Minus the Bear

Band members, reviewers and fans alike agree on one thing: Seattle-based band Minus the Bear's sound is hard to pin down.

Minus the Bear will come to the Bluebird Nightclub for the first time 9 p.m., Tuesday, April 15. The opening bands are Portugal. The Man and The Big Sleep.

Minus the Bear drummer Erin Tate said he can’t pinpoint how to describe their sound.

“It’s not like we’re this super-original band or anything,” he said. “Some people have said, ‘Oh, you sound like this band,’ but some people are like, ‘I have no idea.’”

Junior Michael Falls said he thinks Minus the Bear has a very crisp sound.

“The thing I love about Minus the Bear is they do their own thing and you can’t stick them in one category,” he said.

Even magazines have to combine a number of terms to come up with an approximation of Minus the Bear’s sound.

Hybrid Magazine reviewer Jason Dunbar said in an album review that if he had to pigeonhole the band, he would say they had post-punk leanings, but even those only show up sometimes.

Rolling Stone mentions the catchphrases “math rock,” “post-punk” and “hardcore” in its review of the band’s 2001 EP “This is What I Know About Being Gigantic.”

Sophomore Brad Buchanan said he thought the band had a focus on nautical themes, with frequent references to the ocean.

“They’re very lyrical; they talk about drinking and smoking and partying in a very refined way,” he said.

The band, which got together in 2001, is comprised of guitarist Dave Knudson, bassist Cory Murchy, guitarist and lead vocalist Jake Snider, drummer Erin Tate and newest member Alex Rose, who performs on synthesizer, drum machine, vocals, saxophone and electronics.

The band released its latest album Planet of Ice in August 2007. Tate said the band spent about two and a half to three months in the studio on the album. He said the album was more realized than the band’s other albums and was its most cohesive work.

“I think we have all learned how to play and write with each other more,” he said. “The first couple things we did was just us throwing stuff together. I think we care more about what we do now and we put more time and effort into what we do.”
The Bluebird show is the 10th for the band in a 3-month tour that ends in June at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival.

The band tends to draw from the crowd’s energy during shows, Tate said, so concertgoers can’t expect a certain type of show from the band unless they come ready to rock out.

“You know, it’s generally just the five of us getting up and playing our songs,” he said. “Sometimes there’s a great energy, and sometimes there’s just a lot of tired people.”
Ari Solomon, director of promotions for the Bluebird, said he was ecstatic Minus the Bear was coming to the Bluebird, as he personally had been a fan for about a year.
“I expect Minus the Bear to offer their fans a show filled with dynamism and drive,” he said in an e-mail.

Falls is not 21; otherwise, he said, he would be attending the show. He said he was a little upset that the show was at a 21-and-over venue.

“I don’t know why they’re doing that,” he said. “If they had their show at a place like Rhino’s, they’d have a great night. I’m assuming their audience is older.”

Falls is not the only under-21 student irked that he’s barred from seeing the band. On Facebook, a group has formed under the title “Get Minus the Bear to an all-ages venue at IU” and has 37 members. The group information calls for young Minus the Bear fans to raise their voices and see if they can change the venue. As of now, Minus the Bear won’t be moving, although pressure from the group got a Portugal. The Man 21-and-under show at the WIUX mansion at 6:30 p.m. on April 15, right before the Bluebird show.

Bloomington’s Spirit of ’68 Promotions President Dan Coleman said he tried to get Minus the Bear to do an under-21 show, but the band didn’t agree.

About the young fans, he said, “I applaud their efforts. Everyone who grew up in Indiana knows it sucks until you turn 21, but, you know, I couldn’t move the show.”

Whether young or old, there seems to be no typical Minus the Bear fan.

“It kind of tends to be all kinds of people,” Tate said. “There are younger kids, but we have a following of older people. Our shows tend to be really diverse as far as the crowds go.”

Solomon said he thought the fan base for Minus the Bear was pretty broad – from rock fans to jazz enthusiasts.

“Minus the Bear fans tend to be involved in – however, not restricted to – the ‘indie scene,’” he said. “All genres and labels aside, I expect to see a great mix of students and the community enjoying ... Minus the Bear.”