Poco, Pure Prairie League Appear at Free Concert Series

Levitt Pavilion at SteelStacks will host more than 50 free concerts under the stars from Memorial Day weekend until September.

  Classic soft rock acts Poco and Pure Prairie League help the Levitt Pavilion at SteelStacks officially launch its annual free summer concert series this Memorial Day Holiday weekend in South Bethlehem. The bandshell by the blast furnace will host more than 50 free shows between tonight and Sept. 21. And that’s not even counting the 10-day period during Musikfest when the Levitt Pavilion temporarily becomes Americaplatz. Whether you love rock, blues, folk, jazz or Latin music, there will be something for everyone during the course of the summer. The series begins Friday night with regional rock cover band The Sofa Kings taking the stage. Poco and Pure Prairie League are scheduled to appear on Saturday. Indie rock band Lake Street Drive is…

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Orleans to Play Levitt in Tribute to Late Singer

Larry Hoppen's sudden death in July forced classic pop/rock band to cancel Bethlehem show. Now Orleans plan to play at Levitt in September as a tribute.

  The Levitt Pavilion at SteelStacks will close out its free concert season on Saturday, September 2 with a special performance by classic pop-rock band Orleans. Orleans had been scheduled to play at the free Bethlehem concert venue on July 28, but canceled when singer and founding member Larry Hoppen died suddenly four days before the show. Later band members decided to continue its eight-show summer/fall tour in honor of Hoppen. “Larry would have wanted that,” the band says on its Website. ArtsQuest announced the addition to the Levitt Pavilion schedule on Monday. Formed in Woodstock, N.Y. in 1972 Orleans’ name was inspired by the legendary city of New Orleans. The group went on to release several hits including Dance With Me, Let There …

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Brazilian-Style Ensemble to Play at Levitt Tonight

PhillyBloco brings the sound of Rio de Janeiro to Bethlehem in free concert this evening.

  Popular Philadelphia-based Latin ensemble PhillyBloco will perform a free concert at the Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks in Bethlehem at 7 p.m. tonight. The group has stepped up to perform as part of the Levitt Summer Concert Series after the cancellation of the Orleans show, which followed Tuesday’s death of founding band member Larry Hoppen. Modeled after the blocos of Rio de Janeiro, PhillyBloco is comprised of multiple drummers, electric guitar, bass guitar, vocals, horn section, accordion and Brazilian dancers. The group performs a raucous mash-up of Samba, funk, reggae and more made popular by both Brazilian and non-Brazilian artists including Olodum, Timbalada, Monobloco, Bob Marley and Stevie Wonder. The one constant in the group’s …

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Band Member Dies, Orleans Levitt Show Canceled

Larry Hoppen, founding member of classic rock hit-makers Orleans, dies. Saturday night's show in Bethlehem is canceled.

  The Levitt Pavilion at SteelStacks show featuring the classic rock band Orleans scheduled for Saturday night has been canceled, the pavilion’s executive director announced today. Larry Hoppen, a founding member of the band, whose recognizable tenor voice sang lead on hits like “Still the One,” and “Dance With Me,” died on Tuesday. He was 61 years old. “We’re deeply saddened by this news, and our thoughts and prayers go out to Mr. Hoppen’s family, friends and everyone who has been touched by this wonderful artist over the years,” said Robin Zaremski, executive director of Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks, through a news release. “We are in the process of looking for another artist to perform and we hope to make that announcement tomorrow.” …

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Mack Trucks, LCTI Drive New SteelStacks Stand

LCTI students are building a Mack Truck that will be part of an iconic concession stand at ArtsQuest's Levitt Pavilion in Bethlehem.

  Salisbury High Sophomore Casey Moyer is looking forward to going to the new Mack Truck Stop concession stand at the SteelStacks in Bethlehem this summer and saying “I helped build that.” He has plenty of company. Moyer is one of 35 Lehigh Career & Technical Institute students who is rebuilding and refurbishing a Titan model Mack Truck that will be part of the concession stand at Levitt Pavilion at SteelStacks arts venue. The truck will be installed next to the Mack Truck Stop in June, giving it the appearance that it is pulling a trailer, said Kassie Hilgert, senior vice president of marketing and advancement for ArtsQuest, which opened the Levitt Pavilion last year. Hilgert praised Mack Trucks in Lower Macungie for contributing to the …

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ArtsQuest Celebrates One Year of SteelStacks

Zany Umbrella Circus and Squonk Opera help ArtsQuest celebrate SteelStacks' first year, while the Musikfest Cafe hosts a fund raising anniversary party Saturday night.

  The ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks will celebrate its one-year anniversary this weekend with a fundraising party in the Musikfest Café and performances at PNC Plaza and the Levitt Pavilion. Zany Umbrella Circus, which was a hit with audiences during Musikfest 2011, returns to Bethlehem with a series of weekend performances at PNC Plaza, to the north of the blast furnaces on E. First St. The circus will present Cake, a real storybook acted out onstage. Bold colors and 1950s-era stylings highlight this family show in which a young child anticipates an exciting birthday surprise, but things don’t go as planned. This highly physical show integrates aerial, trapeze, clowning, mask work and other circus feats. The performances will take place…

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Viewfinder: SteelJam Music Festival

ArtsQuest jam band festival rocks SteelStacks campus Labor Day weekend.

ArtsQuest's four-day SteelJam festival featured over 45 music acts during Labor Day weekend. These photos are a sampling of the musicians from the Sunday of the festival. SteelJam included performances all day long in the Musikfest Cafe, on the JamBase Levitt Pavilion stage and on the Air Products Town Square. Sunday's headlining act on the JamBase Stage at the Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks was Umphrey's McGee. Keys N Krates turned up the volume at the Levitt Pavilion with their funky dubstep and breakbeat tunes driven by loud bass lines. ALO and From Good Homes took the stage in the Musikfest Cafe.

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5 Things to Know Today

A free double-bill concert at Levitt Pavilion tonight.

Good morning, Bethlehem. Today is Thursday, September 1, 2011. Where did the summer go?

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Heat Forces Rescheduling of Levitt Pavilion

Friday's concert cancelled; Saturday and Sunday shows moved indoors; tonight's show goes on.

ArtsQuest has announced that it has canceled Friday’s Levitt Pavilion performance due to the extreme heat and humidity predicted for this weekend. Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem were scheduled to perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the free concert venue under the old Bethlehem Steel blast furnaces. The group will be scheduled to perform for the Levitt Pavilion’s 2012 season, an ArtsQuest news release said. Tonight’s Levitt show, featuring Philadelphia area blues artist Deb Callahan, is still scheduled to go on at 7:30 p.m. The National Weather Service has placed the Lehigh Valley under an excessive heat warning, which started at noon today and runs through 8 p.m. Saturday. This morning, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection also …

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