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Biography
Comprised of Jake Snider (vocals/guitar), Dave Knudson (guitar), Matt Bayles (keys), Cory Murchy (bass) and Erin Tate (drums), Minus the Bear released their debut EP “This Is What I Know About Being Gigantic” under Suicide Squeeze Records in 2001. The EP demonstrated their early mathcore and experimental rock elements whilst displaying their witty song titles with tracks like “Hey, Wanna Throw Up? Get Me Naked”, “Lemurs, Man, Lemurs” and “Just Kickin’ It Like a Wild Donkey”.
Despite appearing as a novelty band, Minus the Bear proved themselves to be incredibly smart musicians as they continuously shaped their songcraft incorporating elements of pop, indie and post-hardcore inspired by artists such as Incubus and Deftones. After several EP releases, the departure of Bayles coupled with Alex Rose’s arrival and hopping between labels like Arena Rock and Polyvinyl, the band signed with Dangerbird Records in 2010.
The first release later that year under the new label “Omni” produced by Grammy Award winning producer Joe Chiccarelli (White Stripes, Counting Crows, Manchester Orchestra) had more of a live feel led by the continuous play instead of recording the separate track components. As their craft developed, the band have found themselves less concerned with regimenting song lengths as they did in early stages of their career and instead going with their flow.
With an incredible amount of tenacity, passion and talent, Minus the Bear have built strong relationship with their diverse and adoring fan base. Relentlessly touring worldwide having shared the stage with the likes of Foo Fighters, Jimmy Eat World and Soundgarden and a string of sold out shows under their belt, Minus the Bear are all round entertainers with the incredible ability to produce catchy melodies. Bound by friendship and the common goal of producing music that they are passionate about, Minus the Bear continue to take the world by storm.
Live reviews
Minus The Bear are among those indie rock bands that surfaced during the 00’s that use odd time signatures along with twanging, sometimes interlocking electric guitar riffs. I personally haven’t followed their trajectory all that much, but certainly their more hardcore fans seemed pleased when their set, at the Regency Ballroom, San Francisco. They drew more from 'Planet Of Ice' and their earlier albums than the generally less-well received 'Omni.' And well, they like to give their fans what they want, which also includes lots of guitar, lots of drums, and pounding dance-pop/indie prog delivered with pinpoint precision. A particular highlight of the night was a guest appearance by vocalist Jennae Quisenberry for the song "Into The Mirror." And just as you were thinking you might have had enough of the in-your-face rocking out they did two acoustic numbers, "Absinthe Party" and "Riddles." They then launched back into their full blown assault with "Steel And Blood" (the song that is…) before being called back for an encore. Minus The Bear seem to be the sort of band whose fans are totally committed if not diehard, their enthusiasm was evident when they finished the encore with a jammed out version of their crowd-pleaser "Pachuca Sunrise."
philsomervell
I don't know if it was the 3 months of anticipation or the fact that I had their whole discography on heavy rotation for an entire year up to this show, but it didn't live up to my expectations. The set list was largely a homogeneous set of tracks from all of their records, so while it hit every step of the band's history, it didn't really pull any of the songs that really stand out for me. Zeros, Cold Company, Lotus, Double Vision Quest… all absent. The set was well performed, but the sound was poorly mixed, with many of the more interesting tapped guitar parts being overwhelmed by the rest of the band. The bass stood out nicely, showcasing Cory Murchy's excellent playing, but Dave Knudson was totally buried. It just felt sort of muddy throughout (Was this possibly a remnant of O'Brother preceding them? I would hope the sound guy would be more competent than that.) The crowd was enthusiastic and clearly devoted, and the band got big cheers with each song. However there weren't any real surprises. Everything was played as it exists on the records. No acoustic arrangements, no experimentation or reinterpretations. It was basically just fine.
matthewabate
Minus The Bear is one of those bands that simply listening to them infuses you with energy. Seeing them live is even better. With amazing guitar lines and an amazing performance across the board it's easy to say that Minus The Bear live feels a lot more personal and eclectic than on their records. Seeing the band have a great time on stage while performing perfectly the songs you know and love gives them an energy difficult to convey through words.
You can't go wrong with Minus The Bear, if you enjoy their music I can guarantee that you'll love them live.
TheJorlu
Phenomenal show, and an awesome band. I just barely got some of my money back for my extra ticket; but it went to excellent use. Also, I met the band after the show and got a poster signed by them for my best bud who told me about Minus. They are some of the most down to earth cats, and of course they couldn't resist the call for one more song; giving us two more of their best songs. Can't wait for a new studio album by them.
darrius-unity
This was so amazing! I'm still on cloud nine!they were so on point & had so much energy. The guys in the band are so nice,I love them all! I will cherish my photo,signed poster/record forever & definitely buy tickets again when they come back out! Forever a fan- Melissa
MelLaughsFunny
....buenaaaaaaás!! Minus can JAAM. More radio, short takes gets the crowd of mellow rockers to have the personal apperance of joy but...., being my first show of Minus vs. 50 other acts; I'd rate them a 2 of 5; mainly because I only knew a handful of songs on my mixed tape.
joshua-hanson
This is the 3rd time I have seen them live. As always they were super tight. The set list comprised of Menos el Oso in it's entirety, as well as spatterings from the rest of the back catalog. Banter between the band (especially with the new drummer) and the crowd was great.
chris-pollock
Minus The Bear played a great show and looked/sounded like they really enjoyed it as well. They played tons of older songs and also threw in a lot of newer ones. Had a great time, but have to say the show with As Tall As Lions was still my favorite MTB show.
michael-hicks-8
I’ve been a super fan of Minus the Bear since 2001 and I’m always more impressed after every show I attend. They are fantastic musicians who have incredible stage presence. They sound the same if not better live as they do on their albums.
sarah-mitchell-19
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