Cloud Cult received a warm reception when the popular Minnesota band performed at Marcusen Park during the Austin ArtWorks Festival last year. Several young fans crowded up front against the stage to dance and jump to the music, many other fans were content to watch from lawn chairs, and the show even ended with a bang — literally — with fireworks.

But the show proved special to the band for a reason most of the 1,100 people in the audience didn’t see. For most of Cloud Cult, last year’s concert was a homecoming with close to 100 family members and friends in the audience. It’s part of the reason why Cloud Cult will join Pert Near Sandstone to play at this year’s festival at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 23.

Most people knew violinist Shannon Frid-Rubin returned to a hometown Austin crowd, and she enjoyed signs that read “Welcome home, Shannon.” The rest of the band was also well-represented, according to singer-guitarist Craig Minowa.

“It’s really rare that we’re able to do a show that is family-friendly back on that home turf,” Craig said.

Craig and his wife, Connie, who’s one of the band’s artists, grew up in Owatonna and have family in the Austin area. Artist Scott West also grew up in Owatonna, while cellist Daniel Zanzow and bassist/trombonist Shawn Neary are from northern Iowa.

“For a lot of them, it was their first time seeing us,” Craig said.

Everyone wanted to come back, according to Frid-Rubin.

“We all had a really good time,” she said.

Frid-Rubin’s parents treated the band to a home-cooked chili dinner before the show, which Frid-Rubin said was great — even though there were a few embarrassing moments.

“My mom whipped out the baby book, so there were some embarrassing pictures,” she said with a laugh.

Along with family, last year’s show attracted many out-of-towners, something Austin Area Commission for the Arts Executive Director Jennie Knoebel hopes happens again.

“I know that there were people who traveled hours to see the show last year,” she said.

But this year’s concert will be far from a carbon-copy of 2013. Cloud Cult underwent a transformative year, where they recorded a live acoustic album, “Unplug,” and performed acoustic sets the band said has brought them closer together.

Minowa called the experience the biggest change he’s seen in the band in 14 years. Along with the members coming together to arrange songs from the band’s catalog into acoustic versions, the acoustic shows also brought the band closer.

“It was very much a bonding experience — creating it and now performing it too,” Craig said.

The band typically uses in-ear monitors for electric sets, which Frid-Rubin said can make them feel closed off. With the acoustic set, the band sits in a semi-circle and just uses stage monitors.

“I feel like the lines of communication are more open with the other band members,” she said.

Austin could get a taste of the band’s acoustic set in August, as Craig said the band will likely play half an acoustic show before switching to the full electric set for the second half.

Frid-Rubin agreed the band has come closer together through the experiences.

“I feel like we have been able to spend more time together,” Frid-Rubin said.

That will also transfer to the recording studio. Traditionally, Craig has written material for albums before the band comes to his and Connie’s Viroqua, Wis., studio to record. This year, the band planned to come together over a few weekends to collaboratively work on the album. The band planned to start recording in July with the hope of releasing an album in the spring of 2015.

The band has been busy since recording “Unplug” last last year and released this spring. They’re showing no signs of slowing down.

“I feel like things have definitely picked up, which is exciting,” Frid-Rubin said.

The band was busy on tour this summer and was even performed in the Czech Republic in July. Things won’t slow down after ArtWorks. Cloud Cult will tour the West Coast in September. Mark Allister is writing a biography on the band called “Chasing the Light,” which is due out in September as well, as is the DVD version of “Unplug.”