Fall has arrived and with it the changing leaves, crisp air and costume-clad trick-or-treaters looking to scare up a good time. So, why not scare up a good time of your own?
Catch Cheap Trick, Yes, Gipsy Kings with Nicolas Reyes, Goodnight Moonshine, Blues Traveler and more as they descend upon Lehigh Valley stages this Halloween season.
Read on for this month’s top Lehigh Valley concerts.
Goodnight Moonshine
When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4
Where: Godfrey Daniels, 7 E. 4th St., Bethlehem
How much: $26.63-$31.82
Tickets: godfreydaniels.org/ 610-867-2390
Musical style: Folk, blues, Americana
Known for hits like: “Lost and Found,” “Dark Side of the Rainbow,” “My Sister Evangeline,” “Harder Than it Should Be” and “Work I Done”
Meet the band: Goodnight Moonshine is the folk duo of Molly Venter (of Red Molly) and Eben Pariser (of Roosevelt Dime). Together, they perform acoustic folk tunes that deliver a good dose of storytelling with a side of guitar improvisation that defies traditional genres, allowing each of them to showcase their unique talents. They’ve got two studio albums and two singles under their belt, and their latest single, “My Sister Evangeline,” can be heard on NPR and other Americana stations across the 50 states. They’ve also got a new studio album in the works.
Check them out if you like: Red Molly, Roosevelt Dime, Susan Werner, Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson, Olive Tiger, Nobody’s Girl
Blues Traveler
When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11
Where: Sherman Theater, 24 Main St., Stroudsburg
How much: $45-$91.15
Tickets: shermantheater.com/ 570-420-2808
Musical style: Alternative, blues rock, jam band
Known for hits like: “Run-Around,” “Hook,” “The Mountains Win Again,” “But Anyway” and “Alone”
Meet the band: Formed in 1987, the band started gaining recognition in the mainstream with the release of their fourth album, “four” in 1994, which peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. The album is certified six times platinum, and the single “Run-Around” won the 1995 Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group. They introduced the Horizons of Rock Developing Everywhere (H.O.R.D.E.) festival in 1992, paving the way for jam band music to have its second wave of popularity in the ‘90s. They’ve released 14 studio albums, and encourage fans to record their live shows and trade them or host them online with the rule that no money is made or exchanged for them.
Check them out if you like: Spin Doctors, Rusted Root, Counting Crows, The Wallflowers, Dave Matthews Band, Everclear, Gin Blossoms
Yes
When: 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12
Where: Penn’s Peak, 325 Maury Road, Jim Thorpe
How much: $69-$79
Tickets: www.pennspeak.com/ 866-605-7325
Musical style: Progressive rock, art rock, symphonic prog
Known for hits like: “Owner of a Lonely Heart,” “Roundabout,” “Love Will Find a Way,” “Leave It” and “Long Distance Runaround”
Honors: They received five Grammy nominations between 1985 and 1992, winning for Best Rock Instrumental Performance with their song “Cinema” in ‘85. They had a No. 1 hit with the single “Owner of a Lonely Heart” in 1983, and they hold the record for most performances at New York City’s Madison Square Garden in the ‘70s. They’ve released over 22 studio albums, with seven of them being certified platinum or multi-platinum, and four of them gold. In 2017 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Check them out if you like: ELO, Genesis, Jethro Tull, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Goblin
Antje Duvekot
When: 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12
Where: Godfrey Daniels, 7 E. 4th St., Bethlehem
How much: $30.78-$35.98
Tickets: godfreydaniels.org/ 610-867-2390
Musical style: Folk, singer-songwriter, pop
Known for hits like: “Long Way,” “Merry-Go-Round,” “Sleep Sea of Indigo and Blue,” “Dandelion” and “Vertigo”
Meet the artist: Antje Duvekot has won several prestigious songwriting awards including the grand prize in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition, the Kerrville Best New Folk Award and the Boston Music Award for Outstanding Folk Act. She’s performed at the Newport Folk Festival as well as the Mountain Stage, Philadelphia and Kerrville festivals, and has headlined the Celtic Connections Festival in Scotland and the Tonder Festival in Denmark. Additionally, she’s also an animator (she’s created music videos for Toad the Wet Sprocket, Dar Williams, and more), and occasionally serves as music ambassador on humanitarian projects run by Let Yourself Trust, the nonprofit organization of singer-songwriter Martyn Joseph.
Check her out if you like: Dar Williams, Lucy Wainwright Roche, John Gorka, Susan Werner, Patty Larkin, Red Molly, Lucy Kaplansky
Roots Revival Road Show
When: 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17
Where: Sherman Theater, 524 Main St., Stroudsburg
How much: $15-$21.10
Tickets: shermantheater.com/ 570-420-2808
Musical style: Blues, folk, rock
Known for hits like: “There’s a Time,” “Brand New Day,” “12 Bar Blues in A,” “Let it Rock” and “The Wind Cries Mary”
Meet the band: The Roots Revival Road Show is a dynamic travelling collective made up of Sug Daniels, Ty Mathis and Antar Goodwin. The group perform songs that celebrate African-American music through both renditions of favorite classics and powerful originals. Rooted in blues, folk, rock and soul, Roots Revival Roadshow honors tradition while cultivating a sound uniquely their own. They play songs in a writer’s round, showcasing their individual talent and style, and together as a full string band.
