Repeatedly requested by Northern students, progressive rock band Minus the Bear will perform on campus Thursday, March 24. Marquette will be the Seattle-based band’s first trip to the U.P., and guitarist Dave Knudson said the band is looking forward to it, despite the chilly weather.
“We went on a pretty huge tour last year, but we didn’t make it up that far north. We’ve been wanting to play in Marquette, and it worked out (this time), so we decided to make the trip. It’ll be a new experience for all of us,” Knudson said.
Minus the Bear’s music is typically described as progressive rock, but also incorporate electronic and hip hop sounds. Knudson said that each band member brings a little bit of a different genre to the music they create.
“The band members and I like to joke around and call it ‘the classic rock of the future,’” Knudson said. “We really try to create something that’s unique.”
Their songs are often shaped by the members’ experiences and other inspirations. Knudson said that Minus the Bear attempts to make each performance unique, because audience members might have seen them perform before.
“We try to spice up the set list,” Knudson said. “It’s so much fun when you can really feel the energy of the crowd and feed off of that energy.”
Minus the Bear enjoys performing at colleges, Knudson said. Although there are differences in the venues, Knudson said that he likes knowing that the students are learning about the process of performing.
Minus the Bear’s newest album, “Omni,” was released in January 2011. They’re currently writing songs for their next album, which they hope to record by the end of the year.
“I think we learned a lot recording the last record, and we have a lot more music in us that we want to get out. I think it incorporates all elements of the band’s history, not just what we’ve been working on recently,” Knudson said.
The band recently released a music video for “Hold Me Down,” a song off of “Omni.”
“We’ve never done a live music video before, and I think that the live show is more of the thing that people react to,” Knudson said. “We were able to capture all of the energy from the crowd and from ourselves.”
For the past few years, Minus the Bear has been high on Northern’s First Aid Productions (FAP) polls and suggestion lists by students. The band was available and decided to come to NMU.
“There really isn’t much up here as far as this type of music, so with an event like this, it’s always really great to come out and experience,” said junior biology major Leon Katona, production manager of FAP.
Two bands will be opening for Minus the Bear: Nightlife and Stepdad from Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids, respectively.
“FAP always tries to find opening bands with a similar feel; one is usually local and one is regional,” Katona said.
Minus the Bear will perform in the Great Lakes Rooms of the University Center on Thursday, March 24. The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the concert will tentatively begin at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $5 for NMU students with ID and $15 for non-students.
