BETHLEHEM, Pa. — It looks like Musikfest will be really rocking this year.
Slash, the guitarist for Guns 'N Roses, will bring his S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival, to the massive downtown and South Side Bethlehem music festival’s main Steel Stage at 6:15 p.m. Aug. 5, it was announced Tuesday.
With SLASH will be ZZ Ward, Robert Randolph and more acts to be announced.
Tickets for Slash's S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival ,at $30 to $100, will go on sale to ArtsQuest members at 10 a.m. today and to the general public at 10 a.m. Friday, March 15 at the ArtsQuest Center box office at 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, at www.musikfest.org and 610-332-3378.Musikfest release
Tickets, at $30 to $100, will go on sale to ArtsQuest members at 10 a.m. today and to the general public at 10 a.m. Friday, March 15 at the ArtsQuest Center box office at 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, at www.musikfest.org and 610-332-3378.
Slash's S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival is the fourth rock act to be announced as headliner for this year’s 11-show lineup.
Previously announced rock acts were hard rock band Shinedown performing on Aug. 3, Southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd on Aug. 7 and young rock band Greta Van Fleet on the festival’s preview night.
That’s the most rock acts for a single Musikfest in more than a decade — since 2013, when the festival also had four: Skillet, George Thorogood & The Destroyers, Styx and Foreigner and Avenged Sevenfold.
A variety of rock
ArtsQuest Chief Programming Officer Patrick Brogan acknowledged the offerings of rock this year, but said even within rock, Musikfest’s lineup is offering differing styles.
“This year’s Musikfest headliners offer a very diverse lineup,” Brogan said in a statement. “Pop, multiple hip-hop shows, country, a reggaeton artists, a Latin pop artist.
“Additionally, even within the rock genre there is classic rock, boogie-rock, Southern rock and harder rock. We can’t wait for Musikfest 2024.”
Slash's S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival stands for Solidarity, Engagement, Restore, Peace, Equality N’ Tolerance. The festival is a celebration of the blues, featuring an all-star line-up that will vary.
Slash, a Grammy Award-winning guitarist who also has played in Velvet Revolver, as well as his own groups Slash’s Snakepit and Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators, recently released his sixth solo album, "Orgy of the Damned."
He topped the charts with his first solo album, "Slash," in 2010. It featured Ozzy Osbourne, Chris Cornell, Fergie, Myles Kennedy, Iggy Pop, Beth Hart and more on vocals.
He formed the solo band Slash Ft. Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators, which toured and made music together for more than a decade, releasing four albums, including 2022's "4," which debuted at No. 1 on the Hard Rock chart.
10th act announced this year
Slash was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Guns N’ Roses in 2012 and was named No. 2 on Time magazine's 10 Greatest Electric Guitar players, after Jimi Hendrix.
He rejoined Guns N’ Roses in 2016 for an ongoing world tour and also is touring with Slash featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators.
The Slash S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival tour will donate part of the proceeds of each ticket sold to The Equal Justice Initiative, Know Your Rights Camp, The Greening Institute and War Child Charities.
The announcement is the 10th of what Musikfest has said will be 11 headline performers for its 41st year this year.
Other Musikfest headliners previously announced are reggaeton act Jowell & Randy on Aug. 4, country music group Old Dominion on Aug. 6 and pop/hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas on Aug. 8.
Also, reunited 2000s boy band Big Time Rush will on Aug. 9, rapper Ludacris on Aug. 10 andboogie-rocking band ZZ Topon Aug. 11.
Tickets for all those shows remain on sale.
