It’s the 50th year of a Lehigh Valley absolute treasure, and this is the year you go if you haven’t been.

Since opening on March 19, 1976, Godfrey Daniels has built a national reputation with great artists, a quiet room, and an audience that prioritizes listening.

The club began as a coffeehouse in a former doughnut shop on Bethlehem’s Southside, founded by Dave Fry and Cindy Dinsmore, and it has been nurturing live music ever since. It became a nonprofit soon after, helping keep the focus where it belongs, on the performers and the shared experience in the room.

There is nothing quite like this intimate Southside Bethlehem listening room, where the whole point is to show up, listen closely, and leave with a new favorite artist.