A Fierce First Headliner

Fresh off their Riot Fest 2024 appearance, Winona Fighter made a triumphant return to Chicago—this time for their very first sold-out headlining show in the city. The intimate confines of Subterranean were packed to capacity, with all 379 attendees crammed from the pit to the top floor, buzzing with anticipation for a night that would celebrate the band’s journey and the city that’s supported them every step of the way.

As one of the final stops on their tour, Winona Fighter made their way to the stage in true chaotic fashion—Coco Kinnon playing human bumper cars between guitarist Dan Fuson and bassist Austin Luther—before launching straight into fan-favorite “You Look Like a Drunk Phoebe Bridgers.” Coco wasted no time commanding the crowd, screaming, “Chicago, let me hear you scream it!” before diving into the chorus with the room already in full voice.

Momentum didn’t falter as they tore into “I Think You Should Leave.” Coco addressed the crowd after, “Chicago! How the fuck are we feeling out there? We are Winona Fighter and we are so excited to be here with you guys tonight. This is our first ever time headlining in Chicago. And for those of you who don’t know, we have been on tour for one million days this year and we said, ‘Save the best for last,’ cause we fuck with you Chicago. So in celebration, we’re gonna play the whole fucking album. So if you know them, sing along!”

From there, the band launched into “R U FAMOUS,” one of the punchiest singles from their debut album My Apologies to the Chef, and the crowd didn’t miss a beat—literally. The room clapped along instinctively, matching the tempo and energy of the band note for note. Coco stayed deeply connected with the audience, diving into the crowd and jokingly apologizing for using fans as “a human handlebar.” Austin chimed in about how great of a band name that would be.

Despite Winona Fighter tracks clocking in under three minutes, each song packs an undeniable punch. “Subaru,” an older song from their 2022 EP, brought out some nostalgia. It was the first track I ever heard from them—and yes, I drive a Subaru—so hearing it live hit just a little harder.

The electricity in the room never let up. It felt like Coco and the crowd were running off each other’s energy all night long. At one point, Coco paused to reflect on the community that showed up, “Chicago, this is so fucking sick. This is a sold-out show tonight and it really blows my mind.”

She shared how important these communities are, especially when the world feels, in her words, “a little freaky—and not the good kind of freaky, the really bad and messed up kind of freaky.” In times like these, looking out for one another becomes vital, and she reminded everyone that no matter where you’re from or what you’re doing, caring for the person next to you is what matters. With that, they launched into “ATTENTION,” a song that fit that message perfectly.

“I can feel that you motherfuckers want to move out there, am I correct Chicago?” Coco shouted—met with an explosive “FUCK YEAH!”—before urging the crowd to jump along with her.

The set doubled as a celebration not just for the band, but for their fans too. Coco admitted, “Usually I’m a bit of a fucking bully up here,” but followed it with heartfelt appreciation: “We just have so much fucking gratitude for you guys in our hearts, we really don’t know what to do with it all. So I wanted to say that I think we have the most respectful fucking fans a band could ask for.”

She then told a story about the only time someone in the crowd had been disrespectful, joking that she thought the rest of the audience was going to “take him out back and take turns kicking him,” adding levity to the otherwise touching moment. That led into “I’M IN THE MARKET TO PLEASE NO ONE”—a fitting anthem as Coco mentioned that the song is about a disrespectful little fuck.

Earlier that day, the band had also played the Q101 lounge and proceeded to mention them announcing the upcoming deluxe version of My Apologies to the Chef, which drops September 5. The setlist featured a sneak peek: the new single “(Don’t Get) CLOSE.” Why settle for 14 tracks when the deluxe offers 31? That’s right—Winona Fighter is giving us even more: new songs and acoustic renditions of the entire album.

After playing “(Don’t Get) CLOSE,” Coco asked how many in the room had seen them before—many cheered for their Riot Fest set. She acknowledged the day as one of the best of their lives, then welcomed any first-timers (or those dragged there “against their will”) with a playful check-in: “Are you at least having fun?”

That led into their riotous cover of Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage,” which they introduced by saying, “We believe everyone should be able to sing along at least once during our set.” Coco also gave a shout out to the folks on the second level and joked about the creepy statues overlooking the Subterranean stage, saying they were warned not to look—but, immediately did without hesitation.

