Saturday, July 18

Skipper Stage
1:30-2:15 Yam Haus
3:00-4:00 Matt & Kim
5:00-6:00 All-American Rejects
7:00-8:00 Lord Huron
9:00-10:30 Matchbox Twenty

Crow’s Nest Stage
1:00-1:30 Porch Light
2:15-3:00 Devon Gilfillian
4:00-5:00 Jensen Mcrae
6:00-7:00 Lucy Dacus
8:00-9:00 Geese

Matchbox Twenty Setlist

Friends
How Far We’ve Come
Real World
Disease
She’s So Mean
Don’t Get Me Wrong
If You’re Gone
Bent
Back 2 Good
Long Day
Hand Me Down
Bright Lights
She Came in Through the Bathroom Window (The Beatles cover)
3 AM
Unwell
Push
Don’t You (Forget About Me) (Simple Minds cover)

Geese Setlist

Husbands
Getting Killed
Crusades
Islands of Men
Half Real
2122

with a cover of “I Hate Music” by The Replacements
Cowboy Nudes
I See Myself
Bow Down
Au Pays du Cocaine
Taxes
Trinidad

Lord Huron Setlist

Who Laughs Last
Bag of Bones
Ends of the Earth
Wait by the River
Secret of Life
Ancient Names, Pt. I
I Lied
La Belle Fleur Sauvage
Frozen Pines
Meet Me in the Woods
The Night We Met
Not Dead Yet

Lucy Dacus Setlist

First Time
Hot & Heavy
Ankles
Partner in Crime
VBS
Nonbeliever
Talk
Planting Tomatoes
Triple Dog Dare
Forever Is a Feeling
True Blue (boygenius song)
Night Shift

The All‐American Rejects Setlist

Dirty Little Secret
Beekeeper’s Daughter
Easy Come, Easy Go (Tyson Ritter song)
Sweat
I Wanna
My Paper Heart
Get This
Swing, Swing
It Ends Tonight
King Kong
Move Along
Gives You Hell

Jensen McRae Setlist

Let Me Be Wrong
Savannah
Mother Wound
How You Get ‘Em
My Ego Dies at the End
God Has a Hitman
Taboo
I Don’t Do Drugs
Beautiful Soul (Jesse McCartney cover)
Good Legs
White Boy
I Can Change Him
Just Like You
Novelty
Praying for Your Downfall
Massachusetts

Matt and Kim Setlist

intro song: Singin’ in the Rain (Gene Kelly song)
Block After Block
Overexposed
Cameras

with snippet of OutKast’s “Miss Jackson”
Yea Yeah
Lessons Learned
Make a Mess

with snippet of AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck”
Cinders
It’s Alright
Like I Used to Be
Now
Hey Now
Silver Tiles

with snippet of MIA’s “Paper Planes”
Daylight
Let’s Go

Devon Gilfillian Setlist

IRL
Troublemaker
Hold On (Hourglass)
Moonflower
Let’s Stop F**king Around
You Can Hate Me Now
What’s Going On (Marvin Gaye cover)
Travelin’ Blues
Black Dog Rabbit Hole

Yam Haus Setlist

Rafters
Making Out in Cars
Green Lights
Color You In
One Way Road
Dollar Store Mansion
Phoning It In
One Bullet Left
Misery Island
The Thrill
Sandcastle

It’s pretty rough in Saint Paul when a high of 90 is a significant improvement from the day before, but that’s where we were as Day 2 of the Minnesota Yacht Club got underway at Harriet Island. Dave and I continued to split the day in two, making the festival a much more do-able experience.

1:00 PM – Porch Light are a Minneapolis based quintet who have only been around since 2024. We have been fortunate enough to have seen the indie rockers a couple of times, most recently playing before a Minnesota United soccer game in May 2025. They have released their EP Navy Blue and are headed out on an extensive US tour this fall. Coming out with that strong dual guitar and bass with Jackie Uhas’s clear alto lyrics was a great opening statement. There’s definitely been some growth in performance and confidence and it’s fun to watch this bond grow. That crushing instrumental close had both guitarists (Zac Fogarty and Kyle Seimon) rocking across the stage and the mood was a blast. The second number had crowd singing along and the vocals were loud but still let that great guitar shine. Porch Light has found a solid musical niche that has a little bit of timeless rock to it. Arctic had pulsing bass (Henry Hughes) and drums (Isaiah Trimbo) to match and it’s the summation of the parts that makes this fly. The song’s end let those vocals open up and they were nailing the assignment. Things were moving efficiently, as they hit their fourth song by the ten minute mark. Noting they have an album, Hush, upcoming and a show at First Avenue in November, Porch Light’s stock continues to rise. Vocals again got the chance to swell to full throated chrouses and the emotional pull was palpable. The highest praise that I can give is that Porch Light’s set felt like a headliner’s and cramming it all into 30 minutes was beyond impressive. Catch this band on their first tour and you will not be disappointed.

