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July 26, 2024 Magnum Celebrates 46th Anniversary During Musikfest on Saturday, August 3rd at 8pm in the Musikfest Cafe  Magnum is a legendary rock band formed in the Lehigh Valley in 1978. Their career spans over four decades and they have performed over 3,500 shows on the East Coast in premier venues. Magnum were trailblazers who were one of the first American bands benefiting from corporate sponsorship in Miller's Rock Band Network. An early DIY band from the get-go, they released their debut singles "Rock and Roll Man" and "Fun and Games" on 45 RPM vinyl records. These debut singles were supported by WZZO Allentown and Magnum was voted #1 rock band in the station's poll. They followed that success with a five song EP released on Allentown International Records that earned a regional hit with the single "Hot Nights". The single was favorably reviewed by Billboard Magazine and achieved East Coast air play and live performances on cable music network shows in Philadelphia. Their popularity earned them direct support slots for artists such as Hall & Oates and The Ramones. MTV endorsed the band at their Spring Break event in Daytona Beach and Magnum supported Survivor for the show. Magnum played yearly winter residencies in Fort Lauderdale's most popular spring break venues such as Summers On The Beach, The Button South, The Candy Store and Art Stock's Playpen. Summer found Magnum playing residencies at the Jersey Shore in Wildwood where they headlined London Ale House, The Stardust and The Playpen as direct support for concerts such as Hall & Oates, Dave Mason, Todd Rundgren and The Ramones. The band amassed a huge loyal following and released their third album, "No Secrets". Magnum performed at the Lehigh Valley's most popular venues including Bill Daniel's Music Factory, The Firehouse Lounge in Easton, The Silo in Reading and The Lighthouse in Bethlehem to name a few. The band returns every year to their hometown of the Lehigh Valley to perform a free reunion show during Musikfest. Check them out Saturday, August 3rd at 8pm at Musikfest Cafe. This year's lineup includes original founding members Lonnie Warner on lead vocals/keyboards and Steve Weiss on guitar/vocals plus members Tommy Zito on lead vocals/keyboards, Michael DeFrank on lead vocals/keyboards and Jeff Smith on lead vocals/keyboards. The Musikfest Cafe has first come, first serve seating and standing room only. It's suggested to get there early. July 8, 2024 
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February 2, 2024  "Keeping the Lights On: The Storied Career of Lehigh Valley's Favorite, Billy Joel, Continues with Release of New Single" On February 1, 2024, the six-time Grammy Award-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Billy Joel debuted “Turn the Lights Back On”, his first recorded single in 17 years. Over his plain but affective piano playing, Joel’s unmistakable voice beseeches the listener, “Please open the door / Nothing is different / We’ve been here before…” before launching into his trademark everyman musings on the passage of time, life and love. The acclaimed and influential rock n’ roll recording artist has been recognized as one of the genre’s greatest storytellers with a lasting legacy spanning generations. Recently, Joel’s residency at the Madison Square Garden of 100 plus shows has further cemented his legendary status as a live performer. Media Five Entertainment and Extensions of Man Concerts have a special relationship with Joel’s live performance history starting with his "Piano Man" album tour in 1974. As Joel’s Lehigh Valley promotor, Extension of Man staff at a Muhlenberg College concert in 1975 heard Joel sound check parts of the chorus of a song that would later be titled, "Allentown." In 1982, upon the release of the "The Nylon Curtain" album and the “Allentown” single, David Sestak along with local radio station WZZO and the backing of Mayor Joe Daddona, the then mayor of Allentown, spearheaded a campaign to bring Billy Joel back to the Lehigh Valley to perform, "Allentown." There was a controversy over the interpretation of the "Allentown" lyrics within the region and along with the campaign this garnered national attention on syndicated TV, radio, daily newspapers, and major magazines. Billy Joel has often commented that the early Lehigh Valley shows always had a special place in his heart and he agreed to come back to the area on December 27, 1982 to perform "Allentown" at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem. While Joel’s residency at Madison Square Garden is coming to an end in July 2024, Joel is in no way signaling his retirement as evidenced by the release of his new single and a scheduled live performance at the 2024 Grammys. The hope that Joel returns to the Lehigh Valley to perform "Allentown" in Allentown in its 10,000 capacity PPL Center remains a possibility. https://mediafiveent.com/archive/viewprofile.php?id=13 November 22, 2023 
July 25, 2023Turning the Tide Duo Opens for Nancy Wilson's Heart at Wind Creek Event Center!  One of the hands down best party bands on the circuit has distilled their two talented leads into a potent acoustic duo. The playful and talented Juules Wardel has teamed up with charismatic and skilful John Corsale forming the Turning the Tide duo. Jules' soulful and elegant range as a vocalist blended with John's singing and accomplished guitar playing create a full bodied sound few acoustic acts can match. Bringing an intimacy to the big stage, Jules and John turn in a classy but energetic night of acoustic performances, playing today's top hits and sing-along anthems of the last three decades. July 17, 2023 KEVIN MILLER'S CLASSIC KINGS Ready to Rock 2023-2024!  