Day 3 of MN Yacht Fest
Ahoy matey, the third and final day MN Yacht Fest! After two consecutive long concert days, thought I’d be more tuckered out than I was for Sunday. The leg meats were in for another ten hours of music revelry. Munching my Kwik Trip cheeseburger, made my way towards the gate entrance with a steady flow of humans.
Unlike the previous two, today seemed already pretty busy right away when the opening bands began around 1pm. Full sun soaked into the slightly worn plush lawn, the clouds wouldn’t treat us until later afternoon for a few quick kisses of cover. Many blankets already dotting the landscape without their owner. Finale performer 1987 founded Green Day brings in the big numbers.
Opening up The Crow’s Nest was Minneapolis drummer and singer, Landon Conrath. This former computer science major boasted during his set that he only had a seven minute commute to today’s festival (currently lives in Saint Paul.) The fun indie rock vibes and catchy beats captured the audience fast and didn’t let go. What a perfect pick to start off the day on the right note.
Running over to the Skipper Stage, Winona Fighter brought the party to spice up that side of the grounds. Have heard of the band, but needed a live look. Her energy was high and exuberant, living up to her namesake. What particularly solidified me as a new fan…the lit cover of Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage.” It got the crowd screaming along at the top of their lungs. Not bad for an early afternoon show. Have said this before, and I’ll keep saying it. Give me all the covers. Love seeing what a new artist does with old favorites.
Winona Fighter gets an A+.
Wanted to get a bird’s eye view, popped up the the stands to survey the crowd while waiting for Grace Bowers and The Hodge Podge to kick off. Boats glittering on the mighty Mississippi basking in the July decadence and their 10+ hours of free show everyday. If I were a maritime maiden, you would see me anchored out there if not enjoying the festival from inside. Though you can’t see any of the stages well, the sound is incredible even by the river. Harriet Island acts as a punchbowl for sound. No issue with echo or weird reverberations. Pro tip.
19 year old can shred. This Californian meteor is set for an amazing career if they are already this fricken good. The wellspring of remarkable young musicians during this festival has ben such a refreshing and inspiring meld to go alongside infamous heavyweights and decades-long established bands. Props to the bookers, seriously.
Blind Melon had a fun presence, was my first time seeing them live. Crowds were getting mighty in anticipation for later haunters of the Skipper Stage it seemed. Tons of Sublime and Green Day garb peppered the audience, frisbees and beach balls had now made their first appearance as well. Blind Melon was heavier than anticipated. A pleasant surprise. Gotta keep up the suspense, kept us waiting until the last song for their mega-hit “No Rain.”
Yet another Midwest born band, Beach Bunny had a solid hour of good songs at Skipper. Initially formed as a solo venture by singer and guitarist Lili Trifilio in 2015, their third studio album was released in April of this year. They had a fun variety of songs to rock out to, very easy to get into them even if not familiar.
Back in the stands to enjoy a monster Coors and people watch, The Beaches stole my gaze immediately. All the way up to 11, loud and in charge, the all-girl ensemble commanded attention from everyone. The sea of rhythmic nodding heads were in agreement with me it seemed. Lead singer Jordan Miller has an addictive aura. Telling the audience as excited Canadians they were pumped to be in good ol’ Minnesota and it felt like home. It was humid and hot, but that didn’t dampen any of their fervor.
Warmly wrapped in amber sun, every member brought their best to Yacht Fest.
As I sheltered under one of the ancient riverfront cottonwood trees, chatted to a few other concert folks while waiting for Garbage. Most comments about the festival were glowing, stating that they loved the line up, sound quality, schedule, and location. Few attendees from last year commented on how much better the lines for beer and food were this year. Biggest complaint was prices. Many people wanted to stay for the whole day but slightly annoyed at how much food was drinks were inside the festival. Though there will always be inflated prices when it comes to those items when at a show, understood their gripe.
Many people were from out of town and unfamiliar with the area. An extra 10 to 15 minute walk outside the festival even to a gas station to snag something after walking in-between stages all day was just not going to happen, even if the festival lets you reenter as many times as you want. There were a well placed hydration stations inside the grounds which was great, that saved a lot of grumpiness from overflowing. Could overhear lots of people wanting something small but not wanting to shell out 20 clams for another meal after doing so for lunch. I ate before, and even got a free mini turkey sub from the Jersey Mike’s booth for signing up for their app. That was a nice surprise, saw the line and was like huh, free food. Eventually caved around 5pm wanting something hot. There was Ben and Jerry’s ice cream for under ten bucks, really was tempted by that. Got a side of tots that was $10 before tax and tip. Crispy and delish, but my only other option under $15 was that or fries with or without cheese. Would love to see a few more snack-sized options or affordable cold sides next year.
Sublime time! A band that many never thought they would see after having some hiccups in 2009. Banned just after performing at Cypress Hill’s Smokeout Festival due to not having permission from beloved late member Bradley Nowell’s estate to play under the copywritten name, Sublime. After many years, in 2023 a huge move was made. My birthday twin (June 25th) Jakob Nowell would reprise his own father’s role and now be the frontman of the legendary band.
He sounds amazing. Channeling the classic energy and vibe that Sublime oozes, Nowell shines in this position. Puffs of smoke mixing with swaying hands. The ska punk reggae amalgamation of energy was effervescent. Even the more reserved people I’d seen earlier were letting loose, dropping their shoulders and melting into the moment.
Went into the meat of the crowd for 311. Funny thing is, last time I saw them happened to be at Harriet Island. Back in 2010, Taste of MN was hosted by the park and after 15 years was curious if they had the juice still. Their initial song quenched that thirst. Rival fanbases take note, the bros and gals made it out to make sure 311 felt seen. Lead singer Nick Hexum has a masters in romancing and understanding a crowd. After their first few songs, the band spied someone having a medical issue in the audience and stopped everything. Only after making sure their fan was taken care of went right back into a jovial set.
Time to fly over to the last and most assuredly not least band of the weekend: Green Day. Grabbed a seat to rest my bones before running down into the fray. A familiar piano progression began, but not one of theirs’. Through the towering Yacht Fest speakers it was Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” that began the show. A trembling chorus of voices in the 35,000 strong sold-out show began to sing along. Playing it all the way through the always cut “anyway the wind blows” ending, the roar of approval blended right into a floppy eared bunny mascot hopping out to get the people hyped. Not that they needed much, but is always appreciated. “American Idiot” started the show off with a bang. Changing a few cheeky lyrics along the way to acclimate their 2004 smash to modern day references, it received a lot of cheers and laughs from the concert carousers. Decked out in ruby red and gold light complete with a signature fist gripped grenade heart was very well done. Big, but not overfilled. Pyro and booms and bangs, but nothing too constant as to distract from performance.
Satisfaction guaranteed, Green Day didn’t stop playing at the 10:30pm curfew, pushing the show a bit past their allotted time. As I was walking back to my free parking spot, the hat trick of good fortune wasn’t limited to that. All three days of MN Yacht Fest were a true delight. Bop after bop, banger after banger. No band was bad, how is that? Props to my fellow Minnesotans and new-to-Twin Cities out of towners for being so courteous and genuine to your fellow humans. Cheers to the organizers for their tremendous efforts in putting on what I hope will be the second of many Yacht Fests in the future.
Anchors away!
