Yacht Club Day Two: Breezy Sunny Saturday
Day two, and the weather somewhat smiling upon us with only 88 degrees versus the near 100 the first day. Hooray, indeed. Made my way from my delicious free parking spot, which honestly makes my day anytime, but particularly does when it’s festival time. Everywhere near the festival is either taken already or $40, so big score for sure.
Got to the festival a little after 12:30 gates opening. With the nicer weather Saturday boost, there was a few more folks hanging out in the park before the first band set sail. Opening up Day Two of MN Yacht Club, Minnesota’s Porch Light has a flavor early birds savor. A much bigger crowd than yesterday ringing in the first band of the day. Lead singer Jackie Uhas has some pipes on her and contains a sense of ownership over the stage. Tons of fans singing in the slightly cooler temps, all signs point to a fabulous day with Porch Light as a hopeful bright beacon.
These folks can jam. Another wonderful Minnesota band, Yam Haus was second of the day but first to bust it open on the Skipper Stage. Every member was having a lovely ol’ time, dancing and teasing each other while playing their hearts out. A middle finger slipping out jovially. Some great quotes by lead singer lars Pruitt include a cheering post song with a “Give it up to our crumbling empire!” and leading right into “I wanna see your best white people Midwestern dance moves, don't be shy!”
So easy to listen to and fall in love with Yam Haus.
Groovy and jammy, and with pipes of gold, Devon Gifilliam was exactly what I wanted. What a beautiful relaxing way to settle into the day. With a cover of "What's Going On” being one of my favorite songs of their set, plenty of tunes to love. Lots of seductive breakdowns and heavenly guitar, they even played one of their brand new tunes “Hold On,” featured in the FIFA World Cup. Would love to see them in a more intimate space or venue to truly smother myself in their sound. 11/10 performance.
With a few hiccups including Matt's keyboard not participating, The 22 year's young duo handled it like a pro. “Cause sometimes shit breaks and that's okay” Kim reminded the crowd. So many exciting elements to their music, it's impossible not to have a blast. Some “Sorry Miss Jackson” bleeding into the mix made my millennial heart feel right at home. If you get the chance to see Matt & Kim, do NOT miss out. Starting the show off with an ignition of dynamite visual, they matched every ounce of power. Putting it well by a fan in the crowd, “They look like they are really giving it their all.” Saw the pair later backstage, holding each other with smiles from ear to ear as they made their way to a tiny playground to relax and hang out. Their chemistry, like their musical talent, is undeniable.
The fans came OUT for Californian Jensen Mcrae, the front row was snug with eager gals and guys ready to sing along with every word. It was getting a bit more steamy in the temps, but an okay breeze would kiss us for a brief moment for some relief. The constant refrain of everyone around me all day two was “it's better than the first day.” Though true, even with ten degrees down, all of us were roasting as predicted. It IS a festival in July in Minnesota after all, shouldn't shock anyone. But back to Mcrae. She could sing the phonebook and I'd be on the edge of my seat, or in this case, blanket.
Opening up with a bit of sass during “Dirty Little Secret,” the mood got light quickly with the amount of attitude the crowd was giving. Stacking up boxes water cartons to make towers achieving great heights complete with the participants’ and happy observant gorilla grunts and rhythmic “oh oh oh oh”s. Loved “Swing Swing” making a celebrated appearance on the setlist. They sounded solid and definitely drew a mega base to the Skipper Stage. One of the best of the entire festival, All-American Rejects showed up as the band everyone knew they were and still could be. After their lit hour set was finished, everyone I passed couldn’t stop talking about them.
Deep pockets of soulful jams, Virginian songwriter and singer Lucy Dacus was received well by the crowd, who also seemed to know her very well. “I wish I could take of my sunglasses so you'd know when I'm looking at you” she said apologetically after launching into another vibey siren song. I hid in the shade to the right of the stage, but the sound quality was still legit. For such a large park, you can really enjoy the music from almost every angle.
A lot of twangy fun was had during Lord Huron’s performance on the Skipper Stage. Love the inclusion of a token pay phone for one of their songs. The audience got to dancing quick once these guys got going. Strumming away and taking us to a strange dusty bar where no one knows your name but everyone wants to buy you a beer. Strangers turning into fast friends, the crowd was having a jolly time, and so was I. Afternoon sun kissing us versus the relentless bite of July midday made all the difference.
Geese had some badass fans, waiting on the rail since open. It was a touch cooler than Friday, but still, not an easy feat. The fierce foursome slinked onto the Crow’s Nest stage, oozing with hip vibes and coolkid ‘tudes. They didn’t stay calm for long, diving into “Husbands” as their first song. The gander was plugged in, stoic expressions as they jammed out to a megacrowd. They drew a ton of folks from the other stage, was hard to distinguish where the concrete paths were by the time they were complete.
Florida favorites Matchbox Twenty have been rocking and rolling for just over 30 years. With three decades of experience, fingers were crossed for sick performance. They delivered not only the goods but the greats. Impossible to not dance and jump along, Rob Thomas is the gold standard of a front man. Confident with a dash of humor, he sings just as amazing as he ever has And with no jaded poison tainting his performance. Not just ten songs. Not a dozen. Matchbox Twenty played 17 songs. That’s what I call showing up for your fans. They have been on my must-see bands list for a long time, and was really hoping to enjoy their set. Thankfully my wishes were not ignored.
