Honestly, Minus the Bear just wants you to have a good time.
“We want folks to want to come back,” bassist Cory Murchy says.
That’s the embodying principle behind Minus the Bear’s tours. Its relentless touring schedule alone testifies to the band’s dedication to impress new fans and entertain seasoned listeners alike. At shows, attendees are known to sing along, so much so that frontman Jake Snider often can step away from the mic if he wants to. It’s the kind of show where it’s difficult not to close your eyes and just give in to vibes.
When Minus the Bear hits Columbia on Monday, concert-goers can expect a mix of new songs from the band’s latest album, _Infinity Overhead,_ and several of their favorites from previous albums.
Murchy says the group’s fifth full-length release is different from the band’s 2011 release _Omni_ in that they went “back to basics.” While _Omni_ was heavily electronic, relying on synthesizers and computer-generated sounds, _Infinity Overhead_ returns to old-school electric guitars. Murchy says it wasn’t intentional. “It just kind of happened.”
Although the songs on the new album are radio-friendly singles, they also flow together into a single force.
“They’re strong enough to stand alone, but we wanted to focus on the whole album,” Murchy says.
Although some critics, [like Paste Magazine](http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2012/08/minus-the-bear-infinity-overhead.html), have denounced the album as being too simple and a throwback to older albums, _Infinity Overhead_ is still full of catchy melodies, hummable guitar riffs and dance-inspiring rhythms. As a result, the band manages to retain its subtly sexy sound. Guitarists will appreciate Snider’s double-tap guitar technique, and singers, his restrained-yet-still-provocative voice.
_Infinity Overhead_ sounds similar in instrumentation and progression to earlier albums such as _Highly Refined Pirates_ and _Menos el Oso_, but there is a new level of maturity that began to develop in previous albums _Planet of Ice_ and _Omni_. Gone are the funky song titles such as “Thanks for the Killer Game of Crisco Twister.” These lyrics are darker, more philosophically driven and contemplative. And the decade or so of playing together has strengthened the band’s chops — there is some truly virtuosic guitar playing, and the bass and drums stay out of the way of the melody while holding their own.
Formed in Seattle in 2001, Minus the Bear has since developed a sort of cult following— check out a Ticketmaster page for one of the band’s concerts, and you’ll read comments from fans planning to see Minus the Bear for the 15th time.
As far as the band’s own musical inspiration, Murchy says band members all draw from “different buckets.” Personally, he prefers reggae and early industrial music. Such eclectic tastes have created a group of musicians that have a sound all their own.
Fair warning: fans of Minus the Bear tend to be the PBR-loving, serious-facial-hair-sporting types. But don’t let that hold you back from a mellow evening of sonically sensual jams.