1:30 PM – Yam Haus are another Twin Cities based band, playing an upbeat alt pop rock. We last saw them in August 2025 at the Harriet Bandshell in Minneapolis. As Dave detailed in his review, things had looked very bright after their 2018 debut Stargazer, but a weird mix of circumstances, including a freak accident had thrown a lot of adversity their way. Still, they continue to press forward, and their 2023 EP Stupid & Famous has the best of their humor and solid arrangements. Taking stage as a sextet (vocals/giutar, guitar, guitar, bass, keyboards, and drums), this actually was a nice transition from Porch Light musically. The pop rock vibe was immediate and clear with a rousing opener. Lars Pruitt’s singing and presence was central to the overall effect and we had a chunk of the crowd jumping along, which was impressive in this heat. A call out to the other bands, an exhortation to stay hydrated and watch for your neighbors, and a thanks summed up it all up really well. Grabbing a guitar for the first time, Green Lights continued to pump up the volume on the rock and the antics of our two guitarists was hilarious in the corner of the stage. Slowing down the tempo a bit did not amp down the emotive lyrics or intensity of the music. I love it when a performer or band is in the zone and these guys had clicked into that near float a concert can get when it’s all working. (Side note: that can only work if all the equipment & sound is flawless, so big props to the crew taking care of the bands.) A silly intro of the band led to One Way Road, with synthy keys and Nate Walker’s hefty guitar near the end supporting that plaintive song. It wasn’t subtle, but Pruitt’s hot take on the current state of things was dour, and Phoning It In was a good example. Or, maybe Misery Island was the better one. There’s a lot of commentary on America in 2026 wrapped up in catchy musical hooks. A nearly techno dance feel showed some range and as they finished up on Sand Castle, Yam Haus had shown themselves to be a clever and thoughtful underneath some good pop rock.

2:15 PM – Devon Gilfillian was next to take the stage. A Nashville-based musician, Gilfillian plays a wide variety of sounds ranging from gospel-inspired blues, soul, and rock. He plays an exciting live show and we last reviewed him playing in Kansas City in June 2022, opening a great evening for Fitz and the Tantrums at GrindersKC. He has several albums, most recently Time Will Tell, released just last month. Hitting the stage as a quartet (vocals/guitar, guitar, bass, keyboards/percussion, and drums) they rolled right into that smoky blues rock. Gilfillian could be doing straight blues with his vocal style, but the rock influences make this very fun. The keyboardist had different set ups, including one that had the Hammond B3 vibe and it was critical to how hard Troublemaker hit. That we also got Gilfillian with a slide guitar effect only added to the roots rock brilliance. Hold On was a song from the new record and was featured in the FIFA World Cup. It let Gilfillian shred on guitar several times, and the skill there was very clear. Let’s Stop F**king Around was the love song for “those who have been dating for like seven eight years”. That it was followed up by a break up song was pretty brilliant. These two numbers had a retro feel reminiscent of some Marvin Gaye deep cuts. And in fact, it was time for a Gaye cover from Gilfillian’s 2020 benefit album to fight voter suppression in Tennessee. Finishing things with a lot of twangy blues guitar also had the long instrumental close. Devon Gilfillian had brought a roots blues to the Yacht Club and we were the better for it.

