Friday’s rainstorm washed away all the clouds and day two of Minnesota Yacht Club Festival dawned hot and sticky. Still, it was a beautiful day at Harriet Island Regional Park and fans flocked to the fest early to see every act on yet another stacked bill. Atlas once again jumped into the middle of the action right away- these are our favorite moments from day two!
More Minnesota Local Love
Arguably one of the best things about Yacht Club is its dedication to showing off Minnesota’s homegrown talent. Laamar- the first act on the Crow’s Nest Stage- was Saturday’s perfect example. His laidback energy and effortless vocals have already garnered him a dedicated fanbase and his early set only earned him even more recognition and well-deserved support. And let’s face it- any performance that includes a saxophone is a guaranteed good time which is exactly what Laamar and his band delivered to the early afternoon audience.
While not originally from Minnesota, pop princess Raffaella is all in on her new midwest home. She chatted casually with fans from the Skipper’s Stage while her band worked through some technical difficulties before immediately launching into a powerful set of original tunes made by the girls for the girls. Don’t let her diminutive stature or pastel outfit fool you- Raffaella is a force of nature and her upcoming debut album is sure to put her at the forefront of the pop landscape.
Dance to the Beat of Your Own Drum
The heat was bearing down intensely as the afternoon wore on, but that certainly didn’t prevent the growing crowd at Skipper’s Stage from dancing. Silversun Pickups provided the soundtrack to this bright and sunny dance party with a set that had both the band and the fans grinning while jumping along to “Panic Switch”, “Lazy Eye” and so much more. The band has always crashed right through the standard parameters of modern rock and their eclectic sound found a deep-rooted home in their devoted fans over the last two decades. They were a welcome addition to this year’s lineup and drew the festival perfectly into the rest of the day.
O.A.R. is a bit more casual in their rock and roll niche, with elements of ska and reggae complementing their plethora of hits. Observers could be seen looking surprised at the number of songs they were unconsciously singing along to and this made O.A.R. Saturday’s sleeper favorite- and for very good reason. They are consistently excellent in their live performances, even throwing in a fun cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Fool in the Rain” right into their own hit “Shattered (Turn the Car Around)”.
Everything is Alright
Catastrophe loomed on the horizon after Motion City Soundtrack singer Justin Pierre announced he was too sick to attend the Yacht Club so instead the band rallied and enlisted the help of their musical friends to rescue the set. Starting strong with the appearance of Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump, the band performed a wonderfully chaotic set of longtime favorites, aided by a teleprompter for a little assistance along the way. Stump professed his longtime respect for Pierre and the band and gamely powered through “Attractive Today”, “Perfect Teeth” and “My Favorite Accident” before surrendering the microphone to the rest of the band’s chosen guest vocalists for the day.
Locals Ber and Gully Boys made special appearances before Stump once again snagged center stage for “L.G FUAD” (a song with “so many words” according to Stump) and “The Future Freaks Me Out”. The crowd did their part to sing along and wished Pierre well through the band as they all expressed their gratitude to everyone who allowed them to keep this festival slot. It was a special, one of a kind moment that highlighted the friendship and camaraderie present among so many of the bands on this lineup and fans strolled into the evening thrilled to be present for it.
Instrumental and Vocal Titans Collide
Even more Minnesota talent was represented on the Crow’s Nest Stage when guitar savant Cory Wong emerged with his band. Mixing funk, rock and jazz elements into his purely instrumental set, Wong had the audience wrapped around his finger for the entirety of his jam session. As a treat, he invited Remi Wolf onstage for a cover of “Tell Me Something Good”- perfect foreshadowing for later on in the evening. Wong was magnetic to watch, his fingers flying along the guitar and backed by an equally talented group of musicians that included a full brass accompaniment for an unforgettable performance.
Speaking of Remi Wolf, this pop queen strutted her stuff right at golden hour to massive cheers from fans who had been waiting all day for this moment. From the start, she made use of the entire stage to jump and dance to “Cinderella”, “Hello Hello Hello” and so much more. The audience was fully prepared to match her boundless energy and they shouted the words right back at the stage on “Liquor Store” and “Toro” and swayed along to a dreamy cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams”. Wolf’s set was indeed a dream come true for the Saint Paul crowd- a set that no one wanted to end.
A Hella Mega Reunion
Minnesota Yacht Club Festival was basically a Hella Mega Tour reunion special, bringing Weezer, Fall Out Boy and Green Day back together for a weekend of fun. Weezer landed on the main stage armed with their otherworldly visuals and over an hour of straight hits to play for an eager audience. Being able to start their set with “Hash Pipe” and “My Name is Jonas” only speaks to the sheer number of popular tracks they have to choose from and their selections were sure to please everyone. Fans on the barricade danced with abandon to “Surf Wax America” and the classic “Island in the Sun” as even the most casual listeners walking by could be seen singing along. Let’s face it- everyone knows these songs and Weezer is a band that will always deliver the goods. They spoke very sparingly between tracks but the music has always done the talking and they let it fill their set time with as many songs as possible. Naturally they closed out with “Say It Ain’t So” and “Buddy Holly”, putting a smile on the face of every fan in the field.
When Fall Out Boy announced that they would only be doing festival appearances in 2025, their Overcast Kids packed up and hit the road to catch as many as possible. Saturday drew in many out of state fans as they ran for the barricade to camp there all day and that devotion paid off in spades when the curtain rose on Patrick Stump mournfully singing “Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes” from his backstage hospital gurney. The fireworks kicked in on “Grand Theft Autumn/Where is Your Boy” and FOB was off to the races on the festival version of their Days of Fallout Past.
Each album in their impressive discography was represented throughout the set, with changing backgrounds and elements signalling the start of a new stop along their musical journey. From Under the Cork Tree and Infinity on High received the most attention in the middle of the set, including massive hits like “Dance, Dance” and “Thnks fr th Mmrs” while also dipping into deeper cuts territory on “Bang the Doldrums” (if you know, you know).
Guitarist Joe Trohman was sadly absent due to his surgery recovery but the space was filled by their selected temporary replacement and Stump and bassist Pete Wentz’s onstage banter. The band performs together with the ease and unmistakable happiness that comes with over 20 years of collaboration and friendship, making an even better experience for the fans as well. A wall of fire burned behind the quartet during “The Phoenix” and “ My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)” while a huge column of flame was jettisoned from the top of the stage as well.
The fans were feeling the heat in the best way as they danced to “Uma Thurman” and stomp-clapped to “Immortals” as the night progressed. As is tradition, Stump took a seat behind his piano for a soft rendition of “What a Catch, Donnie” and “Golden” right into selections from the band’s latest album. Of course they wouldn’t want to send anyone home early so the set continued with the night’s Magic 8-Ball selection of “G.I.N.A.S.F.S.” before they reluctantly brought things to a close with “Centuries” and “Saturday”. Wentz’s theatrics had him dangling high above the stage holding a sheaf of balloons before jumping into the crowd to scream the final notes in the arms of the fans.
Day two at the Yacht Club was a marathon that made the sprint to the finish line worth every drop of sweat suffered throughout the day. Check out all the photos!