Monday, October 10th, 2022  Greg Epler Longtime Media Five Agent & Manager Passes Away Veteran booking agent, manager and longtime Media Five executive, Greg Epler, passed away Thursday, October 6th, 2022 at the age of 64 in Fogelsville, PA. Greg joined Media Five Entertainment in 1983 and currently was Vice President and celebrating 38 years in the world wide music industry. Most recently, Greg was key member of the management team relaunching Fuel with the release of their full-length record "Anomoly" and hit single "HARD". In his career, Greg booked and represented nearly 100 bands. He is best known for co-managing and developing the band FUEL, to be a multi platinum headline artist with worldwide sales of 5 million albums and whose #1 hit single "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" was named No. 6 out of 100 All-Time Alternative Songs by Billboard Magazine. He is credited with working with the estate of Nina Simone and representing her daughter, Lisa Simone, as well as co-managing the multi platinum band Tantric. Greg, as an accomplished photographer and videographer and through his work, many of his clients used his images for their promotional needs online and in venues. Greg was a dedicated music executive who brought passion, intelligence, business savvy and creative guidance to every artist and project he worked with. His sense of humor and demeanor made him very popular to all of his clients and very well respected in the industry. Greg, a proud father started mentoring his daughter, Sarah, who was interested in a career in the music industry while in high school. Greg's connection to modern rock Philadelphia radio station Y100, yielded Sarah an internship where she gained valuable experience in radio, concert promotion & social media. After graduating college, Sarah's credentials landed her a key position at VH1 where she developed a highly successful career. Greg is survived by his loving Mother Marie Epler; Daughter Sarah Epler and her husband Charles Goetz of Brooklyn, NY; Brothers Richard (Stephanie), Gerard (Lori), Thomas (Stephanie), Charles Jr. (Tammy), James (Lisa), and Christopher. Greg was predeceased by his brother Robert. Services will be held Wednesday, October 12th at Stephens Funeral Home, 274 N. Krocks Ave, Allentown PA 18106. Call/viewing from 10-11am and services at 11am. Family and friends can send flowers and condolences in memory of Greg. Donations can be made in Greg's name to MusiCares: https://www.musicares.org/ January 5, 2022 FAT MEZZ 2021's Breakout Band!  December 11, 2020 Billy Joel's Last Allentown Concert December 11, 1975: Sold Out 4,400 Capacity Showl Having sold more than 100 million records over the course of a career spanning more than 40 years, Billy Joel ranks as one of most popular recording artists and respected entertainers in the world. Extensions of Man Concerts and Media Five Entertainment had a special relationship with joel as his Lehigh Valley promotor starting with his piano man album tour. It was at the sound check at their promoted Muhlenberg College concert, on this date 45 years ago today, december 11th 1975 where a select few first heard parts of the chorus of a song that would later be titled, "Allentown." upon its release, and especially in subsequent years, "Allentown" emerged as an anthem of blue-collar America, representing both the aspirations and frustrations of America's working class in the late 20th century. "I was sitting at the soundcheck, taking it ALL in and it blew my mind when billy started into a refrain with ?Well we?re living here in Allentown... ? I said to my co-promoter, john EISENHARd, in naivety "I bet he changes the city in this for each town he?s in? ...little did i know, 7 years later in ?82 I?m at the Jersey Shore covering band dates and listening to the radio on the beach, and here comes the full on Allentown song, i was mesmerized and knew I had to start a campaign to have joel sing "Allentown" in Allentown" -David Sestak, promoter December 9, 2020 ELO PART TWO The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) are an English rock band that was formed in Birmingham, England in 1970 out of the desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones. 47 years ago today, on December 9, 1973, ELO played Northampton Community College, in Bethlehem PA, with supporting act Elf, booked by media five entertainment. This was the 3rd of a series of concerts from high profile EMERGING artists promoted by extensions of man concerts for the community college. All 3 acts (ELO, Aerosmith, and billy joel) turned SUPERSTARS, selling over 200 million combined records worldwide. This experience, in media fives infancy set the stage and built a foundation for media five MANAGEMENT'S successes with their multi-platinum bands, live and fuel, who sold over 25 million records between them. During ELO's original 13-year period of active recording and touring, they sold over 50 million records worldwide. From 1972 to 1986, ELO accumulated fifteen top 20 songs on the US Billboard Hot 100. The band also holds the record for having the most Billboard Hot 100 top 40 hits (20) without a number one single of any band in US chart history. In 2017, the key members of ELO Roy Wood, Jeff Lynne, Bev Bevan and Richard Tandy were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. jeff lynne eventually joined the travelling WILBURYS, a supergroup consisting of stars Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty . December 8, 2020 ELF PART ONE Elf was an American rock band founded in 1967 by singer and bassist Ronnie James Dio, keyboardist Doug Thaler, drummer Gary Driscoll, and guitarists Nick Pantas and David Feinstein (Dio's cousin). The band, from Cortland, New York, was originally called the Electric Elves, but was shortened to the Elves in 1968 and finally Elf in 1972. The Lehigh Valley was a HOTBED for hard rock, metal, and english rock, and Media five was ready to bring together these rockstar bands and their loyal fans. Bethlehem Pa?s Northampton Area Community College was once one of best medium-sized venues to go for live music in the Lehigh Valley. The director of programming at NACC strived to bring in a diverse lineup of live entertainment for students and the community, and worked closely with Extension of Man Concerts to book an adventurous concert schedule. On December 9, 1973, Elf played Northampton Community College, Bethlehem PA, opening for Electric Light Orchestra. Elf subsequently disbanded and lead Ronnie James Dio went on to front & found numerous groups throughout his career, including Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, & Dio November 12, 2020 Big City Music Band A Melting Pot of Big Talent Big City Music Band was thoughtfully molded and assembled by selecting musicians with common goals and dissimilar musical tastes in order to encourage a melting pot of ideas: rock, jazz, country, pop, and big band. During the height of their popularity, the group entered a "Battle of the Bands" contest sponsored jointly by the prestigious Billboard Magazine and the Tea Council of America. The contest received 15,000 entries from new talent and bands across the United States. BIG CITY just missed the top six, coming in seventh. Remarkable, considering they did it on their own with little help from the media. In the history of the band they played 101 major concerts and festivals either as a support act or headliner. Big City Became a highly respected band both by national acts and their huge fanbase throughout the mid-Atlantic states. They shared The stage with acts like Grand Funk, James Gang, Alice Cooper, Van Morrison, Sha