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    Review: Weezer at the Sands Bethlehem Event Center

    by theelvee_w2oe3m December 8, 2013

    Local Lehigh Valley band Harkland got a moment in the spotlight  opening for Weezer.  An odd fit for them, as their music strays more towards a soulful country vibe, but they sounded decent nonetheless.  Vocalist Paulie Knakk was emotional and comfortable on the big stage playing in front of thousands.  Shortly afterwards the band went from playing on one of the biggest stages in the Lehigh Valley to headlining a show at the Steel Pub.  Talk about a change of pace.  And then, on to Weezer.

     Fans looking for any deep cuts from Weezer weren’t in for treat at a recent show at the Sands Bethlehem Event Center.  It seems the band took LCD Soundsystem’s documentary title (“Shut Up and Play The Hits”) a little too seriously, playing a set almost entirely compromised of hit singles and only one song released in the past three years.

    That, however, was not a downfall of this show.  Weezer’s classics, of which there are now many, are enduring and still amazingly fresh.  Even songs that were initially panned as terrible, such as El Scorcho and The Good Life, have become fan favorites and deep cuts in their own way.  Although the crowds still obviously prefer the early Blue Album material, Weezer’s continued success keeps less personal and more frivolously poppy songs like “Pork and Beans” and “Beverly Hills” in their sets, reminding the crowd that this isn’t necessarily a “best of” show.

    Rivers Cuomo curated a venue-wide sing-a-long interspersed with piercing guitar melodies played by himself and guitarist Brian Bell leaning on one another, creeped across the side stage while a spotlight followed him, and gave a few shout outs to Bethlehem throughout the show.  Weezer’s energy level was perfect for the crowd size at the Sands.  Previous shows at larger venues like the Susquehanna Bank Center seemed overwrought and insincere.  The singles, the venue, the fans, and the band all crafted the evening into possibly one of the finest one could have at a Weezer show.  Sure, maybe a cover song and a more obscure song might’ve been nice, but in reality all the fans would’ve been screaming, “Shut up and play the hits!”

    December 8, 2013
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  • EventsFoodReviews

    Review: The Cake Boss at State Theatre

    by theelvee_w2oe3m November 15, 2013
    November 15, 2013

    The star of the TLC series Cake Boss, Buddy Valastro, hit the State Theatre in Easton for a performance earlier this week.  What exactly does the host of a baking show do…

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  • MusicReviews

    Review: Motion City Soundtrack at Maingate

    by theelvee_w2oe3m October 25, 2013
    October 25, 2013

     Motion City Soundtrack, on tour with Bayside, State Champs, and What’s Eating Gilbert, recently played to a small but energetic crowd at Allentown’s Maingate Nightclub. The band, now 16 years old, hasn’t wavered…

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  • EventsMusicReviews

    Wrap-Up of Musikfest Day 1

    by theelvee_w2oe3m August 3, 2013
    August 3, 2013

    Reviews, pictures, and thoughts about Day 1 of Musikfest

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  • DrinksFoodReviews

    Review: Molinari’s

    by theelvee_w2oe3m November 30, 2012
    November 30, 2012

    Molinari’s in Bethlehem opened at a tough time: Mama Nina’s is and was the go-to for many in the Lehigh Valley for great Italian and Emeril’s Italian Table was still relatively new. Regardless, they have succeeded in their goal to serve authentic Italian concepts and have implemented one of the most focused and impressive beverage programs in all of the Lehigh Valley.

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  • MusicReviews

    SafetySuit and Go Radio at Penn’s Peak

    by theelvee_w2oe3m September 20, 2012
    September 20, 2012

    Up-and-coming pop rockers SafetySuit recently played Penn’s Peak with Go Radio and Taylor Berrett.  We took advantage of an invite to take a jaunt up to the mountains to check out the…

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  • DrinksEventsFoodReviews

    Lehigh Valley Food and Wine Festival Wrap-up

    by theelvee_w2oe3m September 10, 2012
    September 10, 2012

    Last month the Sands Casino hosted the third annual Lehigh Valley Food and Wine Festival. This year the event changed quite a bit, as it was moved indoors to the Sands Bethlehem Event Center and spanned two days instead of the usual one.

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    Musikfest 2012 Wrap-up: Part Five (Final Thoughts)

    by theelvee_w2oe3m August 31, 2012
    August 31, 2012

    So another Musikfest has come to a close, and as always there were high notes and low notes.

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    Musikfest 2012 Wrap-up: Part 4 (The Food)

    by theelvee_w2oe3m August 29, 2012
    August 29, 2012

    Even though the whole event is centered around music, Musikfest is just as equally all about eating and drinking. As such, we endeavored to do a lot of both during this year’s festival.

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  • EventsMusicReviews

    Musikfest 2012 Wrap-up: Part 3

    by theelvee_w2oe3m August 28, 2012
    August 28, 2012

    And so the last weekend of Musikfest was upon us. Even the rain couldn’t hamper the good times that were had.

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