Before “Swear to God That I’m (FINE),” Coco quipped: “Some of you are probably here because of this next song. And if you can relate to it, I got some bad news… you’re probably a little bit of a psycho. And it’s okay—because I wrote the song.”

The night continued to be hilariously unpredictable. Coco poked fun at Austin’s mesh crop top—not a shirt, for the record—and joked about “two dudes in mesh” being another great band name. She eventually promised Austin would “pop his top off”—spoiler: he did. But only after Coco found her “pitmaster” in a fan named Estoy, who she claimed had the perfect chaotic pit energy.

In true DIY spirit, Coco let the crowd know there wouldn’t be an encore—so she asked for every last bit of energy for the final four songs of the night. Before diving in, she took a moment to share the story behind the record: it was recorded entirely in their garage back in Nashville, Tennessee, with no outside producers—just the band, doing everything themselves. Earlier in the set, Dan gave Coco a warm shoutout for playing all the drums on the album, a nod to just how personal and hands-on the entire process was.

As a final surprise, the band played a song that was technically reserved for another city, but someone had politely DM’d them to request it—so they gave Chicago the honor on the condition of not telling New York City that Chicago is the first best city (sorry you had to find out this way).

They closed the set with “HAMMS IN A GLASS,” their most streamed track to date, bringing the night to a fever-pitch close. Watching Winona Fighter’s growth—from their early EP days, to opening for Bayside, to Riot Fest, and now a sold-out Chicago headliner—it’s clear this city has embraced them with open arms.

And from the sound of it, they’ll be back.

An Interview with Winona Fighter

After the show, we caught up with Winona Fighter for a quick chat about the night, their journey, and what’s coming next.

Q1: The Yes Chef tour just wrapped, and Chicago was one of the cities that completely sold out. Looking back, were there any moments—on or off stage—that really stuck with you or felt like turning points during the run? 

I think this entire run was a turning point from February to now. Our goal going into it was like “Okay if we could do at least 100 tickets in every city that would be amazing.” and then most cities we sold a majority of the room or sold out completely. That was pretty crazy to us. There was this natural growth along the tour as well.. almost like the more shows we played the more people caught wind of us and just HAD to see it for themselves. 

Q2: You’ve been on the road pretty consistently since the start of the year. With that much time spent performing, how has touring changed the way you connect with the songs from My Apologies to the Chef, especially now that a deluxe version is on the way? 

The songs don’t change too much for me. I think since I have a very heavy hand writing all of them they come from an extremely honest, raw place. A real place. So the meaning stays the same no matter how many times we play them or no matter how different the audiences are! The thing that does shift is the appreciation I have for them. Seeing how folks react to each song every night gives them a new jolt of life and appreciation. 

Q3: The album title My Apologies to the Chef has so much personality. Was there a specific track or creative moment during the process where you felt like you’d really found the core of what you wanted the record to be? 

Hmmm that’s a good question. I mean, deciding to record it in our garage was a catalyst for the overall vibe of the record. It puts this realness into the recordings that you can’t always achieve in a million dollar studio. The garage allowed us to let the personality shine through. The garage and DIY are who we are at our core.

Q4: One thing that stands out at your shows is how connected your fans are—they’re singing every word, showing up in outfits, and clearly feeling the music deeply. Has there been a fan interaction or moment that’s stayed with you in a big way? 

I think we’re just so in awe of the fans in general, every little moment impacts us. We don’t do a VIP package. We will rip the show, take 15 minutes to breath, and then go out to chat and sign things. It’s such a special moment every evening. My favorite thing is getting to meet so many little girls, I’m talking 5 to 10 years old, that are so floored they are meeting us. The reality is, I’m equally floored that we are having that impact on the next generation of badass women.

Q5: With the deluxe release coming soon and the tour now behind you, what’s something you’re excited to dive into next—whether creatively or just personally after such a nonstop year? 

I’m ready to get writing again. It’s something extremely rewarding and peaceful to me but when we have big projects going on like the deluxe and tour, my mind is mush. So I’m excited to get a little rest, rebuild my brain after a crazy year, and start writing some tunes. 

Huge thanks to Winona Fighter for taking the time to chat with us after their show—and for bringing such raw energy and heart to Chicago. We can’t wait to see what’s next.