Na Na, Jerry Jeff Walker, Livingston Taylor, Delaney Bonnie and friends, Steve Miller, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Edgar Winter band. Founded and Managed by Rudy Blomstrum, This Bethlehem, Pa based band played 498 performances including twenty-nine college campuses from 1969-1975 November 4, 2020 The Armadillos Successful Rock Band Born Out of a Kuztown U Class Project The Armadillos would have never come to be if it weren't for founding member Joe LaBianca deciding that he wanted to write and record an album for his Kutztown University Telecommunication degree's independent study. The Armadillos remained intact even after LaBianca received an A for the original pop LP "Frisked? the first of the band's 9 records between their 13 year run from 1988-2000. The band reinvented its image more than once in its 13-year (and 14-member) history, playing a groove-oriented, classic flavored rock and building up a loyal college-aged following. Playing venues from the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania to the Jersey Shore beaches and beyond, The Armadillos proved that they were much more than a university class project November 2, 2020 Jay and the Techniques Million-Selling Band That "Keep The Ball Rolling" In 1966, the first big break for Jay Proctor came when he won a regional "battle of the bands" contest and landed a recording contract from Philadelphia producer Jerry Ross of Mercury Records. The group jay and the techniques was born when lead vocalist Jay Proctor and vocalist/frontman George "Lucky" Lloyd teamed with an all-white band, one of the first racially integrated groups in pop music. Under Mercury Records the song "Apple, Peaches, Pumpkin, Pie" hit big and Jay and the Techniques found the right mix of rhythm & blues and bubble gum appeal, vaulting them into the Top Ten. Later that year they had the honor of performing at the Rock'N'Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. in the mid-70s when disco became fashionable, Jay & the Techniques were ready with their already danceable sound. Their first hit disco song "Number Onederful" is a high energy, heavily orchestrated tune which reached the Top Ten in all the major NY discos. During their career, Jay and the Techniques appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show, Joey Bishop Show, Dick Clark's American Bandstand, The Murray the K Show and the Steel Pier Show. Jay sang in front of a packed Houston Astrodome, Madison Square Garden, Philadelphia's Uptown Theatre, in colleges and universities across the country, many charity benefits, and gave free concerts at Army bases and prisons throughout the United States. October 30, 2020 Public Affection (Live) 30 Year Lookback to CMJ's Music Marathon Performance Nightingale Bar in Manhattan was reserved as a launching pad for many seminal bands, such as The Spin Doctors and The Blues Travellers. 30 years ago Public Affection, later to be known as Live, was asked to perform at the College Music Journal?s Music Marathon at Nightingale Bar in New York City. Each time the band travelled from their home in York, Pa to New York they debuted new songs they had written since their previous NYC gig. That night, they played "Pain Lies on the Riverside" for the first time, with manager David Sestak and soon to be the band?s A&R person Phil Schuster in the audience. It immediately captured the attention and respect of everyone in this bar with it?s infectious syncopated rhythm and Ed Kowalczyk's heart-on-his-sleeve lyrics. Phil Schuster A&R for Radioactive Records was extremely impressed by the band. Public Affection, who had already been playing CBGB with all its glory as a dive bar, played on the floor at Nightingales. No stage. The band, at this point were promoting their self-financed full length album, "The Death of a Dictionary" They already had in their repertoire, "Operation Spirit" which was a single off their first record under Radioactive Records "Mental Jewelry" In a very full circle way, this single eventually went to #1 on CMJ's New Music Report. Before Public Affection, Nirvana?s iconic Teen Spirit was sat at the top of CMJs chart for weeks. The gig at Nightingale turned into bi-monthly gigs in the Bowery District, building relationships with music business professionals and gaining fans. This period of time rocket launched the the band into success. October 29, 2020 Mott the Hoople 47 Yr Look Back To 1973 At Moravian College Today, October 29th, marks 47 years to the date that Mott The Hoople played the last date of their tour with Aerosmith in Bethlehem Pa at Moravian College's Johnston Hall. The bands, crews, and management were all in a celebratory mood, sending us out to buy champagne to toast the end of a successful tour. That excitement spread throughout the Lehigh Valley, and the anticipation led to a sold out general admission show, with fans lining up in the afternoon, hours before the doors opened. Inside, complications occurred when the stage was set up facing the wrong wall, which caused a substantial delay in the opening of the doors, leaving a pack of eager fans lined up outside. When they doors finally opened, the thrust of the crowd pinned the doors back, and luckily no one was injured, but it definitely set the tone for a night of high energy rock and roll. Supporting act, Aerosmith, came out and opened for Mott The Hoople, getting the crowd warmed up and rockin. It was obvious to all in the room that this young boston band was working their way to become legends around the world. Mott the Hoople, amazed the crowded room with their setlist, which included some of their all-time biggest hits like "All the Young Dudes" and "All the Way From Memphis" This was the first time either of the bands played the Lehigh Valley, but little did anyone know that 26 years later Aerosmith would make their mark on the Lehigh Valley again, asking Media Five's client Fuel to be direct support for them in their 1999 North American Tour. October 24, 2020 Negative Space Hardworking Pennsylvania Heartland Band Lancaster, Pennsylvania is the home of Negative Space, a hardworking Pennsylvania heartland band that released 4 ambitious bodies of work. Storylines, Negative Space's first full-length record, is proof of more than just personal growth and redemption. The album's stellar production was under the direction of producer Kirk Kelsey (Creed, 3 Doors Down). Immediately after hearing the band's material, Kirk agreed to take on the project. The band lived, ate, slept, tracked, and mixed in his home studio located in Atlanta, Georgia. Musically and lyrically, Storylines proved that their songwriting, their aggressive show, and style were not simply