I was excited to go to the South Side of Musikfest on Wednesday night. Many of the performers that I’ve been looking forward to covering were making their ‘Fest debuts playing inside of the Martin Guitar Lyrikplatz. This came at a perfect time as, after five days of walking around the North Side of the festival, I was ready to give my legs a break.
We continue our steadfast march toward the second weekend of Musikfest. It’s hard to believe we’re already working our way into the latter stages of the festival, but all that means right now is that the party is set to pick up once again.
With that, there’s plenty to like about today’s lineup, which once again includes a healthy dose of local artists. Check out the full lineup here.
A rainy Monday was no match for the mighty Scott Marshall & Marshall’s Highway, who kicked off the Americaplatz stage on Day 4 of Musikfest.
The local country rockstar and his band of brothers brought a soulful, spirited performance to Musikfest rooted in the band’s four tenets: faith, hope, music, and love. Ever the storyteller, Marshall shared the tales behind the tunes, drawing in and engaging the audience through popular originals like “‘Shine” and “Hope on the Cross.”
It was my pleasure to spend the evening on rain-soaked ground with the other people who braved the elements and capture the moments. Hope you enjoy!
By the time Tuesday evening hit, there was not a cloud in the sky anywhere near downtown Bethlehem. After a late night on Monday night (we closed out Plaza Trop, after all), Tuesday was a nice, easy day; one where it was important to take my time in my travels through Musikfest.
We have another beautiful day on tap as we creep slowly toward the second weekend of Musikfest. This was another day where it was hard to narrow our list down to five acts. Trust us when we tell you, there is a lot worth seeing and hearing tonight.
Monday evening had just begun to clear out before we arrived on the scene for the Lehigh Valley Music Awards Musikfest Country Roots Showcase, presented by Lehigh Valley Underground. It was just before 6 p.m. and, after checking in with Ricardo Flores from the GLVMA, I decided that there was some time to hit another stage before setting up our table.
As we approach the official halfway point of Musikfest 2017, it appears that things have dried out. Of course, yesterday’s rains didn’t stop the action at the nation’s largest free outdoor music festival, but it’s always a nice thing to have sunny skies ahead.
It’s also nice to have a strong lineup to count on. Today’s action at Musikfest features just that.
I got down to Musikfest a hair later than each of the first two nights, rolling up (on foot) to Red Stag Pub Liederplatz as my entry point for the day around 6 p.m. That was where Atlanta, GA’s Caleb and the Gents had already hit full stride with their hybrid of jazz, blues and country. This quintessentially southern band kept things uptempo for the brief time I was able to check them out, with a sound that got members of the audience up on their feet.
Some of you went back to work today after the first weekend of Musikfest. For those who didn’t – or for those who did, but still are in the ‘Festing spirit – good news: there’s still a lot to like about heading out in Bethlehem today.
For sure, we’ll be at the LVMA Musikfest Country Roots Showcase as a co-presenter, and we couldn’t be more thrilled. But, it is our duty to give you options and spread the love. That’s what we’ll do!
Overnight rainfall Friday into Saturday meant that temperatures cooled off from opening night, setting up for an absolutely perfect Saturday afternoon with a breeze and temperatures in the upper 70s. Now that, my friends, is great ‘Festing weather.
I didn’t get out until a bit later in the afternoon but, by 5:30, I found myself squarely in front of New York alt-Americana band Evening Darling, who I was looking forward to seeing after doing a little Q&A with them last week. They were as good as I expected, with folk sensibilities and heartfelt lyrics that shine through their music’s well-crafted pop rock exterior.
From there, I started down from Liederplatz toward Plaza Tropical, where I was looking forward to hearing the R&B-infused stylings of JuTaun. However, I encountered The Tillers, a bluegrass band from Cincinnati, on the way down. They looked like they were having a ball, so I stopped by for a few photos.
Then, it was on to JuTaun who, as expected, blew the roof off of Plaza Tropical. Their technical mastery, versatility, soul, and harmonies blend into a sound that is just as much Motown as it is alt-rock, and it earned this group of talented young men a well-deserved standing ovation.
Afterwards, it was back to the new Yuengling Lagerplatz, where an acoustic rendition of Good Charlotte’s “The Anthem” let me know that I was within earshot of Philly pop punks, Above the Mendoza, who were playing to a full tent who had gathered around to hear their stripped-down, but high-energy set.
It was at this point that I realized that our coverage so far was missing a very important, long-standing Musikfest tradition: polka. Fortunately, the Austrian Boys Band was over at Festplatz to the delight of ‘Festers young and old. What was particularly interesting was the band’s willingness to step outside of the box; briefly venturing away from traditional polka to break into genre-friendly covers of everything from Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme.
