Landon Conrath opens Day 3 of Minnesota Yacht Club Festival

Picture this: It’s a balmy July afternoon in 2025, and the Minnesota Yacht Club Festival is buzzing with that electric hum of summer anticipation. Harriet Island Regional Park in St. Paul is alive with families picnicking on the grass, groups of friends trading stories over cold drinks, and the faint ripple of the Mississippi River providing a serene backdrop to the chaos of live music. As the clock ticks toward 12:50 p.m. on Sunday, July 20, a local hero takes the stage—one who’s no stranger to these Twin Cities shores but is making his mark on a bigger canvas. Landon Conrath, the indie-pop sensation from St. Paul, steps up with his signature easy grin, and just like that, the crowd leans in.

From the first strum of his guitar, Landon’s sound wraps around you like a warm blanket on a crisp evening—upbeat rhythms that make your toes tap involuntarily, layered with synths and beats that pulse with youthful energy. But oh, those lyrics. They sneak up on you, don’t they? One moment you’re swaying to the infectious hook, the next you’re pondering the quiet ache of confusion in relationships that twist like vines, the numb release of not caring anymore when everything feels too heavy, and even the shadowy whispers of mortality that linger in the corners of your mind. It’s that clever contrast that defines him: music that lifts you up while the words pull you into introspection. Songs like “Acetone” and “Papercuts” had the younger fans—those Gen Z kids with their colorful hair and festival wristbands—singing along word-for-word, their voices rising in a chorus that felt both vulnerable and victorious.

Halfway through his set, Landon pauses, mic in hand, to share a bit of his heart. “You know, I call myself a pandemic artist,” he says, his voice steady but laced with that humble Midwestern warmth. “I started in 2020, right when the world shut down. My dream was always to play festivals like this, but folks told me it’d take a while.” He chuckles, glancing out at the sea of smiling faces. “The industry can move slow some days and fast some days, but you need to be persistent, to show up each day and be yourself. Things will get better if you try. Here I am, playing a festival five years later.” The crowd erupts—not just cheers, but that deep, affirming roar that says, “We see you, man. We get it.” It’s moments like these that turn a performance into something personal, a shared exhale amid the festival frenzy.

Landon’s journey is the stuff of quiet determination. Hailing from the Twin Cities, he grew up tinkering with piano keys and sliding a trombone in school band, but music as a career? That sparked during the isolation of 2020. What began as bedroom demos exploded into viral Spotify playlists, catapulting his indie-pop sound to unexpected heights. Over the past five years, he’s released more than 30 songs, never letting the momentum lag, blending feel-good vibes with raw emotional depth. He’s opened for bigger acts, toured the country, and earned a rep for shows that feel like hanging out with a clever friend who’s got stories to tell. Notable tracks like “Employee of the Year,” with its wry take on modern hustle, and “Doomsday,” a toe-tapper masking existential musings, showcase his knack for making the heavy feel light. By the time he wraps with an anthemic closer, the younger crowd is buzzing, swapping setlist theories and vowing to catch him at the next local gig. In a festival stacked with nostalgia headliners, Landon’s slot was a fresh breath—a reminder that homegrown talent can steal the show.

Brief History of Landon Conrath

Landon Conrath emerged as an indie-pop artist during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, recording demos in his Minneapolis-area home that quickly gained traction on Spotify. A Twin Cities native, he transitioned from casual piano playing and school band experiences to full-time music, releasing a prolific output of over 30 songs in four years. His sound, characterized by upbeat melodies and introspective lyrics, has led to tours, viral hits, and a dedicated following among younger listeners.

Band Members

• Landon Conrath – Vocals, Guitar, Production

Note: Landon Conrath performs primarily as a solo artist, often with varying live backing musicians depending on the show.

Most Likely Setlist

• Papercuts
• 2AM
• Boulevards
• How Does Forever Sound
• Replay
• Telluride
• Acetone
• Static
• Cool Guy
• Will Nye
• Doomsday
• So, So

(Based on recent performances; no verified setlist available for this event.)

Related Posts

• 

  THE DOO WOP PROJECT
  THE DOO WOP PROJECT
• 

  THE PHIL COLLINS STORY: A DOCU-CONCERT CELEBRATING THE LEGENDARY PHIL COLLINS
  THE PHIL COLLINS STORY: A DOCU-CONCERT CELEBRATING THE LEGENDARY PHIL COLLINS
• 

  Lou Gramm Rocks the Night Away: A Foreigner Legacy Lives On at Brown County Music Center
  Lou Gramm Rocks the Night Away: A Foreigner Legacy Lives On at Brown County Music Center
• 

  Green Day Burns Down the House at the Minnesota Yacht Club Festival
  Green Day Burns Down the House at the Minnesota Yacht Club Festival