Music

Thousands turned out for Allentown's 16th annual festival on Saturday along Hamilton Street.

A show about vampires and a haunted magic show, just in time for Halloween, have been announced for October presentations at Easton's State Theatre. Also announced for October are shows focused on a popular children's character and a tribute to two iconic piano men.

The festival is now in its 16th year and will feature close to 20 blues acts, including Nikki Hill, Ghost Town Blues Band, Craig Thatcher Band and Dustin Douglas.

Bob Mould, who was guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for the influential band Hüsker Dü in the 1980s, will perform at 8:30 p.m. Sept. 15 at Musikfest Cafe at ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks in Bethlehem.

The City of Allentown held a Juneteenth Block Party celebration at Center Square on Tuesday, commemorating the last bastion of slavery in the U.S. in 1865.

ArtsQuest has announced a lineup of 15 shows at Musikfest Cafe at ArtsQuest Center in Bethlehem, starting after Musikfest and continuing into February.

On Wednesday, June 19, DJ Prince Hakim (nee Hakim Bell) will be the musical entertainment from 2-8 p.m. for Allentown's downtown Juneteenth block party along Hamilton Street.

Dozens of vendors, musicians, and historians came together at SteelStacks in Bethlehem on Saturday to celebrate Juneteenth by exploring culture and history.

Jefferson Starship will play at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 14, at Penn's Peak in Penn Forest Township. Tickets, at $28-$33, remain available at the Penn's Peak website.

With help of sponsors D.G. Yuengling & Sons and Bazella Works, all men and women now serving in any branch of the military, all veterans and immediate family of those killed in action, are eligible to get tickets to a variety of events, ArtsQuest said.

Bad Company Legacy, which includes two members of the group that from 1974-92 sold 20 million copies of hits such as “Can’t Get Enough,” “Feel Like Making Love” and “Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy,” will perform at 7 p.m. Nov. 1. And Morgan Wade, whose hit "Wilder Days" helped get her nominated for the Academy of Country Music's New Female Artist of the Year in 2023, will perform at 8 p.m. Aug. 28.

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.