Live review: Winona Fighter live at Crossroads

Garwood, NJ – 95 Jun 2025

I’m Thankful, I Swear. We’re All Lucky To Be Here

Give this your attention now, right before it knocks you out. I’m not guaranteeing Winona Fighter’s My Apologies To The Chef will be the best record of 2025… But any other release this year has quite the hill to climb.  There’s a reason the Nashville outfit have been building a near cult following behind their pop-punk piss and vinegar.  After a few missed opportunities, stoked would be an understatement for how I felt being able to finally catch the band on the intimate and exceptional Crossroads stage. 

But first the openers, Scottsdale, AZ’s Good Boy Daisy.  The band led by twins Hallie and Dylinn Mayes brought a boppy, danceable energy that immediately reminded me of the electro-pop charm of Lights.  An unexpected and unspecified delay took the band off the stage before they played the first chord and had fans shuffling a bit before the four-piece reclaimed the boards and the groove kicked in. The stage setup also felt a bit much with six mic stands up front and an overhead mic for drums, it was significantly more gear than needed for a quartet.  The stage set became more confusing when the band finished their set and took three of the stands with them.  Sure the negativity may just be the frustrated photographer in me talking, as clean shots were tough to come by.  Once it did, though, the crowd was treated to a tight, infectious performance from the four-piece. Visually, the band leaned into a strong ’90s aesthetic: think bandanas, flared pants, overalls, and platform boots straight out of a Delia’s catalog. The vibe was playful and dreamy.

One of the standout moments came when the band’s merch guy jumped on stage for a fantastic duet on “Running From The Headlines,” adding an extra layer to the performance. Fans were also given a sneak peek behind the scenes, as segments of the show were filmed for the upcoming “Summer Love” music video. Keep your eyes peeled—you might just catch a glimpse of my unkempt, ugly mug somewhere in the final cut.

Second support, Wifey is a four-piece from New York, delivered a sun-kissed set brimming with delicious melodies that blended summery pop warmth with an undercurrent of pop-punk bite,  These songs are full of the kind of sound that makes you want to commit for a lifetime, fitting for a band called Wifey. Their shimmering hooks and dynamic chemistry were impossible to ignore, especially as the bassist and rhythm guitarist alternated roles mid-set, showcasing their versatility with an effortless cool. It’s honestly a bit embarrassing that a band this polished and magnetic, from just across the river, had flown under my radar until now.

By the time their set was in full swing, they had completely won me over. Wifey is the kind of band you immediately want to see again—there’s something undeniably special in the way their melodies linger. Unfortunately, the set curdled when their performance was cut short, leaving the crowd wanting more, crying out for “Dimaggio,” a track the band had listed next on their setlist but weren’t able to get to. Still, even in a truncated set, Wifey proved themselves to be an act absolutely worth keeping on repeat.

Immediately upon taking the stage it was clear that a Winona Fighter live set is not just a concert.  It’s a full-body experience wrapped in punk chaos. From the first moment Coco Kinnon launched herself into her bandmates to kick off the performance with “You Look Like A Drunk Phoebe Bridgers,” it was clear this was going to be a special night. Kinnon’s performance would make a cocaine-fueled Robin Williams seem low-energy. With a whirling dervish of finger-pointing and convulsive kicks, Coco’s frenetic stage presence was impossible to look away from. Her energy surged through the room like NASCAR crash, and suddenly, a once-calm crowd was screaming, moshing, and completely giving in to the sheer magnetism of the moment.

Between the raucous moments, Coco’s heartfelt gratitude shined through in every pre-song monologue. That love for the audience wasn’t lost on the crowd, who responded in kind, roaring louder and jumping higher as the set continued. When the band broke into standout tracks like “R U Famous,” “Subaru,” and “I’m In The Market To Please Nobody,” Crossroads transformed. It was hard to tell if it was the crowd undulating and bouncing to the beat or the building itself reacting to the energy Winona Fighter emoted. The quartet caught the audience off guard when they dropped their blistering cover of Beastie Boys‘ “Sabotage”… it was fucking perfection,

Coco’s banter throughout the show was as much a highlight as the songs themselves. A moment of sincere magic occurred when she made a star out of Matt, a self-professed non-fan who had tagged along but was quickly converted into a disciple of the band. The emotional climax came during the explosive performance of “Wlbrn St Tvrn,” which incited total chaos and catharsis, with the crowd erupting in a glorious, frenzied, and violent celebration. This was less a crowd, coming together completely in sync with the band and the music. The band closed with “HAMMS IN A GLASS,” my personal favorite, and the perfect exclamation mark on a set that was nothing short of immaculate. 

Every note felt like it came from the guts of the band, and every scream from the audience echoed with shared release. It was a performance that didn’t just move the crowd—it transformed them. You couldn’t tell where Coco’s voice ended and the crowd began, and by the final chord, no one wanted it to end.  My Apologies To The Chef was already my album of the year so far, but tonight, Winona Fighter also became the best performance of 2025… and there’s not even a close second.