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.
-
Over the next few weeks, the Musikfest poster will appear on all platforms, including ArtsQuest websites. It will be used as the official festival 2024 poster and mug, as well as incorporated into other official festival merchandise and apparel throughout the year. -
Dolly Parton has announced that “Dolly Parton ROCKSTAR: The Global First Listen Event” will take place at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 15.
-
"Corteo," which Cirque du Soleil said has performed before 10 million spectators in 20 countries on four continents, will perform six shows March 28-31 at PPL Center. It will be the show's first time in Allentown.
-
The festival, which normally costs $11 advance or $12 day-of on Fridays, will be free from 5 to 8 p.m. "each and every Friday," ArtsQuest announced.
-
The last showing of "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" at Frank Banko Alehouse Cinema in Bethlehem’s ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks is Nov. 5. It also ends its run then at AMC Allentown 16, 1700 Catasauqua Road, Allentown, and The Movie Tavern-Trexlertown, 6150 Hamilton Blvd., Allentown.
-
The festival still drew a combined 38,500 people over its Oct. 6-8 an Oct. 13-15, ArtsQuest said.
-
Pierson has performed in various configurations, including bands, trios, duos and solos. Her Heather Pierson Acoustic Trio hit No. 2 on the Folk Radio Charts in 2015 with its song "Still She Will Fly" and No. 1 on the Folk Radio Albums chart with its 2017 full-length debut, "Singin’."
-
The entire movie — all 2 hours and 48 minutes of it (more about that later) — is footage of a performance of Swift's Eras Tour concert filmed at the tour's last U.S. dates at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles in early August.
-
On Thursday the new concert movie 'Taylor Swift The Eras Tour' will open at ArtsQuest's Frank Banko Alehouse Cinema, bringing Taylor Swift back to the Lehigh Valley in film version, but she has a long, real history in the area, as well.
-
The expanded ice rink, which will be 50-by-120 feet — 1,500 square feet bigger than last year — will officially open Nov. 21 and run through Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 15
-
The event, which features trucks 12 feet tall and 12 feet wide sitting atop 66-inch-tall tires, will have sessions at 7 p.m. Feb. 21; noon and 6 pm. Feb. 22; and noon and 6 p.m. Feb. 23.
-
The Darkness is on a U.S. tour that stops Tuesday, Sept. 9, at Allentown's Archer Music Hall. Tickets, at $45.75 and $48.05, remain available at the Archer website.
-
The Tilghman Street exit from Route 309 — an intersection that averages more than 77,000 vehicles a day — will have new traffic patterns starting Monday.
-
Trans-Siberian Orchestra will return to Allentown's PPL Center with its The Ghosts of Christmas Eve: The Best of TSO & More show on Friday, Nov. 21, it was announced.
-
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at David and Jackie Jaindl Family Birth and Newborn Center at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest.
-
The Bacon Brothers play Zoellner Arts Center's Baker Hall, 420 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem, at 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 7.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Country rock group Alabama on Thursday played a record 10th headlining show at Allentown Fair grandstand (it first played there 42 years ago).
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