3:00 PM – Matt and Kim, the Brooklyn based electronic duo of Matt Johnson (vocals/keyboards) and Kim Schifino (drums) were up next. At it for over twenty years now, they are known for wildly upbeat dance music, with six albums, including 2018’s Almost Everyday. Matt and Kim are no strangers to the large festivals, having played Bonnaroo and Coachella in the past, and a large crowd like this seems tailor made for their style. We last saw them headlining at First Avenue in April 2018 and particularly noted the interactive dance experience. They came out to a raised platform and my goodness the happiness was infectious. We had a couple of glitches on Matt’s keyboards (which also controlled effects that could go to the big screen in back), and he asked Kim to dance, and boy, did she ever. The second round of it included the crowd getting flashed by Kim and as they got going again “third time’s the charm”, Kim said “you are absolutely seeing a typical Matt and Kim concert right now”. These two have their instruments, but you would be completely wrong if you thought that meant they were tethered. Standing on instruments or wobbly chairs (really hoping Matt didn’t take a tumble), this couldn’t have been more fun. It may have been hot, but more and more of the crowd found themselves dancing, I think often unconsciously. A snippet of OutKast’s Ms. Jackson was so weirdly perfect and this is one of those bands you must see live to get the true experience. I was wildly impressed with how they could both be equally the focal points and there was such good non-verbal comms. This felt like a very adult, very raunchy Koo Koo (if you know, you know). Balloons got passed around (but had to be blown up) and off they went, causing as much chaos in the wind as the band was producing on stage. It’s Alright was about how things can be ok even in the weirdness (the fact that they hadn’t played it for a long time because it was used in a car ad only made it funnier). Did I mention we now had large inflatable sharks and alligators in the crowd? Pretty sure I did, but it was hard to keep track of everything. Now may have capped the craziness and the crowd had pretty much thrown completely in. As Matt and Kim finished up, the only way I could sum the experience up was, “I went to a festival and a dance party broke out”.

4:00 PM – Jensen McRae is a singer and songwriter from California. She plays an indie folk rock that can lean into a nearly pop country vibe, with a strong vocal presence. She has two albums, including the cryptically titled I Don’t Know How but They Found Me! from 2025. The quintet (vocals/guitar, guitar/vicals, bass, keyboards/vocals, and drums) couldn’t have been more of a change of pace from Matt and Kim, but that opener Let Me Be Wrong, served as the ginger on a sushi plate to get the crowd in the right mood. McRae was regal as she strummed the chords and sang Savannah. (Side note: Music festivals have a way of getting both the generalist and the super fan and each of the acts on Day 2 had plenty of the latter.) It also felt like the hottest point of the day, and that somehow fit for McRae’s folk pop rock. We moved to a new number and without the guitar, McRae roamed the stage on How You Get Em (Is How You Lose Em). God Has a Hitman was the first of a pair of songs that had McRae solo, and it was a good showcase for her without the band, though it should be noted that the album version will have a guest in Brandi Carlyle. We got the band slowly building back up with McRae and keyboardist (turns out it’s her little brother) on a very sweet sounding duet before the full out sound on I Don’t Do Drugs. A few songs from the first album were well placed as we headed towards the close. Just Like You had a more dance feel to it and was the poppiest number (and a new one to boot). Closing on Massachusetts, Jensen McRae had put together a lovely set and it was a great reminder that a music festival can pull some pretty disparate genres together and still be quite effective.

5:00 PM – The All-American Rejects, from Stillwater, OK next took the stage. They are comprised of Tyson Ritter on lead vocals and bass, Nick Wheeler and Mike Kennerty on guitar and Chris Gaylor on drums. They have been around since 2002 with their self-titled debut album going platinum. Currently they are supporting their fifth studio album, Sandbox, and we just saw them at the FIFA Fan Festival in Kansas City earlier this month, writing, “The All-American Rejects brought even more heat to an already sweltering afternoon, playing right before two important quarter-final matches would be shown on-screen.”

The All-American Rejects again came out swinging at Harriet Island with their brand of pop punk that charged young and young at heart. By far Ritter was the funniest and most engaged lead singer of the day as he greeted everyone with a “MF Ahoy B*tches!”, asking how many in the crowd were wearing captain’s hats, trying to get beer to those who rose their hands, and giving a shout out to the headliner by hilariously saying that “Matchbox Twenty is responsible for my parents divorce.” And in between the patter was the sweet reggae-tinged Sweat, the sultry I wanna and the crowd-favorite anthem This Ends Tonight.

6:00 PM – Lucy Dacus was up next. When I told a relative that I was covering the MN Yacht Club it was Lucy Dacus’ name that caught her attention. Rightly so. From Mechanicsville, VA Dacus not only has a successful solo career with four studio albums, she is also part of the supergroup boygenius with Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridges.

Along with my relative, we are big fans of Dacus, last catching her at the Here and There Festival in August, 2022, writing, “We were just happy to see Dacus upright and recovered, as she spent several shows singing and playing on her back, after slipping some discs but still determined to carry on performing.”

