And just like that, 2025 is out the door and 2026 kicks off with a bang. Recover from the holiday stress with a month of live music, and start your year by failing your New Year’s resolution in style, at a concert!
From Neko Case to Rob Thomas and The Philadelphia Funk Authority to an annual Hank Williams tribute concert at Godfrey Daniels, the Lehigh Valley is a music-lovers paradise this month.
Read on for January’s top Lehigh Valley concerts.
JACK MURRAY & THE BLUE TARP WRANGLERS
When: 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 1
Where: Godfrey Daniels, 7 E. 4th St., Bethlehem
How much: $26.63-$31.82
Tickets: godfreydaniels.org/ 610-867-2390
Musical style: Americana, blues, country
Known for hits like: “Once a Day,” “Dublin Blues,” “Lost Highway,” “Hey Good Lookin” and “Believe What You Say”
Meet the band: Jack Murray is an accomplished singer-songwriter who has penned songs for Nashville recording artists like Alabama and Ronnie Sessions. He’s played in several bands and has become a main-stay at the Sellersville Theater and Godfrey Daniels. Jack fronts The Blue Tarp Wranglers when not performing as a solo artist. The band’s line-up includes guitarist Alan Landes, bassist Nick Franclik, percussionist Josh Kanusky and pedal steel maestro Dave Van Allen.
Check them out if you like: Hank Williams, Buck Owens, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Chris Smithers, Lenny Kaye, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Jack Murray & the Blue Tarp Wranglers perform Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, at Godfrey Daniels in Bethlehem. (Courtesy Jack Murray)
Philadelphia Funk Authority performs Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, at Musikfest Cafe in Bethlehem. (Tina Pastor)
New York City’s Big Lazy performs Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Godfrey Daniels in Bethlehem. (Matt Carr)
Rob Thomas, seen here performing during SiriusXM and Pandora PopRocks: The Holidays in New York City on Dec. 9, 2025, comes to the Lehigh Valley on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, for a show at the Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
Neko Case performs Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, at Archer Music Hall in Allentown. (Ebru Yildiz)
The Menzingers perform Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, at Archer Music Hall in Allentown. (Tom May and Danielle Dubois)
Jessie’s Girl will bring its Back to the ’80s show to Penn’s Peak on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, in Jim Thorpe. (Manish Gosalia)
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Jack Murray & the Blue Tarp Wranglers perform Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, at Godfrey Daniels in Bethlehem. (Courtesy Jack Murray)
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PHILADELPHIA FUNK AUTHORITY
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 2
Where: Musikfest Cafe, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem
How much: $19.25-$34.25
Tickets: artsquest.com 610-332-1300
Musical style: Funk, soul, R&B
Known for hits like: Eclectic covers of dance songs, including “Disco Inferno,” “I Can’t Go For That,” “1999,” “Uptown Funk” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”
Meet the band: Philadelphia Funk Authority is an award-winning band that prides itself on bringing the party. Their performances are exceptionally high energy with the intention of getting everyone on the dancefloor. Comprised of nine professional musicians, with a knack for bringing out the best in live crowds, the band takes on the best party hits from the past 50 years.
Check them out if you like: Prince, Hall & Oates, The Trammps, Michael Jackson, Earth, Wind & Fire, Lionel Richie, Kool & The Gang
ROB THOMAS
When: 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 16
Where: Wind Creek Event Center, 77 Wind Creek Blvd., Bethlehem
How much: $79.50-$169.50
Tickets: ticketmaster.com/ 610-297-7414
Musical style: Pop, alternative, adult contemporary
Known for hits like: “Smooth” (w/Santana), “3 AM,” and “Push” (both in w/Matchbox 20), “Little Wonders” and “Lonely No More”
Honors: He’s a 10-time Grammy Award nominee and has won three Grammys for his work on “Smooth” with Santana. He’s written songs for Willie Nelson, Mick Jagger and Travis Tritt, and in 2004 the Songwriters Hall of Fame awarded him the first Hal David Starlight Award. He also fronts the band Matchbox 20, who’ve been nominated for multiple Grammy Awards and have topped the Billboard Charts on several occasions.
Check him out if you like: Matchbox 20, Five For Fighting, Train, Goo Goo Dolls, Santana, Hootie & The Blowfish, Tonic
BIG LAZY
When: 8 p.m. Friday, Jan 16
Where: Godfrey Daniels, 7 E. 4th St., Bethlehem
How much: $30.78-$35.98
Tickets: godfreydaniels.org/ 610-867-2390
Musical style: Instrumental noir, jazz, soundtrack
Known for hits like: “Skinless Boneless,” “Avenue X,” “Ramona,” “Girl” and “Don’t Cross Myrtle”
Meet the band: Deemed “The Big Apple Crème de la Crème” by esteemed critic Robert Christgau, NYC’s Big Lazy have been playing their distinct combination of instrumental noir and twang for over two decades, blending elements of rock, jazz and the Avant Garde into one solid sound. The band has been featured on a number of radio, film and television programs, and appeared live on NPR’s Weekend Edition. Stephen Ulrich, the founder of the band, is also the composer for the HBO series “Bored to Death” and the documentary “Art and Craft.”
