Wheat Festival Music Talent 2025
By Ally Wysocki
Opening the music talent on Thursday night was Craddock and Risinger. The band also goes by the name Alan & Grant, using the first names. They are a musical cover duo hailing from Wichita. They often perform weekly around Wichita including Brickyard, The Artichoke, and Oliver’s Lounge. Songs featured during the festival included “Neon Moon”, “Ring of Fire”, “Tennessee Whiskey”, “Stacy’s Mom”, and their final act being a sing-along version of “Take Me Home, Country Roads”.
The next act for Thursday Night was Denny & The Jets, an Elton John tribute band playing his well-known hits. Based in Kansas City, they appeared dressed in flashy attire, resembling items that Elton John wears during his concerts. Dennis Laffoon does vocals, piano, and wardrobe. Denny plays the keyboard, sax, flute, and vocals. Nigel Burnman led the drums and percussion. Stoney Johnson plays the lead guitar and vocals. The Package plays the bass and vocals for the band. Kiki Dee assisted with vocals and percussion. Songs featured during their performance include “Benny and the Jets”, “Yellow Brick Road”, “Tiny Dancer”, and “I’m Still Standing”. The crowd was very into the music and performance of the band. Their costumes, stage show, and special effects all contributed to an amazing tribute to Elton John.
Friday night after the parade, The Banned played several songs from 1980’s hair bands. The Banned is from Wichita and there are 4 band members. Songs played by The Banned during the Kansas Wheat Festival include “Panama”, “Talk Dirty To Me”, “You Give Love A Bad Name”, “Working for the Weekend”, and even “Bust A Move”.
Starting the show strong on Saturday night was Jaelen Johnston. Jaelen was the second runner up on The Voice during the spring of 2025. Jaelen is from Derby and has a voice for both country and rock. Songs performed during the festival included “Ol’ Red”, “What Was I Thinking”, and “Use Somebody”. Jaelen stood at his merch area after his set to take pictures with people and sign merchandise.
Following Jaelen was The Fairchilds. They are an acoustic, country band out of Kingman, Kansas. The band consists of one boy and two girls, all taking turns at singing. The band is known for their harmony and performance. Their father, Kevin, played country and had a great voice. He passed away and they honor him with the songs featured in their shows. Songs played during this year’s festival included “White Liar”, “Suds in the Bucket”, and “Strawberry Wine” sung by the girls with “Take it Easy” sung by the boy.
The final band on Saturday night was Annie Up. They are a very popular cover band around the Wichita area, with 6,000 followers on social media. Band members include Miranda Dawn and Lezlee Herd on lead vocals, Michael Nielsen on Guitar and Lead Vocals, Steven Levan as the drummer, Jacob Reavis as Guitar and Lead Vocals, Ken Potter on Bass and Lead Vocals, and Grant Snider on Keyboard and Lead Vocals. All band members perform harmonies. The crowd loved Annie Up and the songs they played. They had a lot of energy and really got the crowd to participate with that same energy throughout the night, calling out those who were singing along or dancing. Songs performed include “Heart Breaker” and “Ring of Fire” mashup, “The Middle”, “Here for the Party”, “Shut Up and Dance”, “Smooth”, and “I Love Rock N Roll”.
