This winter will get off to a hot start at SteelStacks, when singer-songwriter Martin Sexton and the popular Rob Stoneback Big Band perform at the ArtsQuest Center’s Musikfest Café presented by Yuengling this December. Tickets for the shows are on sale at www.steelstacks.org and 610-332-3378.

On Dec. 10, 7:30 p.m., the Musikfest Café is pleased to welcome Martin Sexton.

After launching his career in the early ’90s, Sexton went on to release the albums Black Sheep, The American, Wonder Bar and Live Wide Open from 1996-2002. The activity and worldwide touring behind these records laid the foundation for the career he enjoys today, with an uncommonly loyal fan base that leads to sold-out venues ranging from New York’s Nokia Theatre to Los Angeles’ House of Blues.

In 2007 Sexton began the most successful stretch of his career with the release of his studio offering Seeds. The album debuted at No. 6 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart, and the Los Angeles Times said, “Call him a soul shouter, a road poet, a folkie or a rocker and you wouldn’t be wrong.” In addition, the song “Diner,” from Black Sheep, was featured on an episode of “Scrubs” that same year. Tickets for Sexton’s concert are $25-$30 in advance and $28 and $33 day of show.

Just in time for the holidays, the swingin’ Rob Stoneback Big Band returns to SteelStacks with its popular holiday show, Dec. 22, 7:30 p.m., in the Musikfest Café. Tickets for the performance are $18-$22.

A 19-piece ensemble, the Rob Stoneback Big Band has performed throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region including New York, Philadelphia, Atlantic City and Baltimore. Members of the band include alumni of the Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, Harry James, Woody Herman and Buddy Rich big bands. Among the artists they have performed with are Miles Davis, Sarah Vaughn, Natalie Cole, Johnny Mathis, Aretha Franklin, The Manhattan Transfer, Olivia Newton-John, The Temptations and more. The Rob Stoneback Big Band has recorded four albums: Up Front (1983), Traditions (1990), Caught in the Web (1997) and Mad to the Bone (2003), featuring the legendary jazz trombonist Bill Watrous.

The ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks is located at 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem.