Words by Alyssa Wright
Images by Samantha Toale

“Wonderbus was our biggest show”

-Effee

While the debut of the Wonderbus Music & Arts Festival was more mellow and family orientated compared to other events in Columbus such as the Sonic Temple Festival, it was still an amazing experience and one I shall never forget.

There was everything from walls begging to be spray painted, a wall in desperate need of a chalk renovation, vendors as far as the eye can see, and rich delicacies that are unmatched.

The band that caught my eye the most was The Strokes-inspired Cousin Simple, a wonderful little band to certainly keep on your radar.

I was fortunate enough to interview them, they were chill guys who show a true love for their art. They mentioned to me they were going to stay the whole weekend to watch some of their favorite bands perform, it’s always nice to see a band willing to soak up the atmosphere and not just play their set and leave.

You can always catch one of their shows all around Ohio, and better yet… they are Columbus local and currently writing!

The other band I talked to happened to be the interesting indie inspired Effee, she had a rich beautiful voice that really illuminated her set. She was very pleasant to talk to, telling me she hails from Cincinnati, adding another great voice to the Buckeye state. We really do have a lot of those, huh?

And just like Cousin Simple, she is currently writing new material.

After my interviews on Saturday I kind of went into observer mode, making sure to listen to every band I possibly could, while also seeking out the vendors, of course!

The band to close out Saturday was Walk the Moon. While I’m not one hundred percent familiar with these guys, I do know and quite enjoy their smash hit Shut up and Dance with Me. They are a talented bunch who are radio friendly, too.

The band to close Sunday was Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, a great reggae group that perfectly sums up the vibe of WonderBus.

While I wouldn’t say the music of the WonderBus Music & Arts Festival would be my first choice (on a personal level), I greatly enjoyed the atmosphere. So, would I go again? Absolutely!

I had a lot of fun and I respect everyone who played there, whether I was into them or not. Sometimes that’s all you need.