When Gerard Longo asked me if I wanted to take photos this year at Musikfest on behalf of UMC, how could I even think of saying no? So, I grabbed my handy dandy Nikon and started out on opening night (Friday, July 31), taking the new air conditioned shuttle bus from the South Side to the North Side.

My first stop was the Yuengling Lagerplatz stage, where a very soulful Lehigh Valley native Melody Cruz was playing. Her powerful vocals kept the attention of me and the rest of the audience.  My next stop was Zinzenplatz, where I was captivated by Amelia Day, a folk singer/songwriter from Sumner, Washington. Her comfort on that stage showed, and her bluesy pop rock songs were fun and alluring.

From there, I grabbed a quick grilled mozzarella and shredded beef on cornbread sandwich – who knew that combination could taste so good? – from MozzArepas and what seemed to be a gallon of fresh squeezed lemonade and headed up the hill. As I was questioning my decision to walk up the hill in the heat, the sound of marching drums caught my attention. If you know me you know I will follow the sound of that anywhere! It was there that I stopped to watch Orbital Drums, a drumline from right here in Bethlehem. These percussionists are all Liberty High School alumni and former members of the Grenadier Band. Not only do they have killer drum skills, they also incorporate bagpipes (of course they do! They’re Liberty graduates!). The way they interact with both kids and adults, it’s easy to see why they had such a huge crowd watching them!

When they finished, it was time for me to think about heading back to the South Side. But first, I heard the sounds of Salsa filling the air. The strains of reggaeton music brought me to Plaza Tropical, where Adrian Anthony’s Grupo Hipnosis from New Jersey were entertaining the crowd with their Latin rhythms. I was ready to dance! (Actually, I wasn’t, but I was dancing in my head. How can you not move when you hear that?)

It was then time to board the nice air conditioned shuttle bus back to the South Side, where 90s alt rock band The Verve Pipe were going to be playing. After zoning out for a while (again, it was hot!), I made my way to the front along the gate so I could get some good shots. By this time, I was pretty beat, and only intended on staying a little bit in that spot before going back to the sidewalk to find a table to listen to the rest from there. I had thought, “OK, I know the song ‘The Freshmen’ and that’s it, so I’ll leave after they play that, if it’s not at the end.”

Well, they played it in the middle of their set… but by that time I had become a huge fan and stayed put, right until the end. Singer Brian Vander Ark was funny, charming, and having the best time of his life up there. Of course, “The Freshmen” had the entire audience singing, but I was extremely wowed by their other songs that, admittedly, I had never heard until that point.

(Also worth noting: backup vocalist and keyboardist Channing Lee has a spectacular voice! I could listen to a full concert of just her. So, I did a deep dig, and she does indeed have some solo stuff out.)

The Verve Pipe started strong and finished stronger, so much that I bought a ticket to their show at The Sellersville Theater later this month! After that awesome performance, it was time to head home.