Phil Vassar, Testament and Andy Montanez
This week’s Top 3 Lehigh Valley area concerts take us from the country to The Bay Area, and all the way to Puerto Rico. We have a singer who got his start penning big hits for fellow country stars, one of the most influential thrash metal bands of all time, and a legendary Puerto Rican singer who created his own genre of music in the mid-2000s.
Phil Vassar
When: 8 p.m. Friday Where: Penn’s Peak, 325 Maury Road, Jim Thorpe How much: $25-$30 Tickets: pennspeak.com/ 866-605-7325
Musical style: Country, Contemporary Country, Pop
Known for hits like: “Just Another Day in Paradise,” “In a Real Love,” “Little Red Rodeo,” “Six-Pack Summer,” and, “Carlene.” Honors: He got his start in the late ‘90s by co-writing hits for big country artists like Tim McGraw, Jo Dee Messina, Collin Raye, and Alan Jackson. His debut album was certified gold in the US and five singles from the record made the Billboard country singles charts in 2000. He’s had a total of 19 singles on the Billboard country singles charts, two of them reaching number one.
Check him out if you like: Clay Walker, Garth Brooks, Bryan White, Chris Cagle, Travis Tritt, Toby Keith, Montgomery Gentry
Testament
When: 6:50 p.m. Friday Where: Sherman Theater, 524 Main St., Stroudsburg How much: $29.50
Tickets: shermantheater. com/ 570-420-2808 Musical style: Thrash Metal, Heavy Metal, Speed
Metal
Known for hits like: “Down for Life,” “Return to Serenity,” “More Than Meets the Eye,” “Brotherhood of the Snake,” and “For the Glory of…”
Honors: Considered one of the “Big Six” of the Bay Area thrash metal scene in the ‘80s, they’ve sold over 14 million records worldwide and are considered one the most influential bands of their genre. They’ve released 13 albums to date and are cited as a major influence by bands like Pantera, White Zombie, Killswitch Engage, Gojira, Sevendust, and more.
Check them out if you like: Anthrax, Venom, Municipal Waste, Nuclear Assault, Exodus, Overkill, Flotsam and Jetsam
Andy Montanez
When: 6 p.m. Sunday Where: Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem
How much: $30
Tickets: steelstacks.org/ 610-332-1300
Musical style: Salsa, Bolero, Tropical
Known for hits like: “Casi Te Envidio,” “Payaso,”
“Me Gusta,” “Pillo Buena Gente,” and, “Milonga para una Niña.”
Honors: He’s been releasing music since 1962 as a member of numerous groups and as a solo artist. In 2006 he won his first Latin Grammy for Best Traditional Tropical Album. His musical style has varied over the years and in the mid-2000s he created a sound called “salsaton,” which was a blend of salsa and reggaeton. In Puerto Rico, he’s
known as “El Godfather de la Salsa” and “El Niño De Trastalleres.”
Check him out if you like: Carlos Puebla, Tito Puente, Garibaldi, Paquito Guzmán, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, Frankie Ruiz, Héctor Lavoe, Willie Colón
Jay Honstetter is a freelancer for The Morning Call. Follow him on Twitter @jayhonstetter