The top 3 Lehigh Valley-area concerts this week bring on some heavy-hitting stars who have each made their name by being among the top artists in their genre.
First are the swinging sounds of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, who were featured in the film “Swingers” and graced the stage of the half-time show at the Super Bowl in 1999. Next is the legendary Darlene Love, known as the voice behind some of Phil Spector’s biggest hits and a sprawling influence on ‘60s and ‘70s rock music.
And last is The Lovin’ Spoonful, who rivaled the Rolling Stones and the Beatles as one of the top selling artists in the US back in the ‘60s, bring their many hits to Sellersville.
Big Bad VooDoo Daddy
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Where: Penn’s Peak, 325 Maury Rd., Jim Thorpe
How much: $22-$27
Tickets: www.pennspeak.com/ 866-605-7325
Musical style: Swing, jazz, big band
Known for hits like: “Go Daddy-O,” “You & Me & The Bottle Makes 3 Tonight (Baby)” and “Mr. Pinstripe Suit.”
Honors: They appeared in the 1996 independent film “Swingers,” and their music has been featured on “Third Rock From The Sun,” “Ally McBeal,” and “So You Think You Can Dance.” They’ve performed for three U.S. presidents, appeared as animated versions of themselves in the 2001 Cartoon Network Scooby Doo Halloween special, “Night of the Living Doo,” and attended dinner on an episode of Gordon Ramsay’s “Hell’s Kitchen.” They also performed on the Super Bowl XXXIII half-time show in 1999, and were the house band for ESPN’s ESPY Awards for years.
Check them out if you like: Brian Setzer, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, Royal Crown Revue
Darlene Love
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Zoellner Arts Center, 420 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem
How much: $45
Tickets: zoellner.cas.lehigh.edu/ 610-758-2787
Musical style: R&B, soul, rock and roll
Known for hits like: “He’s a Rebel,” “Today I Met the Boy I’m Gonna Marry,” “Da Doo Ron Ron,” “All Alone on Christmas.”
Honors: Listed among Rolling Stone Magazine’s 100 Greatest Singers, and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011, Love began her career recording with record producer Phil Spector in 1962. She was the lead singer on “He’s a Rebel” and “He’s Sure the Boy I Love,” both credited to The Crystals, and worked with many legends in the ‘60s including the Beach Boys, Elvis Presley, Tom Jones, and Sonny and Cher. From 1986 until 2014 she would perform annually on NBC’s “Late Night with David Letterman” and CBS’s “Late Show with David Letterman” singing the song “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” and continuing the tradition on “The View” starting in 2015. She was also featured in the Oscar-winning documentary film “20 Feet from Stardom,” for which she won a Grammy Award.
Check her out if you like: The Ronettes, The Crystals, Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans, Nancy Sinatra, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Shirelles, The Blossoms
The Lovin’ Spoonful
When: 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Sunday
Where: Sellersville Theater, 24 W. Temple Ave., Sellersville
How much: $33-$55
Tickets: www.st94.com/ 215-257-5808
Musical style: Rock, folk rock, garage rock
Known for hits like: “Do You Believe in Magic,” “Summer in the City,” “Daydream,” “Did You Ever Have to Make up Your Mind?” and “(Till I) Run With You.”
Meet the band: Greenwich Village’s answer to The British Invasion, The Lovin’ Spoonful came out swinging, their first seven singles making the Billboard Top 10 in under two years. In 1966 they were the third best-selling band in the US, only behind the Beatles and Rolling Stones. Instrumental in pioneering the folk rock genre, they also dabbled in psychedelic music before disbanding in 1968. The band reunited in 2000 to perform at their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and original member, bassist Steve Boone, is out keeping the music alive today with his touring band.
Check them out if you like: The Dave Clark Five, Herman’s Hermits, The Grass Roots, The Young Rascals, Manfred Mann, The Troggs, The Turtles
Jay Honstetter is a freelance writer. Follow him on Twitter @jayhonstetter.