Check them out if you like: Stephen Ulrich, Marc Ribot, Guano Padano, Spindrift, Langhorns, Friends of Dean Martinez, Shotnez
NEKO CASE
When: 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17
Where: Archer Music Hall, 939 Hamilton Street, Allentown
How much: $46-$72
Tickets: ticketmaster.com/ 610-798-1466
Musical style: Indie rock, alt-country, singer-songwriter
Known for hits like: “I Wish I Was the Moon,” “Calling Cards,” “Buckets of Rain,” “Star Witness” and “Hold On, Hold On”
Meet the artist: She’s a member of the Canadian supergroup The New Pornographers, was celebrated as the Female Artist of the Year at the PLUG Independent Music Awards in 2006, in 2010 her album “Middle Cyclone” was nominated for Best Contemporary Folk Album and Best Recording Package at the 52nd Grammy Awards, and in 2014 her album “The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight, the Harder I Fight, the More I Love You” was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards. She’s appeared on numerous television shows, like “Aqua Teen Hunger Force,” and the Australian music quiz show “Spicks and Specks.” And she’s been a guest on radio shows like NPR’s “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me” and BBC Radio’s “Woman’s Hour.”
Check her out if you like: The New Pornographers, Nicole Atkins, Jenny Lewis, Dusty Springfield, Wilco, Rilo Kiley, Lucinda Williams
PROFESSOR LOUIE & THE CROWMATIX
When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17
Where: Godfrey Daniels, 7 E. 4th St., Bethlehem
How much: $30.78-$35.98
Tickets: godfreydaniels.org/ 610-867-2390
Musical style: Blues, gospel, American roots
Known for hits like: “Miss Marie,” “Don’t Wait,” “Living in the Country” and “A Thousand Ways to Freedom”
Meet the band: Professor Louie & The Crowmatix started out as the backing band for The Band, they’ve received five Grammy nominations, their album, “Crowin’ the Blues” reached No. 24 on the Australian Blues & Roots Airplay International Charts in 2017, and “Miles of Blues,” was awarded “Best Album” by Radio Crystal Blue in 2019. Professor Louie (real name Aaron L. Hurwitz) produced three albums for The Band — “Jericho,” “High on the Hog” and “Jubilation” — and has also produced and performed with Graham Parker, Commander Cody, Guy Davis, and Buckwheat Zydeco. Professor Louie was inducted into New York’s Blues Hall of Fame in 2016.
Check them out if you like: The Band, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, The Allman Brothers Band
THE MENZINGERS
When: 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24
Where: Archer Music Hall, 939 Hamilton Street, Allentown
How much: $46-$71
Tickets: ticketmaster.com/ 610-798-1466
Musical style: Pop punk, alternative, punk rock
Known for hits like: “After the Party,” “I Don’t Wanna be an Asshole Anymore,” “Good Things,” “Lookers” and “Anna”
Meet the band: Formed in Scranton in 2006, The Menzingers are a punk band that signed with Epitaph in 2011, and have released seven studio albums to date. Last year they put out a deluxe edition of their 2023 album, “Some of it was True,” produced by Brad Cook (Bon Iver, The War on Drugs, Waxahatchee) and expanding the album with two new tracks.
Check them out if you like: Gaslight Anthem, Bouncing Souls, Beach Slang, Modern Baseball, The Wonder Years, Against Me!, Hot Water Music
STRANGELOVE: THE DEPECHE MODE EXPERIENCE
When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 27
Where: Sellersville Theater, 24 W. Temple Ave.
How much: $40-$47
Tickets: www.st94.com/ 215-257-5808
Musical style: New wave, synth-pop, post-punk
Known for hits like: Covers of Depeche Mode hits like, “Never Let You Down Again,” “Enjoy the Silence,” “Master and Servant,” “Policy of Truth,” “People are People” and “A Question of Lust”
Meet the band: They were featured on E!’s “Clash of the Cover Bands,” and in 2015 were included in LA Weekly’s “20 Best Tribute Acts in Los Angeles.” They formed in 2010 and have since played all over the U.S. as well as internationally in Mexico, Canada, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Ecuador, Dominican Republic and England. They were featured on a Depeche Mode tribute album called “Music for Constructions,” that went to No. 1 on Amazon Germany in the Indie & Lo-Fi category.
Check them out if you like: Depeche Mode, New Order, Soft Cell, Duran Duran. Tears for Fears, Simple Minds, Gary Numan
JESSIE’S GIRL: BACK TO THE ’80s SHOW
When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31
Where: Penn’s Peak, 325 Maury Rd., Jim Thorpe
How much: $48-$58
Tickets: www.pennspeak.com/ 866-605-7325
Musical style: New wave, pop, arena rock
Known for hits like: Covers of classic ‘80s hits including “1999,” “99 Red Balloons,” “Rebel Yell,” “Like a Virgin” and “Pour Some Sugar on Me”
Meet the band: Celebrate the ‘80s in true style with this team of seasoned musicians taking on the most memorable hits of everyone’s favorite decade. From high-profile appearances at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, ABC/NY Magazine’s launch party, The Goldbergs, a Halloween bash with Jamie Foxx, a private birthday party for ‘80s icon Neil Patrick Harris, to opening for Smash Mouth, Jessie’s Girl continues to sell out shows across the country.
Check them out if you like: Prince, Bon Jovi, Hall & Oates, Madonna, Billy Idol, Men at Work, Def Leppard
Jay Honstetter is a freelance writer.