Rob Thomas leads the new year\u2019s batch of entertainment highlights coming to local and regional entertainment over the next two weeks.<\/p>\n
The singer-songwriter, with both solo and Matchbox Twenty hits to his credit, will perform at Wind Creek Event Center. The show supports Sidewalk Angels Foundation, a nonprofit organization Thomas co-founded to provide critically needed funds and support to no-kill animal shelters and animal rescues.<\/p>\n
A number of tribute acts, meanwhile, will play area spots. The music of U2, Bon Jovi and Chris Cornell will fill Mauch Chunk Opera House, while tributes to Tom Petty, Steely Dan, Spice Girls and Led Zeppelin take over the Musikfest Caf\u00e9.<\/p>\n
MAUCH CHUNK OPERA HOUSE<\/p>\n
14 W. Broadway, Jim Thorpe<\/p>\n
570-325-0249, mcohjt.com<\/p>\n
\u2022 Unforgettable Fire, 8 p.m. Saturday. The tribute act, performing the music of U2 since New Year\u2019s Day 1995, takes its name from the Irish rock band\u2019s 1984 album \u201cThe Unforgettable Fire.\u201d In 2015, U2 members The Edge and Adam Clayton crashed Unforgettable Fire\u2019s show at The Cutting Room in New York City. They joined UF onstage to perform \u201cOut Of Control\u201d and \u201cWhere The Streets Have No Name.\u201d In 2021, a \u201cTribute Bands\u201d category on \u201cJeopardy!\u201d featured UF. That same year, the group competed and won on the series premiere of E!\u2019s \u201cClash of the Cover Bands.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2022 Don Jovi, 8 p.m. Jan. 16. The band, formed in Long Island, New York, in 2023, pays tribute to rock group Bon Jovi. Frontman Don Chaffin\u2019s band history includes Voices of Extreme, Red Lamb, Ram Jam, Riot Act, Road Crew and American Mafia.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Superunknown, 8 p.m. Jan. 17. The act, paying tribute to Chris Cornell, performs the music of rock bands Soundgarden, Audioslave and Temple of the Dog. Superunknown takes its name from Soundgarden\u2019s same-titled 1994 album.<\/p>\n
PENN\u2019S PEAK<\/p>\n
325 Maury Road, Jim Thorpe<\/p>\n
866-605-7325, pennspeak.com<\/p>\n
\u2022 Jimmy Kenny & the Pirate Beach Band, 8 p.m. Jan. 17. Based on Long Island, New York, the band performs the music of Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney and Zac Brown Band.<\/p>\n
WIND CREEK EVENT CENTER<\/p>\n
77 Wind Creek Blvd., Bethlehem<\/p>\n
610-224-4625, windcreekeventcenter.com<\/p>\n
\u2022 Rob Thomas, 8 p.m. Jan. 16. The singer-songwriter, lead vocalist of the Florida-based rock band Matchbox Twenty, will perform the group\u2019s hits, plus solo material. Matchbox Twenty, formed in 1995, has released five studio albums, scoring hits such as \u201cPush,\u201d \u201c3AM,\u201d \u201cBent,\u201d \u201cIf You\u2019re Gone\u201d and \u201cUnwell.\u201d Thomas released his sixth studio album, \u201cAll Night Days,\u201d in September. Solo hits include \u201cLonely No More,\u201d \u201cLittle Wonders\u201d and \u201cHer Diamonds.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2022 Andrew Santino, 8 p.m. Jan. 17. Born in Chicago, the comedian was an actor and writer on the final season of MTV\u2019s \u201cPunk\u2019d\u201d in 2012. Other TV credits include FXX\u2019s \u201cDave,\u201d Showtime\u2019s \u201cI\u2019m Dying Up Here\u201d and NBC\u2019s \u201cThis is Us.\u201d Santino, a host on the podcasts \u201cBad Friends\u201d and \u201cWhiskey Ginger,\u201d has three stand-up specials to his credit, including \u201cWhite Noise.\u201d Film appearances include the recent releases \u201cHappy Gilmore 2\u201d and \u201cNow You See Me: Now You Don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
MUSIKFEST CAFE\u0301<\/p>\n
101 Founders Drive, Bethlehem<\/p>\n
610-332-1300, artsquest.org<\/p>\n
\u2022 Damn the Torpedoes, 7:30 p.m. Friday. Hailing from Central\/North New Jersey, the act pays tribute to rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Takes its name from the same-titled 1979 album.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Hey Nineteen, 7:30 p.m. Saturday. The group performs the music of rock band Steely Dan, taking its name from Steely Dan\u2019s same-titled 1980 song.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Wannabe, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 16. The act pays tribute to the Spice Girls, taking its name from the British pop group\u2019s same-titled 1996 song. Shows have expanded to include hits from other 1990s superstars such as Madonna and Janet Jackson. Members have appeared on stages alongside 1990s acts such as TLC, Goo Goo Dolls, Aqua and 98 Degrees.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Kashmir, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 17. The group performs the music of Led Zeppelin, taking its name from the British rock band\u2019s same-titled 1975 song.<\/p>\n
