Sophia Arndt

Fans of Finn Wolfhard braved the pouring rain for ‘The Objection! Tour’ featuring music from his new album on Thursday.

Originally published by The Minnesota Daily on September 6, 2025

By Sophia Arndt

Despite the heavy rain, fans huddled together and passed around umbrellas at the Fine Line Thursday evening to see Finn Wolfhard perform songs from his new album “Happy Birthday.” 

Best known for his role as Mike Wheeler on Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” Wolfhard began his musical career in 2017 with his band Calpurnia and The Aubreys in 2019. The singer-songwriter also made his directorial debut last year with the horror movie “Hell of a Summer” with longtime friend Billy Bryk. 

“At the beginning of 2023, I made a promise to myself to write as many songs as possible by the end of the year,” Wolfhard said on his website. “Many of these songs were throwaways, and some ended up in my other project with Malcolm Craig, the Aubreys.”  

Wolfhard noticed a theme in the songwriting: the overwhelming anxiety that comes with growing up and becoming a young adult. The collection of songs later became his first solo album, “Happy Birthday,” released June 5. 

These themes connected with third-year college student, Adeline Knutson, who purchased the tickets as a birthday gift to herself, turning 21 the day before the concert. 

“I realize I’m getting closer to graduating college and adulthood, and I don’t know what I’m going to do yet,” Knutson said. “It’s just kind of scary to think that my childhood is done.” 

Knutson said the album was bittersweet, connecting with Wolfhard’s descriptions of a childhood lost to the spotlight. 

For others, the all-ages show was one of their first concerts. Families with young children dotted the crowd, trading themed friendship bracelets with one another. Others wore outfits referencing “Stranger Things,” some in recognizable costumes from the show. 

Wolfhard is now 22, the same age as many of his longtime fans.

Isabel Pliszka, 22, chose to attend the concert alone as an exercise in bravery. As a fan of Wolfhard’s acting career and his previous bands, Pliszka thought the event sounded like an opportunity to try something new. 

“I’d never been to a concert alone before, so I thought, ‘Might as well go,’” Pliszka said. “I’m kind of an introvert, so I do like going to things alone. It’s a little different being surrounded by people when you’re by yourself.”

Playing alongside his openers, the Chicago band The Slaps, Wolfhard performed a mix of songs from the recent album as well as “No Offerings” from The Aubreys. The intimate space of the venue and the vulnerability of Wolfhard’s lyrics created a concert where the performers and audience were able to truly connect.