It’s the weekend and it’s going to be hot outside so, take care of those musicians pouring their hearts out in the hot summer sun ! It’s a pretty busy weekend for live music around the Valley so, make your plans and get out and support local music and local businesses. If your show or shows are not listed here and you want them to be, it’s pretty simple. Let me know by Wednesday where you will be and I will make sure your shows land right here. You can use the “contact us” form on the website, email me at lvvoicesofthevalley@gmail.com or drop a note on Facebook messenger at https://www.facebook.com/lvvoicesofthevalley/. Let’s hear some music.

TODAY – Glenwood kicks things off at noon in Pocket Park. 5pm – Kendal Conrad at Rivals and the Mark & Ralph Acoustic Duo at the South Mall (Food Truck Thursday). 5:30pm – Kyle Yankowy at the Tavern at Sun Inn . 6pm – John Cannavo and Jim Brekus at the Shanty on 19th. 7pm – Billy & Chris (Billy Bauer Band) at Steel Stacks and Kevin Shire at Greg’s.

FRIDAY – 1:30pm – Bill Ihling, Four Sisters Winery. 5pm – Curious Dog, Mountain View Winery. 5:30pm – T&T, The Tavern at Sun Inn. 6pm – Swingtime Dolls, Dinky’s Ice Cream (Bethlehem) Grand Opening, ABC Duo (Brosky and Cannavo), Bear Creek Mountain, Bridges Apart Duo, Artie’s Bar and Grill, Supra/Ayers Quartet, Woodstone Country Club, Pentley Holmes, Invertase Brewing and Ditch the Rain, The Wooden Match. 7pm – Chelsea Lyn Meyer Duo, Foundation Tavern, Doug Kaetz & From the Dark River/Uncle Smiley, Riverside Bar and Grill, Jean Navarr, Easton Wine Project, Shaun Lally, Tacos Y Tequila and Smooth Retsina Glow on The Valley Lives (on line show). 7:30pm – Chris London, Renegade Winery. 8pm – The Weekenders, Steel Stacks and Doyle & the Dudes, Funhouse Southside.

SATURDAY – Noon – Jabber Jaws BBQ featuring Jean Navarr. 1pm, Brian Kidd, Relax Nation. 4pm – Marshall’s Highway, Weathered Vineyards. 6pm – Stray Seeds, Taylor House Brewing, Off the Road/Psych, Riverside, GT3-Jazz Standards, Seven Sirens Brewing and Shaun Lally, Copperhead Grill. 8pm – BaBa, Funhouse Southside.

SUNDAY – Noon, Chelsea Lyn Meyer Band, Pocono Mountain Harley-Davidson. 2pm – Stef & Mike, Blue Mountain Vineyards. 3pm – Shaun Lally, McCarthy’s Red Stag Pub. 5:30pm, Billy T Trio, Seven Sirens Brewing. 8pm – Public Displays of Rejection, Funhouse Southside.

There’s plenty to see this Fourth of July Weekend so, pick your favorite artist or venue and get out and enjoy some live music. Take care of your servers and the musicians, buy some of their music if you can and enjoy the weekend. Keep the Lehigh Valley live music scene going strong.

#livemusic #localmusic #supportlocal #tipyourserver #tipthebands #hotspots #VoV #voicesofthevalley

One more day of “outdoor seating only” and we go to the green phase. The schedules are filling up and the music is hot. Find your favorite artists or see who your favorite venue has lined up for you this weekend and go support live, local music. If you are not included here and would like to be, simply let me know by Wednesday about your upcoming weekend. You can use the “contact us” form on the website, email me at lvvoicesofthevalley@gmail.com or use Facebook messenger. Here’s what’s in store for the weekend.

THURSDAY – 5pm – Mark & Ralph Acoustic Duo, South Mall parking lot for Food Truck Thursday. 5:30pm – James Supra Trio at Olde Homestead Golf Club. 6pm – Mike Pilgermayer at Beltsville Bar and Grille.

