Music

ArtsQuest has announced that 26 bands from Pennsylvania and New Jersey will compete over five dates in February and March, in front of live audiences and a judging panel of music educators at Musikfest Cafe at ArtsQuest Center.

Easton's band and orchestra took an incredible trip down to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl High School Band Competition at the end of 2025, dominated the competition and enjoyed a bit of Big Easy culture.

Scranton rock band Tigers Jaw will perform at Allentown's Archer Music Hall as part of the venue's Pennsylvania's Own series of Keystone State musical act. Tickets went on sale Friday.

Secondhand Serenade, the acoustic rocker who had the double-platinum hit "Fall for You" in 2008 and put three songs in the Top 20 on Billboard's Indie Albums chart, will perform Friday, June 19.

The Broken Record, whose decor and even food names follow a music theme, held a soft opening at its strip-center location at 6776 Hamilton Blvd. in Lower Macungie Township.

A look back at some of our favorite arts, culture, and entertainment stories of the year, including Allentown Art Museum's must-see windows, Musikfest, Super Bowl bling, and a rock legend's last performance in Allentown.

Griddle 145, which since 2011 has operated on MacArthur Road, will close Wednesday, Dec. 31, the restaurant announced in a Facebook post today, Saturday, Dec. 27.

Pink Talking Fish, a tribute to Pink Floyd, Talking Heads and Phish, will perform at 7:30 p.m. April 10, it was announced.

The event center has announced it's offering 25% off tickets to seven select shows, including matchbox twenty singer Rob Thomas, jazz singer Diana Krall and alternative rockers Bush.

Dan Kelly, who has fronted the band Fortunate Youth since its 2009 start, will perform a solo acoustic show at 6:30 p.m. March 19 at Rising River Brewing, 1955 Willow Lane.

Let Freedom Sing, to be held at 7 p.m. May 27 at Allentown’s Coca-Cola Park, seeks to unite more than 5,000 voices from across the region for “a choral experience to the community, uniting in celebration.”

John Mulaney, who for six years was a writer on “Saturday Night Live” and starred in the short-lived FOX-TV series “Mulaney,” will perform at 7 p.m., it was announced by ArtsQuest, the nonprofit that produces Musikfest.

“Weird Al” Yankovic, best known for turning Michael Jackson’s 1984 hit “Beat It” into the parody “Eat It” for a Top 15 hit that was certified gold, will perform at Musikfest 2026, it was announced.

Bailey Zimmerman, best known for his multi-platinum hits "Fall in Love," "Rock and a Hard Place" and "Religiously," will perform at 7 p.m. Aug. 6, ArtsQuest revealed Monday.

Next month, Wind Creek Event Center owner Jeff Trainer plans to open The Broken Record, a restaurant in Lower Macungie Township that will combine a broad range of food offerings with a music theme — and perhaps more.

Circle Jerks, whose 1980 album "Group Sex" is considered to be a landmark in hardcore punk, will perform at 7 p.m. March 31 at Allentown's Archer Music Hall. Gorilla Biscuits and Negative Approach, two other hardcore band from the 1980s, will open the show.

Sabrina Carpenter, a Lower Milford Township native, is nominated for six Grammys this year.

Celtic Woman, an all-female Irish musical ensemble that has released 28 albums and been nominated for a Grammy Award, will perform at the venue at 7:30 p.m. March 19, it was announced.

Journey, perhaps best known for its 1981 hit "Don't Stop Believin'," will perform at 7 p.m. June 11 at Allentown's PPL Center, the event center announced.

Bethlehem Area Public Library's annual 11Fest fundraising concert, which seeks to turn up the volume — and donations — to 11, is set for 5-11 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11 (11/11).

Pop-punk singer Taylor Acorn, who attended Kutztown University, plays Allentown's Archer Music Hall on Saturday, Nov. 8. Tickets, at $33 each, remain available.

The My Generation Tour, led by The Lovin' Spoonful, will perform at 7:30 p.m. March 13 at Easton's State Theatre. Also on the bill are Gary Lewis and The Playboys — best known for its 1965 chart-topping hit "This Diamond Ring" — and The Hollies Greatest Hits starring Hollies guitarist Terry Sylvester.