Rachel Black, The Freedom Forum Editorial Editor and 

Samantha Corvera, Journalism Student

Summer concerts are a valued part of Lehigh Valley culture. Since 1984, Musikfest has brought some unforgettable concert experiences to Bethlehem.

  The original music festival featured 295 performances, and recently, Musikfest has skyrocketed to over 500 concerts a year. Sometimes these memories are positively everlasting, but sometimes they are horrific. What makes these concerts so awesome or awful?

  For starters, a performer’s attitude is very important when it comes to the overall feel of a concert. Senior Hailey Miller explains to the Forum her own drabby experience of seeing Jason Derulo at Musikfest in August 2014.

   “It just seemed like he didn’t want to be there,” Miller said.

  She confides that Derulo did not even know what state he was in during the concert.

  “He called us New Jersey!” Miller said.

  She wishes that the arrogant superstar would have been more emotionally vulnerable at the event.       

  “I just prefer a performer who connects to the audience,” Miller shares.  

  Elena Spengler, a fellow Freedom senior, had a completely different experience from Miller when she saw The Band Perry at Musikfest in 2017. According to Spengler, The Band Perry’s down-to-earth stage presence is unparalleled by any band she had ever seen.

  Besides the country-pop group’s catchy music, Spengler noted that the band shared a connection with the audience and told them the story of how the band started.

   “They were genuinely humble people. I would definitely see them again,” said Spengler.

  What contrasted between Jason Derulo and The Band Perry was eagerness and transparency. Miller and Spengler both agree that when choosing a concert to attend this summer, find a performer who is notoriously kind, inspiring, and humble!

Photo credits: Rachel Black