sept. 2.

Blippi, whose energetic and educational antics have made him a global sensation, will bring his live show Blippi: The Wonderful World Tour to the fair on Aug. 29.

Rockers Orgy, with opening act Cold, will play at 5:30 p.m. Friday, May 17, at Maingate Nightclub in Allentown. Tickets, at $25 in advance and $30 day of show, are available at maingatenightclub.com

Kutztown University's jazz ensemble was recognized by DownBeat magazine for Outstanding Performance in its Student Music Awards. It's the 10th win for Kutztown's commercial music program but the first for the jazz ensemble.

Tickets for both shows will go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. Friday, May 10, at ArtsQuest Center, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, or at www.SteelStacks.org.

The nine-man Straight No Chaser will perform at 3 and 7 p.m. Dec. 7, the theater said in a release. Tickets, at $39.50-$74.50, go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, May 10, on the State Theatre website.

Malina Moye, who combines influences of hip hop, rock, funk and soul and whose 2018 album “Bad As I Wanna Be” topped the Blue Albums chart, will perform at the free festival.

Allentown City Planning Commission on Tuesday approved the construction of a 49-unit apartment building and parking garage on West Hamilton Street. The complex would house primary occupants 55-and-older and adults with disabilities. Representatives of the neighboring music school voiced concerns about increased traffic and the safety of students, parents, and staff.

Domenic Salerni, who grew up in Bethlehem and is now a member of the Attaca Quartet, captured a Grammy for his work on the album "Shaw: Evergreen."

The band retains lead singer Ed Kowalczyk from its classic lineup, with new members guitarist Zak Loy, drummer Robin Diaz and bassist Chris Heerlein.

Allentown native and three-time Grammy Award-nominated jazz singer, Denise Donatelli, recalls how the music of legendary composer Burt Bacharach she first heard as a teenager inspired her to record an album of his songs. Bacharach died Wednesday at age 94.

Feb. 12 is the Super Bowl Sunday of 2023. Here are some watch parties we've picked for you to enjoy in the Lehigh Valley.

A 55,000-square-foot, five-story, 140-room hotel, with a bar and restaurant, and a 30,000-square-foot, two-story entertainment center are being proposed for Hamilton Street in Allentown.

Concerts on the Grange, a two-day music festival featuring tribute acts portraying Elton John, Billy Joel, The Doors and The Grateful Dead, will be May 12-13.

ArtsQuest, the organization that annually presents Musikfest in Bethlehem, has announced it will offer a music festival and other events in Upper Macungie Township this summer.

After 50 years in business at Westgate Mall in Bethlehem, Hawk Music must vacate its location due to planned renovations at the mall.

Tyler Hubbard, who with partner Brian Kelly as Florida Georgia Line had more than 20 No. 1 hits, will perform on Aug. 31.

Damn the Torpedoes will play at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 27 at Musikfest Cafe at SteelStacks in Bethlehem and play a good number of songs from the album "Wildflowers."

Jerry Blavat was known as “The Geator” during an eight-decade career as one of the Philadelphia-area’s best known disc jockeys and who had strong ties to the Lehigh Valley.