Two big concert announcements this morning:

1) Nick Cave will finally play Minneapolis again with his mighty band the Bad Seeds. After skipping us this year on tour behind his rather harrowing album "Push the Sky Away," Australia's dark-lord rock god booked a June 21 date at the State Theatre. Tickets are expected to go on sale Nov. 22 through Ticketmaster and the theater's box office at prices to be announced. A pre-sale option is available via the band's website.

The State was also the site of Cave's last local performance with the Bad Seeds in 2002 (although he has been here with his nastier-sounding Grinderman in that time). He no longer tours with longtime guitarist Mick Harvey, but violinist/guitarist Warren Ellis of the Dirty Three (and Grinderman) has stepped up as a primary force in the band. Here's my review of the Bad Seeds gig at South by Southwest in March.

Cave's concert could set up quite a conflict for 89.3 the Current-attune music hipsters: June 21 is also the likely date of Rock the Garden.

2) Atmosphere will brave wintery Minnesota highways once again for the fourth annual Welcome to Minnesota Tour. After moving it up to March last year, the local hip-hop kingpins opted to keep it more in the dead of winter and will kick it off Feb. 12 in Mankato. The tour will cross the state border for the first time ever with a Feb. 15 date in Fargo (close enough to be an honorary Minnesota city in this case) before a Feb. 17 finale at First Ave. Rhymesayers vet Toki Wright will open all the shows with new collaborator Big Cats!, as will the newest act on the Rhymesayers roster, St. Paul wiz-kid Dem Atlas, plus DJ Jimmy 2 Times and No Bird Sing, who just released their new album "Definition Sickness" via Sage Francis' label. Here's the full itinerary:

Feb. 12: Mankato, Verizon Wireless Center

Nick Cave performed a SXSW gig in March with the Bad Seeds at Stubb's in Austin, Texas, but never made it to Minnesota on his first U.S. go-around. / Photo by Cave superfan Tony Nelson

Feb. 13: Duluth, Clyde Iron Works

Feb. 14: Rochester, Mayo Civic Center Auditorium

Feb. 15: Fargo, the Venue at The Hub

Feb. 17: Minneapolis, First Avenue

Tickets goon sale Friday at 11 a.m. through Ticketmaster and the venues' individual outlets. Fifth Element record store in Uptown will have tickets available in-person for the Duluth and Minneapolis dates. Atmosphere will be touting the 10th anniversary reissue edition of its "Se7en's Travels" album and might preview a track or two from a new album expected next year.