SANDS CASINO RESORT BETHLEHEM ANNOUNCES NEW CONCERT SERIES: Proceeds from ‘Musik at the Sands’ to Benefit New ArtsQuest Center

FROM ARTSQUEST

SANDS CASINO RESORT BETHLEHEM ANNOUNCES NEW CONCERT SERIES: Proceeds from ‘Musik at the Sands’ to Benefit New ArtsQuest Center

DATE: September 3, 2010
CONTACT:
Jennifer Reese, 484-777-7916 or jennifer.reese@pasands.com
Mark Demko, 610-332-1342 or mdemko@artsquest.org
BETHLEHEM, PA--Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem has announced a new fall concert series with ticket proceeds benefiting the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks.

“Musik at the Sands,” which will take place in October, features acts such as Paul Anka, Kansas, Foreigner and The Guess Who performing in a 2,000-seat tent at the Sands. Proceeds from the series will go to support the ArtsQuest Center, the new performing arts center that’s scheduled to open in May 2011.

“’Musik at the Sands’ marks the first time that Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem is presenting large-scale live entertainment,” said Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem President Robert DeSalvio. “These concerts will not only be opportunities for the community to enjoy nationally-known acts such as Paul Anka and Foreigner, but proceeds from the series will also help to raise money for an important community project that will benefit everyone in the region.”

In 2005, Las Vegas Sands Corp. donated the land for the ArtsQuest Center and SteelStacks, an arts, cultural and entertainment campus that also will be home to an outdoor music pavilion, three public plazas, the City of Bethlehem’s new visitors’ center and public television station PBS39’s new Broadcast Center. When it opens, the ArtsQuest Center will offer more than 200 live concerts annually, as well as present the best in independent, foreign and documentary films at its two-screen art cinema. The ArtsQuest Center and adjacent SteelStacks campus will also host 10 new festivals, programs by other area nonprofits, numerous community events, and farmers and arts & antiques markets, providing residents of the region with dynamic music and art experiences throughout the year. The ArtsQuest Center and ArtsQuest’s related programs at SteelStacks are expected to attract more than 750,000 visitors to Bethlehem each year to enjoy music and the arts.

“Four-and-a-half years ago, Las Vegas Sands Corp. was among the first corporations to support the vision for SteelStacks by donating the land for the project. Now the Sands is showing its commitment to the community once again,” said ArtsQuest President Jeff Parks. “’Musik at the Sands’ will bring quality musical programming to the Lehigh Valley as a whole and the Southside of Bethlehem in particular, something that has long been an important part of ArtsQuest’s mission. It also will help us move one step closer to completing the ArtsQuest Center. We are extremely grateful to the Sands for its ongoing support of ArtsQuest and SteelStacks.”

The “Musik at the Sands” concert series kicks off Oct. 1 with Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes. Originating from the Jersey Shore music scene of the mid ’70s, Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes have entertained countless fans over the past 35 years with their distinctive blend of blues and rock. The group, which was formed by John Lyon and Steven Van Zandt, has produced 19 albums and performed to audiences around the world. Its 1978 release, “Heart of Stone,” was named one of the top 100 albums of the 1970s and ‘80s by Rolling Stone Magazine.

“Musik at the Sands” continues Oct. 11 with the one and only Paul Anka. With 22 Top 20 hits and more than 15 million albums sold, Anka has been delighting listeners around the world for more than 50 years. He has recorded 125 albums to date, including 10 albums in Japanese, German, Spanish, French and Italian. He has also written 130 songs for other artists, including Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Linda Ronstadt and Frank Sinatra.

On Oct. 13, legendary rock act Foreigner visits Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem for a night of classics. The group, whose hits include “Cold As Ice,” “Urgent,“ “Hot Blooded,” “Jukebox Hero” and “I Want To Know What Love is,” has performed on sold-out concert tours and sold more than 70 million albums since its debut in the mid-’70s.


