It’s late September and I really should be………..at a festival somewhere ? We’ve got you covered. On a smaller scale, there is Fall on the Farm in Kutztown featuring live music from Brother Louv (Sat) and Out of the Orchard (Sun). both shows at the Rodale Institute start at 11 am. On a larger scale, you have the Riverside Festival of the Arts in Easton. Doyle and the Dudes get things started on Saturday at 11 am. The festival finishes up with possibly the best 1-2-3 punch you’ll find anywhere on Sunday. Come see Billy Bauer (duo, 2pm), Roi and the Secret People (3pm) and Dear Anna (4pm), all on the Scott Park Stage. There’s lots of great music in between, too. for a full lineup, visit https://www.EastonRiversideFest.org.

Festivals aren’t your thing ? That’s fine, the weekend is jam-packed with live music throughout the Valley. Let’s get started with tonight’s lineup. The Billy Bauer Band is at the Slopeside Pub (6pm), The Bastard Sons Presents (Mike Roi and Carter Lansing) with special guest Chris Colaiaco will be at Two Rivers Brewing (8), Dave Johnsen at Pearly Baker’s (9:30) and Hexting at the Funhouse (10:30).

Friday finds Acoustic Kitty Project at Weyerbacher Brewing (5:30pm), Steve Brosky at the Steel Pub (7:30), Jeff Bellfy at Colonial Pizza (8), Wig Party at Pearly Baker’s (10) and Dear Anna at the Funhouse (10:30). If the first two nights whet your appetite for live music, you’ll love the choices you have on Saturday so, read on.

Get your day started with the Billy Bauer Band at Dimmick Park at 2:30pm. A busy Saturday night starts at Revel Social with Matt Dellecker, McConney at Franklin Hill Vineyards or Steve Brosky at Weaversville Inn – all at 6pm. At 7pm, Nick Lindsay is at Gallows Hill Spirits, and Brian Kibler is at the Beef Baron. The music starts at 8pm at Colonial Pizza with Heart Headed, the Ship Inn with Michael Reisman and the Steel Pub with Ricky and the Rebels. Late night has Dear Anna at Pizza Como (10), Roi and the Secret People at Porter’s Pub (10), The Jack Adams Band at Pearly Baker’s (10:30) and Johnny Kimmock w/DJ Discreet at the Funhouse (10:30).

On Sunday afternoon you can be sipping wine and listening to the sounds of Smooth Retsina Glow at Bishop Estate Vineyards at 2pm or you can wait until the evening and see Steve Brosky at Grim Barn (6pm). Of course, the Funhouse has your late night covered every night and Gemini Reign will be there at 10:30pm.

Looking for a more intimate, quiet, listening room setting to hear some great music ? There’s no better place in the Valley for that than the legendary Godfrey Daniels in Bethlehem. They have a fantastic lineup this weekend starting with Dave’s Night Out tonight featuring Jack Murray and Brian Molnar at 7pm. Friday night is the Dana Gaynor band at 8 and Saturday is Abbie Gardner, also at 8. For tickets or more information, visit https://www.godfreydaniels.org.

Whatever your weekend has in store, include some live music in your plans. Get out and support the musicians who work hard to keep the Lehigh Valley music scene alive and the venues that make it all possible by hosting live music every weekend. Are you a band, a solo artist or a venue that hosts live music ? Be sure to let us know what’s on tap by Wednesday each week and we’ll spread the word.

#livemusic #localmusic #supportlocal #VoV #voicesofthevalley #festivalseason

I’m going a little early this week. Tomorrow is a travel day for me and I’ll be in my car most of the day so, if I missed you this week, we’ll be back on the normal schedule next week. Don’t see your name or your band here ? It’s easy to get in. Just send me your schedule by Wednesday and you will be part of the “HOT SPOTS” on Thursday.

Let’s start with tomorrow evening. If you are a local musician, get out and support Nick Lindsay and the Cave Brewing Company open mic night at 5:30pm. We also have Werner Sommer at Water’s Edge at 6, John Fadem at Pearly Baker’s Ale House at 10 and Mosey Beat at 10:30 at the Funhouse Southside.

This weekend features some “heavy hitters” that you won’t want to miss. At the Pierogi Festival at Levitt Pavilion, catch a double-shot of local favorites Mosey Beat (2pm) and Roi and the Secret People (4pm) or take in the Billy Bauer Band at Calvaresi Winery for a special Dave Matthews Tribute show at 5pm. If that’s not enough, take a look at what the rest of the weekend has to offer.

