Sorry, Taste of Minnesota, but this summer's inaugural River's Edge Music Festival will be the most ambitious music festival on St. Paul's Harriet Island since Riverfest's six-year run ended in 1990.

Not only will Live Nation spend nearly $2 million on production for the four-stage event June 23-24 but almost as much on talent. Dave Matthews Band and Tool command big paychecks, especially when the latter is bringing its full-on production with a giant video wall for what Live Nation says is its only U.S. concert this year.

Live Nation has signed a minimum five-year deal with the city of St. Paul to produce River's Edge. Next year will feature a three-day rock event (with an electronica component) and a country festival on the following weekend.

Because it took considerable time to get River's Edge greenlighted from St. Paul, promoters got a late start (in December) booking bands, said Live Nation booker Tommy Ginoza. He inquired about a wide range of names, including Prince and Jay-Z.

Ginoza said his mantra was booking "great live performers" regardless of genre. Hence, he ended up with club favorites like Mutemath, Kinky and Scissor Sisters that he knows can deliver live.

Other performers on the bill include the Flaming Lips, Puscifer, Coheed and Cambria, Diplo, Brand New, Delta Spirit, Mexican Institute of Sound, Gardens & Villa, Kids These Days, K-flay, An Horse, Yuna and Civil Twilight, and Minnesota bands Poliça, Motion City Soundtrack, Quietdrive and the Rope.

In keeping with Live Nation's approach of so-called dynamic ticket pricing (changing prices based on supply and demand), two-day tickets will cost $99 for the first week and then $110 the next week, with two more price increases to come. If tickets are still available, single-day tickets will go on sale for about $75 this spring.

Other Live Nation measures include:

As part of Live Nation's agreement with St. Paul, it will help underwrite July 4th fireworks on Harriet Island for at least five years.

The second annual SoundTown Music and Camping Festival is growing up. The festival returns to Somerset, Wis., July 27-28. Headliners include Jane's Addiction (fresh off the botched opening night at the Brick), Weezer and Florence + the Machine. Other highlights include dance-sampler Girl Talk, rapper Common and neo-soul man Mayer Hawthorne, alongside indie-rock favorites Best Coast, Andrew Bird, Gomez and Dr. Dog. Among the local acts: Pert Near Sandstone, the 4ontheFloor, Joey Ryan & the Inks and MaLLy. Vita.mn is offering discounted pre-sale tickets when you use the code VITAMNSOUND through April 27 at www.soundtownfest.com/tickets.

The Brick nightclub announced plans Tuesday to move ahead with renovations -- and to move more of its sold-out concerts to new venues. The three-story venue will lower its ticket-sale capacity, add risers to improve sightlines and install 25 new TV monitors. It has already raised its stage a foot and started work on doubling the front entrance to four doors. Until all the improvements can be finished over the next two months, though, the club's operators are seeking new homes for many of their biggest shows. They already moved Friday's sold-out gig with Fun. to Myth in Maplewood. Other Brick concerts that will be moved include:

All original tickets will be honored at the new locations.

"We can see why so many Swedish people came [to Minnesota], because we feel very at home here," Johanna said early in the show.

Backed only by a drummer, the sisters kept their songs stripped to acoustic guitar and keyboards, and their shimmering harmonies were front and center. People audibly sighed in contentment mid-set when they got to their ode to classic country couples, "Emmylou." Best of all was "Ghost Town," for which the duo truly unplugged and stood at the edge of the stage, the only sound being the crowd singing along to the chorus.

As if the news of Surly Brewing finally getting its own cart at Target Field weren't enough to get beer-loving Twins fans pumped up on Opening Day -- perhaps the only thing to get excited about this particular Opening Day -- then came word that Surly has concocted its own special brand just for the ballpark.

Just in time for Monday's game, Surly unveiled Bandwagon, a West Coast-style IPA that was added to its lineup as a pinch hitter for Furious, the company's flagship beer. Here's how the Surly makers describe Bandwagon: "This IPA is brewed with pale and crystal malts, centennial and chinook hops, and fermented with English ale yeast. Bandwagon is pale gold in color and has flavors of caramelly biscuits slathered in pineapple-orange marmalade."

Furious will not be available at the games, supposedly because of the continued global shortage of hops. However, many of Surly's other brands will be in rotation in the cart's other taps, including Cynic, Bender, Coffee Bender, Bitter Brewer and Hell.

Young Man, a project started by 23-year-old St. Paul native Colin Caulfield (now based in Chicago), is getting national attention. On Tuesday, Rolling Stone featured the video for Young Man's new single "Fate" on its website's "New and Hot" section. The song, produced by Tortoise's John McEntire, combines Caulfield's distinctive chalky, high-pitched voice with a twangy mix of shrill guitar riffs. Think Panda Bear's lofty atmosphere with a dose of Fleet Foxes' folky grandeur. The single comes off Young Man's upcoming album "Vol. 1," which will be released May 22 on Frenchkiss Records.