Twin Cities hip-hop giants Atmosphere and P.O.S. will headline opening night of Taste of Minnesota, July 2, on Harriet Island in St. Paul. Their names were kept off the schedule until today's Soundset fest so as not to hinder ticket sales to the earlier event.
This is a pretty major booking for Taste of Minnesota's new owners/operators, who made it a point to turn over the long-held policy of not booking hip-hop. It's also the first locally reared Taste headliner in quite a few years. Plus, it will only be Atmosphere's second show of the year, and it could be one of P.O.S.'s last gigs in the tour cycle for his "Never Better." Some might consider it a risky booking, but based on the turnout to Soundset today -- looks to be even better than last year's, with about 17,000 attendees -- it might actually be Taste's biggest no-brainer this year. Tickets are $20 presale, about what it costs to see Atmosphere or POS by themselves at First Ave. That was the day that was also supposed to feature R&B newcomer Janelle Monae at Taste, but she had to cancel. In a rather hip if awkward , the rest of the lineup on July 2 includes other Current 89.3-buoyed acts (that night's radio sponsor) such as Minus the Bear, Dawes and Justin Townes Earle. Alt-country and indie-rap on the same night... Who's in?