Friday – Porter’s Pub will feature the Smith Compound Band for Live at the Falls at 5:30pm, Ash and Snow will take the stage at Casa Toro at 6, Dear Anna will be at Two Rivers Quakertown and Strange Interlude will be at Union and Finch at 6:30. Godfrey Daniels has a great show lined up with Leah Fuls opening up for Christine Havrilla at 7:30. You can see Doyle and the Dudes at New Tripoli Hotel at 9 or go late-night with Acoustic Kitty Project at Pearly Baker’s at 10 or Trouble City Allstars at the Funhouse at 10:30.

Saturday – Catch Ash & Snow early at Black River Farms (3pm). Doug Kaetz will be appearing at the Rock and Raise Benefit in Easton which starts at 2pm. Then, take your pick at night. Nick Lindsay is at Triple Suns and Jordan White is at the Beef Baron at 7pm, Mosey Beat at Two Rivers and Michael Reisman at Colonial Pizza – both at 8pm, the Castaway Band is at the Shanty on 19th at 9, the Stillcraft Band is at the Linville Hotel at 9:30, at 10pm you have Doyle and the Dudes at Porter’s Pub or the Albert Savage Band at Pearly Baker’s and Space Kadet with Flux Capacitor round out the night at the Funhouse starting at 10:30.

Sunday has the Castaway Band at Parkland High School at noon, touring musician Rory D’Lasnow at Godfrey Daniels as the featured artist at 7pm and Lorenzo rocking the Funhouse solo at 10;30pm.

As you can see, it’s a busy weekend in the Valley and there are plenty of places to go support live, local music. Go see your favorite band or support your favorite venue. Get get out and try somewhere new. No matter what you do, make a difference. Support local music and the venues that make it happen every weekend.

#localmusic #livemusic #supportlocal # VoV #voicesofthevalley

Whether you are a craft beer enthusiast, a local musician or both, Cave Brewing Company has a lot to offer. The problem is, they’re not quite on everyone’s radar just yet. So, why take the time to discover the Cave ? After all, there are plenty of craft breweries in the Lehigh Valley. What’s so special about Cave ? Let’s take a look.

For starters, they are unique in several ways. No, not because they brew their own beer right here in the Lehigh Valley. They all do that. But, few do it with the passion and the desire to grow and create something new the way owner Jeff Bonner does. He is constantly looking to find that special taste through research and collaboration with other brewers in the area. As a result, many of his beers are unique and deserve a little attention. If you’ve read this far I’m sure you’re wondering “why is a site dedicated to music talking about beer and breweries?”

As a local musician myself, it’s my goal to be out sharing my music as much as possible. I’m always looking, as I know many others are, for new places to play and new audiences to play for. Well, Cave Brewing Company wants to provide that space and that opportunity. As passionate as Jeff is about his beer, he’s just as passionate about his music. The ultimate goal is to be a live music venue and craft brewery all wrapped into one. They certainly have the space for it and the acoustics in the room are surprisingly good. So, what’s holding them back ? Being relatively unknown has a lot to do with it. The more people that come out and give them a try, the better the chance of that goal being realized becomes. By supporting them and spreading the word, we can all make a difference there. So, what does Cave to offer ?

Every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month there is an open mic night at Cave. Sign-ups start at 5:30pm and the open mic runs until close and, quite often, later. It’s a little different than most open mics in that it is for original material only. It is the perfect setting for singer/songwriters or even poets and comedians. they just ask that all material be your own. They have an outstanding host in Nick Lindsay (the Vulcans) and an owner that wants nothing more than to fill the room with creative people. Starting this month, they are offering ALL performers 50% off drinks during the open mic. There is never an issue with parking because of the mall location. They are family and dog friendly so, don’t let your kids or your pets keep you from coming out. There are two restaurants inside the mall, two more on the grounds and 8-10 food trucks every Thursday from 4-8pm so, you’ll never go hungry. For those of you who do not like beer, they have select wines from Tolino Vineyards and meads from Colony Meadery.

So, what’s holding you back? Get out to the South Mall this Thursday and discover Cave Brewing Company. Then, tell all your friends to do the same. Support a local business that wants to support local music and help the community grow. The larger that blip on the radar grows, the better the opportunities will be for all of us. Will we see you at the Cave on Thursday ??

#supportlocalbusiness #supportlocalmusic #livemusic #originalmusic #cavebrewing #craftbeer #southmall #foodtruckthursday #openmic #VoV #voicesofthevalley

It’s not just any weekend in the Lehigh Valley – it’s the first full weekend of September. The means the hottest spot for live music in the Valley is the Southside of Bethlehem. It’s the September edition of the First Friday Concert Series with another great lineup to kick off year three. Check out our article – “First Friday – Music and So Much More” for full details.

