While organizers nearly doubled their talent budget this year to land bigger-name headliners, they mostly stuck with the white-guy classic-rock mold (interpret "mold" either way), including Sunday's headliner, Bret Michaels.
The food -- despite talk of returning to the days when Taste hosted well-known local restaurants -- is more in line with county-fair fare, including corn dogs, mini-doughnuts and turkey legs, with very little available under $5. Among the 10 new vendors are a watermelon stand, a sub shop, a calzone-on-a-stick place and one selling drinks flavored like Jolly Rancher candies.
The uncanny mish-mash of merchandise booths includes Rosie B's Yarn Marionettes, Lena's Palm & Card Reading and -- for those looking for pewter dragon or Viking figurines (Mom?) -- Fantasy World.
And despite talk about lowering prices, beers are still between $5 and $8, once you count the $3 charge for an alcohol wristband. Organizers are expecting between 35,000 and 50,000 people each day.
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New owners, new challenges
"There were a lot of things we wanted to accomplish but ran out of time," said new Taste co-owner Andy Faris, standing next to his golf cart not far from the 1-800-BASEMENT trailer.
To complicate things further for Faris and his partners, the economy's downturn forced several sponsors, including a casino that was a major backer, to pull out of Taste this year.
"It might not be the best year to be trying this," Faris said, "but then again it might be. People need cheap entertainment more than ever. We're certainly cheaper than a concert at the Xcel Energy Center."