Check them out if you like: Carolina Chocolate Drops, New Dangerfield, Black Opry, R.L. Burnside, Muddy Waters, Moscow Girls, The Honey Badgers
Cheap Trick
When: 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22
Where: Wind Creek Event Center, 77 Wind Creek Blvd., Bethlehem
How much: $45-$85
Tickets: ticketmaster.com 610-297-7414
Musical style: Rock, power pop, new wave
Known for hits like: “Surrender,” “I Want You to Want Me,” “Mighty Wings,” “The Flame” and “Dream Police”
Honors: Formed in 1972, the band became popular in the U.S. when they released 1979’s “At Budokan,” a live album that went triple platinum and included the single “I Want You to Want Me” — a live version of the song that made it a Top 10 hit. Their follow-up record, “Dream Police,” reached No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart and was their most popular album. They’ve sold over 20 million records and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.
Check them out if you like: The Knack, The Romantics, Rick Springfield, The Cars, Badfinger, Heart, Blondie
Gipsy Kings featuring Nicolas Reyes
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23
Where: State Theater, 453 Northampton St., Easton
How much: $82.50-$240.25
Tickets: statetheatre.org/ 610-252-3132
Musical style: Flamenco, salsa, pop
Known for hits like: “Bamboleo,” “Volare,” “Djobi Djoba,” “Ingobernable” and “A Mi Manera”
Meet the band: Born in France but immersed in Spanish culture, the Gipsy Kings got their start in the ‘70s as street performers travelling around their country busking, playing at weddings and performing at festivals. They entered the mainstream with their third album, “Gipsy Kings,” which spent 40 weeks on the U.S. charts — a rarity for records sung in Spanish at the time. In 1998 their cover of “Hotel California” was featured in the movie “The Big Lebowski,” and in 2010 their rendition of “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” was featured in the movie “Toy Story 3.” They’ve done some unique collaborations with artists including Joan Baez, Ziggy Marley and Bananarama.
Check them out if you like: Buena Vista Social Club, Santana, Edith Piaf, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Paco de Lucia, Ali Farka Touré, Jose Reyes
Tommy James & The Shondells
When: 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24
Where: Penn’s Peak, 325 Maury Rd, Jim Thorpe
How much: $42-$52
Tickets: pennspeak.com/ 866-605-7325
Musical style: Garage rock, garage pop, psychedelic
Known for hits like: “Crimson and Clover,” “Hanky Panky,” “Mony Mony,” “I Think We’re Alone Now” and “Crystal Blue Persuasion”
Meet the band: Twenty-three gold records, nine platinum albums, 32 Billboard Hot 100 hits and over 100 million records sold worldwide, Tommy James has been creating hits for over 50 years with no plans of stopping any time soon. James’ music has been featured in 55 films and 39 television shows, and covered by many artists including Prince, Bruce Springsteen, Joan Jett, Billy Idol, Kelly Clarkson, REM, Dolly Parton, Carlos Santana, Cher, Tom Jones and more. In 2008 Tommy James and The Shondells were inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.
Check them out if you like: The Rolling Stones, The Grass Roots, The Dave Clark Five, Paul Revere & The Raiders, The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Troggs, Them
Paul Bielatowicz’s Nosferatu Live
When: 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31
Where: Sellersville Theater, 24 W. Temple Ave.
How much: $25-$52
Tickets: www.st94.com/ 215-257-5808
Musical style: Prog rock, classic rock, classical rock
Known for hits like: While this will be a performance of the score for the classic 1922 silent horror film “Nosferatu,” Bielatowicz has also performed “Spring, Movement 1: Allegro,” “Flight of the Bumblebee,” “Clair De Lune,” “Etude Op. 10, No 4” and “Caprice No. 5.”
Meet the band: An accomplished composer and musician, Paul Bielatowicz has shared the stage with the likes of progressive rock mainstays including Carl Palmer, Dream Theater, and Yes. This show features a live band performing the Nosferatu score synced with the movie with additional screens to add guest performances from some of the biggest names in classic and progressive rock, including Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (Guns ‘n Roses, Sons of Apollo, Asia), Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater), and Dave Bainbridge (Strawbs, Iona). The onstage live band includes Michael Dutko (Gary Hoey) on bass and Leah Bluestein (Eagles of Death Metal) on drums.
Check them out if you like: Yes, Dream Theater, Procol Harum, The Nice. Rush, Pink Floyd, King Crimson
Jay Honstetter is a freelance writer.
