All good things must come to an end and the final day of Minnesota Yacht Club Festival gave attendees one last moment in the sun with a lineup of nostalgic favorites and their contemporary counterparts. Both the humidity and the vibes were high as fans basked in the music and the long Minnesota day. As always, Atlas jumped in the pit for all the fun- check out the very best moments from day three!
The Category is: Girl Power
It was a special day for Canadian trio Winona Fighter- after months on the road, their tour came to rest at the Yacht Club and they gave the Skipper’s Stage everything they had left. Singer Coco Kinnon slammed on her guitar and moved down Green Day’s catwalk at a speed that whipped the early audience into a frenzy of cheering as they tried to keep up with the band’s incredible energy. From “I Think You Should Leave” to “Subaru” to a rowdy cover of the Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage”, it was the band’s mission to make sure everyone had a killer time- a goal they accomplished with ease as fans turned from the stage pouring sweat after their wild sprint of a set.
Guitar phenom Grace Bowers doled out another healthy dose of epic talent on the Crow’s Nest Stage, shredding away on her arsenal of guitars and backed by her equally talented Hodge Podge. Bowers may be young but her soul is old and she mixes funk, rock and more into her magnetic sound. Fans were mesmerized by her effortless skills and the beats carried across the field, getting everyone up on their feet and moving.
A Beachy Getaway
Whoever lined up Beach Bunny and The Beaches back to back gets a high five for their humor, as the theme of the afternoon was absolutely, well, beachy. Beach Bunny’s solidly sunny tunes had the band running and jumping onstage as the audience whipped their hair to “Ms. California”, “Nice Guys” and more. They managed to pack almost 20 songs into their timeslot, thrilling the crowd with their collective wit and stamina for yet another unforgettable set.
The four members of The Beaches strutted on to the main stage, eyebrows raised and instruments at the ready to rock the Yacht Club like headliners. Don’t be distracted by their hairography- these Canadian indie rockers are the real deal, performing a tight set that was specifically for the ladies but one lucky guy was picked to be the band’s “Jocelyn” for the day. Their performance was as bright as the late afternoon sun as they hyped up the crowd for the final bands of this year’s event.
A 90s Nostalgic Dream
Sunday’s crowd certainly skewed a little older with all of the classic bands added to the last day’s lineup- starting with Garbage on the Crow’s Nest Stage. Shirley Manson- dressed in eye wateringly bright colors from head to toe- drew everyone in with her hypnotic vocals and impassioned speeches between songs. The fans formed an indelible bond with each other and with the band, if only for one hour, as they relived a simpler, younger time through Garbage’s music. Manson also sent a lovely shoutout to the newer bands on the bill and expressed her own excitement for the future and importance of live music to people and communities. The ended with “Push It” as the fans emerged from their time warp back to the heyday of 90s alternative rock.
The nostalgia train kept chugging along with Sublime, now fronted by Jakob Nowell as he follows in his late father’s footsteps to keep the catalog alive. His youthful presence breathes a different energy into a band with decades of stories and songs but the essence of the message remains the same. The stage was flanked by two enormous inflatable pups while Nowell lent his vocals to classics like “40oz. to Freedom”, “Bad Fish” and- of course- “Santeria” to close things out.
In the same vein, 311 headlined the Crow’s Nest Stage as golden hour fell upon Harriet Island Regional Park and the fans were raring to go. Their reggae rock sound has proven timeless over the decades and the band has rarely left the road as they endeavor to bring this music to as many people as possible all the time. Singer Nick Hexum sneered and snarled at the audience, rocking out to “Come Original” and “Applied Science” while indeed “Amber” was the color of the festival’s energy when the field was bathed in deep golden light. This final segment spoke to the hordes of fans in throwback band t-shirts reliving their youth with the bonus knowledge that these songs still mean so much all these years later.
Welcome to Paradise
At long last, it was time- the anticipation for Green Day’s arrival was off the charts. Fans had clamored at the barricade all day, dressed in black and red and brandishing signs in the hopes of getting the band’s attention or even being pulled onstage for a song. After the traditional sing along to “Bohemian Rhapsody”, the Drunk Bunny mascot stumbled onstage to whip up the audience to the tune of “Blitzkrieg Bop” as the heart-shaped hand grenade inflated behind him. The band bounded onstage, infusing the tired crowd with a fresh burst of energy as Billie Joe Armstrong started the set with the iconic “American Idiot” riff.
From there, it was a race to the finish line but not one that the fans or the band were eager to reach. Armstrong, bassist Mike Dirnt and drummer Tre Cool are clearly still having the time of their lives onstage, making goofy faces at the fans and throwing their bodies into every song. One lucky fan was pulled onstage for the bridge of “Know Your Enemy”, setting the tone early on for the type of love Green Day would show the audience as the set went on.
Like Fall Out Boy the previous day, Green Day’s production was flashy and boasted a wall of fire to accompany the litany of blinding spotlights behind them. Beats were punctuated by fireworks and flashbangs as Armstrong raised a defiant fist during “Holiday” and “Longview”. Each era of the band’s storied career was represented in the chosen setlist and the band got the chance to witness firsthand the impact these songs have had on multiple generations of listeners.
Minnesota got a mention on the first performance of “Youngblood” in years, while a frowning blimp dropped Dookie bombs on the audience in the middle of the set. Armstrong’s call and response in the middle of “Minority” kept the audience on their toes as they did their best to drown him out with their voices as the end of the setlist drew ominously near.
Shrugging off the park’s curfew, Green Day just continued playing, fitting in the softly acoustic “Wake Me Up When September Ends” and all heart pounding, tempo changing minutes of “Jesus of Suburbia”. Just when everyone thought there couldn’t be even more after “Bobby Sox”, Armstrong quietly reappeared to send everyone into the night on “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” while a fireworks display worthy of Independence Day followed everyone home.
This second installment of the Minnesota Yacht Club Festival packed an enormous punch- from the stellar selection of artists to food and activities for fans of all ages, it was a perfect weekend at the park. The bar is high for future years but first check out all the photos from day three!
