Chroma: A Deep Dive into the Democratic Power of Color
As many of us remain in quarantine, Southsider returns to the Banana Factory for a deeper dive into the beauty of one of their digital exhibits.
Hippo Campus live at SteelStacks
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…
Locals Highlight Bethlehem’s Running Culture
I was astounded by the turnout of Aardvark Sports Shop’s evening group run. Growing up, I worked at a similar shoe store. Even with the incentive of free beer, usually only around ten athletes showed up to our runs. By contrast, the run that I attended at Aardvark had around 40 participants! The large attendance…
Lehigh Valley SoccerFest & Viewing Party
Lehigh Valley SoccerFest & Viewing Party (SoccerFest) at SteelStacks has drawn thousands of visitors in the five short years since its creation. Featured as part of Fox Sports’ nightly World Cup wrap-ups, this year’s festival offered screenings of the U.S. women’s matches on giant, outdoor LED screens at SteelStacks. Each viewing party had live music,…
Martha Rich’s New Installation Opens at ArtsQuest
Seldom do we think of the little things in our daily lives. Sounds in particular, such as offhand remarks, unusual questions, overheard exclamations, and lingering phrases, bounce off the ear without a second thought. However, artist Martha Rich appears hyperconscious of these moments. Rich is a Philadelphia-based artist whose art primarily involves drawing, painting, and…
A Tribute to the Carpenters: Valentine’s Day at SteelStacks
For Valentine’s Day, Musikfest Café presented Top of the World: A Carpenters Tribute featuring Debbie Taylor. Despite the chill in the air and the snow on the ground, music lovers poured into café seating to experience the best-selling music of the Carpenters over three decades after Karen Carpenter’s early death. It is not entirely accurate…
“Anita” Documentary and Talkback Brings Important Discussion to South Bethlehem
The Frank Banko Alehouse Cinema is part of the massive ArtsQuest complex which was once the Bethlehem Steel company. The steel stacks themselves, icons of Bethlehem, stand tall over the scene, lit up green and blue so they draw the eye at night as powerfully as during the day. They’re an emblem of a community…
Bethlehem Welcomes Christkindlmarkt and the Spirit of the Holidays
When I was a kid, I counted down the days until the Christmas season came around. I couldn’t wait until my dad and I put up and decorated our tree while my mom “supervised” from the living room, wrapped every available railing in garland, and set out the wide array of nutcrackers my parents had…
Not Your Average Home Videos: SteelStacks Welcomes the Found Footage Festival
When my friend asked me to attend the Found Footage Festival with her at SteelStacks, I can’t say that I knew what to expect. The only background knowledge I had was that the festival consisted of a series of recovered VHS tapes, and I wondered if it would be a similar experience to watching an…
Milky Chance Brings Blossom Tour to South Bethlehem
Hit Folk Band Brings the Local Community Together Through Music Milky Chance, a German folk band, thrilled an excited crowd during its September 28th concert at ArtsQuest’s Musikfest Cafe venue. The concert was part of Yuengling’s Summer Concert Series. The opener of the concert, South African singer/songwriter Jeremy Loops, stunned the audience with “Down South,”…