On Oct. 15, local blues legend Craig Thatcher pays tribute to one of rock and blues’ legendary artists, Eric Clapton. An Eric Clapton Retrospective features Thatcher and his band performing songs from throughout Clapton’s career. Look for classics from The Yardbirds, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Cream, Blind Faith and Derek & The Dominoes, as well as hits from throughout Slowhand’s solo career.

Kansas, which performs Oct. 16, was one of the most popular rock groups of the 1970s and ’80s. On the strength of songs such as “Carry On Wayward Son,” “Point of Know Return” and “Dust in the Wind,” the band appeared on the Billboard charts for more than 200 weeks during the ’70s and ‘80s and performed to sold‑out arenas and stadiums throughout North America, Europe and Japan.

The Guess Who, which takes the stage Oct. 22, rose to stardom in the late ‘60s thanks to a string of hits. Formed in Winnipeg, Canada, the group became its nation’s first international rock superstars, placing 21 songs, including the No. 1 hits “American Woman” and “No Sugar Tonight,” on the Billboard Top 100 from 1965-‘75. Today the band continues to tour regularly, thrilling fans throughout North America.

Tickets for all announced “Musik at the Sands” concerts will go on sale Sept. 9 at 10 a.m. to ArtsQuest Members and Sept. 10 at 10 a.m. to the public. All shows are for ages 21 and older. Additional concerts will be announced as they are confirmed. “Musik at the Sands” tickets will be available for purchase at www.pasands.com, www.artsquest.org/musicatthesands and the Sands & Co. store at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem, 77 Sands Blvd., Bethlehem. They will also be available by calling 610-332-1300.


Ticket prices are as follows:

October 1, 7:30 p.m.
Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes
$24-$34

October 11, 7:30 p.m.
Paul Anka
$59-$74

October 13, 7:30 p.m.
Foreigner
$49-$64

Oct. 15, 7:30 p.m.
An Eric Clapton Retrospective featuring Craig Thatcher, 7:30 p.m.
$17-$22

October 16, 7:30 p.m.
Kansas
$29-$39

October 22, 7:30 p.m.
The Guess Who
$34-$44

About Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem
Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem opened May of 2009 in Eastern Pennsylvania. Situated on the site of the historic Bethlehem Steel plant and located approximately 60 minutes from Philadelphia and the northern New Jersey suburbs, and 90 minutes from New York City, Sands Bethlehem offers over 3,000 state-of-the-art slot machines and 89 table games. Culinary offerings include Emeril’s Chop House and Burgers And More By Emeril, two new signature restaurants from celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse. In addition, the casino features the Carnegie Deli, St. James Gate Irish Pub and Carvery, Cobalt Cafe, and the varied offerings and cuisines of The Market Gourmet Express. It is also home to the Coil bar, Infusion lounge and Molten lounge, which feature live entertainment 5 nights a week.

The Sands Bethlehem development also consists of plans for a 300-room hotel, 200,000 square feet of shopping space for popular retailers and designers, and nearly 50,000 square feet of flexible multi-purpose space, which will allow the property to accommodate meetings, conventions, and a variety of special events.


About ArtsQuest
ArtsQuest™ is a Bethlehem, PA-based nonprofit dedicated to presenting music, arts, cultural experiences and educational and outreach programs that aid in economic development, urban revitalization and community enrichment. Through festivals such as its flagship event, Musikfest®, and the Banana Factory® cultural arts and education center, ArtsQuest’s programming currently reaches more than 1.3 million people annually.

ArtsQuest is furthering its mission of celebrating arts and culture through the development of the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks. The 65,000-square-foot building, set to open in May 2011, will feature live music, independent and scientific films, new festivals and community celebrations year-round, reaching an additional 750,000 people each year.


For more information on ArtsQuest, call 610-332-1300.

http://www.artsquest.org/MEDIA/releases/musikatthesands.asp