Lakes Jam – Brainerd MN – June 25th & 26th 2025

Lakes Jam 2025: Rain or shine, the music doesn’t miss a beat.

Review and photos by Niki Paton

Mall Rats and MntallicA

Lakes Jam Festival 2025 opened Wednesday night, June 25th with the National Anthem on electric guitar, followed by two local Minnesota based bands, Mall Rats and MntallicA.

Mall Rats warmed up the audience, who had endured a bit of a downpour earlier in the evening, for the headliner MntallicA. MntallicA took the stage and rocked Lake Jam’s festival goers, late into the night. When MntallicA’s set came to an end, the crowd erupted with cheers for an encore. MntallicA  gave them one more song that wasn’t on the set list, something in true Metallica metal style, powerful, loud and heavy, to close the evening with, “Battery”, from the 1986, Metallica album Master of Puppets.

The Hybrid Theory – Linkin Park Tribute

Lakes Jam festival goers came out on Thursday, for another night of metal music with local Minnesota based band, The Hybrid Theory – Lincoln Park Tribute. The Hybrid Theory brought the musical spirit of the late Linkin Park lead vocalist Chester Bennington to Lakes Jam’s enthusiastic audience and kept them bouncing and engaged during the whole set.

Drowning Pool

Even the weather—52°F and pouring rain—couldn’t drown out the screams from the unshakable metal fans at Lakes Jam 2025. Braving relentless wind and rain, the crowd stood strong as Drowning Pool delivered an electrifying, high-energy performance that easily overpowered Mother Nature’s best efforts to shut things down.

The band was a force of its own, hitting the stage with raw intensity and keeping the audience fully engaged, storm or not. In the end, the rain didn’t drive fans away—it only made them wilder. Drowning Pool was a hit in the downpour, letting the bodies enjoy the music in true metal fashion.

Everclear

Following Drowning Pool, Everclear took the stage and kept the momentum alive at Lakes Jam 2025, delivering a solid set as the rain continued to fall. Frontman Art Alexakis thanked both the bands before them and the dedicated crowd, giving a heartfelt shoutout to the fans who stuck it out through the cold and wet weather.

Everclear’s mix of nostalgia and rock energy was well-received, offering a perfect bridge in the night’s lineup. As their set came to a close, they graciously handed the reins over to Daughtry, setting the stage for a powerful finish to a rain-soaked but unforgettable night.

Daughtry

Headliner Daughtry proved to be the undeniable star of the night at Lakes Jam 2025. Taking the stage just after 10 p.m. in a black hoodie and amid a steady downpour, he was met by a sea of rain-poncho-clad fans who had braved the weather for this moment. Backed by a full band—drums, guitar, bass, keyboard—Daughtry’s powerful vocals cut through the storm, electrifying the already high-energy crowd.

After a few songs, he ditched the hoodie for a sleeveless tank, and the playful banter with the crowd began. As he introduced his hit Superman, a group of female fans shouted, “Take your shirt off!” prompting laughs and loud cheers from the audience.

“I’m trying to play meaningful songs here, and you just want me for my body…” Daughtry quipped, smirking.

The laughter didn’t stop there. As he strummed the opening chords of Superman, he paused again and admitted, “I keep thinking, like, waiting for Superman to take his shirt off…”

The crowd erupted, feeding off his charm and wit. While he didn’t give in to the requests, the moment created a memorable connection between artist and audience. Daughtry powered through the song with acoustic guitar in hand, delivering an emotional performance that had the crowd singing along—soaked, cold, but completely present.

It was a perfect close to a night that defied the weather, with music, humor, and heart taking center stage.

It was my first Lakes Jam, and it will not be my last! I highly recommend attending one in the future to anyone who hasn’t experienced it and be prepared for all sorts of weather. Overall, the few days I spent at Lakes Jam 2025 were filled with enjoyable music, memorable rainy weather and a very engaging crowd of highly enthusiastic music fans.