Celebrating Bethlehem's Southside Culture
Every Monday night starting at 5:00, Lehigh Valley locals come together at the Bethlehem Area Public Library (BAPL) to share their creative work at an open mic. Typically, the weekly event is hosted by Bill Medei in the Cohen Room and runs for approximately two and a half hours. BAPL’s open mic night provides space…
On July 11th, the seven-piece band Stella Ruze performed at Levitt Pavilion as a part of their free concert series. Stella Ruze is a folk-rock band from Philadelphia that wowed the crowd at SteelStacks with their impressive four-part harmonies and wide variety of instruments. The band consists of guitarist & singer Brendan Johnson, singer &…
One Earth ReggaeFest was a free celebratory festival that took place from noon on July 6th until midnight. For 12 hours festival goers enjoyed music, dancing, local vendors, and food. Musicians and DJs performed on two stages: the Highmark Blue Shield Community Stage and the Levitt Pavilion stage. The performers primarily played reggae music that…
On June 6, Nashville-based rock group Sweet Lizzy Project (SLP) arrived at Levitt Pavilion to perform a medley of classic covers and original rock hits. The group, originally from Cuba, went on to show that rock ‘n’ roll is more than just a British and American pastime, but that Latinx folks can shred too. SLP…
On June 1, Levitt Pavilion welcomed singer-songwriter CLOVER to the stage. Originally another musician, Julia Pratt, was scheduled to perform, but due to a last-minute cancellation by Pratt, CLOVER was able to fulfill her dream of sharing her music with audiences at SteelStacks. CLOVER’s performance moved through a set of original compositions and covers of…
During the summer, Levitt Pavilion offers numerous free concerts for residents of the Lehigh Valley to enjoy on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Typically, audience members bring camping chairs and set up on the grass in front of the stage to enjoy the music. Shows at Levitt Pavilion are a great way to spend a summer…
It’s Friday the 13th in October, the spookiest day of the year. National Sokols Lodge on Bethlehem’s South Side is nearing capacity, filled with an energetic, multi-generational audience shouting along to cover bands playing their favorite songs from bands like My Chemical Romance, Black Sabbath, and Title Fight. A fog machine billows gray smoke into…
As part of the ongoing programming for Festival Unbound 2020, Touchstone Theatre put together a socially-distanced concert, called “Songs of Hope and Resistance,” to champion “diversity, community, and freedom” in the Lehigh Valley. The Touchstone ensemble felt that the pandemic and the urgent struggle for racial justice must be marked by music. Music provides our…
On June 25th, Artsquest and Steelstacks hosted another “Levitt in Your Living Room” free concert to share the “sultry sound, clear tone, [and] funky groove” of Gina Chavez. The concert, shared on a live stream from Gina Chavez’s living room, featured Chavez playing as a one-woman band, and interacting with listeners through chat on Facebook….
Hippo Campus invigorated the SteelStacks crowd on November 5th at the Musikfest Café. The band performed a dynamic line-up of alternative rock pieces with jazz inspired roots after a rousing opening by indie rock band The Greeting Committee. The concert brought a nice mix of Bethlehem locals and students together to enjoy a high energy…