Rob Hyman doesn’t remember exactly when The Hooters last performed in the Lehigh Valley, but he remembers the Lehigh Valley.

“We played some clubs in Allentown. There was a place called Nikko’s [along South Eighth Street]. That was one of our early hangouts. We picked up some loyal fans.

“We started up in Levittown and Allentown and then we moved into Philly and we brought some of those fans with us,” Hyman says, pausing and then joking, “They know who they are.”

The Hooters perform at 8:30 p.m. Aug. 24, Levitt Pavilion, SteelStacks, Bethlehem. Chestnut Grove opens the concert at 7:30 p.m. The gates open at 6:30 p.m.

Get ready to hear Hooters hits: “All You Zombies,” “Hanging On A Heartbeat,” “Fightin’ On The Same Side,” “Blood From A Stone,” ”Day by Day,” “And We Danced,” “Where Do the Children Go,” “Johnny B,” “Satellite,” “Karla with a K” and “Private Emotion.”

Also likely on the set list are “Time After Time,’ co-written by Hyman and Cyndi Lauper, and a Grammy-nominated No. 1 hit from “She’s So Unusual,” Lauper’s 1983 debut album, and “One of Us,” written by Hooters’ co-founder Eric Bazilian, and a Grammy-nominated No. 4 hit for Joan Osbourne from “Relish,” her debut 1995 debut album.

“We’re talking some 35 years of material ... Some covers that we’ve Hooterized. Every night is bit different. And there’s a fair amount of improv and jamming,” says Hyman in an Aug. 9 phone interview from New Hampshire where he was vacationing.

“And every night, ‘All You Zombies’. We’ve been playing that since 1980. A new riff, or move on stage or lighting. We work on the show every night. We’re discussing new things to try. We love to play. Two and one-half, almost three-hour marathons. We have some surprises. And the idea is to make it feel fresh that night, even songs that you’ve played for 30 years.”

The Hooters’ concert lineup is: Rob Hyman, vocals, keyboard, accordion, melodica; Eric Bazilian, vocals, guitar, mandolin, recorder, harmonica, sax; John Lilley, guitar, mandolin, dobro; Fran Smith Jr., bass, backing vocals, and Dave Uosikkinen, drums, percussion.

The Hooters were darlings of the Philadelphia rock scene when WMMR and WYSP were FM radio powerhouses. South Street was a live band club-hopping destination. The Hooters opened for The Who on a bill with The Clash at JFK Stadium in 1982. The Hooters’ debut album,”Amore,” a 1983 independent release, sold 100,000.

“Local radio really did support local bands. And that was a big part of our story. We were really fortunate at that time. And the radio would play rough demos to get a reaction. So, it was a great support system,” Hyman recalls.

”The Hooters did 11 videos. The peak was that they broadcast a live concert from the Spectrum on Thanksgiving and ‘Live Aid.’ Mark Goodman [MTV veejay] was from Philly. Robert Hazard, Tommy Conwell, The As. It was a good scene. It was kind of a friendly competitive vibe.

“We’re older and we don’t get out and do those late nights as we used to,” adds Hyman.

The Hooters were signed by Columbia Records, releasing the album, “Nervous Nights,” in 1985, which went platinum with 2 million copies sold; opened the “Live Aid” concert in Philadelphia in 1985; were named “Best New Band of the Year” by Rolling Stone magazine in 1985, won two Billboard awards for their videos in 1986, headlined the Spectrum, Philadelphia, for the first time in a live MTV telecast in 1987, and performed at Roger Waters of Pink Floyd “The Wall Concert,” Potsdamer Platz, Berlin, Germany, in 1990.

Valley connections

Hyman’s Lehigh Valley connections go beyond playing the then thriving 1980s club scene. Before there was The Hooters, there was the band, Wax.

“I played in Wax many years ago up in Allentown with Rick Levy, Beau Jones, who sadly passed away [September 2010]. We had reunited a version of Wax in his [Beau Jones] honor in 2010. We hung out with Chris Jones and Rook Jones.” Chris [pedal steel guitar player] was really a great addition. I wish he had been in the original group.

“Back in the day, the early ‘70s, it was just jamming up in the area [the Valley]. We opened for Chicago at the Allentown Fairgrounds. We opened for the Byrds in Philadelphia. We opened for John Mayall at the original Electric Factory.”

Hyman, born April 24, 1950, in Meriden, Conn., met Levy, an Allentown native, when they were college students. Levy, who performed with The Box Tops, July 2, at Levitt Pavilion, and is guitarist-tour manager for Tommy Roe, was in The Limits, with Beau, Chris and Rook Jones.

“I met Rick Levy at the University of Pennsylvania [where Hyman received a Bachelor of Science in biology]. Beau [Jones] was in the Army. He was a beautiful, beautiful guy, a sweet guy and a great musician. That was my introduction to the Lehigh Valley.

“After school, we scattered a bit and morphed into Baby Grand [in the late 1970s]. We were several bands that kind of merged. Rick Chertoff was our drummer. He went on to become our producer. David Kagan was our lead singer.

“Eric Bazilian came along. In 1980, we started playing as The Hooters. Rick [Chertoff] went to New York and became a successful producer: Cyndi Lauper’s debut, Joan Osborne.

The Hooters’ sound

“I’m still in touch with Rick [Levy] in Florida. It was a great time. I actually remember being exposed to a certain kind of music in Allentown, which was kind of British folk rock ... Fairport Convention, Jethro Tull. And I think that became an influence on The Hooters, that Celtic folk rock.