used as cheerleading methods or sideshow distractions. The album quickly became an undeniable push-off point for Negative Space into mainstream and crossover audiences. With the experience of over 2,000 concerts, this once naive bar band exploded into a collective force emerging from their struggles: defining the difference between the end of adolescence and the beginning of up-and-coming songwriters. They trailblazed the East Coast opening for bands such as 3 Doors Down, Fuel, Lit, Breaking Benjamin, and Saliva, building a loyal fanbase. October 23, 2020 Renaissance & Little Feat 45 Yr Look Back to Co-Headlining in Allentown PA 45 years ago this week, on October 29, 1975 Extensions of Man Concerts presented a co-headlined show at Muhlenberg College?s Memorial Hall in Allentown PA, a 4000 person venue. This show presented a creative pairing of two highly successful and popular acts: Renaissance & Little Feat. Renaissance, from London, is a progressive rock band, who at the time was fronted by stellar lead vocalist Annie Haslam. Little Feat, an American rock band, was formed by singer songwriter Lowell George and Keyboardist Bill Payne. On the night of the Allentown Pa co-headlined show, a tug of war situation occurred with both bands debating over who was going to close the show. After much back and forth, it was finally agreed upon that Renaissance had earned the closing rights through their airplay, record sales, and ticket sales in the Lehigh Valley. The night took a strange turn after Little Feat left the stage with tremendous applause. Mysteriously, the sound board that had been functioning perfectly during Little Feats' set suddenly had catastrophic problems just as the Renaissance Sound Engineer took over the mixing desk. This almost caused a brawl between the two crews, but Renaissance knew the show must go on, and ended up putting on a fantastic performance, making this co-headlined show a night to remember. Both Renaissance and Little Feat are still rockin? 45 years later! October 22, 2020 GANDALF 16 Years of Trailblazing North and Central America Gandalf, founded in 1976, was a highly successful and popular rock band from the Lehigh Valley(PA) that trailblazed North America from Canada to Florida. They were a spring break favorite in Fort Lauderdale playing the most popular venues like the Playpen. They also travelled as far as the Caribbean Islands to perform. Gandalf?s talent gained them loyal fans everywhere they performed and opened doors for them to travel to hundreds of cities opening for national acts including REO Speedwagon, Molly Hatchet, Gregg Allman, & Foghat to name a few. One of the most influential productions Gandalf took part in was Grand Illusion Magic Show with the music of Pink Floyd In 1982 Gandalf won the WZZO Rock Poll as "Best Local Band" In their 16 years together their show and repertoire was constantly evolving to reflect the strength of all the members that played with the band. Several of the members, like Jimmy DelGrosso and Kevin Soffera, upon leaving, joined national recording acts like Ozzy Osbourne, Y&T, Breaking Benjamin, and Seether and toured the world. We salute all 38 members of the band, the crew, the management, and the Media Five agents whose hard work ,talent, and creativity played a part in this legacy. in 2013 Gandalf played a grand reunion that was standing room only. Many of the members came back to perform and reunite with their bandmates and fans to celebrate their legacy October 20, 2020 BONEHEAD / FAMILIAR 48 SINGLE "THE QUESTION" PEAKED AT #30 ON US ROCK RADIO Bonehead was formed in 1994 as a Philadelphia area cover band and with a name change to FAMILIAR 48 charted in the TOP 30 eight years later. Producer Don Gehman, expressing interest in the band's debut album, got them signed to MCA Records WHO produced their single, "The Question", which was a TOP 30 ROCK HIT in the United States. Jayy Mannon, Guitarist, Lead Vocalist, and Drummer Brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and subtle artistry to BONEHEAD/FAMILIAR 48 and mesmerizes audiences by connecting with them on a deeply personal level. Since then Bonehead has DISBANDED, REFORMED, and has remained primarily a regional draw. Bonehead now plays in the Philadelphia area mostly as a cover band. In 2011 Bonehead released a digital single entitled "Real". October 16, 2020 CHAMELEON THE JAZZ FUSION AND FUNK PHENOMENON Chameleon was a five-piece band founded by Tom Bluder, Steve Cruz, Tass Tilipos, Jack Krupicka, and Ed Willey. Tom bluder formerly was the lead singer of rock band reign of iron. Chameleon was Influenced by the changing tides of the early 70's their musical style ever so funkily evolved to become a mixture of jazz fusion and funk. The original five piece was suddenly dealt a major blow as the result of one particular night that will go down in the history of unfortunate musical events. After an appearance at Odysseus in downtown Bethlehem, Chameleon's truck containing instruments and sound equipment exceeding several thousand dollars was stolen from a parking lot. Hobbled by this tremendous loss of equipment, the band would subsequently go through several personnel changes. Tom Bluder went on to join the established disco band trust, where he co-fronted it with Anita Antolick Formerly of Jay and The Techniques, and took that band to new heights. Despite their name, chameleon did anything but blend in October 21, 2020 DADDY LICKS ONE OF THE HIGHEST ENERGY BANDS OF THE 1970S AND 1980S UNDER THE leadership of Dave Goddess, GUITARIST AND VOCALIST, DADDY LICKS BECAME The quintessential early '80's undiscovered band from Allentown, Pennsylvania. Daddy licks was Arguably the greatest combination of New Wave ethos and R&B foundation in the history of music. Their 1981 EP "I Got Wheels" featured the tracks: "We'll Show 'Em","Just A Little (Goes A Long Way)","They Might Be Giants","Lolita","I Got Wheels","Tragic Flaw" AND "Kids Looking Out For The Real Thing" Daddy licks Joined forces with members of Crisis and Tikit to form the Alan Towne BanD, They paid homage to Billy Joel's "Allentown" with their song "Remember Me (Hicksville High)." Daddy Licks has since evolved into the popular Dave Goddess Group, which still plays live and releases music to this day. Daddy licks was the essence of Punk, meant to be more than fad. October 15, 2020 FUZZY BUNNY Allentown, PA based Soul and R&B bandt Fuzzy bunny was an Allentown, PA based Soul and R&B band fronted by Mook Stanton and Emmitt Harris. Fuzzy bunny was one of the most popular dance bands in the region playing top night clubs, colleges and high school shows. They were championed by Philadelphia DJ Jerry Blavat who had them appear several