James Perovich
Last updated on August 5th, 2024 at 09:48 am
The inaugural Minnesota Yacht Club Festival proved that the Twin Cities region is capable of hosting a successful and entertaining large-scale festival, all while showcasing Minnesota’s ties to the local and international music scenes.
No yachts were required as the two-day festival rocked Harriet Island in Saint Paul, Minnesota. From MTV favorites of the 1990s to the best of local music, early acts drew crowds that swelled by the middle of each day.
Fans lined up early and staked out their spots around the two stages. Favorite positions included under tree shade with sight lines to both stages, on the hill with an elevated vantage point to the main stage, and right up to the rails against each stage. GA+, VIP, and Platinum sections were also available to concertgoers with enhanced views and amenities.
Both Gully Boys and Bugsy commented on playing the biggest stages of their careers, and both absolutely shredded, undaunted by the scale of the performances. They also pointed out how festival acts like Joan Jett and Gwen Stefani influenced them.
Durry was perhaps the local act who benefited the most from the festival exposure, especially since their set time got pushed back when the Black Crowes canceled because of illness. The suburban legends rocked out to an eager and larger crowd after Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and before Gwen Stefani.
The Hold Steady shouted out Minnesota Twins legend and local kid Joe Mauer for his Baseball Hall of Fame induction, and lead singer Craig Finn threw his Twins ball cap into an excited crowd. Later, Hippo Campus mentioned attending school “just up the road” and how the concert was a “homecoming” for them.
And the most tenured of local bands took the stage with every ounce of hard-charging energy as they did at their peak. After hitting the stage with “Trial by Fire,” Soul Asylum kept a heavy guitar-driven hold on the crowd with “Somebody to Shove” and “Misery.”
Other bands filled in early-to-midday times and were met by cheering fans. Harbor & Home, Michigander, and Nico Vega all saw supportive audience members with band shirts in the crowd. Wilderado had several fans with homemade hats sporting the band’s name. Morgan Wade brought in a noticeable crowd swell for her 2:40 pm set time.
As for the stages themselves, both had dual video screens to make viewing better from farther distances. The main stage also had a third screen for showing the band’s name, entertaining graphics that paired with a song, or even a video montage.
With most set times around an hour, you were sure to get hits and fan favorites. This was initially evident with Joan Jett’s classics and revered anthems like “Cherry Bomb” and “I Love Rock and Roll.” Later, Gwen Stefani packed her 75-minute set with No Doubt hits like “Just a Girl” and “Hey Baby” as well as solo hits like her closing song, “Hollaback Girl.”
Stefani, like a few other bands, debuted a new song. Not only did she sing “Purple Irises,” she brought out husband Blake Shelton for the duet, a move that further cemented the legitimacy of the festival. Before leaving the stage, Stefani mentioned Minnesota having a special place in her heart since her brother-in-law is from here.
The Head and the Heart also debuted a new song “Arrow,” and violinist Charity Rose Theilen mentioned growing up in Shoreview. The band packed their hour-long set with hits like “All We Ever Knew,” “Another Story,” “Shake” and more. And while the two-stage, no overlap setup worked for most of the concert, there was one overlap.
The Head and the Heart ran a little over their time slot, so while they were closing with “Rivers and Roads,” headliner Alanis Morrissette’s video montage opening began on the other stage. While audible from the secondary stage, Heart’s crowd seemed to elevate their cheering and singing along, encouraging the band to continue strongly with their harmony-filled closing.
As for the first main headliner to perform, Morrissette was a tale of two performers, both equally as strong. For songs like “Mary Jane,” she stood planted at the mic while bellowing out flawless vocals over minimal instruments. Tens of thousands listened enraptured while applauding loudly at the end. For other songs like “All I Really Want” and “You Oughta Know,” she paced the stage end to end while singing her discourse-style lyrics.
She also brought out a surprise: for “Ironic,” her daughter Onyx and friend Freya sang the majority of the first verse. Morrissette decided to let them sing into the chorus and even second verse as well. While cute, it was a moment that perhaps could have been kept shorter as to hear Morrissette herself sing one of her more popular hits.
The Offspring took anecdotal moments to more of an extreme. Approximately ten minutes of their hour-long set was spent in a hyperbole of jokes, like comments about the crowd being several millions or the concert being the greatest moment ever in rock and roll history.
They also played a snippet of “Sweet Child o’ Mine” and improvised a profanity-filled guitar riff singalong. Still, they played well-received hits like “Come Out and Play” and “Self-Esteem.” The highlight was a fun, modified, horn-fronted version of “Why Don’t You Get a Job.”
Another day two highlight was performers putting their lead instrument mastery to the forefront of their music: Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue and Gary Clark Jr. Both featured solos that highlighted their exceptional skill and utilized the smaller stage to its maximum, bringing a large band as well as backup singers.
The whole festival had a palpable buildup to the finale of The Red Hot Chili Peppers. Flea, John Frusciante, and Chad Smith entered with a lengthy intro jam before Anthony Kiedis gleefully pranced on stage to “Can’t Stop,” seemingly uninhibited by the large ankle boot on his left leg.
While somewhat stationary during “Scar Tissue” and “Here Ever After,” he still took time to bounce around the stage, even dancing with Flea. At one point, Kiedis scooted with his shirt over his face before ultimately removing it.
Fans seemed pleased with the setlist, which featured groovy radio hits like “Snow” (Hey Oh),” “Soul to Squeeze,” and “Californication.” Keeping with the Minnesota love, Flea and Kiedis improvised a song about the Twin Cities and the Mississippi River. Kiedis even joked about buying a condo “across the street” with “the drummer from The Offspring.”
Absent were heavier songs like “Higher Ground” and “Suck My Kiss.” Yet the closer of “Give it Away” pounded out the jams and finished the festival on a high and happy note.
Be sure to set your sails for the Minnesota Yacht Club Festival’s return in 2025.
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