Tag: Music

A Conversation With, Entertainment, Interview, Morning Call, Music

Concert pick: Bluegrass band Steep Canyon Rangers return to Bethlehem with Musikfest Cafe performance

Since their formation in 2000, Steep Canyon Rangers have been wowing audiences with their eclectic mix of bluegrass and Americana.

The Grammy-Award winning band, which features Graham Sharp on banjo, Mike Guggino on mandolin, Aaron Burdett on guitar, Nicky Sanders on fiddle, Mike Ashworth on drums and Barrett Smith on bass, guitar, all provide vocals and have released 14 studio albums as well as three collaborative albums with actor and banjoist Steve Martin.

The band credits its longevity to a culture and community among its members, most of whom have known each other since their college days. It’s a foundation of friendship that really comes across to audiences whenever they perform.

Steep Canyon Rangers have also served as the “house band” for Steve Martin and Martin Short’s comedy show, having performed with them several times at Wind Creek Event Center. Now the band from North Carolina is gearing up for their first appearance in Bethlehem on their own, performing at The Musikfest Café in Bethlehem on Sunday.

I recently spoke with Barrett Smith of Steep Canyon Rangers about the band’s upcoming performance in Bethlehem and more in this new interview.

Q: What can fans expect from the band’s upcoming performance at Musikfest Café?

Smith: What we hang our hat on is a really good live show. Each is tailor made for the space where we are. So we’ll land in Bethlehem earlier in the day, get a feel for what the night’s going to be like and then make a set list. Maybe we’ll stick to it and maybe we won’t. We like real engagement with the crowd and making it as fun a night as we can. We’ve already played several times at the [Wind Creek] casino as the house band for the comedy show Steve Martin and Martin Short so we know the area well.

You can read the rest of my interview with Steep Canyon Rangers by Clicking Here.

A Conversation With, Entertainment, Interview, Morning Call, Music

Sounds of Summer: The Beach Boys bring their tour to the State Theatre in Easton

You can’t say the words “The Beach Boys” without instantly conjuring up images of California sun, surf, infectious harmonies and sophisticated musical arrangement.

The band’s indelible catalog has sold more than 100 million records over the last six decades and their ubiquitous album, Pet Sounds from 1966, is widely regarded as one of the most influential albums of all time. Even Paul McCartney, who knows a thing or two about the craft of songwriting, once proclaimed a track from that album, “God Only Knows,” as being the perfect song.

The Beach Boys arsenal of music includes nearly 40 Top 40 hits like “Good Vibrations,” “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “California Girls,” Surfin’ USA,” “Little Deuce Coupe,” and “Kokomo,” to name but a few.

Fans of the legendary group can relive the magic, music and memories when The Beach Boys bring their Sounds of Summer Tour to Easton’s historic State Theatre on Sunday, at a special time of 3 p.m.

I recently spoke with Mike Love about The Beach Boys upcoming performance in Easton, the band’s timeless career and more in this new interview.

What can Lehigh Valley fans expect from your upcoming performance in Easton?

Mike Love: A lot of music. We do a two-hour show: an hour followed by a 20-minute intermission and then another hour. In the first hour we like to get retro, so I like to do the “surfer” and “car” songs like “Don’t Worry Baby” and “I Get Around.” After intermission we get a little more introspective. We’ll do some Pet Sounds stuff like “God Only Knows,” “Sloop John B” and “Wouldn’t It Be Nice.” I like to do songs I wrote with my cousin Brian [Wilson] and tell stories about the songs. I remember in November of 1963 we wrote this beautiful song called “The Warmth of The Sun” and were awakened the next morning to the news that President Kennedy had been taken to the hospital in Dallas. We recorded that song about a month later with a tremendous amount of emotion.

Of course we have to do “Good Vibrations” and wouldn’t want to leave the area without doing “California Girls,” “Fun Fun Fun,” “Barbara Ann,” and “Help Me Rhonda.”

You can read the rest of my Morning Call interview with Mike Love by Clicking Here.

1980's, Beyond What We Know, Books, Childhood Memories, Dreams, Entertainment, Life, Neapolitan Sky

Beyond What We Know

I am excited to announce that my new 232-page novel, “Beyond What We Know” is coming Summer 2025. It’s my first novel since 2018’s “Neapolitan Sky.” Check out the first cover reveal photo on the right.