times on his nationally syndicated TV show with guests like Sammy Davis Jr and the late Philadelphia weatherman Jim O'Brien. They recorded and released several singles including "Hey Baby," that were very popular regionally, which earned them supporting gigs for national acts like; Wild Cherry, Vickie Sue Robinson, Tavares, The Village People, and Chuck Berry. October 14, 2020 THE CYRKLE From Easton PA to The Beatles' Opening Act Playing to 60,000 at Candlestick Park The Cyrkle began their musical life in 1961 as just another college frat band. Calling themselves the Rhondells, the group played Top 40 covers at frat houses on campus at Easton Pa's Lafayette College. David Sestak, Media Five President, first heard the band when they were The Rhondells, playing at a Lafayette College fraternity, while he himself was playing with his own band on campus at a different frat house. During a break in Sestak's set he walked into the other frat house to see The Rhondells, and when he walked in they were wearing the exact Edwardian/Beatnik style clothes The Beatles wore and they were mid-way through performing Meet The Beatles note for note as almost an exact replica. A few years later during an Atlantic City summer RESIDENCY THE band was brought to the attention of The Beatles manager: Brian Epstein, who had made it known that he was looking for a new project. First, a name change was in order, "The Rhondells" sounded too outdated, and the input of John Lennon was reportedly sought to come up with a new name: "The Cyrkle" after Easton Pa?s notorious downtown roundabout. Soon, the group recorded the first of their two albums for Columbia, and "Red Rubber Ball" was released as a single in April of 1966. With Epstein pulling the strings, the Cyrkle was tapped as an opening act for the Beatles on their '66 American tour, and the high-profile exposure helped "Red Rubber Ball" hit #2 on the Top 100 early that summer. The Cyrkle regrouped briefly in The Lehigh Valley in 1986 to play the benefit "dance for our town" and then again in 1995 at their alma mater, Lafayette College, for their 30th anniversary, this was their final outing together. October 12, 2020 ARCHIE BELL AND THE DRELLS They Danced as Good as They Walked Archie Bell & the Drells was an American R&B vocal group from Houston, Texas. They utilized the infamous Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff's Philadelphia International Records and brought their amazing live show to PA and NJ, produced by Extensions of Man concerts and booked by media V entertainment. In the early 70s their biggest R&B hit ?Tighten Up? started a dance craze of the same name, that generated venues packed with fans everywhere they performed, from Wildwood New Jersey?s Pier 66 Hotel?s Penthouse nightclub to Easton PENNSYLVANIA'S Club Mohegan. Their setlists, consisting of hits like "I Can't Stop Dancing", "There's Gonna Be A Showdown", "Girl You're Too Young" and "Here I Go Again" to name a few kept their legacy and music with bands dancing all night long. October 9, 2020 SANDLOT HEROES Bethlehem Pa's Celebrated 2000s Band This power pop rock band made a name for themselves as a worthy national act. Sandlot Heroes garnered attention with their second #1 Most Requested Song "Out of My Hands" from their debut Pretend That We're Famous released late in 2009, in addition to headlining Lehigh Valley's internationally recognized Musikfest and Allentown PA's fabled Crocodile Rock. In 2012, they toured nationally with popular acts such as Hawthorne Heights, Bowling For Soup, and Yellowcard. With soaring guitars and heartfelt lyrics, Sandlot's 2009 debut LP, Pretend That We're Famous, created an exciting buzz, earning the band substantial regional recognition. "out of my Hands" quickly claimed the no. 1 most requested spot on B104's nightly countdown following the footsteps of "So," which also reached the top of the countdown. Sandlot Heroes left a legacy on music industry, making fans across america and creating songs that topped the charts. October 8, 2020 BLUE OYSTER CULT debuted in the LV 47 years ago today at ncc With Support From The High Keys Today is the 47th anniversary of when New York State's Blue Öyster Cult performed at Northampton Community College in bethlehem, PENNSYLVANIA. Blue Öyster Cult was formed in 1967 as Soft White Underbelly in a communal house at Stony Brook University on Long Island when rock critic Sandy Pearlman overheard a jam session consisting of fellow Stony Brook classmate Donald Roeser and his Friends. Pearlman offered to become the band's manager and creative partner, which the band agreed to. The band's original lineup consisted of guitarist Roeser, drummer Albert Bouchard, keyboardist Allen Lanier, singers Jeff Kagel (aka Krishna Das) and Les Braunstein and bassist Andrew Winters. Pearlman wanted the group to be the "American Black Sabbath". Best known for the singles "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", "Burnin' for You", "Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll", and "Godzilla" They have sold 25 million records worldwide. The band's music videos, especially "Burnin' for You" received heavy rotation on MTV when the music television network premiered in 1981, Lehigh Valley Legendary Band The High Keys was the opening act, where they showcased their original recordings in advance of what was going to be an independent release. the band cemented themselves and their legacy through contribution to the development and success of the music video in modern popular culture. October 5, 2020 AEROSMITH 1974 Lehigh Valley's 1st Headline Show Boston Bad Boys Live up to Their Repuation Today is the 46th anniversary of when boston rock band, Aerosmith performed at Northampton Community College in bethlehem, PENNSYLVANIA. The group, consisting of Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Tom Hamilton, Joey Kramer and Brad Whitford had to fly FROM boston to allentown for the October 6, 1974 show. Things began to go awry when Guitar player, Brad WHITFORD insisted his guitar be on the seat next to him, even though he didn't pay for the extra seat. Whitford missed his plane twice because of this, and ended up not coming to the show at all. Things got even crazier at the venue- NACC's gym was only a few years old and had fire sensors in the ceiling. Aerosmith insisted on using their pyro, but the school administration and student activities director had extensive conversations with their tour manager explaining that if they set off pyro, everyone in the AUDIENCE, the band, and crew would be soaked by the fire sprinkler system. Aerosmith finally relented. They also refused to play their greatest hit "Dream On", because Whitford