Hoobastank – Riverside Concert SSeries – Rochester MN – August 10th 2025
Hoobastank with John Forrest and the Model Citizens – Riverside Concert Series – Rochester, MN – August 10th, 2025
Review and phots by Kate Klaus
The 2025 Riverside Music Series culminated in a buzz-worthy finale on Sunday, August 10, when Hoobastank took the stage along with Minnesota openers John Forrest and the Model Citizens at Mayo Park, bringing an alt-rock energy to close out the free, five-week concert series presented by Rochester Public Music and sponsored by Think Bank. Drawing a fitting end to a summer packed with eclectic acts—Blind Melon, Caylee Hammack, The Wailin’ Jennys, and Tone Loc—the finale embodied the spirit of community and celebration the series has come to symbolize.
John Forrest and the Model Citizens started off the night with an energetic indie rock performance. Lead by Forrest Ward, their music blended authentic emotion and storytelling lyrics with an upbeat vibe, and their energy in performing for the packed park was visible and contagious, getting the crowd fired up for the evening of great music.
Hoobastank then took the stage for the finale of the series under a gorgeous summer evening sky. The crowd was already fired up for the highly anticipated show, but frontman Doug Robb started the night on fire, challenging the crowd to their feet and bringing them closer and getting them dancing. It’s evident that they’re a band that really just enjoys being on stage and performing together, and also that easily connect with the fans and showed true appreciation for the experience of getting to perform for this series. Lead guitarist Dan Estrin playfully riled up the crowd with energetic riffs and a fun show of his mischievous personality on stage. Bassist Jesse Charland and drummer Chris Hesse were tightly in sync and brought a loud energy with the drums and deep tones blasting through the park. It was a beautiful night of connection, with heartfelt conversation with the crowd from Robb and a fun story about his local connections to Rochester. As the night closed, and he asked for the lights to be turned down so that the crowd could illuminate the park with their phone lights and the fun light sticks handed out by sponsor Think Bank, the emotion was high. The night ended with a beautiful moving light-lit and crowd sing along for “The Reason” followed by the high energy finale of “Crawling in the Dark” leaving the fans energized and ending this amazing concert series on a high note. Not only was it free, family-friendly, and full of wonderful music and community, the final park concert was a classic Rochester summer moment to remember.
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