You can expect to hear "Shhh" on stage a lot in February. While other hip-hop acts are afraid to play the Upper Midwest in winter, Atmosphere is filling the void in its home state with the just-announced "Welcome to Minnesota Tour." The five-city outing will take place mostly on college campuses outside the Twin Cities, starting at the MNSU Ballroom in Mankato on Feb. 22, followed by: The Sanford Center in Bemidji on Feb. 23, the SCSU Atwood Ballroom in St. Cloud on Feb. 24, the Mayo Civic Center on Feb. 25 and UMD's Romano Gym on Feb. 26. Prof, Los Nativos, DJ Abilities and Gene Poole are slated to open the shows. Tickets go on sale Friday morning for every show except Duluth, which won't be available until Jan. 31. Click here for ticket info.

These will be Slug's first shows back following surgery to the bum knee that hobbled him a bit at their First Ave shows in November, which is why Atmosphere had to drop out of the Current's sold-out sixth anniversary bash next weekend (so Brother Ali stepped in).

Speaking of those First Ave shows, anyone complaining that this upcoming tour doesn't include a Twin Cities date ... say, "Shhh!"