They say good music never gets old.

Devon Gilfillian proved that adage Sept. 20 at Musikfest Cafe, ArtsQuest Center, SteelStacks, Bethlehem, with a concert of classic soul that not only revived the 1960s and ‘70s sound successfully, but integrated it with rock, pop and more.

Backed by a talented three-man band, singer-songwriter-guitarist Gilfillian, a Delaware County native who clearly has Philly soul ingrained in him, played a 15-song, 81-minute set that not only reminded the audience of how good that music was, but showed them it also still can sound contemporary.

That doesn’t mean it was a concert of oldies nor that it was without surprises.

One such surprise was the opening song, “Travelin’ Blues,” from Gilfillian’s 2016 self-titled debut EP. It was, indeed, a very bluesy trip through ‘70s psychedelic blues à la Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love,” with keyboards and slide guitar (Gilfillian switched guitars mid-song).

That led right into “Get Out and Get It,” which he introduced as “something to bring back home to Pennsylvania,” immediately connecting to his roots (he now lives in Nashville).

Before 2019’s “Unchained,” his first Top 10 hit on the Adult Alternative chart, Gilfillian reminisced about playing Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks in 2018 and later opening for Chicago at Bethlehem’s Musikfest.

On the song, dedicated to his disabled brother, Ryan, he showed his guitar chops, as well, with a two-minute ambient guitar solo.

Gilfillian was at his best when displaying his command of classic soul, such as on his 2017 single “Here and Now,” which sounded very much like master Motown and had the audience, intimate at perhaps 125, clapping along.

“Let’s Stop (Messing) Around,” a song from his newest album, “Time Will Tell,” released in June, was very soul-Motown, and on it, Gilfillian displayed his voice – wailing and holding a long, soulful note at the end.

Similarly, on “Time,” the new album’s opening track, he opened his heart through his vocals on the slow, intense, voice-and-piano song.

“Hold On (Hourglass),” a Top 40 AAA hit from the new disc, was so connected to classic soul that you literally hear the influence, seemingly snippets and samples of songs as it chugged along.

He introduced the lighter, slower soul of the new “Glad to Be Here,” by explaining he wrote it after his veteran musician father had a heart attack, then introduced “All I Really Want to Do” by telling the audience, “I got a love song for you.” And the slower, lighter and seductive song, sung with high falsetto, edged him close to early ‘70s Al Green.

Gilfillian again shifted styles with a worthy, heavy blues-rock version of The Allman Brothers’ “Midnight Rider,” which he said he performed recently at the Grand Ole Opry, and which the Musikfest Cafe audience enthusiastically applauded.

He took another turn after the audience-engaging 2026 single “IRL” and “The Good Life,” which Gilfillian said he sang at his Levitt Pavilion appearance, by bringing opening act Jon Muq on stage for an a cappella version of Bill Withers’ “Lean on Me.” It wasn’t Withers, of course, but it was a valiant effort.

And then Gilfillian ended where he started, closing with the forceful classic blues rock of his 2018 single “Troublemaker,” then right into the closing (there was no encore), five-minute version of his latest single, “Black Dog Rabbit Hole.”

It was an appropriately named dive into the soaring sonic blues rock of Led Zeppelin, losing all of that soul subtlety for more hard rock and falsetto vocals. It got a standing ovation.

It clearly showed good music never gets old.

Muq’s opening set of six songs in 38 minutes also traced a trip: the personal journey of the singer, who emigrated from Uganda to Austin, Texas.

He opened with “Love You Anyway,” which he said was the first English-language song he wrote and which he appropriately described as “spicy,” then continued through a set of guitar-and-voice songs.

“Flight Away From Home” was pleasant and jaunty; “A Big Smile” more whimsical, with a whistled section, and “Bend” was quiet, reflective.

Before “Runaway,” he spoke about the release of his debut album, “Flying Away,” produced by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys, then closed with perhaps his best, the new “I Believe in Angels.”

A bit faster, more accessible, more deliberate, it may be a turning point in his journey.