The book has been a work in progress for nearly 7 years but some challenges, including a global pandemic, put things on the back burner, until now!

Here’s a synopsis for “Beyond What We Know”:

“Riddled with guilt over the death of his father, high school graduate Mike Collins spends his last summer at home disquieted by thoughts of leaving behind his mother and first love as he prepares to depart for college. Unbeknownst to him, Mike will soon meet his musical hero, Chris Steele, whose perspective of life will teach him to believe in the possibility of second chances.

Filled with rich imagery from the 1980s, “Beyond What We Know” is a coming-of-age story exploring life’s obstacles, the music and the machinery, while illuminating the power of friendship with the metaphysical transcendence of the unknown.”

Here is the official trailer for “Beyond What We Know”:

In the weeks ahead watch this space for more info about the new book, including the full cover reveal, behind the scenes stories about the book’s origin, giveaways and more. I’m also in the process of arranging book signing events, so hopefully I’ll see you out there.

I’m so excited about this book and can’t wait for you to check it out.

A Conversation With, Entertainment, Interview, Morning Call, Music

Legendary KISS bassist Gene Simmons bringing solo tour to the Lehigh Valley

Widely regarded as one of rock’s most quintessential and influential bands, KISS became a worldwide phenomenon in the early 70’s, not only for their music but also for their whimsical make-up, blood spitting and fire-breathing antics, a massive pyrotechnical display and the desire to rock and roll all night and party every day. 

After a half century of gold and platinum albums and global touring, KISS finally decided to end its run in December of 2023. 

As one of the founding members of KISS, Gene Simmons (and his alter ego “The Demon,”) has helped sell more than 100 million albums. And once the band retired from the road Simmons thought he’d keep himself busy with his many businesses ventures but soon felt the urge to return to the stage with his solo group The Gene Simmons Band. An outlet which allows him to perform both fan favorite and obscure KISS songs and covers as well as sharing stories about his life and career, including one about discovering a then unknown band named Van-Halen.

On Thursday, May 8, fans will get a chance to experience all of the iconic artistry when Gene Simmons brings his legendary music to Bethlehem for a performance at Wind Creek Event Center. 

I recently spoke with Gene Simmons about the show, his career and more in this exclusive new interview.

It’s now been more than a year since KISS retired from touring. What made you decide to return to the stage?

Gene Simmons: Obviously, I’m very proud of what KISS has done which is, to be blunt, changed the face of stage performances. I got tired of seeing some of my favorite bands because they just didn’t live up to the sounds that I heard. I loved the records but when you went to see them live they were just looking down at their shoes. We decided to put together KISS as the band we never saw on stage. No rules, just one big spectacle. We stopped after half a century. 

I thought I’d be able to stay busy with my restaurant chain and film company but there’s magic that happens on stage that you can’t verbalize. It’s like electric church. But the difference between KISS and the Gene Simmons Band is that in KISS we couldn’t invite anybody up on stage because if they stepped in the wrong place it literally wouldn’t be safe.

The Gene Simmons Band is totally different in the sense that I have three killer musicians who are multi-instrumentalists who can (and do) sing live. We’re flexible enough that if someone yelled out, “Hey, how come you never did “Spit?” (an obscure track off of the Revenge album), we can do it as well as some unrecorded tunes I’ve written and, for the first time, we do covers.

You can read the rest of my Morning Call interview with Gene Simmons by Clicking Here!

A Conversation With, Entertainment, Interview, Morning Call, Music

Legendary musician Todd Rundgren on his career and his tribute to Burt Bacharach

Burt Bacharach wrote one the most beloved songbooks in all of popular music — timeless classics like “Walk On By,” “Alfie,” “I Say A Little Prayer” and “What’s New Pussycat,” which have been recorded by legends like Dionne Warwick, Tom Jones, Aretha Franklin and Barbara Streisand, to name but a few.

Although he passed away in 2023, Bacharach’s music and influence continues to be celebrated around the world.

On Friday, Bacharach fans will be able to take part in a one-of-a-kind experience, “The Bacharach Songbook Live,” at Wind Creek Event Center. Led by longtime Burt Bacharach music director Rob Shirakbari, the show will feature a nine-piece ensemble that’s worked with artists like Stevie Wonder, Adele, Dionne Warwick, Brian Wilson and Aretha Franklin.