FRIDAY – 5pm – Kendal Conrad, Mainland Grill. 5:30pm, Doug Kaetz & From the Dark River, The Wooden Match and John Cannavo, Olde Homestead Golf Club. 6pm – Cody Templeton Band, Hardball Cider, Kyle Yankowy, Union & Finch, Acoustic Bliss, The County Seat, Two Pints, The Shanty on 19th and Brian Kibler, Bishop Estates Winery. 6:30pm – Mark & Ralph Acoustic Duo, Weyerbacher Brewing Company and Jaycie & Michayla, The Iron Mule. 7pm – Will Kiss U, The Funhouse Southside. 7:30pm – Kendal Conrad, Proper Brewing Company.

SATURDAY – Noon – Chelsea Lyn Meyer Band, Pocono Mt Harley-Davidson. 3pm – Naked Jake, Hardball Cider. 6pm – Kendal Conrad, Markley Grill, Mike Pilgermayer, Taylor House Brewing and The Groove Merchants, The Wooden Match. 7pm – Doyle & the Dudes, Hardball Cider and the Bandana Brothers, Camp Out at Pine Ridge. 8pm – Chelsea Lyn Meyer Band, Leather Corner Post and Mosey Beat, The Funhouse Southside.

SUNDAY – 9am – Steve Walker, Jake’s Flea Market. 1pm – Mike Pilgermayer, Cherry Valley Vineyards and The Bobby Clark Band, Hardball Cider. 2pm – Kendal Conrad, A’Dello Winery. 3pm – John Cannavo’s Open Jam, The Shanty on 19th. 6pm – Doug Kaetz & From the Dark River, Rivals. 7pm – Jenny Founds, The Funhouse Southside.

We’ve been waiting a while for live music to return so, let’s get out and show them how much we missed them. Stay safe, tip your bartenders and servers, buy some local if you can and support the artists and the venues that make the live music scene what it is.

#livemusic #localmusic #supportlocal #eatlocal #hotspots #VoV #voicesofthevalley

It’s time to start planning your weekend as live, local music slowly makes a comeback in the Lehigh Valley. Remember, if you have upcoming shows, get your information to me by Wednesday evening and I’ll promote them right here. Use the “contact us” form on the website, Facebook messenger or email me at lvvoicesofthevalley@gmail.com. Most of these events are weather permitting, of course. Let’s show the local music scene we care.

TONIGHT – 4pm, Kendal Conrad at the Hamilton Kitchen and the Mark & Ralph Acoustic Duo at Food Truck Thursday in the South Mall parking lot. 5pm, Shaun Lally at the Sun Inn Tavern and at 6pm, Mike Pilgermayer at Blue Ridge Estates Winery

FRIDAY – Noon, Mark & Ralph Acoustic Duo at Pocket Park. 6pm, Kendal Conrad at Bell Hall, The Moondogs at Seven Sirens Brewing Company and Mike Pilgermayer at Blue Ridge Estates Winery. 6:30pm, Chuck Schubert at Easton Wine Project. 8pm, Michayla Marie & Jaycie Cuprill at One Ten Tavern.

SATURDAY – 1pm, Mike Pilgermayer at Tolino Vineyards. 3pm, The Chelsea Lyn Meyer Band at New Tripoli Hotel and Bill Medei & Andy Lang (open mic) at Bell Hall. 7pm, Pentley Holmes at Sette Luna and Deal at Pinnacle Ridge Winery. 8pm, Jaycie and Tyrone at the Pocono Pub. 10pm, Doyle and the Dudes at Porter’s Pub.

SUNDAY – 2pm, Erin Kelly at Tolino Vineyards, Mike Pilgermayer at Blue Ridge Estates Winery and Pentley Holmes at Sorrenti Vineyards. 3pm, John Cannavo’s open jam at the Shanty on 19th and Chelsea Lyn Meyer at Woodstone Country Club.

Sunday also happens to be Worldwide Make Music Day, which falls on June 21 every year. Make Music Upper Perk will be celebrating their 8th year hosting this event. Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, they are going all virtual this year. There will be live music from 7:30am through 11pm featuring many local artists. Live streams can be seen at the top of every hour on their Facebook page and recorded sets will be played on the half on YouTube. For more information and a complete line-up, visit https://www.facebook.com/MakeMusicUpperPerk/.