STATE THEATRE<\/p>\n
453 Northampton St., Easton<\/p>\n
610-252-3132, statetheatre.org<\/p>\n
\u2022 Mania, 7:30 p.m. Friday. The act, formed in 1999, pays tribute to Swedish pop group ABBA. The group, formed in 1999, took residence in London\u2019s West End in 2002 and 2021, and has toured the U.S. annually since 2009.<\/p>\n
SHERMAN THEATER<\/p>\n
524 Main St., Stroudsburg<\/p>\n
570-420-2808, shermantheater.com<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cSpring Awakening,\u201d 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday. In2YouArts presents the rock musical, based on Frank Wedekind\u2019s same-titled 1891 German play. \u201cSpring Awakening,\u201d exploring the journey from adolescence to adulthood, fuses morality, sexuality and rock \u2018n\u2019 roll in a story of discovery and rebellion. Max Kubiak directs. The original show won eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical for Steven Sater, and Best Original Score for Duncan Sheik and Sater.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Poconos Punk Rock Flea Market, 2 p.m. Jan. 17. The event includes handmade crafts and jewelry, vintage clothing, custom art, accessories, vinyls and tattoo artists. In addition, the following music acts will perform: Suburban Downgrade, Indeyevid, Filthtraction, Adrift Featuring Lenny Kaye, Disposable, The Spiky Tops and The What Nows?!<\/p>\n
\u2022 Winter Drag Fest: \u201cWhere the Frost Meets the Fierce,\u201d 1 p.m. Jan. 18. Black Cherry Love\u00e9 hosts, along with Urethra Vas D\u2019Ferens and Jovanna. The event includes drag performances, vendors and sets from DJ Eve.<\/p>\n
POCONO CINEMA & CULTURAL CENTER<\/p>\n
88 S. Cortland St., East Stroudsburg<\/p>\n
570-421-6684, poconocinema.org<\/p>\n
\u2022 Popcorn Poetry, 6:30 to 9 p.m. Jan. 12. Monroe County Poet Laureate and #nomorepoems present the event, set to feature poetry, comedy, acoustic music and a limited open mic. Geara Catania hosts.<\/p>\n
F.M. KIRBY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS<\/p>\n
71 Public Square., Wilkes-Barre<\/p>\n
570-826-1100, kirbycenter.org<\/p>\n
\u2022 Josh Johnson, 7 p.m. Friday. Born in Alexandria, Louisiana, the comedian serves as a rotating host and correspondent on Comedy Central\u2019s \u201cThe Daily Show,\u201d for which he previously was a writer. Johnson also was a writer and performer on NBC\u2019s \u201cThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,\u201d on which he made his late-night debut in 2017. The comic, who posts weekly stand-up sets on his YouTube channel, voices Harry Buns on the Disney Channel series \u201cKiff,\u201d which premiered in March 2023. Johnson\u2019s stand-up specials include 2021\u2019s \u201c# (Hashtag)\u201d and 2023\u2019s \u201cUp Here Killing Myself.\u201d<\/p>\n
MOHEGAN ARENA AT CASEY PLAZA<\/p>\n
255 Highland Park Blvd., Wilkes-Barre Township<\/p>\n
570-970-7600, moheganarenapa.com<\/p>\n
\u2022 Disney on Ice Presents: \u201cJump In!\u201d today through Sunday, seven shows. Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy take viewers on a journey through Magical MousePad-powered moments. The show features 50-plus characters from \u201cZootopia,\u201d \u201cInside Out 2,\u201d \u201cMoana 2,\u201d \u201cToy Story,\u201d \u201cFrozen,\u201d \u201cEncanto\u201d and the Disney Princesses.<\/p>\n
Unforgettable Fire will perform at Mauch Chunk Opera House this month. FILE PHOTO<\/p>\n
Rob Thomas, lead singer of Matchbox Twenty, will perform at Wind Creek Event Center on Jan. 16. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Rob Thomas leads the new year\u2019s batch of entertainment highlights coming to local and regional entertainment over the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":81583,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[119,121,120],"class_list":{"0":"post-81582","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-allentown","8":"tag-allentown","9":"tag-allentown-headlines","10":"tag-allentown-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81582","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=81582"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81582\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/81583"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=81582"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=81582"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=81582"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}