An evening filled with plenty of Atmosphere

Last Tuesday, Feb. 4, Atmosphere brought their “Imagine The Fun Tour” with Sage Francis and Mr. Dibbs to the Pickle Barrel Nightclub. You don’t see many Tuesday night concerts at the Pickle, but what you did see was a sold-out crowd. The place was packed with locals, tourists, and people you haven’t seen at the Pickle in years.

The tour name, a nod to the Atmosphere album, “You Can’t Imagine How Much Fun We’re Having,” released in 2005, aims to capture the essence of early 2000’s nostalgia and a callback to the days when Slug, Sage Francis, and Mr. Dibbs last toured together.

“I’m thrilled to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of ‘You Can’t Imagine How Much Fun We’re Having,’“ Slug said. “I had no idea that we would still be here to enjoy this moment. I’m excited to run around the country with Sage Francis and Mr. Dibbs. This is almost like what it used to be, except we are older and smarter, and we eat healthier. I’m looking forward to seeing them every day and exchanging recipes.”

“The first time I toured with Atmosphere was 25 years ago, which may have been the funnest time of my life,” Francis added. “Eventually, they dropped me off in a field and said, “You’re free now. You know, like, run free! And that was with a lot of the same crew who are being reunited on this 2025 tour, which is something I never expected, and I’m very honored to be considered again. I just hope they don’t drop me off in a field again. But if they do, I will keep running.”

“How many times in life do you really get to come full circle?” Mr. Dibbs said. “In one decade we’re a bunch of think we know it all kids traveling the whole world makin’ a life, makin’ a name, inventing sandwiches, secret languages and having epic after show kung-fu battles. Now, here we are 25 years later, brothers, come full circle and back to how we started.”

Mr Dibbs kicked off the show with an incredible DJ Set. Sage Francis came out next and had the place jumpin’. He sampled some great songs like “Can I Kick It” by Tribe Called Quest and Rage Against the Machine, and ended with one of my favorite songs, “Broken Wings” by Mr Mister. He rapped over it, and then we all sang the chorus. It was incredible.

The crowd was obviously there to see Atmosphere because there wasn’t a spot to be had to watch the show. Talk about commanding the crowd; Slug did that from song one, right to the end. Ant was behind him, mixing and producing the tracks.

The crowd went absolutely wild during the encore, and then Slug brought Sage out to perform a freestyle with him. Before they did that, it was the “Don’t give your phone to a stranger” part of the show. A few people handed Slug their phones as if he was supposed to take a selfie with them, but instead, he was passing their phones out in the crowd to random people. It was hilarious, and it took people a while to get their phones back. 

“Let that be a lesson to you. Good luck, go find your phones.” Slug said. The freestyle they performed was off the chain. Is that what the kids say these days? Regardless, it was awesome. After the song, Slug and Sage hugged. Sage left the stage, and Slug did one more oldie but a goodie before the night was over. Atmosphere debuted close to 30 years ago, older than some of the kids in the crowd. It didn’t matter because, old or young, that entire show was awesome.

Atmosphere has maintained a course of rigorous output for over two decades, releasing over two dozen studio albums, EPs, and collaborative side projects in as many years. In that time, the venerated duo have maintained a legacy of bringing honesty, humility and vulnerability to the forefront of their music, continually challenging themselves to evolve without straying too far from their roots.

Slug has proven masterful at storytelling and writing compelling narratives, leaving a trail of his own influence while paying homage to the rappers and songwriters whohelped shape him. 

Ant has skillfully molded the soundtracks with inspiration from soul, fun k, rock, reggae, and the wizardry of hip-hop’s pioneering DJs and producers, creating his trademark sounds while providing the pulse for songs about life, love, stress, and setbacks

Atmosphere has been a musical shepherd at its essence, and with each subsequent album comes a new journey as they guide generations of listeners through life. They’re from Minneapolis, MN. That last line has to be a nod to Prince, also from Minneapolis, MN.