Fans of alternative country moseyed over to Saint Paul’s Harriet Island for the debut of the Minnesota Country Club Festival.
Despite celebrating its inaugural year, this isn’t the first rodeo for the festival’s promoters. Put on by LiveNation subsidiary C3 Events, known for mega festivals including Lollapalooza, Minnesota Country Club is the sister festival to successful Yacht Club, which takes place the following weekend at the same venue and using the same layout.
If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. The festival ran just as smoothly as The Yacht Club and would feel identical if not for the cowboy boots and country-inspired lineup.
We say country inspired because this certainly wasn’t your mainstream country music that leaves a bad taste in your mouth. The lineup focused on Americana, folk rock, and rising alternative country stars who challenge genre norms in more ways than one.
For me, I joked that I was out of my genre. A photographer friend of mine was surprised to see me in the pit, donning checkered vans and a Panic! At The Disco shirt. I find it kind of funny that many publications are needing to clarify how this festival isn’t traditional country.
For me, I’ve always loved folk rock, and I found plenty of things to enjoy throughout the entire festival. The musicianship on display throughout the festival was excellent!
Day one was headlined by Treaty Oak Revival. The standout performance of the day came from Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country. The energy and joy from this performance kept me on my feet. With hard hitting guitar solos and good vocals to match, I felt they defined the vibes for the entire weekend.
Another day one act that stood out was The Last Revel, who commanded the stage with class and confidence. Other fan favorites included Charley Crockett (who recently rocked it at Blue Ox) and Charles Wesley Godwin.
An odd choice on the lineup came in the form of The Beach Boys – or rather one beach man, Mike Love. The classic summer vibes certainly fit in well for the festival, but many online question the group’s viability.
Other publications joked that “unfortunately, Mike Love’s Beach Boys has taken the stage”. Unaware of the history, I commented to ask why that was unfortunate. Commenters snarked that Love is a grifter or can’t sing anymore.
Personally, I think that is a little harsh. The dude is 85 years old, and yea he probably shouldn’t be performing still. When the group’s in-ear monitors weren’t working, he looked very confused standing up there. Vocals were certainly not perfect, but I’ve seen way worse.
His band backing him, which includes his son, did an excellent job. Taken at face value and viewed as a celebration of The Beach Boys, it was a fun novelty. I thought it was cool to do photos for such an iconic musician, and I enjoyed the spirit of what they had to offer.
Day two of the festival continued to bring big crowds to Harriet Island, as well as even higher temperatures. Headlined by The Red Clay Strays, the day featured two of my favorite performances of the weekend.
First, Jesse Welles. Unfamiliar with his music, I was delighted by his biting satire and protest songs. He is like if Bo Burnham and Bob Dylan had a child. Starting with songs about America’s diet culture, bugs, and UnitedHealth, his performance built into a bold statement that separated this festival from the rest.
In his anti-ICE protest song, the crowd proudly chanted “FUCK ICE”. Hell yes. Moments like that make me proud to be a Minnesotan.
Speaking of being Minnesota proud, the next standout act of the day was grown just 3 hours north from the festival in Duluth. Local legends Trampled by Turtles took the stage by storm. They could’ve closed down the entire festival.
I’ve always wanted to see them live. They did not disappoint! From stomping beats to slower jams, and even debuting a new song live, the performance had something for everyone – both fans old and new.
Other standout acts included Paul Cauthen and Chance Pena. Although the heat stopped me from staying past Trampled by Turtles, I hear that the Red Clay Strays put on an excellent show to close out the weekend.
Overall, The Minnesota Country Club Festival earns a Yee-Haw from us! However, there are a few things festival promoters certainly have room to grow should the festival come back for round 2.
For example, there were few – if any – shaded spots aside from standing by a tree. In 90+ degree weather, we could certainly use a cooling station.
Additionally, the lineup could add greater diversity and bigger names. Attendance was nowhere near Yacht Club level but was still a respectable turnout. To better grow the festival, more mainstream names and greater diversity would help.
That said, this was a great first ride at the Country Club – here’s hoping we can go again!
