It may be back-to-school time for the kids, but that doesn’t mean the fun has to stop here.
From the glam rock madness of The Darkness to ZZ Top’s over-the-top Southern rock, from the ska-punk of Save Ferris to Shonen Knife’s indie pop, this September is looking to be a music lover’s paradise in the Lehigh Valley. So, lock away the pencils and the books for an evening, strap on your dancing shoes, and hit your favorite local venue.
Read below for this month’s best Lehigh Valley concerts.
The Darkness
When: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9
Where: Archer Music Hall, 939 Hamilton Street, Allentown
How much: $46-$84
Tickets: ticketmaster.com/ 610-798-1466
Musical style: Glam rock, hard rock, hair metal
Known for hits like: “I Believe in a Thing Called Love,” “Love is Only a Feeling,” “Growing on Me,” “Friday Night” and “One Way Ticket”
Meet the band: Originally called Empire, the band played prog rock and covers of Bruce Springsteen and Genesis before changing their name to The Darkness. They began gaining popularity in 2003 with the release of their debut album, “Permission to Land,” which went straight to No. 2 in the UK charts on the day of its release, ultimately going to No. 1, where it would remain for four weeks. In 2004 they won three BRIT Awards for Best Group, Best Rock Group and Best Album. They also won two Kerrang! awards in 2004 for Best Live Act and Best British Band. The single, “I Believe in a Thing Called Love,” was the second-highest charting single of 2003 released by a UK band in America. Since their debut, the band has released seven more studio albums, a live album and have toured extensively.
Check them out if you like: Jet, The Killers, Wolfmother, Thin Lizzy, White Stripes, Van Halen, Greta Van Fleet
Alkaline Trio
When: 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12
Where: Archer Music Hall, 939 Hamilton Street, Allentown
How much: $43-$115
Tickets: ticketmaster.com/ 610-798-1466
Musical style: Pop punk, emo, punk
Known for hits like: “Mercy Me,” “Radio,” “Oblivion,” “Calling All Skeletons” and “Private Eye”
Meet the band: Alkaline Trio is a Chicago-based pop punk band started by Matt Skiba in 1996 (Skiba also was a member of Blink-182 from 2015-2022). Combining melodic pop punk with emo and darker post-punk/goth elements, the band was integral to the early 2000s punk rock scene and remain a huge force in the scene today. They’ve charted on the Billboard 200 multiple times and have a dedicated cult following of fans.
Check them out if you like: Blink-182, New Found Glory, Saves the Day, NOFX, AFI, The Bouncing Souls, MxPx
Save Ferris
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13
Where: Musikfest Cafe, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem
How much: $27-$47.75
Tickets: steelstacks.org/ 610-332-1300
Musical style: Ska punk, third wave ska, pop punk
Known for hits like: “Come on Eileen,” “Goodbye,” “The World is New,” “Nobody But Me” and “Spam”
Meet the band: Save Ferris, the name a reference to the 1986 John Hughes classic “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” formed in 1995 in Orange County, California. In 1996, they won a Grammy award for best unsigned band, leading to a deal with Epic Records. They released their first album in 1997, “It Means Everything,” and hit the road to promote it with performances at the Warped Tour and as an opening act for Goldfinger, the Offspring and Sugar Ray. They made an appearance in the 1999 film “10 Things I Hate About You,” and their music was featured in the movie “The Big Hit,” in the trailers for “Senseless” and “Thomas and the Magic Railroad,” and in an episode of the TV show, “7th Heaven.”
Check them out if you like: No Doubt, Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake, Dance Hall Crashers, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, The Interrupters, Common Rider
Elvis Costello & The Imposters
When: 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18
Where: Wind Creek Event Center, 77 Wind Creek Blvd., Bethlehem
How much: $59.50-$129.50
Tickets: ticketmaster.com/ 610-297-7414
Musical style: Power pop, new wave, pub rock
Known for hits like: “Alison,” “Watching the Detectives,” “Radio, Radio,” “Pump it Up” and “Don’t Look Now”
Meet the band: Elvis Costello was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003, and in 2004 was No. 80 among Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Artists of All Time.” His first three albums also were included in Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” in 2003. He got his start during the punk movement in the late ‘70s, originally signing with Stiff Records, where he was given the name Elvis by his manager at the time. He’s collaborated with numerous artists throughout the years, including Burt Bacharach, Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford of Squeeze, Daryl Hall of Hall and Oates, Annie Lennox, Johnny Cash and Paul McCartney.
