CENTRE HALL — They come from different backgrounds, playing different instruments and draw inspiration from different decades, but one thing unites them: they’re ready to light up the South Stage at this year’s People’s Choice Festival.
Two standout Pennsylvania acts — Hops and Vines and Stars in Sapphire — are bringing original sounds, bold personalities and a whole lot of sparkle to the annual celebration of arts, music and community. Both bands will headline the South Stage during the festival, held Thursday, July 10 through Sunday, July 13, at the Grange Fairgrounds in Centre Hall.
And if you’re thinking it’s just another weekend of background music, think again.
FROM BREWERY BEGINNINGS TO FULL-BLOWN FESTIVALS
Hops and Vines kicks off the music Thursday, July 10, at 12:30 p.m. with a set that promises both musical muscle and magnetic banter. The acoustic duo of Christy and Jonathan has been building a loyal local following for over a decade with their deep catalog of covers, quirky originals and unmistakable chemistry onstage.
“We actually had talked about going to a hops and vines festival just off the cuff,” Jonathan said, laughing. “And a buddy said, ‘There’s your band name.’ And that was it.”
Twelve years later, the name stuck and so did their approach to music: honest, wide-ranging and driven by a deep love of storytelling.
Christy’s powerhouse vocals are fueled by years of admiration for Bruce Springsteen and Heart’s Ann Wilson.
“Springsteen is the musical love of my life,” she said. “I’ve seen him 11 times. And Ann Wilson … her voice is unmatched. Just raw, powerful, effortless. I try to bring that same kind of energy.”
Christy praises her range of influences growing up. “I think I lucked out by having so many different type kinds of music around me that I really feel like you can pull influences from all of that and, kind of make your own jam.”
Jonathan, meanwhile, calls Pearl Jam his “Springsteen,” with a nod to his early grunge roots and even a surprising shoutout to Shaquille O’Neal’s short-lived rap career.
“I think I listened to nothing but Pearl Jam from 1999 to 2007,” he joked. “That was my obsession.”
Their shared setlist philosophy? Play songs people love but don’t hear every day.
“We like to say our setlists are full of deep cuts and face-melters,” Christy said. “It’s fun to surprise people and make them say, ‘I haven’t heard anyone cover that in forever.’ So, there’s a lot of things that we can come together on and say, even if it’s not like 100% in my lane or 100% in Jonathan’s lane, we can come together and go, let’s just try it because I think this could work.”
Off the stage, the duo is deeply embedded in the local music scene, often playing benefit shows and hosting community jams. This fall, they hope to revive their “Hops and Vines and Friends” benefit event, which raised funds for nonprofits in years past.
When asked what the duo hopes fans take away after watching them play, Christy said, “I’d say that we hope people walk away feeling like, ‘Oh man, it was so much fun!’ Or they tell really awesome jokes that aren’t bad at all, which is a joke because they all are.”
SPARKLE AND SOUL WITH STARS IN SAPPHIRE
If Hops and Vines is the veteran duo with fire-tested chemistry, Stars in Sapphire is the rising comet and they’re ready to shine. The band, fronted by Penn State alums Bernadette Bratina and Bridget Gindhart, hits the South Stage on Saturday, July 12, at 3:30 p.m.
Their origin story starts in a Penn State music classroom. Bernadette was a voice major, Bridget a guitarist. Years later, they reconnected in the Harrisburg area and began gigging as a duo. It wasn’t long before the full band came together, and Stars in Sapphire was born.
“We learned a set of Irish music, but that was kind of a foot in the door to get in involved in the music scene around here,” Bernadette said. “I would say like the first gig that we did, the two of us with a full band truly was for fun.”
That moment set the tone for what would come next: high-energy sets, fierce female-fronted performances and an aesthetic that’s hard to forget.
Their music blends originals and covers with influences ranging from Florence and the Machine to Stevie Nicks and Lady Gaga. And yes, the glitter boots are part of the brand.
“It started with a pair of sparkly boots I wore for a show,” Bernadette said. “They got mentioned in an article and suddenly became our thing. So the branding is just as important as the music itself. I think because the sparkly boots made such an impact, it became like a thing and we kind of played off the sparkles a little bit cause it was getting noticed.”
That visual flair isn’t just for show. It’s a calculated piece of their stage presence, part of an approach that merges music, fashion and performance art. And it’s working.
“We played ArtsFest in Harrisburg recently and this little girl yelled, ‘I want to be just like you when I grow up!’” Bernadette said. “She grabbed her friends and said they were going to start a band. That’s the kind of impact we want to have.”
Stars in Sapphire produces their own original tracks—Bridget handles the production side—and incorporates backing tracks and synth elements for their live shows. It’s more complex than a traditional acoustic gig, but the duo thrives on the challenge.
When asked what fans hope to get from the Stars in Sapphire Experience, they had this to say, “People want to get out of their everyday life,” Bernadette added. “They want an experience. So we try to make every show memorable. The fact that that has made an impact on somebody in a positive way that means so much.”
Bridget added, “And to get the reactions that we do from various age groups that like what we’re doing and like what they hear is really cool and really important.”
TWO BANDS, ONE MESSAGE
What ties these two very different acts together is their shared love for connection. Whether it’s through a reimagined Cure cover (Hops and Vines proudly includes “Lovesong” in their setlist) or an original track meant to uplift and inspire, both bands agree that music should mean something.
“We hope people walk away thinking, ‘I had a great time,’” Christy said. “That’s it. That’s the goal.”
Stars in Sapphire echoes the same sentiment.
“We want people to leave feeling empowered, feeling joy,” Bernadette said. “Even if it’s just one person, even if it’s a little girl who wants to start a band. That’s the win.”
Whether you’re there to sip wine in the shade, explore local art or just discover your new favorite band, make time to visit the South Stage. With seasoned talent, electric performances and local roots that run deep, Hops and Vines and Stars in Sapphire are more than just a soundtrack to your afternoon, they’re a reason to keep coming back.
For more information, including performance schedules and festival details, visit peopleschoicefestival.com.
