Kiking off the second leg of the “Pour Me Another Tour,” Minneapolis-based rap group Atmosphere celebrated the release of their new album “You Can’t Imagine How Much Fun We’re Having,” at the Pabst Theater for a UWM Post and Atomic Records sponsored show on Oct. 4.

Recently pared down to founding member Slug and DJ/producer, Ant., the duo’s message has stayed consistent and live performances have become a force in the hip-hop community.

With a newly formed band backing Slug, Atmosphere’s music takes on a new dimension, with live musicians giving a fresh ear to the classics. The live instruments also provided a more visually appealing performance. The interaction between the band and audience raised the energy level in the beautiful surroundings of the Pabst.

Although slated as a hip-hop show, the crowd was distinctly that of a rock concert, and the band reflected this. Playing a funky mix of jazz and rock with an electric keyboard offsetting the guitarist’s hard-rock elements, the drums and bass filled out the band, along with Ant, who came out and laid down some scratches during a couple songs.

Most notable was Slug’s backup vocalist behind a bar, pouring drinks and backing Slug’s rhymes. Keeping in the theme of the tour, he gave the show a house-party vibe that the band played into. The show recalled the original old-school hip-hop band, Stetsasonic, with an underground hip-hop sensibility in the vein of The Roots.

The most intriguing aspect of Atmosphere’s was the group dynamic set up with the live band. Atmosphere has utilized a live band since their inception. But now, with the emcees down to only Slug, he took on the persona of a rock frontman.

Playing new material from “You Can’t Imagine” gave Slug a chance to be the only voice in the room. After the great success of “God Loves Ugly” and “Seven’s Travels,” their major-label debut, the crowd knew every lyric to the old songs.

The Pabst Theater’s gorgeous acoustics kept the performance from becoming your typical hip-hop muddle and the gorgeous surroundings enhanced the effedt.

This was particularly evident during the DJ interlude when Ant took over on the turntables and the band took a break. Mixing between his own beats and classic reggae and hip-hop tracks like GZA’s “Liquid Swords,” Atmosphere proved they don’t need a band to be interesting and engaging — this was the strongest part of the show.

Opening acts Blueprint and P.O.S. got the crowd going early. P.O.S.’s call-and-response during “Breathe” was surprisingly effective, and his set flowed a bit better than Blueprint’s.

Blueprint, a former member of Atmosphere, got the crowd’s attention with an interesting take on Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean.” After he realized the crowd was looking for something a bit lighter, his set was more fun.

DJ Rare Groove kept the energy level high between sets by playing some of the greatest hip-hop and funk tracks of all-time. On-point all evening, he played whatever was perfect for the situation.

His most poignant selection of the night came after Atmosphere’s set. He told everyone the show was over by playing Pharaohe Monch’s “Simon Says.” The opening line of the song said it all: “Get the fuck up / Simon says get the fuck up!”

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