John J. Moser
News DirectorI’m deputy director for news at LehighValleyNews.com and have been a reporter and editor at newspapers in Pennsylvania and North Carolina for nearly 40 years. I spent more than 30 years at The Morning Call in Allentown as a reporter, copy editor and editor, and for 12 years was its music critic and entertainment writer. I’ve captured more than two dozen statewide and national awards for writing and editing, and was part of a team of reporters in North Carolina that was runner-up for the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. Contact me at JohnM@lehighvalleynews.com or 610-984-8183.
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Santos Mota-Ramirez, 61, pleaded guilty Wednesday to two counts of attempted homicide, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, simple assault, arson and causing a catastrophe, District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan said.
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Black Stone Cherry, which is observing the 20th anniversary of its self-titled debut album and is best known for its hits "Lonely Train" and "White Trash Millionaire," will perform at 8 p.m. July 10 on the Univest stage, at 301 W. Mill St.
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Box Fest XVII, a professional boxing card, will take over the new downtown arena at 8 p.m. April 3, it was announced.
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Seth Witcher, 26, was shown for a total of 20 seconds of screen time in a montage of acts on which the judges disagreed during auditions for the show at Belmont University in Nashville.
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Actor/comedian Patrick Roach, who plays the character Randy on “Trailer Park Boys,” will bring Randy's Cheeseburger Picnic to Signature Saloon in Stroudsburg on April 1 and to The Gin Mill and Grill in Northampton on April 4.
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Colombian band Grupo Niche, whose album "Cielo De Tambores" hit No. 3 on that chart, will perform at 6 p.m. July 30, as a preview night for the festival, which will run July 31-Aug. 9.
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Listen to the Dissonance will return for a third year Friday, Feb. 27, at Charles A. Brown Ice House at 56 River St., Bethlehem. Performers will be vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Judah Kim, singer-songwriter Clover, songwriter-producer Barney Cortez and Nashville-based songwriter Patty PerShayla.
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John Melendez, who was known as "Stuttering John" on the Stern show, then spent years in the cast on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," will perform Friday, March 6, at Civic Theatre of Allentown's The Hub at Theatre514, it was announced.
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Rapper Freddie Gibbs will perform at Allentown's Archer Music Hall at 7 p.m. June 4, it was announced. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 6.
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Buckcherry, known best for its 2006 quadruple-platinum hit "Crazy Bitch" and 2007's double-platinum "Sorry," says on its website that it will perform at Allentown's Archer Music Hall on May 19.
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A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at David and Jackie Jaindl Family Birth and Newborn Center at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest.
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The Bacon Brothers play Zoellner Arts Center's Baker Hall, 420 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem, at 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 7.
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Top country band Old Dominion plays Allentown's PPL Center at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 4. Tickets, at $49.70-$187.95, remain available at the PPL Center website or the box office at 701 Hamilton St., Allentown.
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Country singer Kane Brown's concert headlining Allentown Fair's grandstand Friday showed not only that it's real enough to connect with fans of both genres, but really good, too.
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Country rock group Alabama on Thursday played a record 10th headlining show at Allentown Fair grandstand (it first played there 42 years ago).
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Heart's headline opening night of Allentown Fair's grandstand on Wednesday wasn't the typical 50th anniversary blowout, but seemed more an acknowledgement of the band's triumph.
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John Fogerty, who with the group Creedence Clearwater Revival sold 30 million albums — 13 of which sold gold or platinum — will perform his Legacy Tour at 8 p.m. Nov. 8.
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With Allentown Fair opening its 173rd year today, music critic John J. Moser has 25 years of reviewing grandstand shows behind him. These are the best he's seen, ranked in order.
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Heart will perform a grandstand show at 7 p.m. Aug. 27 on the opening night of Allentown Fair. Tickets remain available.
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The new Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton Regional Music Awards has an official website, and is taking nominations for its first ceremony later this year.
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ArtsQuest's Cold Brew Hullabaloo, a cold coffee convention that debuted at Musikfest Café at ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks last year, will return Sept. 14, it was announced.
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The Struts performed Wednesday night at Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks. The focus of the concert was a celebration of the 10th anniversary U.S. release of their debut album, "Everybody Wants."