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Review by: Janel Spiegel
Photography by: Diane Fleischman
Black Eyed Peas
MUSIKFEST
Wind Creek Steel Stage at PNC Plaza
Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 7:30 PM
711 E. First Street, Bethlehem, PA
The Black Eyed Peas BRINGING THE FUNK TO THE FESTIVITIES! ALWAYS.
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania… *starts playing* “Here Comes the Rain Again.” The legendary Black Eyed Peas brought the whole party to Musikfest. The crowd was HYPED. The legendary will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo, and J Rey performed in the rain while will.i.am freestyled, and came up with a few songs right on the spot. The group started, and was founded in 1995 but they took off soaring with the album, Elephunk, which still has some of the best songs including: “Shut Up,” “Smells Like Funk,” which they actually performed tonight, “Latin Girls,” “The Boogie That Be,” “The Apl Song,” “Anxiety,” and of course, “Where is the Love?”
J Rey now does the singing that Kim Hill, and Fergie did for many years, and she does an incredible job. J Rey Soul was hyping the crowd up, and singing her soul out. Mother Nature kept the rain going on, and off, and this prompted a freestyle song from will.i.am. This is what happens when you write your own songs folks, you can always sing them.
The energy of this show was wild, and as usual the Musikfest staff, volunteers, the Bethlehem police, EMT’s on stand-by, and my beyond incredible friend, and her son came along to see the Black Eyed Peas. We had our ponchos, and mine was yellow so, I was out there looking like an Aw Shucks! Roasted Cob of Corn. The corn is awesome so, if you never had it, go and get some. Go visit Aw Shucks! Roasted Corn at Musikfest.
They performed, “Smells Like Funk.” It’s such a fun song. It’s one of those songs you never forget, and you can always sing.
“Big booty funk, toe jam funk
Underarm funk, like you head locking a skunk
Reeking like diseased athlete’s feet
The stench didn’t come till after this beat.” “Smells Like Funk.” From Elephunk
will.i.am, Taboo, and apl.de.ap all came out individually, and did a variety of songs. The most exciting moments seemed to be, will.i.am reminding people that he did, “This is Love”/#thatPower and “Scream & Shout” featuring Britney Spears which had the crowd going non-stop, and that iconic, “It’s Britney B*tch.” The crowd was also thrilled for “Where is the Love?” and will.i.am and the crowd understood the “lighter song” moment. They had energy, and they kept the show going. It was a good variety of the Black Eyed Peas.
The Black Eyed Peas also threw in, “Pump It” which HAD THE ENTIRE AUDIENCE JUMPING! The excitement and energy was WILD. They did “Don’t Stop The Party,” “The Time (Dirty Bit),” and of course, “I Gotta Feeling.”
They did a few combined moments with “Meet Me Halfway,” “My Humps,” “Imma Be,” and the “I Gotta Feeling (Outro).” It was beyond awesome, and to see them was incredible. It was like intense chaotic beauty with so much love, and heart and soul. You felt all the passion, the feelings of how happy they were to be at Musikfest.
If you get a chance to see them live, go see the Black Eyed Peas.
I think we all kind of wished “tonight would last forever,” but we all have to go to work, and then do this all over again happily the next night until August 11, 2024.
MUSIKFEST continues until August 11, 2024.
Opening Acts Flyanna Boss and LOGUIDICE
https://www.instagram.com/blackeyedpeas/
https://www.awshucksroastedcorn.com/