Check them out if you like: Joe Jackson, Graham Parker, XTC, The English Beat, Nick Lowe, Big Star, Squeeze
ZZ Top
When: 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21
Where: Wind Creek Event Center, 77 Wind Creek Blvd., Bethlehem
How much: $49.50-$129.50
Tickets: ticketmaster.com/ 610-297-7414
Musical style: Southern rock, blues rock, hard rock
Known for hits like: “Sharp Dressed Man,” “Legs,” “Gimme All Your Lovin,” “La Grange” and “Tush”
Meet the band: Formed in 1969 in Houston, Texas, ZZ Top signed their first record deal with London Records in under a year, and released their first album in 1971. By the mid ‘70s, singles like “La Grange” and “Tush,” made them a household name in the U.S. In 1979 the band underwent a big change in sound and image — Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill sporting sunglasses and long matching beards while incorporating synthesizers, drum machines and other new wave influences into their sound. Throughout the ‘80s, extensive airplay on MTV launched them to stardom, and their 1986 Afterburner tour set the record for the highest-attended and highest-grossing tour of the year.
Check them out if you like: Lynyrd Skynyrd, George Thorogood & The Destroyers, Thin Lizzy, AC/DC, Steve Miller Band, Foghat, Steppenwolf
Shonen Knife
When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27
Where: Sellersville Theater, 24 W. Temple Ave.
How much: $29.50-$36.50
Tickets: www.st94.com/ 215-257-5808
Musical style: Pop punk, indie pop, power pop
Known for hits like: “Top of the World,” “I Wanna Eat Chocobars,” “Blitzkrieg Bop” (Ramones’ cover), “KONNICHIWA” and “Twist Barbie”
Meet the band: Since 1981, Shonen Knife has been writing songs that incorporate ‘60s girl group sounds, ‘70s power pop melodies and punk sensibilities with unusual lyrics sung in English and Japanese. Formed in Osaka, Japan, the band gained international notoriety after opening for Nirvana on a European tour in 1991. They’ve released 22 albums to date, and have also performed as a Ramones tribute act as “Osaka Ramones.”
Check them out if you like: Ramones, The Muffs, The Raincoats, The Vaselines, Nirvana, Juliana Hatfield, The Nerves
Ziggy Marley
When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27
Where: Wind Creek Event Center, 77 Wind Creek Blvd., Bethlehem
How much: $61.50-$101.50
Tickets: ticketmaster.com/ 610-297-7414
Musical style: Reggae, roots reggae, contemporary
Known for hits like: “Tomorrow People,” “True to Myself,” “Beach in Hawaii,” “Love is my Religion” and “Look Who’s Dancing”
Meet the band: Ziggy Marley, eight-time Grammy winner, Emmy winner, musician, producer and activist, has spent nearly 40 years developing his own reggae sound infused with funk, blues and rock. He champions causes related to environmental awareness, social justice, self-empowerment and political inequity. He’s the son of Bob Marley and Rita Marley, and led Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers until 2002. He releases albums on his own label, Tuff Gong Worldwide.
Check him out if you like: Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, Bob Marley, Burning Spear, The Heptones, Jimmy Cliff, Toots & The Maytals
Cake
When: 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28
Where: Steel Stacks, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem
How much: $82
Tickets: steelstacks.org/ 610-332-1300
Musical style: Alternative, indie rock, pop rock
Known for hits like: “The Distance,” “Short Skirt/Long Jacket,” “I Will Survive,” “Never There” and “Love You Madly”
Meet the band: Incorporating elements of funk, jazz, hip hop and disco into their unique lo-fi alt rock sound, Cake broke into the mainstream as one of the most recognizable bands during the ‘90s with the singles “Going the Distance” and “I Will Survive” (a Gloria Gaynor cover). Their last album, 2011’s “Showroom of Compassion,” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200, and they have teased the release of their ninth album for the autumn of 2025.
Check them out if you like: Beck, Violent Femmes, Modest Mouse, Weezer, Spoon, Ween, The Flaming Lips
https://www.mcall.com/2025/09/02/lehigh-valley-concerts-september-top-picks/
