The Daily OrangeMinus the Bear rocks audience at Westcott Theater
By Eric Adamus
Posted: 11/18/09, 3:43 AM EST Section: Feature
The band Minus the Bear performed at The Westcott Theater Tuesday night, and the musical performance packed gusto that brought out the inner bear in every person.
After standing in a line that extended to the end of the block, audience members eagerly awaited the start of the concert from inside the packed theater. The night opened with As Tall as Lions, minus the lead singer, who was inexplicably missing. The bassist for the band took over, interacting with the crowd in his place and filling in for the vocal parts for the few songs that called for them. Despite their lack of a lead singer, As Tall as Lions played with a great level of musicality, featuring parts for trumpet, cowbell and various keyboard sounds, which created well-crafted and energetic melodies.
The band Twin Tigers then took the stage with its set of driving indie rock. While it lacked the intricacy of some of As Tall as Lions' music, Twin Tigers more than made up for it with its raw power of sound. The bass, cranked into overdrive, combined with the pounding backbeat of the drummer and the intense reverb on the vocals made the band's style a force to be reckoned with.
Both opening bands were well received by the crowd, but from the moment Minus the Bear came onstage, it was clear that they were the act that everyone came to see.
Right out of the gate, they played one of their popular songs from their 2007 album "Planet of Ice" called "Knights." Audience members were dancing and yelling right from the very beginning, as soon as they heard the characteristic electric sound at the set's opening.
As performers, they restrained their movements to an extent, only allowing themselves to really get into their music and rock out during the big instrumental segments. They packed all of the intense sound that their fans love them for without compromising any of the quality through live performance. If anything, the live venue made the music more beautiful because audience members could feel the sound all around them as it radiated from the stage.
Minus the Bear played songs that spanned the band's entire musical history, from their first album, "Highly Refined Pirates," to the new tracks recently updated from the "They Make Beer Commercials Like This" album that was released in 2008. The fans appreciated the spectrum of their performance, cheering more enthusiastically and singing louder with each subsequent song. At one point, Minus the Bear lead singer Jake Snider called out to a particularly enthusiastic fan, saying, "Do you want our babies, man? You can have 'em."
The band ended the set with the song "Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse," capping a great musical performance that packed the small theater with energy. The experience left Minus the Bear fans satisfied, clapping, shouting and cheering, all happy to have released that inner bear for a short while.
edadamus@syr.edu
After standing in a line that extended to the end of the block, audience members eagerly awaited the start of the concert from inside the packed theater. The night opened with As Tall as Lions, minus the lead singer, who was inexplicably missing. The bassist for the band took over, interacting with the crowd in his place and filling in for the vocal parts for the few songs that called for them. Despite their lack of a lead singer, As Tall as Lions played with a great level of musicality, featuring parts for trumpet, cowbell and various keyboard sounds, which created well-crafted and energetic melodies.
The band Twin Tigers then took the stage with its set of driving indie rock. While it lacked the intricacy of some of As Tall as Lions' music, Twin Tigers more than made up for it with its raw power of sound. The bass, cranked into overdrive, combined with the pounding backbeat of the drummer and the intense reverb on the vocals made the band's style a force to be reckoned with.
Both opening bands were well received by the crowd, but from the moment Minus the Bear came onstage, it was clear that they were the act that everyone came to see.
Right out of the gate, they played one of their popular songs from their 2007 album "Planet of Ice" called "Knights." Audience members were dancing and yelling right from the very beginning, as soon as they heard the characteristic electric sound at the set's opening.
As performers, they restrained their movements to an extent, only allowing themselves to really get into their music and rock out during the big instrumental segments. They packed all of the intense sound that their fans love them for without compromising any of the quality through live performance. If anything, the live venue made the music more beautiful because audience members could feel the sound all around them as it radiated from the stage.
Minus the Bear played songs that spanned the band's entire musical history, from their first album, "Highly Refined Pirates," to the new tracks recently updated from the "They Make Beer Commercials Like This" album that was released in 2008. The fans appreciated the spectrum of their performance, cheering more enthusiastically and singing louder with each subsequent song. At one point, Minus the Bear lead singer Jake Snider called out to a particularly enthusiastic fan, saying, "Do you want our babies, man? You can have 'em."
The band ended the set with the song "Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse," capping a great musical performance that packed the small theater with energy. The experience left Minus the Bear fans satisfied, clapping, shouting and cheering, all happy to have released that inner bear for a short while.
edadamus@syr.edu
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