Lehigh Valley InSite

Incubus

Last night, Kate and I went to see Incubus for the first-ever concert at the new Sands Bethlehem Event Center. (Kim was there too, but she was with the other big cheeses up in the VIP suites.) We stopped by McGrady’s beforehand to get dinner, fuel up and grab a few pints, then made the short trek over to the Sands property. We found it easiest to park in the deck and venture through the casino and the Shoppes to get in line for the show, along with hundreds of other fans.

Some of us from work got the chance to tour the venue a few weeks ago so we were already familiar with the layout and space. This came in handy when we were ducking and weaving through the massive crowd in order to get to a good spot. I hadn’t listened to Incubus much in the last few years, but I used to be a huge fan so I knew most of the songs they played last night. Here’s a short clip from when they performed “Pardon Me,” my all-time favorite Incubus song. It’s not the best quality, but you get the idea.

Event Center VIP Suites

Some of my colleagues and I had the opportunity to tour the all new Sands® Bethlehem Event Center last week. The venue is sure to impress.

Without giving too much away, the color and décor leads to the upscale feel that I’m sure they were going after.

The Piano Men

I was able to kill two birds with one stone this past weekend, so to speak; finally visiting the State Theatre Center for the Arts in Easton to see a concert while at the same time securing a pretty awesome birthday present for my mom (which is today, so everyone make sure you mentally wish her a happy birthday).

I had never made it to experience a show at the State Theatre before this, but I can assure you that this won’t be my last time there.

Civil Twilight Courtesy of Erika Liodice - www.erikaliodice.com

The bands that venture to Lehigh Valley to perform at Steel Stacks’ Musikfest Café are different as night and day, but having seen four shows there, I’ve discovered one similarity between them: they all turn to the giant illuminated blast furnaces behind them and say, “Wow, this place is beautiful.”

They’re right; it is beautiful, which is one of the many reasons my husband and I love going there for concerts. We returned again on Saturday night to see one of our favorite bands, Civil Twilight.

Photo Credit: http://www.erikaliodice.com/

My idea of a perfect concert is seeing an act I love at an intimate venue that’s close by with plenty of parking, all for an affordable price. In other words: a pipe dream. Seeing an act I love usually requires battling traffic to get to Philly or Manhattan, paying an obscene amount to park, and contending with large crowds.

So when I learned that one of my favorite singers, Ingrid Michaelson, was performing right here in Lehigh Valley at Muhlenberg College for $20 per ticket, I couldn’t purchase mine fast enough. On the way to the show last Sunday, however, doubt started to set in. Were we substituting traffic jams and expensive parking for an evening surrounded by drunken college kids?

Tesla @ The Peak

If you’re a fan of Tesla you’ll definitely know the rest. This hair-metal band from Sacramento, CA invaded Penn’s Peak just over a week ago and I wasn’t going to miss it. Thanks to some long time friends, I found myself with some great tickets. My wife and I, along with a few buddies (Raven, Kratzke and Hec, told them I’d give them a shout out), found ourselves a driver and hit the highway for a night at “The Peak.” It had been quite a long hiatus since I was at the mountain, in fact it was for a wedding (I’m happy to report the couple is still married and doing well).

The acoustic show was fabulous as they played a few songs off their current album, Twisted Wires, and a ton of songs from their catalog over the years, like Modern Day Cowboy, Hang Tough and the all too familiar Signs … to name a few. The venue is a great place to see a show and the capacity crowd of almost 1,500 wasn’t disappointed as these guys really rocked this night. I’ve had the luxury to see them about 10 times over the years and I would put this show up against any. From the venue – to the crowd – to the friends I shared the evening with, it was a great night all around. The best part was having that designated driver for the trip back into Lehigh Valley.

2012 - To Do List

In 2012, one of my personal New Year’s resolutions is to travel more. Another resolution is just the opposite; to stick closer to home and get to the events that are happening right in my backyard.

With that, here are my top 5 things that I’m looking forward to this year in Lehigh Valley.

Prime Steak House

This past week, the staff here at Discover Lehigh Valley went out for our annual holiday party. The location chosen was Prime Steak House in Bethlehem, a steakhouse with a very inviting atmosphere and some delicious cuts of meat. Since we were dining at Prime, I had to go with the prime rib … medium rare, of course. It broke my heart to see a few of my coworkers ordering their steaks well and medium well, but apparently they prefer to have the flavor cooked out of their steaks!

We were able to enjoy a delicious meal with plenty of laughs and stories to be told. It’s truly special to work somewhere where my coworkers and I can have a great time and enjoy each other’s company, especially out of the office and after hours.

Penn's Peak

Get down, get down, get down, get down, get down tonight baby! That’s what I did at Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe, just north of Lehigh Valley.

It was Elektrik Company’s Boogie to the Disco Show, a first time at the Peak and hopefully not their last. The band had nine members in all and each one was dressed to play the part of getting their disco groove on.

Musikfest Cafe

Last Saturday, my girlfriend and I took in Chuck Negron at the Musikfest Cafe. Who? I said Chuck Negron, one of the three lead singers for Three Dog Night, the other two being Danny Hutton and Cory Wells.

Negron, whose kid plays bass in the band, started the concert with “Black and White,” followed by other classic Three Dog Night songs. Our seats where in the back row of the VIP balcony and we stood for a great portion of the show. Negron himself stated that we are lucky to have a historic venue such as this in Lehigh Valley. He also took a shot at the occupy Wall Street movement, saying that back in the day they’d be working.