BETHLEHEM, Pa. — A rock group whose 1997 self-titled debut sold more than 6 million copies and stayed on the charts for more than a year will headline Musikfest this summer.
Third Eye Blind, best known for the hits “Semi-Charmed Life,” “Jumper,” “How It’s Going To Be,” “Jumper” and “Graduate,” will play the festival's main Steel Stage at 7 p.m. Aug. 9.
Tickets, at $30 to $99, and $224 for Steel Terrace which includes dinner and drinks tables under a tent, go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, March 7 at the Musikfest website or at the box office at ArtsQuest Center at 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem.ArtsQuest release
Opening the show will be 2000s pop-punk band Boys Like Girls, who had five gold and platinum hits, including "Love Drunk," "The Great Escape" and "Two is Better Than One" with Taylor Swift.
Tickets, at $30 to $99, and $224 for Steel Terrace which includes dinner and drinks tables under a tent, go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, March 7 at the Musikfest's website or at the box office at ArtsQuest Center at 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem.
Third Eye Blind’s most recent release, 2021's "Our Bande Apart," did not chart. It was the group's first disc in six years, since 2015’s “Dopamine,” which hit No. 13 on Billboard’s Albums chart and No. 1 on its Independent chart.
The previous disc, 2009’s “Ursa Major,” also reached No. 1 on the Independent disc chart.
The band, led by frontman/singer Stephan Jenkins, first came to prominence when it finagled an opening slot for Oasis in April 1996 and became the object of a record contract bidding war.
A history of hits, local shows
Third Eye Blind's self-titled debut album sold six times platinum with the gold “Semi-Charmed Life,” which hit No. 1, as well as “Graduate,” which was Top 10 and “Jumper,” which peaked at No. 2.
Its second album, 1999’s “Blue,” had the Top 5 hit “Never Let You Go,” hit the Top 40 and sold 2 million records. But it was four years before “Out of the Vein,” which hit No. 12 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart and had a Top 40 Modern Rock chart hit with “Blinded (When I See You).”
It has had no charting hits since then.
In addition to Jenkins, the group’s only other member from its classic lineup is drummer Brad Hargreaves.
The San Francisco-based Third Eye Blind has been a favorite of Lehigh Valley audiences, most recently playing Wind Creek Event Center in 2017.
It drew 2,414 people to a paid-ticket show at Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks in 2014.
It also has played Lafayette, Moravian and Muhlenberg colleges, the former Crocodile Rock Café in Allentown, and headlined Bethlehem’s Musikfest in 2009.
Boys Like Girls released its self-titled debut album in 2006 and it went gold, with the gold single "Hero/Heroine" and "Thunder" and the platinum "The Great Escape."
Its second album, 2009's "Love Drunk," hit No. 1 on the Rock and Alternative charts and had the platinum hits "Love Drunk" and "Two is Better Than One."
It has released just two albums since, the latest being 2023's "Sunday at Foxwoods."
Eighth of 11 headliners
The show is the eighth of 11 headliners to be announced for Musikfest's 2025 lineup.
For its 42nd year, Musikfest will run Aug. 1–10, with a preview night on July 31.
The announcement gives the Musikfest lineup just the fourth act for 2025 that's not country music. Musikfest has announced four country music headliners, the most the festival has ever had in a single year.
Previously announced country acts are Megan Moroney on preview night, July 31, Riley Green on Aug. 1, Darius Rucker on Aug. 3 and Jordan Davis on Aug. 9.
Also announced for this year are top Americana-rock band The Avett Brothers on Aug. 2, best-selling horn-rock favorites Chicago on Aug. 5 and rapper Nelly on Aug. 6.
Tickets for all previously announced shows remain available.
