Concert Reviews
Wolfhard blended garage punk with Americana sensibilities at the Royale, to the delight of his screaming female fans.
Finn Wolfhard had guitar in hand at the Royale in Boston Wednesday night. Courtesy Photo
Finn Wolfhard, with Sleeper’s Bell, at Royale, Boston, July 22, 2026.
Mike Wheeler is ready to rock.
That’s right — Finn Wolfhard, who you likely know as one of the lead teens from the popular ’80s-set sci-fi Netflix series “Stranger Things,” also makes indie music.
The 23-year-old Canadian actor and musician released his sophomore album “Fire From The Hip” on July 10. It’s angsty, introspective, and filled with jangly guitar and thrashing drums. Wolfhard blends rock and garage punk with Americana sensibilities to explore celebrity, self-discovery, and new beginnings.
On the album cover, Wolfhard duels with himself in 18th century garb, referencing the final shootout in the 1975 historical drama film “Barry Lyndon.” It’s a visual representation of his inner conflict between people’s expectations of him and his true self. The project is filled with autobiographical stories as well as made-up tales, though he doesn’t always distinguish between them.
Wolfhard dropped “Fire From The Hip” within a year of his debut solo album “Happy Birthday,” but he’s been formally making music since he was 14 years old.
He formed Vancouver-based indie rock band Calpurnia with three of his friends in 2017. They started out with covers and began releasing original music in 2018. The time capsule of the young teen band still garners over 170,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.
Promoting his latest project, Wolfhard stopped in Boston to perform a set at the Royale on July 22.
As classical plunky keys rang out, the audience filled with teen girls screeched to near-deafening decibels. A sea of phones popped up throughout the audience to record whatever the first moments of the show might be.
Wolfhard entered the stage in loose gingham pants, a t-shirt, and a baseball cap. As candelabras lit up across the stage, he sang his most streamed track, “I’ll Let You Finish.” He unleashed angsty, whiny vocals as he strummed a cherry red electric guitar.
He was a man of few words between songs, casually saying, “Thanks,” following the audience’s unrestrained screams.
Wolfhard leaned into high-energy punk with “Common Side Effects.” The lyrics describe floating in a dizzying realm on a mushroom trip: “I took boomers just to feel like George Clooney.” He shouted into the microphone, aggressively tapping his foot to the beat over a fuzzy guitar riff.
He bounced and stomped around the stage to connect with his bandmates while he played. His movements were sometimes slightly awkward, but he kept his fans engaged.
The audience could not have been more captive. Wolfhard took his hat off — they screamed. He put it back on — they screamed. He removed his guitar strap … You get the idea.
“Crater” leaned into a Beach Boys sound with vibrant harmonies accompanied by a marching riff. On “Follow,” Wolfhard developed a simple love song fully settled in the ’80s, which makes sense since he spent 10 years immersed in the decade.
During his cover of Tom Petty’s “You Don’t Know How It Feels,” a father accompanying his kid to the concert had his moment to enthusiastically sing along. Wolfhard even pulled out a harmonica for the full effect. He later sang “Wayside” by power pop and rock band Artful Dodger. It was interesting to hear his takes on tracks by some of the artists who inspired his musical direction.
While Wolfhard tuned his guitar, his bandmates disparaged the Bruins and Red Sox to fill the silence. “Alright, we’ll see how the rest of this show goes,” he said.
The artist ruminated in a slower, more intimate performance of “Good Morning.” A fan handed him a tricorner hat with a dramatic trail of fabric. He put it on with the fabric trailing down his face and quipped, “It’s like Björk,” referencing the eccentric looks of the Icelandic singer.
For the encore, he ran out with a drinking helmet on his head that immediately toppled over. He worked with his bandmate to fix it and later gave up, pulling a can off to take a gulp.
Wolfhard concluded the show with “Trailers after dark,” singing “Oh, my darlin’, don’t stop lovin’ me.” Given his fans’ enthusiastic reactions, I can’t imagine they would.
Setlist for Finn Wolfhard at Royale, July 22, 2026
- I’ll Let You Finish
- Common Side Effects
- Crater
- Oscilloscope
- Lights Go Down
- Follow
- Tunnels
- Maggie
- You Don’t Know How It Feels (Tom Petty cover)
- The Climb (Not That One)
- Good Morning
- Objection!
- Nice to Meet You Again
Encore:
- Choose the latter
- Wayside (Artful Dodger cover)
- Crown
- Trailers after dark
Maddie Browning
Maddie Browning is an arts and culture reporter based in Boston. She is an Emerson grad and loves reporting on music and visual arts.
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