St. Paul fest to offer hip-hop, rock acts

Planners expand scope of the festival to national acts

By JON BREAM, Star Tribune

Last update: July 21, 2008 - 8:33 PM

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Last year's McNally Smith Minnesota Music Festival presented local performers. This year's second annual fest has a new name and focus.

The McNally Smith River Rocks Music Festival will feature O.A.R., the Roots, Jakob Dylan, Mike Doughty, Ozomatli and Live on Sept. 19-20 at Harriet Island in St. Paul. There will be plenty of local acts as well including the Alarmists, Heiruspecs, Martin Devaney and White Iron Band.

The change to national stars is "to make sure the event has some staying power," said producer/owner Jean Ryan.

O.A.R., the popular jam band that released "All Sides" last week, will headline on Sept. 19, and Live, the 1990s rock mainstays best known for "Lightning Crashes," will close on Sept. 20.

Dylan offered his first solo CD, the acoustic-oriented "Seeing Things," in May while his band, the Wallflowers, is on hiatus. Doughty, a longtime Twin Cities favorite since his days with Soul Coughing, delivered his second solo disc, "Golden Delicious," in February. The Roots, hip-hop's best live band, issued their eighth studio recording, "Rising Down," in April.

River Rocks also will feature a smaller stage in a tent with music provided by students, alumni and faculty from the McNally Smith College of Music. Founded in 1985, the St. Paul school has 80 faculty members and about 500 students. Fifty percent of the net proceeds will benefit the McNally Smith Foundation.

Last year's two-day Minnesota Music Fest drew "less than 5,000" people, Ryan said. The budget for this year's River Rocks has increased threefold from 2007. A two-day ticket will cost $60 at the gate.

There are several discount plans for advance purchases, ranging from $15 to 45. For details, go to http://riverrocks musicfestival.com/tickets.

Jon Bream • 612-673-1719