played a key solo in the song. They eventually gave in on this as well, not wanting to upset or alienate their fans. The Good Rats opened for them and set the stage from Aerosmith to take. The boston bad boys didn't let anyone down and this probably goies down in the history books as one of the only times they ever played as a 4-piece band. Roughly 25 years later media five management crossed paths with aerosmith when the band selected the company's client, Fuel, to be their main support for their north american tour. Just another story on how crazy Rock n Roll can be. October 1, 2020 ROUGHHOUSE Earned Their Way to One of the Most Epic "Hair Bands" of the 80s Media Five Entertainment first began booking the Lansdale Pa band Teeze, a rock/glam/metal/hairband, in the early 1980s. Born out of Teeze, the infamous roughhouse signed to columbia/sony RECORDS. They toured up and down the east coast and gained notoriety from radio and mtv exposure. The band was an "over the top" hybrid of both early Twisted Sister and Motley Crue. Bigger hair sprayed mane, louder amps, tons of smoke, concussion bombs, blood spurting, spinning guitars, multi-colored shredded outfits, timed staged antics and of course, lots of makeup. Roughhouse tour dates continued to routinely sell out. With multiple MTV top 20 chart-topping songs, like the hit "Fantasy" which was featured on TV shows like "General Hospital" Massive press coverage continued up and down the East Coast. The band was swarmed with requests for interviews & photo spreads appearing in Faces, Hit Parader, Metal Edge, Kerrang, Raw, Metal Forces, Billboard, Circus, RIP and others. This led to roughhouse supporting such acts on tour like Skid Row, Kix, Ace Frehley, Blue Oyster Cult Vince Neil of Motley Crue, Steven Adler of Guns N Roses, Cinderella and more! Luis Rivera, Gregg Malack, and Dave Weakley originally of Teeze and then of Roughhouse made it from LANSDALE, pa to the top of the metal scence. September 27, 2020 FIASCO NJ and PA's Popular 70's Funk Rock Horn Band This 8-piece rock horn band with their memphis r&B sound and influences like the bands Chicago, Blood Sweat and Tears, and Edgar Winter Band was one of pennsylvania and new jersey's most popular bands of the genre. Fiasco existed for a few years in the early 70s and focused mainly on original songs and playing in larger concert venues. In the band's short existence with talented musicians and gifted vocalists, they released two IMMENSELY popular singles: How I feel and hey hey head. with the success of these singles they got offers to open for Santana at the nazareth raceway, the James Gang at muhlenberg college, and several concerts with Bill Chase including saylor's lake pavillion. the Fiasco band proved to itself and to its fans, that it was anything but a fiasco. September 27, 2020 DAYBREAK 70s NY Disco Recording Artist Best known for their 1980s hit "Everybody Get Off" which reached #65 on Billboard, this New York Disco era band was founded by Kenny Simmons, lead vocals, Joe Lafragola on lead guitar, Ernest Angisani on bass, and Larry-Marc Aurele on percussion. Later joined by members Vinny Lafragola on drums and keyboard player Bob Stasiak, Daybreak was a fan favorite across the north east in the disco era. daybreak was legendary in the Lehigh Valley(pa) performances through their residences and passionate fans at Phase V in Bethlehem. This earned them wpvi-6 ABC Philadelphia TV exposure on the Variety Club telethon hosted by Cissy hurst and high profile spots on Easton Pa?s Community Spirit Day festivals at Hackett Park. September 26, 2020 SHOTGUN WEDDING Fuel's Kevin Miller's Rockin' Early 90's Band Three of South Florida's most respected musicians: lead vocalist Deb Smith, drummer and lead vocalist KEvin Miller, and guitarist and vocalist Victor Del Rio, moved back to Allentown, Pennsylvania in the early 90s, and under the leadership of Miller (later to become the multi-platinum drummer of Fuel, playing on shimmer and hemorrhage) founded the band Shotgun Wedding. Fronting the band was Deborah Smith, who along with Miller, formerly played in the Florida band Fury. They brought with them from florida-based guitarist Victor del Rio and added Nick Donato on bass and Josh Levine on acoustic and electric guitar. Shotgun Wedding with their powerhouse sound turned heads out of the gate, and became one of the North East?s most epic bands. Driven by Miller's infectious signature drumming, Smith's outrageous stage presence and soulful rock vocals, and del Rio?s compelling guitar style, this 5-piece band, together for over five years, released a regional hit single, X Lover of their independently released album Emu. Word spread and soon acts like Collective Soul, Zack Wild, Nazareth, 4 Non Blondes, and Many others were requesting shotgun wedding to be their opening act in the region. This was a musicians band. September 25, 2020 FLASHBACK FRIDAY Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Fuel's "Something like human" Today, we celebrate the 19th anniversary of something like human reaching Certified Double-Platinum status by the RIAA on September 25, 2001, and last Saturday was the 20th anniversary of the albums release date. The first smash hit single "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" immediately exploded on multiple radio formats and broke records for consecutive weeks at #1 on alternative radio. This smash hit took the music industry by surprise and had a tremendous impact on album sales and concert tickets. the music industry buzzed and called the song ?lightning in a bottle? for it?s omnipresent profile on radio and MTV. a few years ago Billboard Magazine named ?Hemorrhage (In My Hands)? the #6 Alternative Rock Song of the Past 25 Years. To date, Something Like Human is fuel's best-selling record and most requested song. Led by Carl Bell, primary songwriter and co-producer of the album, along with frontman Brett Scallions and bass player Jeff Abercrombie moved from their home state of Tennessee to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in the mid-90s. Kevin Miller, the fourth band member, was a high profile Pennsylvania drummer on the scene and was asked to join the band prior to the recording of their first platinum album Sunburn. Fuel had hopes of emerging to national level prominence on the successful heels of Central Pennsylvania modern rock bands like Live (who already were MULTI PLATINUM), The sharks, The Innocence Mission, and The Ocean Blue. Joining forces with Media Five Entertainment for management, with the team of David Sestak and Greg Epler, fuel started working on their independent ALBUM "Porcelain" in 1996 that contained the original version of "shimmer" that