The kids are back in school, autumn is settling in, and venues around the Valley are firing up a new season of music for those crisp fall nights.
This month brings esteemed Beatles drummer Ringo Starr to town, the swinging sounds of multi-instrumentalist Gunhild Carling, country singer Marina McBride, and so much more.
Read on for more top Lehigh Valley concerts this September.
Gunhild Carling performs Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, at Sellersville Theater. (Courtesy Gunhild Carling)
Los Straitjackets perform Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, at Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks in Bethlehem. (Dave Brolan)
Chris Smither performs Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, at Sellersville Theater. (Jo Chattman)
The Rascals perform Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, at the Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg. (Leon Volkis)
Graham Nash performs Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, at Zoellner Arts Center in Bethlehem. (Misti Layne)
Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band perform Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, at the State Theater in Easton. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Martina McBride will perform Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, at the State Theater in Easton. (Robby Klein)
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Gunhild Carling performs Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, at Sellersville Theater. (Courtesy Gunhild Carling)
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GUNHILD CARLING
When: 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10
Where: Sellersville Theater, 24 W. Temple Ave.
How much: $35-$66.50
Tickets: st94.com / 215-257-5808
Musical style: Swing, jazz, vaudeville
Known for hits like: Jazz, swing, and ragtime versions of “The Final Countdown,” “Dancing Queen,” “Fly Me to the Moon” and “Never Gonna Give You Up,” plus originals like, “I Thought We Were a Thing”
Meet the artist: Gunhild Carling is a talented multi-instrumentalist who’s as skilled at playing the trombone and trumpet as she is at the ukulele, piano, harmonica, bagpipes, and about a million others. A member of the legendary Carlin family, she has amassed over 70 million YouTube views, performed with Postmodern Jukebox, toured with the Count Basie Orchestra, and is a household name in Sweden where she’s appeared on “Allsång på Skansen, Let’s Dance” (Dancing with the Stars, Sweden — where she placed third), “Fångarna på Fortet” (Fear Factory), “Så ska det låta” (Songwriter’s Board), America’s Got Talent, and ABC News.
Check her out if you like: Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox, Girls from Mars, The Black Market Trust
LOS STRAITJACKETS
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12
Where: Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks, 789 E. First St., Bethlehem
How much: Free
Tickets: artsquest.org / 610-332-1300
Musical style: Surf rock, instrumental rock and roll, garage rock
Known for hits like: Originals and covers, including, “Kawanga!,” “Out of Limits,” “Our Favorite Martian,” “Sleepwalk” and “Jet Pac Boomerang”
Meet the band: Releasing their first album in1995, “The Utterly Fantastic and Totally Unbelievable Sound of Los Straitjackets,” the band gained notoriety quickly during the mid ‘90s surf revival that followed the “Pulp Fiction” craze. Donning their trademark Lucha Libre Mexican wrestling masks during their high-energy performances, the band has released 14 studio albums, have been nominated for a Grammy, served as Nick Lowe’s backing band, and have been featured in numerous television shows, commercials, radio shows, and on Conan O’Brien — playing Christmas music every holiday season throughout the ‘90s. Their latest album, “Somos Los Straitjackets,” was released in 2025, and continues in the instrumental surf rock tradition that has kept the band popular for more than 30 years.
Check them out if you like: Dick Dale, Satan’s Pilgrims, The Ventures, Man or Astro-Man?, Link Wray, The Fleshtones, Duane Eddy
THE RASCALS
When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19
Where: Sherman Theater, 524 Main St., Stroudsburg
How much: $40-$91.15
Tickets: shermantheater.com / 570-420-2808
Musical style: Soul, rock, garage pop
Known for hits like: “Good Lovin,’” “A Beautiful Morning,” “People Got to Be Free,” “I’ve Been Lonely Too Long” and “Groovin’”
Honors: The Rascals formed in 1965, and from 1966-1968 they broke the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 with nine singles. In 1997 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2010 they were inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame. One of the most successful “blue-eyed soul groups” of the era, they were also known for their refusal to play on segregated bills. Their final U.S. No. 1 single, “People Got to Be Free,” was a song about racial tolerance.
Check them out if you like: The Grassroots, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Tommy James & The Shondells, The Turtles, The Dave Clark Five, The Box Tops, The Spencer Davis Group
CHRIS SMITHER
When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19
Where: Sellersville Theater, 24 W. Temple Ave.
