April showers bring May flowers, but this May we’re getting The Wallflowers.
Also bracing for the heat, we’ve got the innovative jazz improv of the Clarice Assad Jazz Trio, the pop punk with a side of synthesizer sounds of Motion City Soundtrack, the 12-string country blues of Todd Albright, and more.
Read on for more top Lehigh Valley concerts this May.
Graham Parker performs Friday, May 8, 2026, at Sellersville Theater. (Dion Ogust)
Clarice Assad Jazz Trio performs Friday, May 8, 2026, at Miller Symphony Hall in Allentown. (Marcelo Macaue)
Mullett performs Saturday, May 16, 2026, at Sellersville Theater. (Bill McMenamey)
Todd Albright performs Saturday, May 16, 2026, at Godfrey Daniels in Bethlehem. (Sarah Stawski)
Motion City Soundtrack performs Sunday, May 17, 2026, at Archer Music Hall in Allentown. (Contributed photo)
Bill Haley Jr. & The Comets perform Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe. (David Morgan)
The Wallflowers, with frontman Jakob Dylan, perform Friday, May 8, 2026, at Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe. (Yasmin Than)
Don McLean performs Saturday, May 30, 2026, at Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem. (David Doc Abbott)
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Graham Parker performs Friday, May 8, 2026, at Sellersville Theater. (Dion Ogust)
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Clarice Assad Jazz Trio
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 8
Where: Miller Symphony Hall, 23 N.6th St., Allentown
How much: $33-$43
Tickets: millersymphonyhall.org / 610-432-6715
Musical style: Jazz, classical, world music
Known for hits like: “Constellation,” “As Time Goes By,” “Quebra Pedra,” “Morro Velho” and “Archetypes: XII. The Explorer”
Meet the artist: Allentown Symphony Orchestra’s resident composer, the two-time Grammy-nominated Clarice Assad, takes her masterful blend of Brazilian rhythms, Romanticism, jazz, classical artistry, and stirring vocals to Jazz Upstairs in a cozy setting with her jazz trio. Performing professionally since she was 7 years old, and earning a Bachelor of Music degree from Roosevelt University in Chicago and a master’s degree in composition from the University of Michigan, Assad creates innovative sounds incorporating her many influences and improvisational style.
Check her out if you like: Sergio Assad, Third Coast Percussion, Milton Nascimento, Gaelle Solal, Edino Krieger, Carlotta Dalia, Yo-Yo ma
The Wallflowers
When: 8 p.m. Friday, May 8
Where: Penn’s Peak, 325 Maury Rd., Jim Thorpe
How much: $38.50-$43.50
Tickets: www.pennspeak.com / 866-605-7325
Musical style: Roots rock, alternative, heartland rock
Known for hits like: “One Headlight,” “Three Marlenas,” “6th Ave Heartache,” “The Difference” and “Sleepwalker”
Meet the band: The Wallflowers is the music project of Jakob Dylan, son of Bob Dylan. They were formed in Los Angeles in 1989 and were first signed in 1992. They hit the mainstream charts in 1996 with their album “Bringing Down the Horse.” They’ve sold over 10 million records, won two Grammys, and 15 of their songs have made the top 10 on Billboard’s Adult Alternative Airplay chart. Their hit, “One Headlight,” was included on Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Pop Songs, and Billboard named it the Greatest of All Time Adult Alternative Song. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of “Bringing Down the Horse,” they’ll play the album in its entirety.
Check them out if you like: Counting Crows, Hootie and the Blowfish, Gin Blossoms, Coldplay, Soul Asylum, Whiskeytown, Cracker
Graham Parker
When: 8 p.m. Friday, May 8
Where: Sellersville Theater, 24 W. Temple Ave.
How much: $29.50-$66.50
Tickets: www.st94.com / 215-257-5808
Musical style: Pub rock, new wave, soul
Known for hits like: “Discovering Japan,” “You Can’t Be Too Strong,” “Local Girls,” “Protection” and “I Want You Back”
Meet the artist: He’s released over 20 studio albums, and was featured in Judd Apatow’s movie “This is 40” alongside his old bandmates, The Rumour — leading to an actual reunion tour with them, and a new record. His first album, “Howlin’ Wind,” was produced by Nick Lowe and received rave reviews. His album “Squeezing Out Sparks,” his first for Arista, was his best-selling record, hitting No. 40 on the American charts and selling over 200,000 copies.
Check him out if you like: Joe Jackson, Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, The Rumour, Squeeze, Alex Chilton, Van Morrison
Todd Albright
When: 8 p.m. Saturday, May 16
Where: Godfrey Daniels, 7 E. 4th St., Bethlehem
How much: $26.63-$31.82
Tickets: godfreydaniels.org / 610-867-2390
Musical style: Country blues, acoustic blues, folk
Known for hits like: “Savannah Mama,” “Kill it Kid,” “Rising River Blues,” “Sweet Mary Blues” and “Delia”
Meet the artist: Based in Detroit, Michigan, Todd Albright is a country blues 12-string guitarist and vocalist steeped in the pre-war era blues tradition. With the upmost respect for blues history, his performances incorporate stories and fascinating lessons on blues culture including fun facts and captivating tales. In 2017 he signed to Jack White’s Third Man Records, and he’s been featured in numerous magazines, performed live sessions for KEXP and Daytrotter, and has received praise from all corners of the world.
