The music at Munising’s Fourth of July celebration isn’t just background noise — it’s the heartbeat of the day.

And this year, that heartbeat will come through with a fresh clarity and a carefully tuned mix, thanks to sound coordinator Eric Cromell and his dedicated crew of volunteers.

Cromell, a longtime local musician and audio tech, took on the role after his friend and mentor, James Supanich, stepped back from it.

“James is the guy that got me started in all this,” Cromell said. “When he decided he didn’t want to do it anymore, I didn’t want to see it fall apart. I told [event coordinator Sean Hayes], ‘Hey, man, I’ll take care of it.’ I was a little nervous at first. I didn’t know what I was getting into.”

The transition wasn’t small — Supanich had been the go-to sound guy for years. But Cromell didn’t do it alone. His bandmates in Sky Pilots helped shoulder the load, acting as both performers and support crew.

“Bryan, Rich, Dave, Mel — they’re not just part of the band. They’re part of the setup crew, the tear-down crew, the ‘we forgot a mic stand at home’ crew,” Cromell said with a laugh. “It’s really a family effort.”

This year, Cromell and his crew are running a four-speaker PA system with dual subs, a digital soundboard and upgraded monitoring to help performers hear themselves more clearly on stage. They’ve also added a separate mix for the frontof- house sound, allowing more control over what the audience hears.

“It’s about giving every band — from the openers to the headliners — the best possible sound we can,” Cromell said.

The Fourth of July sound setup has grown under Cromell’s direction, but he credits Hayes for pushing things forward.

“Sean turned this into a real operation,” Cromell said. “He’s not just plugging in a speaker and calling it a day. He’s got a plan, a schedule — he’s really put in the work to make this a professional show. Sean’s got a vision. He wants it to be something people remember.”

Hayes said having Cromell step in was a turning point.

“I didn’t have to worry about the sound anymore,” Hayes said. “Eric’s got the experience, the gear and the heart for it. He treats it like a craft, not a chore — and he’s got the team to back it up. What they do makes everything else on that stage possible.”

Cromell and the Sky Pilots will be working the stage all day, managing setup and transitions for a lineup that now stretches from early afternoon until the fireworks light up the bay.

Opening this year’s music lineup is Black Ice Diamonds, a rising all-girl rock band made up of four teenage sisters: Remi, Winter, Nasheena and Echo Johnson.

Don’t let their ages fool you. These young musicians bring serious talent and versatility to the stage, trading off vocals and delivering a genre-blending mix of classic rock, new-age rock, country and original songs.

Manager (and dad) Daniel Johnson said the girls have been playing music together for years, officially forming the band about two years ago.

“They love the crowds that come down,” he said. “Getting to open for Sky Pilots, Jessey Adams and Drednot — it means a lot. Those bands are great mentors for them.”

This will be their first Fourth of July set, following a well-received debut at the Concerts in the Park series last summer.

Jason Brisson, guitarist and vocalist for the high-energy acoustic rock band Drednot, said playing on the Fourth has been a longtime tradition for him — stretching back more than 20 years to when the stage was just a pop-up near where the pavilion stands today.

“It’s some of the most fun you have when you get together with a group of other musicians and just play music … and also be able to do it for the home crowd on such an important day,” Brisson said. “Being with the other musicians, being with your family and celebrating the Fourth — it’s just fun.”

Among this year’s highlights is singer-songwriter Jessey Adams, who grew up in Williamston, Michigan, and spent much of her childhood visiting family in Munising, where her mother Kati graduated from Munising High School and her grandparents, Linda and Jerry Schwake, still live.

Jessey released her debut EP, Great Lake Raised, at Gallery Coffee Company on May 30. The three-track record is packed with personal storytelling and Michigan roots — inspired by her family’s history on Highway 13 in the U.P., to All We Need, a reflection on time spent at the family cabin, to Like Me, inspired by a diner regular from her high school job who encouraged her early on.

“This whole EP is Michigan-based,” Adams said. “I recorded it at Rust Belt Studios after winning the Michigan State Fair Superstars competition. It was my first time working with that team, and the experience was amazing — super fun, lots of coffee, and a really great atmosphere.”

Since graduating from Williamston High, Jessey has toured nearly 40 states, often camping in her truck and handling her own bookings.
“My great-grandpa Fred Cornish used to play music at the American Legion,” she said. “Last summer I played there too — it was such a cool full-circle moment.”

There’s legacy in Jessey’s name — she was named after her late grandfather, Jesse Cornish — but her musical journey is all her own. “Jessey is her own person, and I love her for who she is and everything she’s becoming,” said her grandmother, Linda Schwake.

Jessey’s set will lead into Sky Pilots’ headline performance, followed by her return to the mic for the national anthem just before the fireworks — making it her third straight year as part of Munising’s Fourth of July tradition.

Her set will lead into Sky Pilots’ performance, followed by Adams returning to the mic for the national anthem just before the fireworks.

Sky Pilots frontwoman Mel Strand said the band’s Fourth of July headlining set is a full-team effort, from setup to showtime. Known for their high-energy mix of classic rock anthems and ’90s hits, the Munising-based group brings a big sound and a deep sense of pride to the stage.

“We’re not just showing up with guitars and plugging in,” Strand said. “We’re setting up cables, hauling gear, testing sound — all of it. We support each other like a real team, and that’s what makes playing this show so special. This is our hometown, and we want to give it everything we’ve got.”

The July 4 music lineup

• Black Ice Diamonds: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

• Drednot: 4:20 p.m. to 6:05 p.m.

• Jessey Adams: 6:25 p.m. to 8:10 p.m.

• Sky Pilots: 8:10 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

• National anthem at dark: Performed by JesseyAdams As for Cromell, he’ll spend most of the day doing what he does best — wiring cables, fine-tuning mixes and making sure every performance hits just right.

“I love music. I love this town,” he said. “And if I can do something that makes the day better for everyone, that’s more than enough for me.”