Winona Fighter brings their Yes, Chef Tour to New Jersey 6/5/25

Photography & Review by Amber Bintliff 

Rising punk band Winona Fighter brought their Yes, Chef Tour to Crossroads in Garwood, New Jersey on June 5th. The Nashville-based trio is a powerful force within the scene, proving so especially after the release of their killer debut album, My Apologies To The Chef, earlier this year. With frontwoman and multi-instrumentalist Coco Kinnon, lead guitarist Dan Furson, and bassist/producer Austin Luther, Winona Fighter is a true, dedicated punk band with their rage, frustration, and grit on display for all to see. 

 

 

 

 

 

I have been unapologetically obsessed with Winona Fighter since the release of My Apologies To The Chef. Even after hearing of them for the first time with a listen to “You Look Like A Drunk Phoebe Bridgers” last summer, I’ve been dying to catch a show of theirs. I couldn’t keep vicariously living through video clips reposted to the band’s Instagram story anymore–I needed to see them physically in front of me at a venue. This show at Crossroads was, in short, absolutely crazy. The second they burst onto that tiny stage, they owned it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The band expressed that despite already being scheduled for a massive U.S. tour, they felt the need to add more dates to include New Jersey to show their love for the state (and its hot dogs). Kinnon joked that the whole purpose of the show was so she could enjoy a hot dog far too close to their set time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They played every single song from My Apologies To The Chef and blew me away as the set powered on. Kinnon absolutely commanded the room with each song. Her stage presence and energy are admirable and immeasurable. The band as a whole has an intensely mesmerizing aura that demands your full attention at all times. At one point, I looked away for two seconds and Luther was balancing and parading his bass around in the air.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“ATTENTION,” “Swear To God That I’m (FINE),” and “Wlbrn St Tvrn” were just a few of the standout songs from the set. The raw energy up on that stage is something I will never be able to forget. It’s rare to see a band filled with the pure fire and passion that Winona Fighter displays, both through their recorded music and live performances.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As the night went on, Kinnon jokingly motivated the crowd to start moving around, stating, “Don’t make me feel like this hot dog was for nothing!” They even got someone who was deemed as “guy having a good time” (later identified as Matt) to open up a mosh pit and get things going. The crowd was one of the best parts of the show. Getting to watch people scream the lyrics of every song back at Kinnon, headbang, mosh, and go wild was so fun to see. It was the exact type of energy a punk show needs to survive and thrive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By the time their set was over, I was already craving more. While I don’t know when I’ll see the band next (yet), I left Crossroads sure of exactly one thing–those Instagram stories could never beat the real thing. Winona Fighter is a powerful act that delivered one of the energetic performances filled with burning passion and delight that I haven’t seen from a newer band of this nature in a long time. The Winona Fighter takeover is rapidly approaching–first up are these small bar venues, next is the world.