Another legendary artist, Todd Rundgren, will also take part in the performance, where he’ll be covering some of his own personal favorite Bacharach songs.

I recently spoke with Todd Rundgren about “The Bacharach Songbook Live” and the influence Bacharach’s music had on him. We also discuss his early band The Nazz, production work, a few memorable moments and more in this exclusive new interview.

Q: How did this celebration of Burt Bacharach come about? What inspired it?

Todd Rundgren: Well, it wasn’t really inspired by me because I had sort of sworn off doing tribute shows after I finished one celebrating the music of David Bowie. But then the producers of the David Bowie thing came to me with the Bacharach idea and I realized that there was too much Bacharach in my music to avoid doing it. In some ways it was closer to me than a lot of the other stuff we’d done. I think that will make it more fun to do.

You can read the rest of my Morning Call interview by Clicking Here.

Entertainment, Morning Call, Music

Lehigh Valley concert preview: Here are the shows coming in 2025
Rascal Flatts will perform Saturday, March 15, 2025, at the PPL Center in Allentown. (ABC/ADAM BETTCHER)

t may be hard to believe, but the arrival of 2025 means that we’re now officially one-quarter of the way into the 21st century. It’s a new year that brings with it an opportunity to make resolutions to do things you’ve kept putting off for one reason or another.

If one of the resolutions you’ve made this year is to get out and explore what’s going on in the Lehigh Valley, then we’ve got you covered. Because 2025 is already shaping up to be a memorable one for live entertainment.

Set aside those winter blues and enjoy this list of some of the exciting options happening in an around the Valley in the new year.

Musikfest Cafe

The fun officially kicks off over in Bethlehem at the Musikfest Café with the smooth sounds of Yacht Rock as well as the return of several familiar faces. It begins on Friday, Jan. 10,  when New York City-based band Yacht Lobsters performs a signature blend of soft rock of the ’70s and ’80s. It continues on Friday, Jan. 24, when Go Go Gadjet returns with their popular high energy show. They’ll be followed the very next week with fan-favorites The Amish Outlaws on Friday, Jan. 31.

Wind Creek Event Center

If dancing is more your thing, Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem has two performances of the popular “Dancing With Stars Live” at 3 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25. Comedian Sam Morril will return to the Wind Creek stage on Saturday, Feb. 8; classic rock legends The Marshall Tucker Band perform on Friday, Feb. 14, and fans of the ’90s can relive the nostalgia with “I Love the 90s” featuring Vanilla Ice, Rob Base, Tone Loc and C&C Music Factory featuring Freedom Williams on Saturday, March 15.

You can read the rest of my article previewing the 2025 Concert Season by clicking here.

1980's, A Conversation With, Entertainment, Interview, Morning Call, Music

Rick Springfield previews Wind Creek performance
Rick Springfield – Photo by Jay Gilbert

Rick Springfield has worn many hats over the course of his legendary career. A Grammy-winning artist who’s sold more than 25 million albums over the last four decades, he’s also a celebrated actor who’s appeared in numerous TV shows and films as well as a New York Times best-selling author.

Springfield’s musical resume includes, of course, the monstrous 1981 hit “Jessie’s Girl” — a song from his multiplatinum-selling album Working Class Dog and one that to this day remains a centerpiece of any ’80s playlist. He’d go on to score additional Top 40 hits like “Don’t Talk to Strangers,” “Human Touch” and “Love Somebody,” to name a few, the latter of which a song from his 1984 feature length film, “Hard to Hold.”

Springfield’s new music has also garnered rave reviews, including songs from his most recent album Automatic where he continues to go for (and find) the big hook. His recently released new song, “Lose Myself,” talks about a tumultuous relationship and only further reinforces Springfield as the consummate artist. The song will be part of a new greatest hits package that will include a coffee table book of photographs and is slated for release next year.

In the meantime, fans of Rick Springfield will get a taste of his ubiquitous musical career when the legendary entertainer performs at the Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem on Sunday.

I recently spoke with Springfield about the show, his music, memorable moments and more in this new interview.

Q. What can fans expect from your performance at Wind Creek Event Center?

Rick Springfield: You’ve always got to do the hits that everyone expects, but we also include some of the newer songs and songs that work with the audience. Even if they might not know the song sometimes, the song still works if it’s the right one. I have a great band so it’s also about what we feel like playing.

Speaking of new songs, you recently released the new single, “Lose Myself.” What can you tell me about it?

