My last trip to catch Atmosphere at the House of Blues some five years back marked the last time I would see the enigmatic wordsmith Eyedea perform before his untimely death. Following inspired sets from both acts, commuting attendees were forced to depart the eastbound Orange Line at 12th & Imperial due to what the conductor described as “excess blood” on the trolley floor.

Things seemed destined for bloodshed once again on Thursday night [September 4] after two fights and several near fights at a sweaty, sold-out House of Blues. A chaotic scene arose in the 20-minute gap between opener and headliner with patrons shoved, drinks spilled, elbows thrown, hair pulled, unchecked aggression, and general confusion. At least three people were kicked out before Slug and co. took the stage.

Atmosphere has often introduced the world to young Twin Cities talent on the road, and the North of Hell Tour is no exception. The 21-year-old St. Paul resident deM atlaS began the night unknown to most in the crowd and ended it with a couple hundred people singing along to the infectious chorus of “All We Got,” one of the best rap songs of 2014. DeM’s blending of styles old and new and elastic, tongue-twisting delivery has drawn comparisons to ’90s West Coasters, such as Freestyle Fellowship and the Pharcyde. The Atmosphere co-sign that helped launch the careers of Eyedea, Sage Francis, P.O.S. and Brother Ali looks well spent on deM AtlaS, who brims with a charisma and energy on stage well beyond his years.

“I hope you’re wearing adult diapers...cuz we’re all about to shit ourselves,” Minneapolis-based Prof warned the audience before performing one of his bouncy, uptempo tracks.

He got the crowd involved throughout his set and kept things light for the most part, save for “Myself,” a moving song detailing the time his bipolar father burned down the family home when Prof was 15.

Colossal scratches emanating from the dueling turntables of Ant and DJ Plain Ole Bill rattled the speakers as Slug emerged to open with the abstract parable of “January on Lake Street.” While showcasing songs from the recently released Southsiders, Atmosphere also dug deep into the catalog, playing fan favorites from God Loves Ugly and Lucy Ford.

The punk-rock chick that had been (unwelcomingly) groping me after Prof’s set was later seen spastically fighting another young woman in the center of the crowd, brutal hair pulling and all. Another classy lady directly in front of me began grinding on two of her friends during the performance of “That Night,” a song about the tragic rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl that occurred after an Atmosphere show a decade ago in Albuquerque.

Before performing “God’s Bathroom Floor,” Slug quipped that the 1995 song may be older than half of the crowd. Earlier in the night, while Prof half-jokingly flirted with a blonde teenager in the crowd, he asked her age. “Don’t worry about it,” was her reply. Ah, the joys of an all ages rap show.

Ant, who used to loathe touring, looked to be having more fun than anyone in the building, doing a slow motion airplane dance arms askew and at one point attempting to trust fall into Plain Ole Bill while he scratched. The duo held it down on the wheels of steel and complemented familiar Atmosphere beats with deft, inventive techniques.

It feels odd to call Atmosphere an indie act at this point in their career, given how huge their following has become, but everything they have they built from the underground while ignoring the lucrative siren calls of major labels. The cheers, cries, and sing-alongs of a sold-out crowd hit decibels even higher than the House of Blues’ impressive sound system, and my ears continue to ring the day after the show as I write this on a turbulent plane headed east.

Two decades into the game, Slug shows no signs of slowing down with the release of Southsiders, Atmosphere’s strongest showing since 2008’s When Life Gives You Lemons, and a brilliant stage show from a 42-year-old family man every bit as hungry to rip mics as he was in the turn of the century backpacker heyday.

• Concert: Atmosphere, Prof, deM atlas
• Date: September 4
• Venue: House of Blues
• Seats: Floor