Lehigh Valley Arts Podcast

SAVE THE DATE: Celebrate with us at Light Up LUAG on Friday, September 19!"100 Years of Lehigh University Art GalleriesFrom the art and engineering of the first Lenape inhabitants, through the upheavals of the steel and railroad industries, to the hi-tech manufacturing of today, makers and innovators of all kinds have found a home in the Lehigh Valley.Perhaps unsurprisingly, this maker mindset...

On this episode, Elise sits down with Mark Jones and Nikki Weaver of The Wonton Soups!The Wonton Soups are a quirky and lovable horn band from Bethlehem, PA. Blending experience from jazz, musical theater, marching band and self taught musicians, The Wonton Soups have a truly unique sound influenced by funk, ska, swing, and big band.You can follow The Wonton Soups on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok,...

The Lehigh Valley Arts Podcast team had the pleasure of hosting an in-person episode at the Icehouse Punk & DIY: Open House + Artist Meetup on Sunday, February 23, 2025, from 1-4 pm at the Ice House (56 River St. Bethlehem, PA). While there, we got to sit down with a few of the vendors, attendees, and artists!This event was in partnership with Elise Schaffer and Brandon Dominguez, who have...

On this episode, Elise and podcast alum Robin Gow (@robin_gow_poet) sat down with Chloe Cole-Wilson from Basement Poetry (@basementpoetry) and special guest Khalid Taylor (@khalidantonio).Basement Poetry is an organization dedicated to empowering diverse communities through the performing arts and poetry. They create opportunities for cultural participation and education in theatre, focusing on...

This week, we interview Damian Appiotti.Damian Appiotti is a multi faceted musician and educator who has been playing the guitar for about as long as he can remember. He grew up with parents who both have musical backgrounds, and has had a life surrounded by music, film, and art at large. The style that Damian often works in is referred to as Prog, which some have gone on to describe by saying...

In this episode, Ben sits down with Doug Boehm and Josh Berk of PLANET INFAMY.PLANET INFAMY is an art rock collective of Lehigh Valley musicians playing innovative original compositions and irreverent improvised jams. The group features Josh Berk and Bryan Lazewski on guitar, Doug Boehm on bass, "Big Dom" Haberstumpf on drums, Shaun Adickes on keyboards, and Al Johnson on percussion--with many...

This episode, Ben and Elise talk with Derick Fiedler.Growing up, Derick never saw his father without a camera in his hand. His Father’s passion for photography inspired him to become a photographer himself. After graduating from College, Derick made backpacking throughout the world a priority. He took with him his Fathers Olympus mirrorless camera with a 20mm lens that easily fit into his pack....

This week, Ben, Elisabeth and Elise all got to sit down at the start of this episode to both catch up about what they've been doing and talk about a few events and opportunities they're excited about. That includes the Pennsylvania Playhouse looking for directors for their upcoming season, Allentown Art Museum's 2024 Cocktails and Collecting's Sunday Free for All, and Touchstone Theater's...

On this week's episode, Ben sat down with We're from Antarctica!Easton, Pennsylvania’s very own indie quintet, We’re From Antarctica, emerged onto the scene in late 2018 through a series of serendipitous events that would lead Carlos “Paco” Brown (Vocals, Rhythm guitar), Jessie Rae (Vocals, Keys), Jon Blanco (Lead guitar), Mackenzie Kressley (Bass) and Christopher Kendall (Drums) to meet. The...

This week, Ben talks with Daniel Djuro-Goiricelaya.Daniel, a native of Maracaibo, Venezuela, was the second of three sons of a Cuban Basque mother and first generation Ukrainian/Russian Father. He was raised in a colorful, multicultural home where different languages were spoken, and traditions upheld; opening the windows of his imagination and awakening his artistic soul and curiosity at an...