How much: $35-$56.50
Tickets: st94.com / 215-257-5808
Musical style: Blues, folk, rock
Known for hits like: “Leave the Light On,” “What They Say,” “Lonely Time,” “Don’t Call Me Stranger” and “No Love Today”
Meet the artist: Chris Smither won his first battle of the bands back in 1960. He started releasing albums in 1970, and in 1972 Bonnie Raitt recorded a cover of Smither’s song, “Love Me Like a Man” (which was also covered by Diana Krall in 2005). In 1991 he received a Boston Music Award, and in 1993 he released his fifth studio album, “Happier Blue (Flying Fish),” earning him a National American Independent Record Distributors (NAIRD) award. He’s been included in several music books, magazine features, and is referenced in various Linda Barnes novels. He’s been playing acoustic-style coffee house blues, tapping his feet for percussion (using a microphone to emphasize the sound) for over 50 years.
Check him out if you like: John Gorka, Peter Case, Mississippi John Hurt, Leo Kottke, Randy Newman, John Waits, Bonnie Raitt
RINGO STARR & HIS ALL STARR BAND
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24
Where: State Theater, 453 Northampton St., Easton
How much: $190-$658.25
Tickets: statetheatre.org / 610-258-7766
Musical style: Known for hits like: “It Don’t Come Easy,” “Yellow Submarine,” “Photograph,” “I Wanna Be Your Man” and “With a Little Help from My Friends”
Meet the band: Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and beloved drummer of The Beatles, Ringo Starr has had an astonishing solo career since the Fab Four called it quits in 1970. With his All Starr Band, he brings together Beatles’ hits, solo classics, and well-known songs his line-up helped make famous in their respective careers. The current line-up features members of Toto, Men at Work, Aerosmith, Kansas, Average White Band, and The David Lee Roth Band.
Check them out if you like: The Beatles, Toto, Men at Work, Aerosmith, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, John Lennon
GRAHAM NASH
When: 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24
Where: Zoellner Arts Center, 420 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem
How much: $70-$90
Tickets: zoellner.cas.lehigh.edu / 610-758-2787
Musical style: Rock and roll, folk rock, soft rock
Known for hits like: “Marrakesh Express,” “Lady of the Island,” “On a Carousel,” “Carrie Anne” and “Teach Your Children”
Meet the artist: Graham Nash is a Grammy award-winning, two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, and two-time Song Writers Hall of Famer who has spent the past 60 years crafting songs that continue to resonate with audiences across the globe. Whether it’s with The Hollies, Crosby, Stills & Nash, CSNY, or as a solo artist, Nash has proven he’s mastered the art of writing unforgettable songs that stand the test of time. The show will be a career-spanning retrospective with a full band.
Check him out if you like: Crosby, Stills & Nash, CSNY, The Hollies, The Band, Fairport Convention, Love, David Crosby
MARTINA MCBRIDE
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26
Where: State Theater, 453 Northampton St., Easton
How much: $90-$160
Tickets: statetheatre.org / 610-258-7766
Musical style: Country, country pop, neo-traditional
Known for hits like: “Independence Day,” “A Broken Wing,” “This One’s for the Girls,” “Valentine” and “My Baby Loves Me”
Meet the artist: One of the best known voices in country music, Martina McBride has sold over 23 million records, has had 20 top 10 singles, six No. 1 hits, four CMA Female Vocalist of the Year honors (tied with Reba McEntire for the third-most wins), three ACM Top Female Vocalist wins, and numerous Grammy nominations. Eight of her studio albums and two of her compilations have been RIAA certified gold.
Check her out if you like: Lee Ann Womack, Reba McEntire, Faith Hill, Wynonna Judd, Sara Evans, The Chicks, Carrie Underwood
THE GREAT AMERICAN SWING BOOK
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26
Where: Miller Symphony Hall, 23 N. Sixth St., Allentown
How much: $30-$84
Tickets: millersymphonyhall.org / 610-432-6715
Musical style: Swing, jazz, bebop
Known for hits like: Swing favorites like “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” “A-Tisket, A-Tasket,” ‘I’ll Never Smile Again,” “God Bless the Child” and “Sweet Lorraine”
Meet the band: Opening the 2026-2027 season, The Allentown Symphony Orchestra takes us back to a time when jazz was king with The Great American Swing Book. Teaming up with award winning vocalist Dee Daniels, the concert will revive the songs made famous by icons like Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra. From dance floor favorites to swooning ballads and boogie-woogie to jump blues, The Great American Swing Book captures all the jumping, jiving, and wailing of the hep-cat era.
Check them out if you like: Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, Peggy Lee, Bessie Smith, Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong
Jay Honstetter is a freelance writer.