After weeks of meticulous work, my pontoon boat was finally ready for its maiden voyage at this year’s Shawano Lake Sand Bar Bash. With equal parts excitement and nervousness, I set out on Saturday morning to meet the band at the boat launch. The guys were running a bit late—someone got stopped for speeding on the way up—but soon enough, we were all together and ready to roll.

Once everything was loaded up, we launched the boat, and I was relieved to see it handled the weight without a hitch. As we approached the already crowded sand bar, finding a spot seemed daunting. But in true boating community spirit, some friendly boaters jumped in to help us squeeze in. With the sand point anchors set, the band got their gear ready, and we fired up the generators.

The anticipation was electric as the crowd lined up deep, ready for the music to start. Hurry Up Wait hit the stage and immediately brought the heat. The crowd was loving it, dancing and cheering as the music filled the air. We did have a couple of power drops initially—the power subs were just a bit too much for the generators—but a quick switch by the band and we were back on track.

As I moved around taking photos, it was heartwarming to hear how much people appreciated having live music on the water. They were already asking when we’d be back out, which is always great to hear. This pontoon setup will need a few tweaks, but it’s definitely going to make getting on the water easier in the future.

Events like these don’t happen without support. Huge thanks to our sponsors—Auto Select, Central Delivery Services, Silly Toast, and of course, the band Hurry Up Wait. They made this great day possible, and they deserve all the appreciation.

The band put on a fantastic show, and it was clear they were having as much fun as the crowd. After a few calls for encores and some extra songs, we packed up and headed back. I was invited to stay with the band at their cabin on the lake, and what a fantastic spot it was—overlooking the lake with a huge patio area and a bunch of people having a blast.

We laughed, ate, drank, and had an incredible time. This event turned out to be everything I hoped for a perfect day on the water with boating, great live music, amazing people, and beautiful Wisconsin weather. If you missed it, don’t worry—I’ve got photos and videos for you to get a taste of how epic it was.

See the Wiparty Photo Gallery