Sat 7/8-Sun 7/9
The Wonderstruck Festival, which began as LaurelLive at the Laurel School campus through 2019 before reappearing, post-pandemic, in 2021 at Lakeland Community College in 2021, has undergone an identity change.
Originally loaded with interesting breakout buzz bands with some indie cachet (last year’s headliners were the Lumineers, Vampire Weekend, Michael Franti and All Time Low) and intriguing openers (Trombone Shorty, Big Freedia), this year it’s appealing to the commercial mainstream with both its headliners and undercard, with 28 acts playing on three stages.
Especially be warned that Saturday is loaded with contemporary radio-friendly country performers (not Americana or classic country) with Walker Hayes headlining, joined by hip-hop hit radio staple Flo Rida whose biggest hit was 2007’s “Low,” and some radio-friendly pop acts, as well as Michael Jackson’s daughter, Paris, attempting to launch a music career. Tall Tall Trees aka banjo player/vocalist Mike Savino, way at the bottom of the bill, is perhaps the most interesting act on Saturday: Like Bela Fleck (though he sounds nothing like him) he pushes the limits of the banjo in ways bluegrass players never conceived with sound processors and props, describing himself as a “one-man psychedelic indie folk orchestra.”
If today’s radio country isn’t your thing, Sunday is the day to go. The bill is led by pop hitmaker Khalid and another former hip-hop radio staple, Nelly, who broke out in 2000, supported by a slew of poppy groups such as Coin, Almost Monday, Canadian female quartet the Beaches, and RosaLynn who augments her typical girl-pop with instruments from her native Armenia. You can also catch a couple of fine NE Ohio acts: The Vindys, a punchy bluesy rock ensemble from Youngstown who’ve been taking audiences by storm the last few years and pop hip-hop trio from Cleveland .wavrunner (pictured.)
Get tickets here.