I wrote that song with a guy in Sweden named Niclas Lundin. For some reason, the Swedish guys seem to be killing it in the pop world these days with great melodies. We wrote the song about being caught up in a relationship that is destructive but incredible.

You can read the rest of my Morning Call interview with Rick Springfield by clicking here!

1980's, Childhood Memories, Entertainment, Life, Music, My Two Cents

Sunday Sermon

Politics aside, you want to know why this country is going down the tubes? It’s because of things like this news story. It’s only a matter of time before it’s eliminated completely. No outlet for kids to have creativity of any kind. No chance to express themselves as individuals or work together as one ensemble to create something magical that brings joy to people each Christmas and spring season.

https://www.lehighvalleynews.com/easton/easd-parents-students-teachers-speak-out-over-reduced-music-education-at-elementary-schools

I’m sure I’m not alone when I say this as a 55 year old man: being part of the music and choir program at school was the only thing that saved me. It’s why when my favorite teacher, the late Ed Milisits, retired after three decades at Easton Area High School and tried starting a community choir that nearly ALL of it was comprised of now middle-aged former alumni who felt so strongly about what they experienced years ago that they blocked off time in their busy adult schedules to come back and sing. A vast majority of them hadn’t sang like that since they graduated decades ago. What does that tell you?

To quote from Whitman (and Robin Williams’ performance in Dead Poet’s Society): “O me! O life!… of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless… of cities filled with the foolish; what good amid these, O me, O life?”

Answer: That you are here – that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse.

I’d love to hear your thoughts about this. Please feel free to leave a note in the comments section.

A Conversation With, Entertainment, Interview, Morning Call, Music

Tom Chapin and family to honor Harry Chapin at Easton show
Photo: Bonnie Chaplin

Troubadour Tom Chapin’s career has covered an incredible amount of creative ground, including six decades in music with 27 albums and three Grammy awards.

Chapin’s the son of noted jazz drummer Jim Chapin and, as a teenager, began performing professionally in the Greenwich Village folk scene alongside siblings Harry and Steve as The Chapin Brothers. Tom’s brother, Harry, would later go on to have a renowned solo career, one which included the storytelling songs “Taxi,” “Mr. Tanner,” and the ubiquitous, “Cats In The Cradle,” the latter topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart 50 years ago this December.

Although Harry passed away in 1981, his family continues to keep his music and memory alive to this very day.

On Sunday, Sept. 15, fans of Harry Chapin and his family will get to experience the rich history of this legendary artist when The Chapin Family brings “Harry Chapin Greatest Stories Live” to the State Theatre in Easton.

To honor Harry’s commitment to fighting hunger, the event will also be holding a food drive. The audience is encouraged to bring along non-perishable food items, which will be donated to a local food bank.

I recently spoke with Tom Chapin about his family’s performance at the State Theatre, Harry’s legacy and more in this new interview.

Q. You’ve performed at the State Theatre many times. What do you like most about the venue?

Tom Chapin: It’s kind of hard to describe but the essentials of history are there. It feels like you’re part of a long run of amazing music and drama that have taken place and it energizes you. I love the old theaters.

You can read the rest of my Morning Call interview with Tom Chapin by Clicking Here.

comedy, Entertainment, Morning Call, Music, Theater

Fall concert preview: Here’s who’s coming to the Lehigh Valley

The summer season is starting to wind down in the Lehigh Valley, but it doesn’t mean the opportunity to see live entertainment has to stop.

When the kids head back to school and thoughts begin to turn to sweater weather and raking leaves it can only mean one thing — the fall concert season is back! And this year promises to be one of the most exciting and versatile in recent memory.

Many big-name acts are slated to visit the area over the course of the next few months that will cover all of the bases. Everything from comedy, classic rock and ’80s hit makers, to modern rock, pop and country as well as a local favorite and even a few living legends.

For starters, PPL Center in Allentown has a wide array of musical talent showcased on its calendar, and Marketing Manager Kayla Vaught isn’t shy about wanting to spread the word.

“I’m thrilled about the incredible lineup of events we have coming this fall,” Vaught said. “PPL Center has consistently proven to be a premier destination for live music, attracting top-tier talent from around the globe. There’s something for everyone here, and each event is a unique experience that adds to the vibrant culture of the Lehigh Valley.”

You can read the rest of my Morning Call feature article by clicking here.