WonderBus Fest 2023 Day Three at the CAS Grounds in Columbus, OH

The third day of WonderBus put spotlights on casual, chill tunes. The weather accommodated and gave CAAMP an easy, serine send-off for the evening.

Sunday had the earliest start time for the festival and the most relaxing atmosphere. The third day was reserved for indie and folk musicians. Even the weather had calmed down to a more manageable temperature. A feature of the VIP areas at WonderBus this year was the ability to reserve private suites. There were several premium suites to relax and enjoy each other’s company in the shade. After CAAMP agreed to headline the third day of WonderBus, vocalist Taylor Meier had the idea to reserve the largest of the private suites for his friends and family to enjoy the festival experience on him. Shade wasn’t such a hot commodity on day three with the temperature only reaching the mid-80s, but it was still a terrific space for friends and strangers to congregate and learn how each of them has had an impact on the band to perform on the main stage once the sun would go down.

With CAAMP being the headliner, for a consistent aural atmosphere, you might expect more banjos than horns throughout the day. There were more horns; much more! Even if only a trumpet, nearly every band had a horn section. Folk rock Austin-based Briscoe was the only performer that had them both. “Hooped Earrings” was a crowd favorite for their set. Their first full album is out September 15.

San Diego’s Dawson Daugherty, Cole Clisby, and Luke Fabry have been performing together as Almost Monday since 2015. They performed at WonderBus in 2022 on the smaller third stage, but have graduated to the second stage. They’ve earned it with a more confident and polished stage presence and releasing three more singles since last year. If you missed their performance, they will be at the Life is Beautiful on September 22 in in Las Vegas.

Vibin’ on the third stage, almost exclusively reserved for local acts, Parker Louis‘ seven-piece brought fans and casual festival-goers together under the shady skies. Parker’s music frequents a local independent radio station. If his music is a reflection of his persona, he is an easy-going, groovy friend with heart. His music could stop a fight between squabbling strangers. Being a friend to CAAMP, he was invited to perform on stage with them halfway through their set at the end of the night.  

The biggest stunt of the entire weekend was performed by Saint Motel’s frontman AJ Jackson. He climbed to the top of the stage during their last song, “My Type.”  When asked how he accomplished something like this, he simply said, “I think of everything as climbable.” Being the first artist to climb the stage will forever be a milestone in the history of WonderBus. Their latest single, “Fine Wine” is out now and maybe a hint to a new album.

Since 2009, Brittany Howard has been the front person and songwriter for three bands and has brought that experience to her own solo work started in 2019. Her performance exceeded the expectations of a midday band and probably took with it more than a few new loyal listeners. She had the most electrifying performance of the day. Still, the intensity of her show went well with the other performers of the day. Like a box of assorted chocolates, hers just had a touch of heat to it.

Originally formed in Alaska, and now stationed in Portland, Portugal. The Man has a terribly rich history and the depth of it is displayed in their stage performance. They played two of their biggest hits “Feel it Still” and “So American” during their 21-song set. The band may have been started by two friends from school, but they have had a number of member changes over the years. This has created a mixture of diversity in relationships, styles, sounds, and experiences to share with their listeners. 

CAAMP is a Midwest four-piece that has only been writing and singing since 2015 together. When the headliner of a music festival is also a local favorite playing their hometown, you know it is going to be a good show. Their first single that they loaded onto Spotify themselves was appropriately named, “Ohio.” They have a real love for their roots in Americana and it creates a soothing blanket of serenity to see them perform their music live. It was a great way to finish off a terrific weekend of music, art, food, and positivity.