Check him out if you like: Roy Bookbinder, Blind Willie McTell, Dom Flemons, Jim Jackson, Jack White, Mississippi Joe Callicott, Furry Lewis
Mullett
When: 8 p.m. Saturday, May 16
Where: Sellersville Theater, 24 W. Temple Ave.
How much: $35-$42
Tickets: www.st94.com / 215-257-5808
Musical style: Hair metal, arena rock, ‘80s rock
Known for hits like: Classic ‘80s covers including “Shot Through the Heart,” “Working for the Weekend,” “Jump,” “Don’t Stop Believin’” and “Sweet Child O’ Mine”
Meet the band: Keeping the ‘80s alive, Dan Halen, Teddy Lee, Jef Leppard, and Sebastian Rock — collectively known as Mullett — put the pedal to the ahem, hair metal, blasting out classic favorites from the decade that defined big hair, rock n’ roll, and all-out mayhem. More than just a covers band, Mullett brings a whole stage show delivering the full ‘80s experience complete with the outfits, the sound and a whole lotta hairspray.
Check them out if you like: Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Van Halen, Journey, Motley Crue, Poison, Foreigner
Motion City Soundtrack
When: 7 p.m. Sunday, May 17
Where: Archer Music Hall, 939 Hamilton Street, Allentown
How much: $46-$100
Tickets: livenation.com / 610-798-1466
Musical style: Pop punk, emo, alternative
Known for hits like: “Everything is Alright,” “The Future Freaks Me Out,” “L.G. FUAD,” “My Favorite Accident” and “When You’re Around”
Meet the band: Formed in Minneapolis in 1997, Motion City Soundtrack shakes up the emo/pop-punk sound with their use of a Moog synthesizer. They’ve released seven albums, including their debut, “I Am the Movie,” and their 2005 breakthrough album, “Commit This to Memory.” In 2016, after years of extensive touring, the band broke up but then announced a reunion in 2019 with numerous gigs throughout the 2020s. In 2025 they released their first album in 10 years, “The Same Old Wasted Wonderful World.” Consequence ranked the band 75th on their list of “The 100 Best Pop Punk Bands” in 2019, and in 2025, Screen Rant included them on their list of “10 Forgotten Pop-Punk Bands Who Deserve To Be Better Remembered.”
Check them out if you like: The Starting Line, Say Anything, New Found Glory, Taking Back Sunday, Saves the Day, Dashboard Confessional, Alkaline Trio
Bill Haley Jr. & The Comets
When: 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 20
Where: Penn’s Peak, 325 Maury Rd., Jim Thorpe
How much: $27.83-$50
Tickets: www.pennspeak.com / 866-605-7325
Musical style: Rock ‘n’ roll, oldies, pop
Known for hits like: “Rock Around the Clock,” “Shake, Rattle and Roll,” “See You Later Alligator” and “Rudy’s Rock”
Meet the band: Dubbing their concert a “Rock and Roll History Show,” Bill Haley Jr. & The Comets perform covers of classic Bill Haley songs and other chart-topping ‘50s and ‘60s jukebox tunes. Bill Haley Jr. is the son of Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bill Haley, and shares stories of his father for historical context between songs.
Check them out if you like: Bill Haley & His Comets, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chubby Checker, Little Richard, The Big Bopper
Don McLean
When: 8 p.m. Saturday, May 30
Where: Wind Creek Event Center, 77 Wind Creek Blvd., Bethlehem
How much: $39.50-$69.50
Tickets: ticketmaster.com / 610-297-7414
Musical style: Folk, pop, rock
Known for hits like: “American Pie,” “Vincent,” “And I Love You So,” “Castles in the Air” and “Crying”
Meet the artist: Don McLean is a Grammy-honored, Songwriter Hall of Fame-inducted artist and BBC Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. His song “American Pie” is preserved in the Library of Congress National Recording Registry and was named a Top 5 Song of the 20th Century by the RIAA. Getting his start on the New York club scene of the late ‘60s, McLean has since gone on to see his songs recorded by the likes of Madonna, Garth Brooks, Josh Groban, Drake and “Weird Al” Yankovic, and included in countless films and television shows. Some of his other honors include inductions into the Musicians Hall of Fame and stars on both the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Las Vegas Walkway of Stars, and a $1.2 million auction of his original handwritten “American Pie” lyrics.
Check him out if you like: The Mamas & The Papas, Simon & Garfunkel, Jim Croce, Fleetwood Mac, Bob Dylan, Buffalo Springfield, The Turtles
Jay Honstetter is a freelance writer.