went to #1 in Harrisburg. Ben Grosse was hired to produce the record by Ben Goldman, A&R for 550/Sony Records, and Randy Lane, live sound engineer, helped set up Pre-production in the early months of 2000 in a chalet the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. Under the watchful eyes of Sestak and Epler in the 11th hour Carl Bell pulled "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" out of his back pocket, the song came from two previous musical and lyrical ideas he had worked on in the past. With that song fuel packed up and headed to New York city, to record the album at Right Track Recording. The rest is history September 24, 2020 MEDIA 5'S FIRSTS August 28th 1970 Media 5 Production concepts was founded with a $100 investment by the founders With a $100 loan from the partners, it became official, Media 5 Production Concepts was in business. Three days later, the first ever contract was issued with the booking of Lehigh Valley popular rock bank, UPROAR, for Wilson High School Class of '65 five-year reunion at The Pavilion in Phillipsburg, NJ. The band's price was $145 for the 5-piece band to play from 10pm-1am. The commission due was $20. It all began with this ironic booking, celebrating the high school that the founders all graduated from! With this commission, the founders purchased their first business cards on September 11th, with check #101, written by Anthen Morrow to Cetronia Printing Company Inc for $11.66. This all happened at their first office, a reconverted living room in Morrow's home at 1808 Freemansburg Avenue, Wilson Pa. This office was short lived, for a period of less than a year, but through its doors walked some amazing talent looking for the opportunity to make their mark in the regional music scene. In the company's 50-year history we were only at 4 locations, and for the past 25 years we have been at our current location in Bethlehem, Pa. (Special thanks to Pat Patterson-Morrow and Sue Osifchin for saving these memories!) Band members and fans are encouraged to build upon the band pages on our website by submitting additional content to: Archive@MediaFiveEnt.com September 23, 2020 Check out Five Decades Of Epic Live Music Coming Alive on Our Media Five Entertainment Archive YouTube Video Highlights Reel. Profiles for over 500 bands centered in or around Pennsylvania and national acts that were promoted or produced by Media Five from the 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s & 2010s can be found in the online Archive This video highlights just 45 of our hundreds of successful artists from the 1970s to the present decade. Whether you were a lead guitarist, a roadie, or a face in the crowd, this website is dedicated to you. We are actively soliciting bands and their family members to email archive@mediafiveent.com to start the process of building and updating their page Band members and fans are encouraged to build upon the band pages on our website by submitting additional content to: Archive@MediaFiveEnt.com September 22, 2020 IN THE BEGINNING Media Five's Legacy began with 3 high school friends hanging out at their favorite pub in Easton, Pa in the summer of 1970. A musician with business sense (David Sestak), A regional TV producer (Don Hunt), and a photographer with an interest in music (Tony Morrow) sparked a hypothetical idea to professionalize band representation and promotion in way not done before in the midst of a whole new music evolution brought on by the Woodstock generation. Thus, Media 5 Production Concepts was born in late August of 1970. That vision to offer professional services to the growing local music community evolved from booking, photographing, and promoting bands to include artist management and concert promotion featuring national acts. Tony Morrow's house in Wilson Borough became the first office and the living room?s checkerboard covered table, became the first office desk in the fall of 1970. The group was later joined by John Eisenhard, another Wilson high school friend, who was a bar/ restaurant manager and accountant, when Don Hunt departed to go take on a full time position at Service Electric TV Allentown. Scouting bands in need of an agent was no challenge because Sestak, then a member of Big City Music Band, was very familiar with the regional rock music scene and it's bands from gigging and making connections in Eastern PA. Initial signings included the all-girl group Fraulein, Barnaby Plum, Big City Music Band, Union Pacific Rock, and 191 to name a few of over 70 artists the agency booked in their first decade. During the company's first year, the friends easily fell into their respective roles with Dave Sestak being the point person for the booking agency, Tony Morrow handling photography and concert promotion, Eisenhard handling concert promotion and finances and Pat Patterson-Morrow as secretary and bookkeeper. Coming on board in the fall of 1970 was concert chairperson Ben Rose, a recent graduate of East Stroudsburg University. Also joining in 1971 was agent George Poidamani, who opened a branch office in Florida. George's Uncle Tony ran Vesuvio?s Restaurant in New York City, which was a hangout for the 70s NYC music industry whether it be radio personalities, producers, record label executives, ect. Media 5 Production Concepts' first Billboard Magazine industry profile was the famous weekly Vesuvio's print advertisement saluting music industry figures, which announced the company's name change to Media V Entertainment Agency, and listed the founding staff. Within the first year, giant steps were taken towards the company's vision. Shortly after operating mainly as a booking agency, Media V recognized that artists needed more guidance to develop a higher sense of professionalism and reach maximum potential. This realization gave birth to the Artist Management arm of Media V. Spring of 1971 the company founded a sister-branch, Extensions of Man Concerts, who on Memorial Day Sunday debuted the Summer Sunday Night Dance Concert Series at Saylors Lake Pavilion in the Pennsylvania Pocono Mountains. This business move delved Media V fully into the concert promotion and producing business. The opening night was an immediate success, with over 700 attendees, and set the foundation for future venues and creative concert promotion in addition to the booking and artist management. This strong foundation and momentum capped Media V's first year, and three months later the company brought rock and roll doo woop group Sha Na Na, who played Woodstock, to Easton to play a "Save The Boyd Theatre: Grease For Peace" show, this concert included Media Five's Fraulein and Big City Music Band. Their highly ambitious first year positioned Media V Entertainment as a legitimate all-around music organization with great potential and brought confidence and confirmation to not only the company's hardworking and creative staff, but also to the bands they represented and promoted. September 21, 2020 CELEBRATING 50 YEARSBY A STAR BAND DUO TRIO or DJ Celebrating a birthday anniversary graduation or just hosting fun great summer outside gathering? Our exciting bands and their acoustic duos and trios are ready to party on your own personal stage for your special event All our popular bands are back and pumped up and offer immediate availability on Monday's through Sunday's It is very simple with the entertainers bringing everything they need to put on a great show Plan Now Your Summer Event and have our bands wow your guests November 28, 2018 A 45 YEAR LOOK BACK TO BILLY JOEL'S ALLENTOWN