“Then there was also the reggae influence. I went to Jamaica on vacation with my family. And I heard Jamaican ska and reggae. I kept going back to Jamaica. And picked up a lot of records. I went with Rick Levy one time.

“There’s an artist, Augustus Pablo (1954 - 1999), and he played the melodica. Eric [Bazilian] introduced me to it. A friend of his had it in the apartment. I love the sound. And I still use it. It has an interesting tone. I still listen to Augustus Pablo. He was an amazing keyboardist and producer. His records still hold up. Some of the dub reggae stuff is my go-to music.

“In the beginning, with The Hooters, we called it ska reggae rock. Part of it was another British invasion that they called Two Tone [late 1970s ska revival], The Specials, English Beat, Madness, The Selector, The Police, mixing reggae and rock. We just said, ‘We should be playing this.’ The early days, that is what we focused on.”

One of The Hooters’ most popular, if idiosyncratic, songs is “All You Zombies.”

“We were ahead of the curve with that one. ‘The Walking Dead.’ That was one of the first songs we wrote. We played it at our first show, June 1980. It was a strange song. We’re still trying to figure it out. It’s mysterious. We’ re not quite sure what it’s all about. The words came to us in a flash.

“Time After Time”

“We were also involved with Cyndi Lauper. She was one of the early queens of MTV. She was so perfect for a visual medium like that. Fashion and just the whole aesthetic. We were just very fortunate to work with her.”

The genesis of “Time After Time” was during Lauper’s “She’s So Unusual” album recording sessions.

“Another one that came pretty quickly. We had done ‘Girls Just Want to Have Fun,’ ‘She Bop’ and ‘All Through the Night.’ We had most of the album done. And then Rick [Chertoff] said, ’You know we could use one more song.’ Cyndi and I stayed in the studio, The Record Plant, in New York City. John Lennon recorded there. Springsteen recorded there. It was just a great room.

“The title [‘Time After Time’] was inspired by Cyndi, who saw it in the TV Guide. It was a time-travel movie. I started showing a way to sing it. We were literally out of time. Cyndi got the ball rolling with a title. Eric [Bazilian] really helped out with beautiful guitar work. I played keys. The record was really the demo. The arrangement was simple. The vocal was just fantastic. She did a great video.”

“Time After Time” has been covered by more than 100 artists, including Miles Davis, Willie Nelson and Cassandra Wilson.

In her concerts, Lauper used to endearingly refer to The Hooters, who backed her up, as “my band before they were a band,” or something to that effect.

“She remains a good friend to this day. Still kickin’ it, as are we.

European following

“We just came off a summer tour of Europe. We did almost 30 shows in three months, starting in June, seven weeks on and off, three trips. We finished last Saturday [Aug. 6]. I know we’ve never sounded better.”

The Hooters’ studio albums include “One Way Home,” 1987; “Zig Zag,” 1989; “Out of Body,” 1993, and “Time Stand Still,” 2007; the EP, “Five by Five,” 2010; two live albums; two greatest hits albums, and one retrospective album.

In Europe, where The Hooters have a devoted following, the group performed at, among other events, Sweden Rock, before 25,000 - 30,000, as well as 1,000-2,000-seat theaters.

“As far as long-range touring, our fans have shifted overseas. There is definitely a European connection. They like the music. Even at hard rock and heavy rock festivals. And then we come out with our accordions and mandolins and melodicas. We have three solid lead guitars. We hold our own with the heavy-metal guys.”

The Hooters have been performing more concerts in recent years since getting back together in 2001. “It’s even taken us by surprise. We’re really flattered. It’s really been a great run.

“It’s not the full-time boogie. We have other projects. We work with other artists. We have families.”

Hyman composed, arranged and played on Patty Smyth’s 1987 solo album, “Never Enough.” He wrote, played and arranged on Osborne’s debut, “Relish,” and worked on her 2008 album, “Little Wild One.”

He collaborated with Chertoff on the album, “Largo,” based on Antonín Dvorák’s Symphony No. 9, in E minor, “From the New World.” He performed on Ricky Martin’s 1999 single, “Private Emotion,” originally a Hooters’ song.

Hyman co-wrote, co-produced, arranged and played on “Christmas of Love” for director Ron Howard’s movie, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000).

He co-produced and played on Dar Williams’ 2002 album, “The Beauty of the Rain,” and co-wrote the single, “Closer To You.” He also wrote and played on her 2005 album, “My Better Self.”

Hyman has also been involved in songwriting projects with Bette Midler, stage and film projects, and projects with new artists. He founded Elm Street Studios in 2002.

The Hooters perform at The Keswick in November. The group began its 2016 concert tour at The Borgota, Atlantic City, in May.

“We ‘re really looking forward to coming back up to the Lehigh Valley,” says Hyman, who lives in the Philadelphia area. Hyman figures The Hooters haven’t performed in the Lehigh Valley for 10 to 15 years.

“Our Philly fans and Lehigh Valley fans, they’re our loyal fans.

“We have some friends coming. I’m really looking forward to wrapping up our summer. We want to come and blow the roof off, even if there isn’t a roof. It’s a homecoming of sorts.

“We’re at a point now where it’s a blessing to be playing in this band. There’s a real chemistry in this band. We just get along. We’re really friends. We’re lucky to keep doing this.”