A Twin Cities Fourth of July tradition that peaked in popularity in the 1990s, Taste of Minnesota will pull out a couple bands from that era when it returns from a three-year hiatus to Harriet Island in downtown St. Paul this summer.
Soul Asylum will bring a taste of Minnesota music to the festivities on July 3, according to the concert biz website Pollstar, while New Orleans' swampy alt-rockers Cowboy Mouth of "Jenny Says" notoriety are down to perform on July 4. And what would Taste be without a little hair-band music? Tom Keifer of the '80s power-ballad group Cinderella is also listed on the lineup for July 5.
Other names for each day and a headliner for July 6 will be revealed when Taste organizers formally announce their schedule.
While talk of it returning to its original location at the State Capitol did not prove true, Taste of Minnesota will return to a free admission policy for at least part of the day and only a minimal charge at certain times. That's after new owners attemptted to charge $20-$30 for tickets in 2010, which ran the festival into bankruptcy. The Taste brand has since been taken over by a new management team that includes Linda Maddox, widow of Taste's co-founder and longtime driving force Ron Maddox.
