Observations from Soundset '11

Best Soundset set (pop music category): Not that Big Boi crafts fluffy or meaningless pop music, but his set was all about mass appeal. He threw in all of the biggest OutKast hits, starting with "Rosa Parks" and moving near-chronologically through "Ms. Jackson," "So Fresh, So Clean" and "The Way You Move." He interspersed songs from last year's "Sir Lucious Left Foot" album, which were inflated with accompanying music videos on the big screen that looked like mini-movies. It was a blast, for sure, but ...

Best Soundset set (art category): Face Candy's set on the smaller Fifth Element stage left me emotionally drained and spiritually awakened. Channeling the memory of Mikey "Eyedea" Larsen -- who started the improv group -- timekeepers J.T. Bates and Casey O'Brien kept the momentum moving while lead mouthpieces Carnage and Kristoff Krane freestyled some truly moving lines. Among them: "He was so selfless, and always willing to help kids," "He could conquer anything he put his mind to, and it's amazing how many things he put his mind to." The set culminated with the crowd yelling, "Mikey!!!" as DJ Abilities and Larsen's mom, Kathy, looked on, and a bundle of balloons with verses written on them were released to the sky. If any of that sounds a wee bit corny, then you clearly weren't there.

Most mediocre rapper who will probably be huge: Speaking of Eyedea, Pittsburgh buzz kid Mac Miller had a lot of the same qualities: wiry frame, sharp and shrill voice, rapid delivery and smart-ass sensibility. Miller's music just wasn't anywhere near as smart. He stuck to standard territory, from Nikes to getting high, and had way more adrenaline than wit. Nonetheless, his largely under-23 crowd was certainly into him.

Best newcomer: Equipped with the kind of uber-personal lyrical style that Soundset's resident big-wigs are known for, Seattle rapper Macklemore and his sound guru Ryan Lewis wowed the crowd earlier on the Fifth Element stage. Macklemore's best stuff delved into his own struggles with sobriety, with intoxicating results.

Most welcome new songs: Both P.O.S. and Brother Ali shared tunes that will presumably be on their upcoming albums. P.O.S. did only one during his set with Doomtree, an interestingly slower, bluesier/boozier number that was a cool departure for him. Ali also slowed it down in one of his two new ones -- which was so new that he had to read the lyrics out of his notebook. That didn't lessen its powerful message, a continuation of the togetherness he preached with the "Us" record.

Too many old ones: Atmosphere's set, on the other hand, was surprisingly light on tunes from its latest album. The crowd was clearly happy hearing most of the usual standards. Personally, though, I was curious to hear more of the tracks from "The Family Sign," a challenging record that may or may not stand up better in live circles. Perhaps a rowdy summer fest wasn't the place to try out the darker, deep new material.

Where the ladies at? It's hard to know whether to applaud or question the female-related firsts at Soundset this year. Dessa's performance with Doomtree more or less made her the first woman to play a lead role on the main stage at the fest. She drew the biggest cheers among her crew when she kicked into her masterful opus "Dixon's Girl." This was also the first time the local scene's most pioneering female presence, Desdamona, played her own set at the fest. She commanded the Fifth Element stage with support from Alicia Steele and Carnage. Compared with mainstream hip-hop, Soundset is ahead of the curve. But we have higher standards, don't we?

New lesson on old-school: The oldest act ever to play Soundset, De La Soul sounded deceptively fresh. You wouldn't have known they were a "classic" act if you ignored the members' images on the Jumbotron or were too young to remember hearing "Me, Myself & I" when it came out. Their tribute to J-Dilla in "Much More" sounded especially timeless. Here's hoping more throwback acts are thrown into the mix for future Soundsets.

• Chris Riemenschneider

New deli for Auriga space

Corned beef lovers, rejoice: The former Auriga space (1930 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls.), dark for four years, is about to get a new tenant. Restaurant consultant Tobie Niditz is bringing what he describes as "a new kind of deli" to the space. "We're 99.9 percent sure that it's a go," he said.

Niditz is working with real estate attorney and first-time restaurateur David Weinstein. They met at a cooking class that Niditz was teaching at Kitchen Window, "and out of the blue, he called me," said Niditz. "David was appalled that he couldn't find a deli that he liked, so he's decided to open one himself."

For what Niditz describes as an "intimate deli," the plan is not to mimic the style and substance of classic New York delis, but to borrow elements from Montreal delis, particularly that city's cherished version of pastrami, known as smoked meat.

"We'll also do our own corned beef, chopped liver, matzo ball soup and other classics," said Niditz. A bakery will turn out bagels, bialys, rugelach and cookies. A full bar will feature eight to 10 locally produced beers on tap.

No name, yet, and Niditz said he's aiming for a Labor Day opening. The fast-casual layout "will be more like D'Amico & Sons and the French Meadow, and not like Chipotle," said Niditz. "The neighborhood needs something casual. If you remember, the building used to be home to Becky's Cafeteria. Now, that was casual."

• Rick Nelson

Drag queens going for world record at Epic

How many drag queens does it take to break a world record? Apparently 100 -- at least, that's the number of queens who will perform together at Epic to set a Guinness World Record for most drag performers in a single performance. The event will serve as a retrospective of the past 40 years of drag in the Twin Cities, with names well known in GLBT circles, like the nationally renowned Jackie Beat. Doubling as a benefit for the Aliveness Project, the evening will be rounded out with live music by Erin Schwab, Jay Fuchs, Doug Anderson, former NFL player Esera Tuaolo and DJ Wendy Hunt. More event details.

• Jahna Peloquin

When bowling turns offensive

The award for the most un-PC party of the year goes to Bootleggers. On Friday night, the downtown Minneapolis bar is sponsoring something it's calling "Dwarf Bowling." Bargoers will strap a little person onto a skateboard and roll him into bowling pins. Howard Stern's favorite little person, Beetlejuice, will host the night in a strange "paid to party" gig. Apparently, Snooki was busy.

• Tom Horgen

All-night ping-pong

File this event under: Oh, why the hell not? As part of the Northern Spark Festival, one of the Twin Cities' best known photographers is staging a playful ode to his urban-centric work. Wing Young Huie's "A Ping Pong Retrospective" will feature 1,500 of his photos projected in the parking lot next to the Nomad World Pub. The all-night affair will also feature a dozen ping-pong tables for glow-in-the-dark table-tennis action. A U.S. table-tennis hall of famer will be on hand for demonstrations. More event details.

• Tom Horgen