The waters of the Mississippi River bracketed Harriet Island Regional Park as the third edition of the Minnesota Yacht Club Festival kicked off in St. Paul last weekend. Attendees battled through record high temperatures, heavy humidity and a blanket of wildfire smog to make the best of another incredible lineup. Atlas was in the middle of all the action, sweating alongside thousands of fans- check out all the best moments from Friday!
Emo Nostalgia Visits Yacht Club
While much of Friday was focused in a folk-pop direction, two throwback acts drew huge crowds to both the main Skipper Stage and the Crow’s Nest stage. Dashboard Confessional found a little shade at the main stage, emerging to a hugely receptive audience that was ready to sing along to all the band’s staple songs. Frontman Chris Carraba was all smiles as the crowd moved in unison to “Screaming Infidelities” and the cathartic chorus of “Vindicated”, drawing more fans into the set as they heard familiar notes from across the park.
Directly following Dashboard was The Fray on the Crow’s Nest stage. The band squinted into the late afternoon sun, providing some temporary respite from the oppressive heat that had been baking the crowd all day. The band is currently on tour with Dashboard so their back to back sets were a treat for the St. Paul fans of both bands. Hearing songs like “You Found Me” and the iconic “How to Save a Life” transported the audience back in time and that joy was written on the faces of the devotees on the barricade.
The Lumineers Bring Love and Light to the Skipper Stage
Before Friday’s main event, various folk-tinged acts pulled fans from every corner of the park to dance along throughout the day. Shaky Graves started the party (of sorts) with his gravely, inimitable voice projecting to the far bleachers and turning heads with his bluesy energy. The singer took the stage at the hottest part of the day but didn’t let the blazing sun deter the spirit of his performance- and the fans sang ever louder to make their love known.
The sun was finally starting to set when The Black Keys bounded onstage to “I Got Mine” and “Gold on the Ceiling”. The flagging crowd immediately perked up at the band’s exuberance, especially with drummer Patrick Carney bashing away at his kit at the front of the stage. The band was clearly thrilled to be back in the Twin Cities and gave their all to an audience that was still pushing through intense heat to make it to the night’s headliner.
One notable thing about the Twin Cities is their unabashed love for The Lumineers. The Denver duo and their plethora of talented onstage musicians built out the Skipper stage to present a dynamic show as close to their massive audience as possible. The opening number of “Same Old Song” had the band moving from the main part of the stage to the platform at the end of a long catwalk right into “Flowers in Your Hair” and “Angela”. The transitions were seamless and beautifully received by fans who had been camped in the park all day for the chance at a surprisingly intimate moment from a festival headliner.
The Lumineers, for their part, expressed genuine love to the cities of both Minneapolis and St. Paul and their delight in being included in this year’s festival. The crowd of thousands roared their approval and raised their voices for “Ho Hey” and “Asshole”. Against a brightly colored backdrop of instruments and lights, The Lumineers brought day one to a wonderfully satisfying close as the crescent moon rose perfectly above the stage.
Day one of Minnesota Yacht Club was a marathon through suffocating heat but fans were spotted smiling and making the most of every moment- and ready to return for a weekend of even more music to come.
