Photo gallery: Evolution Festival 2025, Day 2 | 09.28.25

Photo of Father John Misty by Karl Beck

It’s embarrassing how long it took yours truly to post this, as Evolution wrapped up almost two months ago. What can I say? These photo heavy multi-artist posts take longer to put together than anything else on the site so it became easy to push it off a day, then another, then another until, well, here we are. As Evolution Fest performer (and guy in the header image right above this text) Father John Misty puts it, I guess time just makes fools of us all. Better late than never, please enjoy photos from this year’s fest courtesy of The Arts STL’s Sevauna Stageman and Karl Beck! [Jason Green]

Singer-songwriter Goldford (Jeffrey to his friends) opened up Sunday on the World Wide Technology main stage. Best known for his streaming hit “Orange Blossoms,” Goldford is currently touring in support of his new EP, Space of the Heart. [JG]

Low Cut Connie brought the chaos to a modest crowd, making it feel like a stadium show. Adam Weiner, the piano man, was a tornado of energy, leaping onto the speakers, dangling over the front row. The female guitarist matched Weiner’s energy, dancing across the stage for the entire set. They played like thousands were watching. “Boozophilia” and “Shake It Little Tina” had everyone jumping. [Sevauna Stageman]

At the same time as Low Cut Connie, the three brothers that make up Hacienda brought their Dan Auerbach-approved “indie psych-blues from San Antonio” to the Nutrl side stage. [JG]

Maggie Rose brought her Southern soul stylings to the World Wide Technology stage, assisted by local heroes the Funky Butt Brass Band on “What Are We Fighting For” and “You Got Today.” A middle-of-set highlight was a cover of the Bonnie Raitt classic “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” and the set closed with the title track to her latest album, 2024’s No One Gets Out Alive. [JG]

Max Clarke, a.k.a. Cut Worms, played a six-song set of his bedroom pop on the Lindwood University stage, including a cover of the La’s classic “There She Goes.” [JG]

The Marcus King Band brought their trademark blend of blues and Southern rock to the World Wide Technology stage, including songs from their brand new album Darling Blue alongside covers of the Charlie Daniels Band’s “Long-Haired Country Boy” and the Allman Brothers classic “Ramblin’ Man.” [JG]

She (Flavia Couri) is a singer-guitarist from Brazil, he (Martin Couri) is a drummer from Denmark, and together they are the “wall of sound punk band” the Courettes, who closed out the Nutrl side stage for Sunday. [JG]

It’s always amazing to see a local artist get a prominent spot on a big festival stage like this, so big props to Evolution for giving St. Louis’ own Pokey LaFarge an hourlong sunset set. Pokey highlighted four tunes from his latest album, last year’s Rhumba Country, plus a cover of Bo Diddley’s “You Can’t Judge a Book by Its Cover.”

Nineties R&B/hip-hop legends TLC led off with “Ain’t 2 Proud 2 Beg,” kicking off a crowd-pleasing set packed with classics: “What About Your Friends,” “Unpretty,” “Creep,” “No Scrubs.” Their time on stage closed with the inspirational ballad “Waterfalls,” though of course the bigger story was when they hopped onstage at Broadway Oyster Bar later that night while local singer Tish Period was singing the same song. [JG]

Inimitable indie crooner Father John Misty opened his set with the epic eight-minute jam “I Guess Time Just Makes Fools of Us All” before cycling through fan favorites like “Mr. Tillman,” “Chateau Lobby #4,” and the TikTok anthem “Real Love Baby” alongside tracks from his latest LP Mahashmashana like the title track and “She Cleans Up.” (The festival closed with Lenny Kravitz, but we didn’t get to photograph that guy so you’ll just have to make due with our 2019 photo gallery.) [JG]