Though the sound has gotten darker and the band has gotten a little older,there is still a sense of fun-lovingin Minus the Bear.From games of Crisco Twister toPachuca sunrises to the Planet of Ice, it’s been quite a journey for the Seattleites.
Minus the Bear will performtodayat8p.m.at the Buehler Alumni andVisitorsCenter,near theMondaviCenter for the Performing Arts.Also performing isPortugal.The Man and The Big Sleep.Tickets can be purchasedat the Freebornticket officeor at the doorfor$10with a student ID and$16for non-students.
It’s been a gradual maturation for theMinus the Bear,whofirst gainedas muchattentionfortheir clever presentation ofnimbleguitar taps,disco beats and sass.Their first full-length albumHighly Refined Piratesfeatured songs withtongue-in-cheektitles like “Monkey!!! Knife!!! Fight!!!” and “Get Me Naked2:Electric Boogaloo.“ Over the years,theband hasdevelopeda darker soundreflected on their sophomore albumMenos El Osoand their newest releasePlanet of Ice,which came out in August2007.The stylistic transition was a natural one,according toMinus the Bear’skeyboardistAlex Rose.
“No one’s interested in doing the exact same thing that’s done before,“ Rose said.“We had the titlePlanet of Ice before we started recording,and it’s kind of easy to latch on to the vibe.The progression seems natural to me.We’re getting more into playing– dare I say,jamming?“
Though some are quick to label Minus the Bear as math rock or experimental,Rose said that the band’s soundmay be more difficult to define.
“We’re playing rock music,but I don’t know if any genre is really that descriptive of it,” Rose said. “[It’s] classic rock of the future– we’re making songs that will hopefullywill be able to be listened toin the future in a positive way.“
Rose isthe newest member ofMinus the Bear asformer keyboardist Matt Bayles left in2006to focus onsound engineering.ButRose hasan aged relationship with the band,working as a sound technicianon previous tours.
Last year,they were featured as an MTV “Artist of the Week,” and the bandperformed atthe CoachellaValley Music and Arts Festival this past weekend.
“Minus the Bear was pretty well-requested [among our staff],” said ASUCD Entertainment Council assistant director Jasmine Lau in an e-mail interview.
Opening for Minus the Bear isPortugal.The Man,who ontheir latest albumChurch Mouth take inspiration from classics like Santana and Muddy Waters.Also opening is The Big Sleep,a Brooklyn-based rock band signed to FrenchkissRecords.
“It’s kind of like we have our buddies on tour,” Rose said.“Portugal comes and plays with us.It’s very friendly and relaxed.“
Senior mechanical engineering student Ben Creed said that he never expected the band to come toDavis.
“They have a very tight sound,and they‘re very innovative,” Creed said. “They‘ll pull out uniquerhythms and things that you don‘t expect from the average band.[It‘s] exciting to listen to,and it‘s fun.“
RACHEL FILIPINAS can be reached at arts@californiaaggie.com.