Media Five Entertainment looks back 45 years today to Billy Joel's debut in the Lehigh Valley when he performed two WSAN Allentown radio station concerts at the Roxy Theatre in Northampton. It was a pivotal show for Billy Joel not only because in 1973 he rarely headlined, especially in a theatre, but because of airplay support from the Allentown station's free style format the Lehigh Valley, unlike most areas in America, were familiar with his debut album, "Cold Spring Harbor."
45 years ago today at the sold out concerts at the Roxy Theatre on November 28, 1973 were a sneak preview of eight songs from his then forthcoming album, "Piano Man" that included the songs Piano Man and Captain Jack. His performances galvanized the audience and built a strong bond with his early Lehigh Valley fans. Off the incredible buzz of the sold out Roxy Theatre shows Media Five Entertainment founder David Sestak negotiated four subsequent concerts and promoted by their concert subsidiary Extension of Man Concerts. The follow up concert he headlined the 1300 capacity Northampton Area Community College on February 10, 1974 that sold out on the heels of his popular, "Piano Man" album. Then that Fall with his third release, "Streetlife Serenade" another sold out show for the first time in Allentown at Agricultural Hall at the Fairgrounds on November 13, 1974. Danny Fogelberg opened and Joel's encores grew and he had to play his instrumental song Root Beer Rag twice to satisfy the audience. His cult following continued to grow in the Lehigh Valley through his recordings, new albums, and his reputation from his live shows. Media Five Entertainment had to find a larger venue and negotiated to present Joel at Allentown's 4300 capacity Muhlenberg College on March 6, 1975 scoring another sell out and great reviews. Joel loving the Lehigh Valley audiences then returned a second time in 1975 and played one of his final dates of the, "Turnstiles" album tour on December 11 which marked his last show ever in Allentown. Great things were on the horizon and his breakthrough album, "The Stranger" drove Billy Joel to be a bonafide arena headliner, platinum certified recording artist, and had outgrown existing Lehigh Valley venues because of their capacity. It was at the last Muhlenberg College show in 1975 during his sound check where he would normally play around with Elton John and maybe Sam & Dave songs where on piano only he broke into a refrain singing "and we're living here in Allentown and they are closing all the factories down." Although it resonated with the few workers in the venue no one thought too much about it. It was not until almost seven years later in 1982 that the refrain was finished in the form of the worldwide hit song Allentown, the first single off his, "The Nylon Curtain" album. The heavy radio and video play resulted in another smash single for Joel that sparked incredible interest and in some cases controversy over the lyrics and the portrayal of the city of Allentown. A campaign and petition to urge Billy Joel to return to Allentown was launched by Sestak in conjunction with Allentown's album rock station WZZO FM and elevated his press profile even internationally around the song, lyrics, and the city. Syndicated journalists worldwide covered the story about Joel's Allentown. After a rehearsal for The Nylon Curtain tour, one night Billy Joel was reading press clippings his publicist sent to him about the song Allentown that prompted him to make a late night call to WZZO asking to be put on air immediately. He wanted to clear the record and controversy over interpretations of the song's lyrics and his intent. Joel on the air quickly put to rest any thoughts that he was slamming Allentown and pointed out the lines from the song, "Well I'm living here in Allentown - And it's hard to keep a good man down - But I won't be giving up today - And we're living here in Allentown." He went on to say that the Allentown shows were some of this highlights of his early career that earned him some of his most ardent fans and were his "bread and butter" in the early years of touring. Initially he considered using his hometown of Levittown, NY in the lyrics. After talking to a fan at a Muhlenberg show who said "You're gonna get big and you're never gonna come back here" he decided to use Allentown instead. In response to the campaign to have Billy Joel consider a concert in Allentown and in recognition to his very loyal Lehigh Valley fans, at his concert in Philadelphia at the Spectrum Joel confirmed with Sestak backstage that he was adding an additional date to his Fall tour and would be playing the Lehigh Valley on December 27, 1982 at the area's largest arena Stabler in Bethlehem. That night Joe Daddona, the mayor of Allentown, presented him with a key to the city backstage. The sold out crowd of 6,700 people welcomed Billy Joel back and together everyone in the venue celebrated his well deserved success singing along to his anthem Allentown in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. For decades interest has continued through today from Joel's longtime fans in the Lehigh Valley with hopes that one day he will return to the city of Allentown and for the first time perform the complete version of the song Allentown that he toyed with 43 years ago at sound check at Muhlenberg College. Check out Billy Joel's page on Media Five's Archive here and our Archive Highlights Reel here! October 30, 2018 Billboard Magazine Names LIVE & Fuel On List of Greatest All Time Alternative Rock Songs and BandsBillboard Magazine just announced 30 Years of Alternative Greatest hits. Fuel earned No. 13 out of 300 All-Time Top Alternative Songs for their smash hit, "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)", which achieved No. 1 on the Alternative chart on November 4, 2000 and remained |