For the Minnesota Yacht Club, Dacus mentioned that she doesn’t normally do many music festivals. She was the only performer of the day that actually dressed for the blazing sun with an SPF long-sleeved shirt, baseball cap and sunglasses. She was also one of the few female leads for the festival, which seems like a miss considering how many great musicians could easily be playing to a crowd this size. Dacus was supported by a large band with not one, but two violins as she played songs from her latest album like Ankles, Talk and Forever Is a Feeling. She also played her latest single Planting Tomatoes, and even a boygenius song True Blood.

7:00 PM – Lord Huron, an indie rock folk group, was up next. They are comprised of Ben Schneider on vocals and guitar, Tom Renaud on guitar, Miguel Briseño on bass and Mark Barry on drums. They have been playing together since 2010, and we caught them ten years ago at Northrop Auditorium in May, 2016, co-headheadlining with Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, describing their unique sound as “… Mumford and Sons-like bombast and Vampire Weekend-esque rhythms, with a pinch of Paul Simon/Peter Gabriel.”

At Harriet Island Lord Huron stepped onto the stage like they were dressed for a night on the town. Summer sun be damned! Schneider even sported a olive, pinstripe bolero jacket with a bolo necktie. Like The Lumineers the night before, Lord Huron’s production design is just as important as their music with a visual setting that was sleek and retro.

“We only have sixty minutes,” announced Schneider. “So we’re going to jam in as many songs as possible.” And with a haunting west-coast vibe with the occasional surf guitar, Lord Huron painted a lonely landscape with Bang of Bones, Ends of the Earth and the moving Wait by the River. A favorite was when Misty Boyce stepped out from behind her keyboards to join Schneider to sing I Lied. And before they left the stage Schneider said in the most western way, “So long. Good Luck. Good Bye. May you live until you die.”

8:00pm – Geese was the last band on the Crow’s Nest stage, and it was our first time seeing them. They are having quite the moment with their latest album, Getting Killed, appearing on a number of lists for best albums of 2025. From Brooklyn, the band is comprised of Cameron Winter on vocals and guitar, Emily Green on guitar, Dominic DiGesu on bass and Max Bassin on drums. They formed in high school and planned on disbanding after graduation to pursue higher degrees, but record labels came calling.

If the previous band was west-coast cool, Geese was anything but. They were free-flowing and chaotic. They were art-house with a solid rock foundation. At times they seemed to let go of any melody or measure and segue into a free jazz spree. Sprawling and chaotic, they didn’t play so much songs, as musical expressions that seemed to veer as soon as you could pick up on the vibe. Whatever they were, they were thrilling and in control and seemed like they would have fit in quite nicely at Woodstock with songs like Getting Killed, Islands of Man and Nude Cowboy. It wasn’t all loud screeds, though, as they finished with the calypso-backed Trinidad.

9:00 PM – Matchbox Twenty finished up the evening. What can be said that isn’t already known? They were part of the musical landscape in the late 90’s and early 00’s, releasing hit after hit. Their first three albums hit platinum status, their debut, Yourself or Someone Like You, is now at diamond (12x platinum). In 2004 the band went on hiatus when Rob Thomas pursued a solo career. But return he did in 2010 and the band, with Brian Yale on bass, Kyle Cook on guitar and Paul Doucette on drums have been regularly playing, even releasing a #1 album North in 2017 and the latest, Light Goes, in 2023.

I’m pretty sure most in the crowd came to see the headliner, and Matchbox Twenty did not disappoint, kicking off with Friends, even inviting what looked to be a mother/son drum corp. on stage. Wearing a jean shirt and already profusely sweating, Thomas told the crowd that they didn’t have much time and they wanted to get through as many songs as they could. And off they went, with songs that once filled the airways and brought a communal feeling among the crowd, numbers like Real World, Disease and She’s So Mean. It was a trip down memory lane even though many in the crowd weren’t even born when Matchbox Twenty started out. Thomas was well aware of the circumstances the band has found itself thirty years in. He joked that the band didn’t cause Ritter’s parents’ divorce, although they may have been the soundtrack. He also never thought about nostalgia when they started out, but yet, there they were, playing for kids in their twenties who probably were introduced to them by parents who may or may not be divorced. The band was appreciative and they gave 110% finishing off the evening with Push, Unwell and a surprising cover of Simple Minds Don’t You (Forget About Me).