Live music is starting to make a comeback in the Valley and we have a few spots for you to check out this weekend. Most of what you will see here will be “weather permitting” due to outdoor seating only in most places. Some places suggest making a reservation while others will seat you first-come, first-served. Please remember to keep public safety in mind, limit your stay so others have the chance to dine and enjoy the music and, please, remember to tip your servers and the musicians who could all use your help after 3 months of inactivity.

Let’s start with an open mic night. If you are looking to shake off the cobwebs and play a few songs in front of a live audience, Phil Stahl has you covered. He will be hosting an outdoor open mic night at the Bowers Hotel on Saturday, June 13 at 6pm. You are welcome to bring your own microphone but, Phil will have everything necessary to clean and sanitize his mics after each use. There will be a parking lot wait staff for all of your food and beverage needs so, please support the hotel and their staff. The music will also be broadcast to the FM radio in your car if you prefer to listen from there.

TONIGHT – There are two shows, both at 4pm. First, Kendal Conrad will be outside at the Hamilton Kitchen and Bar. Outdoor seating is limited so, you may want to make a reservation. The Mark and Ralph Acoustic Duo will be performing in the South Mall parking lot for Food Truck Thursday. There will be 6-10 food trucks on hand as well as beverage tents. It is recommended you bring lawn chairs if you plan on staying and eating. We will be at the Cave Brewing Company tent and will also be live on Facebook.

FRIDAY – Z Solo will kick things off at Olde Homestead Golf Club on the patio at 3pm. Mike Metzger will be at the Downtown Allentown Market at 4pm. The Steve Brosky Duo is at the Shanty on 19th at 6pm and Kendal Conrad will be performing at Pocono Brewery at 7pm.

SATURDAY – Doug Kaetz has two shows lined up for you. He will be at Tolino Vineyards at 2pm and at Blue Ridge Estates Winery at 6pm. Kendal Conrad will be with comedian Chris Roach at Soul Joel’s Comedy Club at 6pm and, also at 6pm, Z Solo will be at the Pocono Brewery. Small Axe will be on the deck at the Funhouse Southside at 8pm and Mosey Beat will be at Porter’s Pub at 10pm.

SUNDAY – Mark and Ralph will be on the stage at Jake’s Flea Market from 9:30-11:30 am.

That’s all I have for you this week. I’m sure there is more going on so, check with your favorite band or artist if you don’t see them here. As we get back to bringing you the “HOT SPOTS” each week, I’m sure more of you will let me know what you have going on. It’s easy to have your shows promoted here and we are eager to do that for you. You can use the “contact us” form on the website, use Facebook messenger or email your schedule to lvvoicesofthevalley@gmail.com. Get out and support live music and the bars, restaurants and other venues that make it happen each week.

#livemusic #localmusic #outdoorseating #supportlocal #tipyourservers #weeklyhotspots #VoV #voicesofthevalley

You may have noticed – or maybe you didn’t – that I’ve been absent for a couple weeks. When my operating system crashed on my laptop, I took that as a sign that maybe it was time to step away from social media for a bit and recharge. Well, now it’s time to get back on track and there’s no better way to do that than starting fresh with this months’local artist playlist on Spotify.

Playlist number 5 includes some fresh, new music from Alyssa Dodge, Ben Tyler, Darrin Jellison and Crooked Ways. We have some newcomers to the playlist like Christian Porter, Regina Sayles, The Bandana Brothers, Scott Reagan, Chris Powers and Porter and Sayles. Rounding out this months’ playlist are local favorites Chelsea Lyn Meyer, Frank Porter, Seth Witcher, Sister Salvaation and Andrew Dunn. Let’s show these local artists some love by following and listening to their music and sharing it with your friends.

I’ll be adding a little more content in the coming weeks including introducing you to some new music, new artists and upcoming albums/songs that may be on the horizon. If you have new music coming out or recently released music, let me know and I’ll be sure to include you. Keep an eye out for a new feature – The Valley Spotlight – and be sure to like and share Voices of the Valley on Facebook. In the meantime, you can listen to this months’ playlist at the link below. Thanks again for all of your support and for supporting the local music scene.

