Music

More than 250 students will perform this weekend at Lehigh Valley Mall. The Lehigh Valley Music Teachers Association's 42nd annual Playathon fundraiser continues Sunday.

Take a look at stories that ran throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.

Parliament-Funkadelic dominated R&B music during the 1970s, with more than 40 R&B hit singles, including three No. 1s, and three platinum albums.

Big Time Rush will perform at 7 p.m. Aug. 9, the festival announced.

Shinedown, best known for its 2000s songs "Second Chance," "Sound of Madness" and "If You Only Knew," will headline Musikfest's Steel Stage on Aug. 3, it was announced.

John Legend, best known for his 14-times platinum No. 1 hit “All of Me” from 2013, will perform “A Night of Songs and Stories” at 8 p.m. June 22 at Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem.

The group moe., which has played at most every summer jam festival, including Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Japan’s Fuji Rock and even the 30th anniversary of Woodstock in 1999, will perform at Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 10.

The group, which over a career of nearly 60 years has released 22 gold or platinum albums, and which, according to Billboard magazine, is the most successful American band in history, will perform 7:30 p.m. June 27 at Easton’s State Theater.

Toby Keith was a favorite of Lehigh Valley fans. He played at least eight headline shows here, starting in 1998 at the Allentown Fairgrounds. His last performance here was a 2021 headline show at Allentown Fair’s grandstand.

Customers can order Taylor Swift-themed chocolates and Super Bowl cakes from Vegan Treats, the popular Bethlehem bakery on Linden Street.

Alan Parsons Project, which from 1976-84 had seven gold and platinum albums that collectively sold more than 5 million copies, will perform Friday, Nov. 15.

Five-member vocal group Pentatonix returned Saturday to Allentown Fair for an audience about three-quarters of 7,500 and — this time on a lovely night — proved it wasn't just a one-note wonder.

Baseball, food and fun family offerings are out there if firing up the grill is not your thing.

Country singer Brad Paisley played at Allentown Fair on Friday night. Although the crowd was subdued, the headliner pulled out the songs many know and love to sing along to.

"Rooted" is a collaboration between founders of Godfrey Daniels, Touchstone Theatre, Mock Turtle Marionette Theatre and the Bach Choir of Bethlehem. The public is invited to part of the filming on Saturday, Sept. 7, at Payrow Plaza.

David Archuleta is set to perform at Allentown Fair at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 30. He will open for hit a cappella group Pentatonix at the fair's grandstand.

At the Allentown Fair grandstand on Thursday, the hyperactivity was dialed back a measure for Blippi: The Wonderful World Tour, and the kids — who made up about half the audience of perhaps 3,000 — were at least exposed to learning.

The crowd at Allentown Fair for Cheap Trick and Blue Oyster Cult was there to hear the hits of their youth and — for the most part — got what they wanted.

Blippi: The Wonderful World Tour hits the grandstand stage at Allentown Fair at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29. Tickets, at $30 each, remain available at the fair website.

Nearly 50 years later, Blue Öyster Cult still is performing, and this year even released "Ghost Stories," its first album of new material in four years and only second in 23 years. The group also will open for fellow 1970s rockers Cheap Trick as the grandstand feature for opening night at Allentown Fair at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 28.

Jayna Elise, who auditioned on "Idol" in both Season 21 in 2023 and Season 22 the past spring, recently was chosen for the role of Turner in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, which performs at Easton's State Theatre on Oct. 1-2.

Allentown Fair’s main Grandstand stage is inarguably one of its biggest draws — offering top music, performances and other acts in the Lehigh Valley’s largest-capacity arena. Here's how we rank this year's headliners.