Doug Kaetz is the busiest musician in the Valley this weekend, appearing at Pearly Baker’s (Fri – 10:30pm), New Hope Winery (Sat – 2pm), the Mount Airy Lodge (Sat – 8PM) and Mountainview Vineyards (Sun – 2pm). Doug has also been putting out some new music that you can check out on Reverb Nation. Doyle and the Dudes have a few things going on, too. You can catch them at the Funhouse tonight at 10:30pm and at Fossils Last Stand on Saturday at 9. If that’s not enough Doyle for you, swing by the Funhouse Monday at 10pm for their open mic night.

Before you head out to Bethlehem tonight, stop by Pearly Baker’s Ale House and play a few tunes of your own at their monthly open mic night. On Friday, you can take in the sound of First Friday or you can start your night off at the Easton Public Market with Pentley Holmes (6pm). The Bitters will be at Union and Finch at 6:30, Mosey Beat hits the Rock Creek Tavern at 8, Roi & Headeye will make Pippa’s Birthday Bash a night to remember at Colonial Pizza starting at 9, while Chelsea Lyn Meyer rocks the 2nd Street Tavern, also at 9.

Saturday finds Smooth Retsina Glow at Gallows Hill Spirits at 7 and Acoustic Bliss at Colonial Pizza at 8 while the Acoustic Blues Project has a Sunday afternoon (3pm) slot at Bush Stock in Stroudsburg. That’s what he have for you this weekend, highlighted by a jam-packed Friday. Get out and support local live music this weekend and every chance you get.

Are you a local musician who wants to be featured in our weekly “HOT SPOTS” ? Does your venue host live music ? Just let us know your schedule by Wednesday and we’ll get the word out. You can use the “contact us” form on the website, send a Facebook message or email us at lvvoicesofthevalley@gmail.com. Coming soon, we’ll be taking a look at new music coming out of the Valley so, if you have new music coming out, let us know and we’ll be happy to share it. We are a proud partner of the Southside Arts District and will soon be joining forces with the Balcony Show to bring more entertainment news and new music. Stay tuned, like and follow us on Facebook and share us with your friends.

#VoV #voicesofthevalley #southsideartsdistrict #livemusic #localmusic #supportlocal #weeklyhotspots

As September approaches, another Southside Arts District First Friday Celebration is on the horizon. Our focus, as it should be, is on the music the Southside has to offer. After all, we are all about the local music scene and the First Friday Concert Series is a huge part of that. But, there is so much more going on each month and it seems to be growing all the time.

For starters, let’s welcome the Grand opening of CBD American Shaman at 9 E.3rd St. where they will be offering free samples throughout the evening. There’s the all-new scavenger hunt where participants will be offered a chance to win a $100 gift card to the Southside Arts District. Stop by the Southside Arts District office (located next to the New St parking garage) and pick up your scavenger hunt map. Stop by any five (5) locations, collect free goodies, have your map marked and enter to win ! The Banana Factory, the Charter Arts School and Fox Optical will all have art exhibit openings. You can even catch a sneak peak at Touchstone Theater’s Festival Unbound Umbrella Brigade parading up and down 3rd & 4th Sts. For all of the details on these events and more, visit https://www.southsideartsdistrict.com.

And now, for the music. Entering it’s third year, the First Friday Concert Series has grown in size and our goal is to continue to attract more people to the Southside by offering a wide variety of live music throughtout the evening. We’ll get things started with Bill McConney at EZ Money (20 W.4th St) at 5pm. At 5:30pm the Hill-to-Hil Grille (120 W.3rd St) will feature Ash and Snow while Not For Coltrane will entertain you at Revel Social (213 Broadway). Brian Kibler will be at his usual spot at Molly’s Irish Grille (4th & New Sts) at 6pm while Matt Juknevic has the early slot across the street at the Funhouse (5 E.4th St). Dina Hall will be in the Crayola Gallery inside the Banana Factory (25 W.3rd St) starting at 6:30pm. Domaci (21 E.3rd St) will be offering free beer, wine and snacks along with live music from Julie Williams from 7-9pm. At 7:30pm Wind Creek Molten Lounge (77 Wind Creek Blvd) will feature M80 with DJ MC Tom Taylor while the Vulcans take the stage at Godfrey Daniels (7 E.4th St). Stop by Southside 313 (313 E.3rd St) at 9pm to hear Keystone perform live. As always, the Funhouse has you covered late night with Banchi starting at 10:30pm and, if you’re into the late, late night scene, head back to the Molten Lounge for Ritchie Ramone of the Ramones at midnight.

So, there you have it. Music, art, new store, new activities and another amazing night of fum on the Southside. Don’t be left out. Come early, stay late and support local, live music and all the Southside Arts District has to offer. A special thanks goes out to our sponsors, Arts Quest, The Comfort Suites Bethlehem and Lehigh University. We’ll see you Friday on the Southside.