#localmusic #newmusic #newplaylist #Spotify #supportlocal #VOV5 #voicesofthevalley

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2ARXjxPLph3fb6a2pj2RLx?si=fgji67fcR0ixD3gP8KyXBQ

Not familiar with the Stay at Home Challenge ? It’s pretty simple, really. For each week we are without live music to enjoy, I’ve challenged you all to find a local artist you have never seen either live, in person or, on line. Tune in to their live performance on Facebook, Instagram or YouTube and share it with your friends. I have given you two each week with links to their social media so you can give them a little support as well. Starting today, I’ll make it even easier for you to check out the artists I found during the past week. Not only will I share the information here, I will also share the video I watched to the Voices of the Valley Facebook page. I still encourage you to visit their social media page and give them a “like” and a share but, you can listen right here https://www.facebook.com/lvvoicesofthevalley/.

My two for this week are Tim Harakal and Mike Metzger. Both performed live on Facebook during the past week and both put on solid performances. Please take some time to get familiar with both artists. The videos will be on Voices of the Valley shortly and both artists have a page for you to like and share. Here are the links https://www.facebook.com/TimHarakalOfficial/ and https://www.facebook.com/Mike-Metzgar-Classic-and-Modern-Acoustic-Rock-106669594103903/.

I’ll keep this challenge going until we have live music to enjoy again. When I run out of “new” artists, I’ll start sharing others I am familiar with. I’ll also be starting a “Valley Spotlight” series featuring bands and/or solo artists from around the Valley on a regular basis. Some of you may have read the first spotlight (Resting Punk Face). If you haven’t taken a moment to read it, please go back and check it out. Upcoming spotlights will feature Crooked Ways and Plum. If you have music you would like featured, feel free to drop me a line at lvvoicesofthevalley@gmail.com and I’ll be happy to feature it here. Keep doing what you can to help support local music from a distance until we can get out and do it in person again.

#localmusic #supportlocal #facebooklive #instagramtv #youtube #stayathomechallenge #findsomeonenew #VoV #voicesofthevalley

It’s another week of “stay at home”, “self-quarantine”, “social distancing” or whatever term you want to apply. For us it means another week without live music. Venues are closed, there are no “HOT SPOTS” to tell you about and we may be without live music for the foreseeable future. Some of us are hopeful that everything will go “right back to normal” once the stay at home order is lifted. Others believe we will still be feeling the effects of this pandemic long after we can get back to living a near-normal life. So, how are we coping ?

Last week, in place of the Weekly Live Music “HOT SPOTS”, I challenged all of us to find at least one local artist or band we had never seen perform before. Watch a “live” performance on Facebook, Instagram or YouTube and share what you found. It’s an excellent opportunity to discover someone you may not have noticed otherwise and, it is a form of support we can all use right now. While simply taking the time to watch is a way of being supportive, sharing the experience will make a much larger impact and, it costs nothing but a little bit of your time. By sharing the video or starting a watch party, you are inviting a much larger audience to discover new music as well. Now, more than ever, building a larger fan base is important for all of us. We can all benefit from helping each other and, again, it costs nothing but a little bit of time.

I started the challenge last week by “introducing” you to Eliza Rush and Carlos Barata. This week I spent some time watching/listening to two more artists I had never seen before. First up, The Bandana Brothers. Although I had seen Jaycie Cuprill perform solo on a few occasions, this was the first chance I had to see the full band. They are a cover band with their own unique twist on many classic rock favorites. They put on an excellent hour-long performance last Saturday and they will be doing it again this Saturday at 6pm. You can go back and check out their last video here https://www.facebook.com/BandanaBrothers/ or wait until this Saturday and check them out “live”. The second “new” artist I spent time listening to this week was Jonny Cornelius. You can check out his new solo music page at https://www.facebook.com/JonnyCmusic/ where you will find a link to his live performance from last night or keep an eye out for an upcoming performance. Jonny offers a wide range of tasteful covers from the Beatles era to the present and is well worth the time spent.

Another great source for discovering new artists is Rising Tide Music https://www.facebook.com/BeTheTide/. Jaycie posts a list of live performances daily from artists in and around the valley. Whenever you visit a Facebook, Instagram or YouTube page to watch a video, be sure to give that page a like, follow and share. Let’s all try to do a little something to help each other out during this difficult time. Keep the Lehigh Valley music scene alive and well while we are all trying to do the same. Thanks again for all of your support and for supporting the people who make the music.

