It was a soggy end to the 30th annual Musikfest Aug. 11 with the Blues Brotherhood at Americaplatz (Levitt Pavilion), SteelStacks, Bethlehem.

"It wouldn't be Musikfest without rain for the Blues Brotherhood," said Jake Blues (Paul Miller, owner of Loopers restaurant, Bethlehem), one-half of the lead duo that includes Elwood Blues (Tom "Bones" Malone) and is backed by a rock band and brass section.

The Brotherhood played rhythm and blues to a huge crowd, taking a break for the 10 p.m. Sand Island closing night fireworks, and returning to the stage to a drizzle that turned into a downpour with diehard fans getting soaked during the finale, a version of the Blues Brothers' big hit, "Soul Man," with Jake and Elwood cavorting around the stage in their black suits and fedoras.

It also wouldn't be Musikfest without perennial favorites Igor and the Red Elvises, with German-born Igor Yuzov who grew up in the former Soviet Union rocking the Volksplatz Aug. 5 to a huge enthusiastic crowd with its "Siberian Surf Rock."

The sound, with jokey songs like "I Am A Rocket Man" and "Twist Like Uma Thurman," is more akin to the B-52s, especially with two females, Asian and African-Amercan, now on vocals, keyboards and saxophone, joining Russian Oleg Bernov on bass.

"The most important thing to remember in disco dancing is to point your finger," Yuzov said, before launching into "I Want to Be A Disco Dancer," with thousands thrusting their hands skyward a la John Travolta in "Saturday Night Fever."

Speaking of bizarro bands, Los Straitjackets filled Volksplatz Aug. 10 with loyal fans for their straight-ahead surf and rockabilly instrumentals played by four guys in suits and ties and Mexican professional wresting masks. Don't ask. It's all in fun.

Suits and ties also de rigeur for Strawberry Fields, a Beatles tribute band of former members of the Broadway "Beatlemania" show that had Festplatz packed to overflowing Aug. 10.

The foursome's first set included faithful renditions of the early Moptop hits "I Saw Her Standing There" and "Love Me Do." The vocals, lead guitar and bass guitar were outstanding.

Another band hitting all the right notes and vocals was The Royal Scam, a Steely Dan tribute band at Americaplatz Aug. 5 with uncanny renditions of, among others, "FM" and "Deacon Blues."

The Lehigh Valley's Dina Hall & the Back Beat was carrying forth with a lilting rendition of Karen Carpenters "Superstar" from the musical "Jesus Christ Superstar" Aug. 5 at Liederplatz in the Sun Inn Courtyard

Year after year, the variety of music is yet again amazing.

That's why it's called Musikfest.