
Grace Potter/ Associated Press photo
Cities 97's playlist may be leaning more and more Top 40 these days (think Pink) but the lineup for the 19th annual Basilica Block Party skews toward some of the adult-rock radio station's core artists, including Grace Potter, Matchbox 20, the Goo Goo Dolls and Matt Nathanson.
Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, who have played the Basilica before and were at Target Field last summer with Kenny Chesney, will headline the main stage on July 12 while Matchbox 20, which sold out Mystic Lake Casino in February, does Basilica headline duties on July 13. (Coincidentally, Chesney is back at Target Field on July 12.)
Once again, the Cities 97 is showing its love for retro soul, by booking Mayer Hawthorne and Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings. And then 97.1 FM also landed a couple of artists– Father John Misty and Cloud Cult-- who are more prominent on 89.3 the Current, Cities' big competitor, than on Cities

.
The Basilica also will present emerging Cities faves Family of the Year, ZZ Ward and Walk the Moon.
The block party's third stage features local bands chosen by Vita.mn. The lineup includes Actual Wolf, the Cactus Blossoms, Southwire, On An On, Van Stee and Bomba de Luz.
The Basilica Block Party is a benefit for the Basilica of St. Mary. In 18 years of block parties, more than $4 million has been raised for the restoration of the Basilica.