#localmusic #supportlocal #facebooklive #instagramtv #youtube. #share #watchparty #risingtide #bethetide #VoV #voicesofthevalley

The April version of the Voices of the Valley local artist playlist is now on Spotify. We have new music from Seth Witcher, Plum, Sister Salvation, The Simmers and Jaisen Taylor. Also included are local favorites Acoustic Kitty Project, Dan DeChellis, Kendal Conrad, Mosey Beat, Chelsea Lyn Meyer, Acoustic Mayhem, Smooth Retsina Glow, Nor For Coltrane, Crooked Ways and Roi and the Secret People.

This is the fourth in a series of monthly playlists featuring local artists. This started out as a way to support local music and discover new artists without any cost to you. The goal remains the same while the importance of the goal has changed with the circumstances. We are 30 days in to a quarantine that may last well beyond the April 30 end date currently set by the government. The impact may last much longer than the quarantine. Now, more than ever, the artists on this playlist can use your support in any way you can. Take some time to listen, share the playlist with your friends and follow them on Spotify. Every little bit counts.

As always, if you have music you would like to appear on a future playlist, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. The best way is through email at lvvoicesofthevalley@gmail.com or through messenger on Facebook. In the meantime, enjoy this months’ playlist at the link below.

#localplaylist #supportlocal #localmusic #Vov #voicesofthevalley #vov2020number4 #spotify

This space is usually reserved for the Weekly Live Music “HOT SPOTS” but, with no live music scene to talk about, we need to divert our attention to what we can do to support the local music scene. Once live music returns to the venues throughout the valley, the “HOT SPOTS” will return to it’s normal Thursday spot.

Let’s face it, nothing about “Stay at Home” is fun. Sure, we can all find something to do for some of the time but, what do we do for the rest of the time ? There are only so many TV shows to binge watch or “live from home” performances we can tune in to before it gets old. There are games and challenges and puzzles all over social media to occupy our time. My news feed is flooded with name 10 bands you’ve seen, jobs you’ve had, celebrities you’ve met, math equations to solve and many more. I’m sure yours is, too. They may occupy your time but, how productive are they ? I would like to throw a challenge out to you that will, hopefully, give you something to do and be productive at the same time.

Whether you are a part of the local music scene or not, you all have at least one friend who is. In an effort to show some support, you tune in when you have the opportunity. That’s great and, I encourage you to continue doing so. By simply listening and, maybe sharing the video or starting a watch party, you are helping them be seen and heard. Your support could lead to a new fan base, more gig opportunities when this is over, merchandise sales and more. Just being there and sharing your experience may be worth more than you’ll ever know. But, supporting your friends is not what this challenge is all about.

Over the past week or so, I have challenged myself to listen to someone I have never seen before, either in person or live on social media. I’m asking you – challenging you – to do the same. Pick one or two local artists you’ve never seen and watch their live performance. Share what you found so that others will have the opportunity to discover someone new. Do this every week while the stay at home order is in effect and, maybe you’ll make a difference for that person that will last much longer than any quarantine. Do it for yourself, as well. There’s plenty of great music out there that you may not discover otherwise.

During this past week, I took the time to listen to two local artists for the first time. If you’ve never heard them, perhaps you can start right here. Or, pick one or two others and share them with us. Either way, discover someone new and help keep the local music scene growing while “live” is something we hope will come back soon. My two “new” artists were Eliza Rush and Carlos Barata. I knew of both but, had never seen or heard either one. Both are very talented and have plenty to offer. If you have never seen them, I highly recommend you take the time to do so. You can find video of Eliza’s past live performances or watch for an upcoming performance at https://www.facebook.com/elizarushmusic/. Carlos appeared live last Friday for the Southside Arts District’s Facebook First Friday and that video can be found here https://www.facebook.com/southsideartsdistrict/. Carlos is also hosting “Go Live! LV”, a virtual live music festival, on April 17 & 18. For more information on that event, visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/265648421115358/about/.

Let’s all do our part to keep the local music scene alive and well during this difficult time. Thank you to everyone for your continued support of the Lehigh Valley music scene and Voices of the Valley. Better times are ahead.

#localmusic #supportlocal #livevideo #newmusic #discovernew #lehighvlleymusicscene #musicchallenge #VoV #voicesofthevalley.