The most memorable sets of (a shortened) Soundset

After battling 90-degree temperatures all day Sunday, hip-hop fans at the Soundset festival finally got something to block the sun. Unfortunately it was ominous storm clouds that encroached on the Canterbury Park festival grounds and signaled an abrupt end to the concert, before headliner Atmosphere could take the stage. Shortly before 7:30 p.m. Lupe Fiasco's set was interrupted and the crowd (19,000 strong) was informed a tornado watch was in effect and the show would not go on. Fans flocked to the exit, many sprinting, as the rain began to fall. Atmosphere, who have headlined the annual event since its inaugural year in 2008, later performed at the official Soundset after-party at First Avenue. Fans were still treated to a day of diverse performances from some of the hottest names in hip-hop and local luminaries. A recap:

Most likely to have won new fans: Prof

The playfully hubristic rapper's ever-increasing fan base may have expanded even further after his engaging performance. The wily Prof had a sea of heads bouncing with tracks like "Yeah Buddy" off last year's "King Gampo."

Most likely to have been kicked off "Fraggle Rock" for lewd behavior: Danny Brown

It only took a few bars for the frizzy-haired MC to reference drug use and male orgasms (twice), kicking off his set with the squirmy "Die Like a Rockstar." With the visage of a muppet missing a tooth, the Detroit native copped to popping Xanax and delivered his explicit oral-sex sermon "I Will" with his signature nasally voice.

Most contact highs induced: Big K.R.I.T.

The Mississippi trunk knocker's set clearly divided fans into the haves and the have-nots -- i.e., those who had weed and those who didn't. Clouds of smoke rose above the crowd as K.R.I.T. moved murkily through glossy-eyed bass rattlers. The sunny but hard-hitting "Rotation" fittingly emanated midday good vibes, regardless of how baked you were.

Most bravado: Kendrick Lamar

For the 24-year-old to proclaim himself the greatest rapper in the world (though probably only half-seriously) as he did Sunday was a stretch. Still, Lamar's coarse and caustic raps won a heat-fatigued crowd over.

Best crowd control: P.O.S.

Nobody works a room, amphitheater or parking lot quite like Stef Alexander. The inimitable crowd commander had his willful minions hanging on every lyric. Whether talking about barfing from heatstroke or instructing fans to "get fat and move like Rick Ross," the Minneapolis hip-hop maven ruled the stage with goofball charisma.

Most enthusiastic: Astronautalis

The impassioned new Minnesotan seemed to muster balls of aggression from the pit of his stomach, spitting them up with throaty, machine-gun flows. It wasn't clear if the fair-skinned Florida transplant was red-faced from sunburn or intensity, but he never lacked the latter, hollering and gasping through "Dimitri Mendeleev" like a man possessed. "This is the best job ever," said the exhausted MC.

Michael Rietmulder

Another truck-to-restaurant story

World Street Kitchen food truck co-owners (and siblings) Sameh and Saed Wadi have some exciting news. Coming soon, to 28th and Lyndale in south Minneapolis: World Street Kitchen, the restaurant. But this isn't one of those we've-been-dying-to-turn-our-truck-into-a-restaurant stories.

"Actually, we were ready to open a restaurant before we opened the truck," said Sameh Wadi. "We've been working on a bricks-and-mortar place for two years, but when the city opened up the truck licensing, we decided to jump on that first. We've been using it as our test kitchen."

And no, the permanent restaurant -- at 2743 Lyndale Av. S. -- isn't going to replace the truck. The restaurant's kitchen is going to supply its mobile unit. Wadi, the chef behind the exceptional Saffron Restaurant & Lounge, plans to continue the truck's globally eclectic and affordable menu.

"We're definitely going to keep the tacos, the banh mi, the yum-yum rice bowls, the burritos, all those signature dishes," he said. "And we'll be keeping the prices below $12."

Beer and wine will be part of the mix, they hope. The counter-service restaurant will also feature a casual 60- to 70-seat dining room. "It's my idea of the way fast food should be," said Wadi.

Opening date? By year's end.

Rick Nelson

M. Ward's magic tricks

Indie maestro M. Ward maintained a loose, playful spirit throughout last Thursday's freewheeling concert at First Avenue, which was the last stop on his current tour -- as he humorously noted with his parting comments to his bandmates on stage. "You know that black sock that has been laying around on the bus unclaimed for a few weeks now?" said. "I threw it out."

Ward and his crew played around from the get-go. There was more of a loungey vibe in show opener, "Post-War." Multi-instrumentalist Nate Wolcott (of Bright Eyes) then helped inflate "For Beginners" with some added trumpet. Chris Scruggs added pedal-steel and/or fiddle to bring in a swinging cowboy-jazz vibe to "Me and My Shadow" and "Rollercoaster." And on and on it went.

The boogie-woogie reworking of "Magic Trick" was a highlight, as was a freakier-sounding "Chinese Translation," which Ward spiked with his underrated guitar wizardry. Ironically, one of the songs that sounded closest to the original recording was the rollicking version of Buddy Holly's "Rave On" -- closer to the way Holly did it than to the moody spin that Ward put on it for his "Hold Time" album. It would've been too predictable to do it the other way, apparently.

Chris Riemenschneider

Bradstreet adds patio, beer

The upscale cocktail lounge Bradstreet Craftshouse, located inside the Graves 601, will debut a new patio in the coming weeks. The small outdoor oasis will be located between the Graves entrance and the defunct Hard Rock Cafe, with room for 25 to 30 seats. Inside, the bar recently added a half-dozen tap beers with a Minnesota craft-beer focus. Does this mean Bradstreet is pulling back on its cocktail focus? Hardly. The bar made some big hires in recent months with the addition of bartenders Chad Larson (Barrio Lowertown) and Shawn Jones (Amore Victoria).

Tom Horgen

You'll end up in the Pourhouse

The Pourhouse (10 S. 5th St., Mpls. 612-843-2555) will open its Prohibition-themed doors at 3 p.m. Friday. The crew behind this 12,000-square-foot spot (formerly Spin) is headed up by Deepak Nath (the former Envy owner), plus Jay Ettinger and the Maple Tavern's Brent Frederick and Jacob Toledo. It'll be a restaurant by day, serving American bar food. While the look of the place is old-school speakeasy, the walls are plastered with flat-screen TVs for sports fans. Did we mention it's also a music venue?

Tom Horgen

Ali heads to Madison

Brother Ali heads back to his native Madison, Wis., on Friday to join Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello, Jackson Browne and members of the Dropkick Murphys and Rise Against for We Are Wisconsin's Get Out the Vote Rally, a pro-unions effort looking to oust Gov. Scott Walker in Tuesday's recall election. Closer to home, Ali will sneak in a show Thursday night at 7th Street Entry (already sold-out), a test-run for his new live band.