BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Musikfest will offer 395 artists giving about 500 free concerts duringthe festival’s 11 dayswhen it kicks off with a Preview Night on Thursday.
But it’s Musikfest's main Steel Stage that is the festival’s driving force — and, in fact, a driving force for ArtsQuest, helping to fund the year full of free shows the organization offers at SteelStacks.
This year’s Steel Stage lineup has its share of strong shows — and, as is the case every year, ones that aren’t quite as attractive, but still, no doubt, have fans who are interested.
Here are our choices for the Top 5 Steel Stage shows at Musikfest this year:
1. Greta Van Fleet, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 1
The festival starts off with a bang this year, with our pick as the best main stage show on Preview Night.
Just seven years into its recording career, Greta Van Fleet has produced three Top 10 albums and 10 singles that hit the Top 40 on the rock chart.
There’s no arguing that the band has captured public attention with its soaring, bombastic sound that gets it compared to Led Zeppelin. Even Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant has commented on the similarities. (Nothing wrong with that; it’s a great sound no one else is doing).
If ticket sales alone are an indication, the public apparently ranks this concert the same way.
According to Musikfest’s ticket site, every seating section for the show is sold out except VIP Steel Terrace seats — and there are only about 100 of those left at $229 each.
Greta Van Fleet sold out a show at Allentown's 10,000-seat PPL Center in October 2022. The capacity of Musikfest's Steel Stage is 6,200.
2. Shinedown, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3
While music is intrinsically personal, statistics are hard to argue with, and with its 2018 hit “Get Up,” Shinedown became the act with the most Top 10 chart placements in the history of Billboard’s Rock Airplay chart with 25. All those songs peaked in the Top 5.
In all, Shinedown has had 20 songs that went to No. 1 — the most of any rock group. Fourteen of those went gold or platinum.
And that success continues. Three songs from its latest album, 2022’s "Planet Zero," hit No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock chart.
Shinedown also played Musikfest's main stage in 2021. It’s no surprise that the festival welcomed the band back so soon.
And here’s another statistic: Like Greta Van Fleet, all Steel Stage seating sections for Shinedown are sold out except for Steel Terrace at $259— and only a few single seats (which are traditionally difficult to sell) remain available, meaning the show is functionally sold out.
3. Old Dominion, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6
It might not strike you as the sort of band that country music fans obsess over, but Old Dominion is that consistently good band that everyone can find something to like about — meaning its appeal is broad and deep.
The group has had 10 Top 10 hits, including the multi-platinum “Break Up With Him,” “Snapback” and “Written in the Sand." Seven of its hits rose to No. 1, and nine sold gold or platinum.
Old Dominion is a six-time and reigning Academy of Country Music Vocal Group of the Year, and five-time and current Country Music Association Vocal Group, and is a People’s Choice Country Music Artist of the Year nominee.
The group in 2017 drew 3,600 people to a paid-ticket show at Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks — the largest ever in the history of the Levitt's Yuengling Summer Concert series and bigger than the crowd at three of Musikfest’s headline shows that year.
Only tickets in Steel Stage’s general admission standing pit area remain available — at $199 each.
4. Big Time Rush, 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9
OK, hear me out. Yes, this is a boy band — from the 2010s (all members now are 33-34). But they were a good boy band —with a half-dozen singles that hit the Top 10 on Billboard’s Kids chart.
And, of course, they were the stars of the Nickelodeon TV scripted series “Big Time Rush,” which made them an overnight sensation in 2009.
But they had real musical talent. At a sold-out show (10,500 people) at Allentown Fairgrounds in 2011, all four members (the band is still intact) really sang, taking turns on lead vocals.
The band even released a new album, “Another Life,” a year ago.
And don’t underestimate nostalgia. Those tweens who made Big Time Rush such a hit in the 2010s now are in their late 20s and early 30s, and have the money to buy tickets to relive their youths.
Tickets for most sections remain available on the Musikfest website.
5. SLASH – S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival, with ZZ Ward, Robert Randolph and Grace Bowers & The Hodge Podge, 6:15 p.m. Monday, Aug. 5
Slash's S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival stands for Solidarity, Engagement, Restore, Peace, Equality N’ Tolerance.
That’s an admirable goal. But what will matter more to concert-goers is how good the music is.
The potential certainly is there. Slash is a Grammy Award-winning guitarist who not only is guitarist for Guns ‘N Roses, but also has played in Velvet Revolver, as well as his own groups Slash’s Snakepit and Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators.
Robert Randolph also is exceptional. He has collaborated with guitar icons such as Eric Clapton and Carlos Santana, and other music acts including Dave Matthews, The Roots and Jack White.
Same for ZZ Ward, who produced two Top 100 albums in the 2010s and had seven Top 30 songs on the Adult Alternative chart.
The key here is that Slash’s S.E.R.P.E.N.T. festival is advertised as “a celebration of the blues.” So concert-goers should go with that in mind — not necessarily expecting to hear all the hits.
When Musikfest offered a similar concept with Counting Crows’ Traveling Circus and Medicine Show in 2010, it ended up being a disappointment of too much of other acts and not enough of the Counting Crows the crowd expected.
Tickets remain in all sections.
HONORABLE MENTION:
Black Eyed Peas, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8
The pop/hip-hop group certainly has a bevy of hits from which to choose – "Let's Get It Started," "Where is the Love," "I Got a Feeling," “Boom Boom Pow.” And founder/frontman will.i.am is as musically adventurous — and adept — as they come. But it’s been more than a dozen years since the band’s last hit. And it remains to be seen how much the loss of frontwoman Fergie, who was with the band for all of its hits before leaving in 2015, has affected it.
Sugar Ray, Better Than Ezra and Tonic, 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 2
The same as Black Eyed Peas in regard to hits applies to Sugar Ray and company. Sugar Ray had the chart-topping hits "Fly" in 1997 and "Every Morning" in 1999 and later "Falls Apart" and "Someday." But its last hit was, coincidentally, “When It’s Over” in 2001. Better Than Ezra had a good run of hits – “Good,” “In the Blood,” “King of New Orleans” and “Desperately Wanting” – in the late 1990s. Tonic is best known for its 1996 hit "If You Could Only See."
Sugar Ray headlined the similar Summerland Tour on the Levitt Pavilion in 2018 with Everclear, Lit and Sponge. That concert showed that late ’90s radio rock music that didn’t even seem that significant when it came out 25 years ago has held up surprisingly well.
Other concerts on the Musikfest lineup:
Jowell & Randy, with Luis Figueroa and special guest Niña Dioz, 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 4
Jowell & Randy, a top Reggaeton music act, joined by Grammy Award-nominated Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Luis Figueroa.
Lynyrd Skynyrd celebrating 50 years, 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 7
Southern rockers best known for its songs "Free Bird," "That Smell" and "Sweet Home Alabama," celebrating the 50th anniversary of the band’s debut album "Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd."
Ludacris, 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10
Rapper Ludacris, best known for the hits "Stand Up" (featuring Shawnna)," and "Money Maker (featuring Pharrell)," and "Act a Fool.”
ZZ Top, 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11
Boogie-rocking trio that had the hits “Tush” in the 1970s and “Legs” and “Sharp Dressed Man” in the 1980s.
