Americana, comedy, acrobatics coming to the area
BY JIM RADENHAUSEN
TNEDITOR@TNONLINE.COM
Old Crow Medicine Show and its brand of Americana lead the entertainment highlights at local and regional venues over the next couple of weeks.
The band, set to play Penn’s Peak, scored a break in 2000 when folk-country legend Doc Watson invited the act to perform at his music event MerleFest. The band boasts 10 No. 1s on Billboard’s Top Bluegrass Albums chart.
Lehigh Valley events include Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey at the PPL Center, singer-songwriter Rick Springfield at Wind Creek Event Center, and pop/rock band Three Dog Night and “Swan Lake” at the State Theatre.
PENN’S PEAK
325 Maury Road, Jim Thorpe
866-605-7325, pennspeak.com
• “It Was 50 Years Ago Today,” 8 p.m. Nov. 3. Artists will perform their own hits, plus songs from The Beatles’ “Let It Be” and “Hey Jude” albums. The lineup features, among others, Christopher Cross (“Sailing”), former Chicago singer Jason Schiff (“What Kind of Man Would I Be?”) and original Ambrosia lead singer David Pack (“How Much I Feel”).
• The Disco Biscuits, 8 p.m. Nov. 7. The Philadelphia-based group performs “trance-fusion,” bridging the gap between electronic dance music and jam rock. The Disco Biscuits released its ninth studio album, space opera “Revolution in Motion,” in March.
• Old Crow Medicine Show, 8 p.m. Nov. 8. The string band, based in Nashville, Tennessee, formed in the late 1990s. Debut studio album “O.C.M.S.,” released in 2004, includes the track “Wagon Wheel.“ The latter features verses written around a chorus and melody Bob Dylan wrote in 1973. Old Crow Medicine Show released eighth studio set “Jubilee” in 2023.
MAUCH CHUNK OPERA HOUSE
14 W. Broadway, Jim Thorpe
570-325-0249, mcohjt.com
• Dancin’ Machine, 8 p.m. Nov. 2. The act recreates the experience of a 1970s discothèque.
• Rubix Kube: “The ’80s Strike Back,” 8 p.m. Nov. 8. The show pays tribute to 1980s music and artists such as Michael Jackson, Madonna and Prince.
• Truth, 5:30 p.m. Nov. 10. The group performs a tribute to late English guitarist Jeff Beck. Truth takes its name from Beck’s same-titled 1968 debut studio album.
TAMAQUA COMMUNITY ARTS CENTER
125 Pine St., Tamaqua
570-668-1192, tamaquaarts.org
• Comedy Night, 8 p.m. Nov. 8, The Stitch. Sean Lynch and Lana Siebel will perform.
• Gallery Opening Reception: “Three Queens & a Joker,” 6 p.m. Nov. 7. The exhibit, set for display through Nov. 30, features the work of Audrey ABE Bordonaro, Mike McCord, Kristine Miller Siple and Pamela C. Albert.
VIC’S JAZZ LOFT
AT THE STABIN MUSEUM
268 W. Broadway, Jim Thorpe
570-325-5588, vicsjazzloft.com
• The Cooperative Trio, 7 p.m. Nov. 8. The trio, which will perform classics from the Great American Songbook, features Jon Ballantyne, Tony Marino and Ian Froman.
SIGNATURE EVENT CENTER
137 Erin Lane, Brodheadsville
570-872-1444, secpoconos.com
• “Back to the ’80s and ’90s Dress-Up Party” with Giants of Science, 7 p.m. Nov. 8. Giants of Science, a Scranton-based band, perform rock favorites from the 1980s and
PPL CENTER
701 Hamilton St., Allentown
610-224-4625, pplcenter.com
• Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, Nov. 2 and 3. The show features, among other attractions, a triangular highwire, criss-cross flying trapeze and stunt bikes.
WIND CREEK EVENT CENTER
77 Wind Creek Blvd., Bethlehem
610-297-7414, windcreekeventcenter.com
• Jessica Kirson, 8 p.m. Nov. 2. The comedian and podcast host, who co-produced FX’s 2021 documentary “Hysterical,” released prank-call album “The Call Girls” in 2021.
• Rick Springfield, 8 p.m. Nov. 3. The Australian-born musician/actor, whose hit singles include “Jessie’s Girl” and “I’ve Done Everything For You,” released his 23rd studio album “Automatic” in 2023. New single “Lose Myself” will appear on an upcoming compilation.
• Chelsea Handler, 8 p.m. Nov. 9. Born in Livingston, New Jersey, the comedian’s credits include E!’s “Chelsea Lately” talk show, plus multiple comedy specials and Netflix series. Handler, also an author, launched the advice podcast “Dear Chelsea” in 2021.
MUSIKFEST CAFÉ
101 Founders Way, Bethlehem
610-332-1300, steelstacks.org
• The Linny Awards, 5 p.m. Nov. 7. The event, honoring late philanthropist Marlene “Linny” Fowler, focuses on the greater Lehigh Valley’s artists, innovators and arts leaders.
• The Lehigh Valley Vegan s’MAC Down, 1 p.m. Nov. 10. The event includes vegan mac and cheese samples and voting for favorites, plus vegan-dessert vendors.
STATE THEATRE
453 Northampton St., Easton
800-999-7828, statetheatre.org
• Three Dog Night, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 7. Formed in 1967 in Los Angeles, the band scored 21 top 40 singles on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart from 1969 to 1975. Hits include “Mama Told Me (Not To Come),” “Joy to the World” and “Shambala.”
• Gary Puckett & The Union Gap with The Grass Roots, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 8. Formed in San Diego, the pop-rock group was active from 1967 to 1971. Hit singles include “Young Girl” and “Lady Willpower.” Puckett reformed Union Gap in the early 1980s.
• “Swan Lake,” 2 p.m. Nov. 9. The State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine will perform Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s classic 1877 ballet, in which an evil sorcerer’s curse transforms beautiful princess Odette into a swan.
SHERMAN THEATER
524 Main St., Stroudsburg
570-420-2808, shermantheater.com
• Poconos Freestyle Takeover, 7 p.m. Nov. 2. The lineup features artists such as Cynthia (“Dreamboy/Dreamgirl”), Noel (“Silent Morning”), Coro (“My Fallen Angel”), Soave (“Crying Over You”) and Lisette Melendez (”Together Forever”).
SHAWNEE PLAYHOUSE
552 River Road, Shawnee-on-Delaware
570-421-5093, shawneeplayhouse.org
• ‘Winter Whimsy & Wonder: An Acrobatic Spectacular,” 2 and 7 p.m. Nov. 9, 3 p.m. Nov. 10. Circus and variety entertainers will perform a tribute to the joy of the winter season.