Winona Fighter’s headlining stop at The Masquerade's Hell Stage marked the next page of an already exhilarating chapter for the band. Fresh off releasing the deluxe edition of their debut album, My Apologies To The Chef, which garnered well-deserved attention and landed the Nashville trio on several major festival lineups, the band took Atlanta by storm. With Vans Warped Tour Orlando on the horizon, this show carried the electric sense that Winona Fighter are standing on the edge of something huge.
The openers leading up to Winona Fighter presented a dynamic range, but the talent was consistent across the board. From Diva Bleach’s radio-ready pop rock, to Not My Weekend’s upbeat pop punk, to Action/Adventure’s heavier sound, folks in the crowd at the Masquerade’s Hell Stage got to experience a variety show of up-and-coming acts in the scene. Diva Bleach more than captured the attention of the crowd with their magnetic stage presence, while Not My Weekend reeled them in further with irresistibly catchy choruses. Finally, Action/Adventure delivered a final impressive blow with unexpected but well-placed breakdowns that foreshadowed the grungier element of the headliner for the night.
From the moment Winona Fighter’s frontwoman Chloe Karr bounded onstage, it was clear that this was going to be a performance powered by equal parts musicianship and charisma. Winona Fighter have always leaned into chaos in their art, but live, it’s controlled chaos–sharp, cathartic, and hilariously unfiltered. Karr covered every square inch of the stage, making sure every person in the audience felt involved. The Winona Fighter set was filled with everything one might expect from a modern-day punk show: relatable and candid anecdotes, political commentary, and, of course, a healthy dose of 2-step moshing.
What makes Winona Fighter’s show so immediately gripping is how effortlessly they connect, the tremendous amount of energy put into their performance, and their adaptability to any show they are playing. Whether it is a main stage at a festival, or the basement of a multi-stage venue, they treat every crowd like a party they’ve been waiting all week to crash. Still, beneath the antics, we have a highly skilled group whose chemistry translates beyond the stage into a tangible feeling among the crowd.
Following a successful set at Vans Warped Tour Orlando, Winona Fighter are headed off to support the last leg of Waterparks’ Prowler Tour, covering the United States Midwest, Southwest, and West Coast dates, and culminating at The Brooklyn Bowl in Las Vegas. The future is bright for the punk music scene, and Winona Fighter are leading the charge.
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