#firstfriday #livemusic #localmusic #southsideartsdistrict #artsquest #comfortsuites #lehighuniversity #VoV #voicesofthevalley

It’s hard to believe “summer” is almost over but, all good things must end. Well, almost all good things – the music never stops and, this weekend has plenty of that in store for you.

Get your Labor Day Weekend started early – like 11:30am early – at the Bethlehem Farmers Market. Shop local to the tunes of local favorite Tim Harakal. Later in day, stop by Cave Brewing Company at 5:30pm for their all original open mic night hosted by Nick Lindsay. Finish off your Thursday to the sounds of Sandy’s Trio at Porter’s Pub starting at 9:00pm.

The end of the summer signals the end of the Out to Lunch Concert Series with one last show at Molly’s Irish Grille with Not For Coltrane at noon. Carter Lansing will entertain you outside at Mueller’s General Store starting at 6pm. At 8pm, The Billy Bauer Band will be joined by guests Cubbage and Tyler Rothrock at the Musikfest Cafe or, you can help Michael Reisman celebrate his birthday at Colonial Pizza and Spaghetti. Doyle and the Dudes will be rocking the Southside 313 Bar and Grille at 9pm and Dear Anna will make the Funhouse the place to be at 10:30 to wrap up your Friday.

Saturday has some early tunes from Jay-T (11am) and Darin Jellison (noon) at the taste of Hamburg Festival. The rest of the days’ lineup has Bill McConney at the Connexions Gallery (6pm), Brian Kibler at the Beef Baron (7pm), Pentley Holmes at Sorrenti Cherry Valley Vineyards (8pm) and Doyle and the Dudes at Pocono Vacation Park starting at 8:30. To finish up the day, Dear Anna will be making their debut at the Sunset Grille at 9pm.

Still need a little more music in your life ? How about the Stray Seeds at the Funhouse at 10pm Sunday ? After all, Monday is a holiday so, why not stretch the weekend out. No matter which band or venue you choose to support, you can’t go wrong with live music. There are some great choices this weekend so, get out and support local music and the venues that make it happen.

#livemusic #localmusic #supportlocal #weekendhotspots #VoV #voiceofthevalley

Yesterday afternoon, downtown Allentown came to life with the sound of music. From noon to 4:00 PM you could stroll the streets of downtown and see performers of all types from solo acoustic artists to bands and, even a DJ. There was literally something for everyone. If the goal was to bring attention to center city, the Arts Walk and the musical community, you would have to call the “first take” on 50 Spots a success.

As with any endeavor of this size and magnitude, there are growing pains and lessons learned. This event was no exception but, don’t take that as a negative. Gaining the cooperation of the city, the merchants in the area and all of the participants involved is no easy task. Simply finding 50 strategically placed locations for the event was a huge undertaking. Then came the task of finding enough musicians, spread across as many genres as possible, who were willing to donate their time and energy to help make it a success. The lions share of the credit for organizing this event goes to Brandon Wunder of the Alternative Gallery.

As a participant myself, I did not have the opportunity to see every performance or visit every spot on the walking path. I did, however, take in quite a few performances and take advantage of the opportunity to talk to some of the other musicians and a few observers. The feedback I got was largely positive and that bodes well for the future of the event. And, yes, the event certainly does have a future.

Let’s start with the spots. There were a few that were slightly off the path and received very little foot traffic. It seemed the bulk of the traffic was concentrated on Hamilton St between 6th and 8th and in Pocket Park. If you were there, you had a prime location for the most part, although there were some drawbacks there as well. For example, the DJ on the corner of 7th and Hamilton pretty much overpowered the two solo acoustic artists (who were unplugged) directly across the street. One of them played 2 songs and called it a day. By contrast, on the adjacent corner in front of the PPL Center where there was electricity, you were able to stop and listen to the performers there without the sound of the DJ drowning them out. Separating the “unplugged” artists from those that are plugged in would certainly enhance the experience for both the musicians and the observers. Lesson learned.

The performers. There were many outstanding performances throughout the day. To go into individual performances would not be fair to those I did not get a chance to see but, I can safely say that there quite a few extremely talented musicians on display. There were some empty spots left to fill, some last-minute drop outs and maybe a few who didn’t stick around for the entire length that was asked of them. Some others picked up the slack and filled a second spot later in the day. All-in-all, the lineup was high quality and the performers put their best foot forward. As the event gains traction, I’m sure that more people will be willing to share their talents in the future. Overall, I think the concept is great and it is something that the city and musical community need to continue to grow. Here’s looking forward to the next edition of 50 spots.

#50spots #alternativegallery #livemusic #artswalk #citycenter #Allentown #VoV #voicesofthevalley #supportlocal