It was my third outdoor musical festival in a row this summer with great weather. It was also my first time going through security at an outdoor festival, which was as slow as you think it would be with all the prohibitive items preventing people from entering. I read the list before and showed up with the essentials: keys, wallet and smart phone. One lady in front of me didn’t and I wondered what would happen once she reached security with her backpack. (From what I could see, those who brought anything larger than a clutch had their items rifled by security and dumped into a clear plastic bag.)

This year Taste of Minnesota is highlighting MN music and Bad Bad Hats kicked off the two-day celebration. And since the festival centered around food, lead singer Kerry Alexander said they were the hors d’oeuvres of the evening.

Bad Bad Hats have been playing together since 2012 when Alexander formed it with Chris Hoge while attending Macalester College. We last caught them all the way back in June, 2015, opening for the Mynabirds at 7th Street Entry.

“Nothing better than an outdoor show in Minnesota,” said Alexander, adding that they were contractually obligated to play the hits like “Psychic Reader,” “Walkman” and “Detroit Basketball.” She also dedicated a song to all the Joe’s out there, aptly named “Joseph.” She then said everyone should check out their video “Bored in the Summer” for it fulfilled a dream of hers to rent a velcro wall.

Bad Bad Hats at Taste of Minnesota (July 3, 2026)

Next up was local legends Dillinger Four aka D4. To say they took things in a different musical direction would be an understatement. Whereas Bad Bad Hats were all pop, frivolity and fun, D4 was pure, unadulterated punk. Whereas Alexander had NANCY DREW stenciled on her guitar, Patrick Costello had TC MF stickered to his bass.

Surprisingly, D4 took the stage to Boston’s “More Than a Feeling.” Costello asked the crowd if they would be mad “… if we just spent the whole time listening to Boston?” Adding that it wouldn’t be the first time he was drunk in downtown Minneapolis listening to Boston.

Costello was joined on stage by Erik Funk and Bill Morrisette on guitar and Lane Pederson on drums. They have been together since 1994 and have never officially retired, even though they only have four studio albums, the last Civil War released in 2008. They also rarely tour, considering they have day jobs. (Funk co-founded the legendary Triple Rock Social Club in 1998-2017). Still, they released a new single in April of this year, “Don’t Happy Be Worry,” which they played along with “Let Them Eat Thomas Paine” and “¡¡NOBLE STABBINGS!!”

Throughout the set they kept asking why they were there. When asked to play at Taste of MN, their response was a question: “Have you heard our band?”

Asking a punk band to play a full hour is a stretch, so they filled in the gaps by sampling the food (on stage) from the nearby vendors, Costello saying that you were an a-hole if you didn’t fall in love with the pierogies at POLJAM.

And after they cleaned up the chili spills and wiped their fingers, they sent the crowd into a moshing frenzy with “Doublewhiskeycokenoice,” “O.K. F.M. D.O.A.” and “The Great American Going Out of Business Sale.”

Dillinger Four at Taste of Minnesota (July 3, 2026)

The sonic stylings took another turn as the synth electronica music of Poliça took the stage.

Poliça has been around since 2012 when lead singer Channy Leaneagh teamed up with producer Ryan Olson to create an interesting marriage of 80’s Eastern European club music with Leaneagh’s soaring and haunting voice, a voice that came from a folk narrative with her former band Roma di Luna.

Olson and Leaneagh were joined on stage by Ben Ivascu and Drew Christopherson on drums and Isaac Levy on bass. We last caught Poliça in February, 2025 at First Ave for the Bangers-Only Ball, a gala to kick off the Minnesota Loons season, Brody declaring that they are one of the Top 5 local bands in the past 15 years.

They definitely have a unique, ethereal style that is wholly their own with the songs they played like “Amongster” and “Sticks and Stones.”

There wasn’t much chit chat like the two previous bands. Leaneagh gave a shoutout to D4, saying that her son backstage was shocked by all their swearing, which showed how square of a parent she was. She also later said that Farview Park is the best park in the city. “You can debate me after the show.” But mostly it was great music that eased everyone into the evening with beautiful songs like “Dark Star” and “Wandering Star.”