The Minnesota Yacht Club Festival kicked off its inaugural weekend with headliners The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Alanis Morrisette, and Gwen Stefani.
No Doubt's singer surprised the 35,000 in attendance when she brought out her hubby for a duet. On Saturday, Soul Asylum featured two new songs.
The Black Crowes, who were also scheduled to be a headliner had to tap out at the last minute due to an illness in the band, but the two-day show went on.
The MYC was the first major music festival on Harriet Island since 2012's River’s Edge Music Festival which starred Tool, Flaming Lips, Motion City Soundtrack, and Dave Matthews Band.
This festival was organized by Austin's C3 Presents who produces Austin City Limits, The Voodoo Music + Arts Experience, and the Lollapaloozas.
The Minnesota + St. Paul metropolis is the 16th largest in the US where about 3.6 million midwesterners call home. And they want to rock. Here's some highlights.
Gwen Stefani featuring Blake Shelton
Was it planned that the first night would be top loaded with the veteran women? Friday Gwen, Joan Jett, and Alanis rocked the beautiful island next to the Mississippi.
Gwen evenly dispersed the 18 songs in her set between No Doubt hits and selections from her wildly successful solo career. But the inclusion of "Purple Irises" was a delight.
The country tune got its live debut at the Super Bowl halftime in February, yet it's still a bit of a rarity live because it's a single without an album sung by an iconic songstress who hasn't performed much this year.
No Doubt reunited for two huge Coachella gigs, but then Gwen had only performed solo at four shows before she got to the Yacht Festival. With only four more dates on her schedule this year, you may want to catch one of those shows if you want to hear it. Tickets available on her website.
Joan Jett Honoring Paul Westerberg
Long before it became cool to celebrate in song people who identified in a fluid manner, Paul Westerberg of The Replacements wrote "Androgynous" on their final indie release, Let it Be, on Minnesota's Twin/Tone label.
Jett has covered the song where "something meets boy / and something meets girl / they both look the same / they're overjoyed at this world" 207 times. That's 5 times more than The Replacements did it live.
In a perfect world, Westerberg, who still lives in Minnesota, would have driven to the show, jumped on stage with Jett, sang the tune they did together for the Tank Girl soundtrack, "Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love."
And then he would have run down and jumped in the river.
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Joan Jett and the Blackhearts are on tour right now with Alanis Morissette.
Get tickets through Joan's site.
Trombone Shorty honors Prince
Another Minnesotan who got love was the Purple One when Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews covered "Let's Go Crazy" during his energetic set.
Back in 2014, Andrews performed four songs with Prince at the final show of the Hit and Run tour in New Orleans, but not that Purple Rain jam.
Earlier this year he did the tune with Joss Stone at the 8th Annual Love Rocks NYC concert. It has been a regular selection at his gigs with Orleans Avenue.
Trombone Shorty is touring with OutKast's Big Boi this year. The pair have stops all across the country this summer and fall including a special night at the Hollywood Bowl. Tickets available on his website.
Alanis Morissette featuring her daughter Onyx
Last weekend Jewel brought her 12-year-old son on stage at the Calgary Stampede, this weekend Alanis invited her daughter Onyx and their friend Freya to turn "Ironic" into a singalong.
They have done this before with more successful results, but even this was cute watching mom fawn over child.
Morissette played 25 songs, but for the first time since live debuting it last month, she didn't play "Missing the Miracle."
Maybe she forgot?
Red Hot Chili Peppers
As great as the Chili Peppers were in their set, some attendees still found something to complain about. At this show the gripe was the frequently topless Californians didn't play "Under The Bridge" at the festival.
Crazy fact: on this, The 2022-24 Global Stadium Tour, of their 110 appearances, they've only performed the somber tune 43 times. So if you hear it live, feel lucky, because you are.
The Peppers only have four more gigs left on the tour and three of them are sold out. The one show that still has seats available is The Harley Davidson Homecoming next weekend in Milwaukee. The RHCP play on the same night as Cypress Hill who just blew minds in London and the dynamic Otoboke Beaver.
Get tix on the Chili's website.
