The word is out, ticket sales are blooming, the weather forecast looks promising, and the opening band is pretty damn warm and sunny, too. Now all that Semisonic needs to ensure the high quality of its rare reunion gig Saturday at the Blast Block Party in Mound is for its singer to get his busy, bad self back home.

"Anyone walking by the door of our space might wonder why a drummer and bass player have donkeys in the rehearsal space with them," John Munson cracked, referring to his and Jacob Slichter's attempts to practice (and sing) this week without Dan Wilson, who of course is on his way. This is the group's first big gig since the frontman permanently moved to Los Angeles, leaving the bassist as the lone Minneapolitan out in the band these days (the drummer long ago relocated to New York).

Those geographic challenges – along with Wilson's anarchic schedule these days – are the main explanation for how the group wound up picking the Blast party for its latest reunion slot, along with the fact that it's a fundraiser for Our Lady of the Lake Catholic School. "What shows we accept is dictated by chance, quite honestly," Munson said. "It requires a break in everyone's schedule occurring at the same point that an offer comes in. It worked out well this year."

Munson said that Wilson's recent projects have been so high-profile since his success co-writing much of Adele's mega-hit album, "I'm pretty sure that I'm not allowed to talk about [them]." He did say that Wilson is not only in demand as a co-writer, but also as a producer. Said Munson, "I will say this: if a thing that I played on makes a certain record for a certain artist, I'll definitely consider it a feather in my cap."

Munson, too, has been busy as the music director of Minnesota Public Radio's popular "Wits" series, where Wilson was a guest last month alongside comic genius Fred Willard (click here for a highlight from the show). The bassist is also gigging regularly with the New Standards, who have a free gig with guests Friday at 6 p.m. for the grand opening of Ice House Plaza, a new sculpture garden at Nicollet Avenue and 26th Street. (Coincidentally, New Standards co-leader Chan Poling is also reuniting with his old band the Suburbs on Saturday at First Ave; quite a busy night.) Munson also, of course, still plays around in one of the Blast party's two opening bands, the Twilight Hours, led by Dan's brother Matt Wilson – also John's and Dan's former bandmate in Trip Shakespeare.

To alleviate the inevitable, loud requests for "Toolmaster from Brainerd" that might mar Saturday's concert, Munson went ahead and polled his Twitter followers to name the Trip Shakespeare song they would most like to hear. He wouldn't say what won, but he hinted that the audience will have to "help us with the highly complex choreography involved."

John Munson, left, and Dan Wilson at the Aquatennial Block Party in 2006, one of Semisonic's few gigs over the past decade. / Jeff Wheeler, Star Tribune

Advance tickets to the Blast Block Party are still available for $25 at a handful of outlets or online here. If not sold out, they will be $35 at the gate. The event will be outdoors on the Our Lady of the Lake grounds overlooking Lake Langdon (near Lake Minnetonka). Click here for directions.