Taylor Brennan
Last updated on February 18th, 2022 at 09:57 pm
With rumblings of PROF Outdoors coming to an end after this year’s show, could we really expect anything else than this being the most impressive one yet? The annual party, which has come to be known as “The Biggest Show In The History of PROF” has always lived up to its name, but this year’s show went above and beyond.
Kicking things off at 4:00 PM was Go 95.3 DJ Jimmy2Times, who performed an absolutely stellar DJ set that got everyone in the party mood straight out of the gate.
Next up was David Aaron Gaines, better known by his stage name: GainesFM. Born and raised in Spokane, Washington, he has shared the stage with Logic, Asher Roth and Redman. GainesFM possesses a style that you can’t help but get pumped up listening to, and he certainly lived up to the “get hype” style one can expect from any performers at PROF Outdoors.
Taking over the stage after GainsFM was North Minneapolis-native Mac Irv, to whom the crowd reacted very well. Mac is most well known for his inspirational & storytelling lyrics. Using his platform to raise awareness about police brutality, as well as the trials and tribulations that go along with chasing your dreams and dealing with failed expectations, he has a song to which almost everyone in attendance could relate. With an absolutely stacked lineup, Mac showcased one of the best performances of the evening.
Next up was someone who Prof fans are extremely familiar with, Cashinova. The St. Paul-native has accompanied Prof on multiple tours and has been a staple at his local shows over the years, including this year’s Soundset Festival and his X-Games kickoff party in July.
Cashinova does a lot of things well, but one thing he really excels at is turning every venue he steps foot into an absolute party. One thing I remember from the marketing cycle surrounding Prof’s Pookie Baby release was Prof’s description of Cashinova as “someone who is just dripping with swag.” The way Cashinova carries himself on stage and the way he interacts with fans during & in-between songs is just cool. That sums up his performance on Saturday as well.
Next up were a couple of performers that, personally, I wasn’t a huge fan of. Those performers were Montana of 300 & Lil B. I’m not going to knock their individual styles or performances, as there were thousands of people in attendance who thoroughly enjoyed their sets, and I’ll admit there were points in their set that I enjoyed as well, but they simply were not for me. Instead, I spent some time walking around the grounds, checking out the merch booths, and interacting with some friends that were also in attendance.
Around 8:30 PM I made my way back into the crowd, as it was finally time for the King of Powderhorn, Prof, to take the stage. The “theme” of this year’s PROF Outdoors was “outer space,” so it only makes sense that he emphatically ran out on stage to his 2010 track “Rocket Man.”
What followed was, without a doubt, the most impressive show in the history of PROF Outdoors. The stage design made me think I was taking off to another planet with Prof and Willie Wonka. I think the crowd was feeling the same way.
Prof talked, sang and rapped about his sex life and played “Sex in the Nineties,” “Motel,” “Need Your Love,” and “Send Nudes.” He had three wardrobe changes throughout his performance and got particularly personal with his song called “Myself.” He told the story behind the song, confessing the track is about his dad, who is bipolar and burned the house down.
To begin the encore, Prof performed the Pookie Baby classic “Minneapolis,” which was the first time he had ever performed that song in front of a live audience. Continuing the madness of PROF Outdoors, he brought Cashinova back up on stage for their song “No,” and, after that, proceeded to invited literally everyone that was backstage up on stage with him for fiery performances of “Andre The Giant” and “Apeshit.”
In what may have been the final PROF Outdoors, or at least the last incarnation of what we’ve come to know as PROF Outdoors over the last five years, I couldn’t think of any better way to send off a concert I’ve grown to love. Thank you, Prof, for all the hard work over the years. Music In Minnesota appreciates all the work you and the rest of the Stophouse team put into this show year after year, and we wish you well on whatever the next journey is.
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