Review & photo gallery: Hinterland, Day 1 feat. Tyler, the Creator, Clairo, Remi Wolf, & more | 08.01.25, St. Charles, IA

Photo of Tyler, the Creator by Michael O’Connor

Mentioned throughout the weekend as a “current day Woodstock,” Hinterland 2025 was a truly breathtaking amalgamation of indie, country, and expressive musical genres, jam-packed into three life-altering days. A redemption arc this year like no other, this year’s festival had everything you could ask for: a massive, technically stunning stage, multiple merch tents, rows and rows of food vendors and sleek water refill machines, hundreds of workers making sure everything went smoothly and so much more. (Zyn and Whiteclaw trucks as well – because of course.)

Punk rock artist Scowl was the first band taking the stage to kick off the weekend. Even while singer Kat Moss did a few mic check vocal warmups, it was clear that Hinterland wasn’t easing into the weekend, but diving right into the high-energy action. Their blistering, beautiful set was packed with heavy screams and bass intensity, drawing in an unexpectedly massive crowd for the very first artist. Mosh pits erupted within minutes, and tracks like “Opening Night” and “Bloodhound” turned the field into a frenzy. Scowl was the perfect artist to open the weekend, exploding the bar for the artists to come.

INJI followed with an electronic, pulse-pounding set that felt like a neon-lit club transplanted into the Iowa countryside. Her favorite track of mine “U WONT” had the crowd jumping in sync, each beat landing like a heartbeat spread across thousands. There were a few artists this weekend that resonated pure joy, and INJI lead singer İnci Gürün was one of them. Her hype was real and most definitely well deserved, I couldn’t be happier for her band.  

Good Neighbors went on after INJI and then it was time for an artist that took me by surprise, Rebecca Black. Turning out to be one of my favorites the entire weekend, her set was extremely polished and energetic. She played songs like “American Doll” and Katy Perry’s “Ur So Gay,” incorporating choreography backed up by two other dancers. My only issue with Rebecca’s performance was how short it was. Her set was so good, it even motivated me to look into her future tour dates afterwards.

After Royel Otis was Remi Wolf, and her stage presence was unparalleled by anyone else during day one. Before her first track, she had the crowd loosen up through silly banter and vocal warmups. Wolf’s voice soared during popular track “Cinderella” and stunned fans during a soulful cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams.” It was chaotic, colorful, and a captivating performance from the Palo Alto, Californian native.  

Claire Cottrill (a.k.a. Clairo) was the last performer before the headlining set. Her voice is rich, soulful, and intimate, floating over a symphony of instruments on stage. Guitars, keyboards, a clarinet, flute, and drums: she had everything. Clairo played her track “Sofia” and the audience sang every word with such passion, it felt like a collective, intimate moment for all of us. Some artists seem to operate on a different frequency than everyone else, and Clairo was most definitely one of them. One of my favorite performances all weekend, I can’t stress enough how special her set felt to see live.

Headlining day one was the generational icon Tyler, the Creator, ending with a spectacle that defies description. An assortment of fireworks, pyrotechnics, and seamless, comedic transitions genuinely turned his set into an experience transcending cinema and art. He pulled across all ends of his discography, from “Sugar on My Tongue” from his new album DON’T TAP THE GLASS and “Are We Still Friends” from 2019’s IGOR to classics like “See You Again” from 2017’s Flower Boy. His charisma was unmatched by any artist I have seen to date, and although he’s been touring since February, he put on a performance that ended night one with everyone in shock and awe. I couldn’t have been more impressed.

Day one of Hinterland was an absolute masterclass in emotional range, the primal screams of Scowl, ethereal calm of Clairo, and explosive artistry of Tyler, the Creator. If this was just the beginning, the rest of the weekend was destined to be etched into memory forever. | Michael O’Connor

Stay tuned for reviews and photos from days 2 and 3 of Hinterland, coming soon!