Last night Seattle based rockers Minus the Bear played the second of their sold out Boston shows at the Middle East Downstairs. The show proved to be an eclectic mix that pleased the enthusiastic crowd.

Ela (pronounced ee-lah) opened the show with a set of straight forward indie rock. Their sound was minimalist and down tempo with a moody edge. Considering they played two hours before the headliner, the turnout was strong and band appreciative.
MySpace
Official site

Subtle was up next, and as it were, their music was anything but. Their sound is hard to classify, with rapid rap lyrics spoken over a driving rock beat. Bostonist found them to be Faith No More-esque - Adam, the lead vocalist, has actually collaborated with Mike Patton of FNM and most recently Peeping Tom. Subtle describes themselves on their MySpace page as "Tool meets P.M.Dawn, but with an excited Ice-T doing vocals..." Sounds a bit disjointed, and in reality, it was. Subtle's sound jumped quickly and consistently between abrasive and melodious, while always however proving innovative. We were impressed by the wide range of instruments used throughout the set - we noticed drums, keys, cello, flute, guitar, bass, bongos, and synth...and we may have missed a few. This Bostonist was able to chat with the lead vocalist Adam, aka doseone, and found him to be pleasant and soft-spoken, a direct contrast to his jarring vocal style. Adam said that Subtle's music is about honesty and depicting the day-to-day struggle of personal politics. While at first listen Subtle seemed an odd pairing with Minus the Bear, both bands provide a unique sound that is unapologetically personal.
MySpace
Official site

Minus the Bear took the stage next and was noticably humbled by the outpouring of support by the predominately hipster crowd. While MtB launched into "Burying Luck," the first track off their new album "Planet of Ice," This Bostonist couldn't help looking around at the enraptured crowd, in the admittedly dark basement space, and feel that they were in on a secret - and we felt pretty cool to be there. The show provided many highs and lows, which is concurrent with MtB's structureless sound and alternate tempo. At times the place absolutely rocked, their newest single "Knights" was full of energy, while other songs seemed to lag a bit. MtB definitely had a unique sound, but in today's indie music scene, isn't that par for the course? The indie movement is by definition out of the mainstream, so to classify Minus the Bear as being unique is almost redundant. Regardless of how you classify them, the band came out last night and gave the crowd exactly what they wanted. You can tell that they are very proud of their new album, which does show a progression and maturation for the band. The only disappointing note to the show came when MtB took the stage for their encore. The band's energy seemed to have dissapated when they played their arguably most popular songs, "Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse" and "Puchaca Sunrise." Perhaps they have grown tired of their earlier, more pop-influenced hits, as many musicians do, but their lack of enthusiam was apparent.

MySpace
Official Site

Overall the show was a success and for us an example of what the Boston music scene could, and should, be.

Photo of Minus the Bear from their MySpace page. Bostonist took pictures at the show but they were all far too dark to be used