Music

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

Music lovers across the board — those who enjoy it, produce it, perform it and teach it — have more to check out alongside Musikfest this week.

Catch a breakdown of some of the best free acts performing during Musikfest 2024 tonight on PBS39. The 30-minute program airs at 5:30 p.m. and again at 11:30 p.m. It features ArtsQuest's Patrick Brogan and LehighValleyNews.com's John J. Moser.

Joe Russo's Almost Dead is led by Russo, who was drummer in the Grateful Dead splinter group Furthur with Dead guitarist Bob Weir and bassist Phil Lesh.

There will be two “Twist & Shout” Musikfest Sunday Brunches in Hotel Bethlehem's Grand Ballroom — Aug. 4 and Aug. 11.

Wheatus, best known for its 2000 single “Teenage Dirtbag,” will perform at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 22 in Musikfest Cafe at ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks, it was announced.

The celebration of the Isla del Encanto in Allentown was organized by the Puertorrican Culture Preservation and held on Sunday, July 28.

Musikfest 2024 begins with a preview night on Thursday. The 11-day festival will feature more than 422 artists and more than 500 concerts. Headliners include Greta Van Fleet, ZZ Top, Ludacris and Jowell & Randy.

College Hill PorchFest, a celebration of music and community across the Easton neighborhood, will return in September, with applications for performers and porches being accepted until July 31.

Tickets for the 50 shows in the new season go on sale to theater members at 10 a.m. Aug. 1 and to the public at 10 a.m. Aug. 8 at www.statetheatre.org, or at the box office at 453 Northampton St., Easton.

On Thursday, ArtsQuest and public officials gathered for a ceremonial "brick-breaking" marking the start of construction work at the former Bethlehem Steel Turn and Grind Shop at SteelStacks in Bethlehem.

Straight No Chaser will perform at the theater at 3 and 7 p.m. Dec. 5. And the stage play "Waitress" at 7 p.m. Dec. 15 and 16.

Friday's show, which started this year's lineup of 48 concerts, gave the audience its first exposure to a new state-of-the-art sound system that replaces a public address system developed 25 years ago.

Two-thirds of the way through construction, the new Creativity Center is ahead of schedule, below budget, growing in size and adding new elements of creativity, opportunity and community, officials said.

The Freddy Awards is now in its 24th year. The ceremony will take place on May 21 at State Theatre.

Country music star Martina McBride and Justin Hayward, who led The Moody Blues for more than 50 years, are among four new shows announced for the theater's 100th season.

All Time Low, which had the hits “Dear Maria, Count Me In” in 2008 and “Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don’t)” and “Weightless” in 2009, will perform at 7 p.m. Sept. 5.

Musikfest announced 331 music acts announced for about 500 concerts on the festival's 15 free stages during its July 31-Aug. 9 run, with a July 30 preview night.

The season will offer 48 shows and open May 15.

Hard rock band The Used will perform at Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem on July 22. Tickets are available at the venue website or box office.

The Box Tops will be the opening act for another 1960s act, Herman's Hermits with Peter Noone, at Easton's State Theatre.Tickets, at $70-$90, remain available.

The new state-of-the-art system replaces a public address system developed 25 years ago. It will "deliver improved sound quality, broader coverage and an enhanced experience overall for performers and audiences," ArtsQuest said.