Minus The Bear, The Velvet Teen
Thursday, October 20 at The National
When I heard that the Velvet Teen and Minus the Bear were playing in Richmond this fall, I was beyond stoked. If I’m not mistaken, the Velvet Teen hasn’t played here since fall 2002, and Minus the Bear in almost as long. The Velvet Teen is currently supporting their new EP No Star, while Minus the Bear is on their 10-year anniversary tour. Both of these bands have been at it a while, and their sets were evidence of the years spent together doing what they do best.
Minus The Bear, The Velvet Teen
Thursday, October 20 at The National
When I heard that the Velvet Teen and Minus the Bear were playing in Richmond this fall, I was beyond stoked. If I’m not mistaken, the Velvet Teen hasn’t played here since fall 2002, and Minus the Bear in almost as long. The Velvet Teen is currently supporting their new EP No Star, while Minus the Bear is on their 10-year anniversary tour. Both of these bands have been at it a while, and their sets were evidence of the years spent together doing what they do best.
The Velvet Teen is one of my favorite bands, and this show was the fifth time I’ve seen them. The first time was in 2002 at the former 929 (now Strange Matter). They played first at that show and were largely ignored, but even then, there was a moment at that show where singer/guitarist Judah Nagler started playing one song and the entire crowd stopped talking and took notice. This time, I walked into the National and skipped the bar, instead making a beeline to the stage, where I stood front and center.
Man, oh, man. This was my first time seeing them as a four-piece, having recently added guitarist Matthew Izen. They already possess a layered, complex sound, and the second guitarist rounds it out—particularly when Judah switches to keyboard. Judah is quite the entrancing vocalist, sparing the audience no Buckley-esque falsetto, deep-timbred whisper, or outright wail. They didn’t play very loud, but they didn’t need to, as the two guitars made for a heavier sound than what they had previously. Josh Staples quietly led with bass; in fact, I don’t think I quite realized until this incarnation how much of their subtle intricacies are dependent on him. Drummer Casey Dietz mathed it up with a delicate deftness rarely achieved—much less consistently executed.
Having (somewhat) recently released No Star, which seems to be a fuzzier, more melodic extension of their last full-length Cum Laude!, they played mostly new stuff, but threw in some older songs for good measure. I was happy to hear “Noi Boi” and “Building a Whale” from Cum Laude!, and “A Captive Audience” from Elysium. Had they played longer, I’d have loved to hear something from the first two EPs, or their brooding debut, Out of the Fierce Parade, or their epic and grandiose 12-minute “Chimera Obscurant.” Who am I kidding–I’d have watched them play their entire discography.
Next up was Minus the Bear, who I’ve seen a couple times, once with the Velvet Teen, and once with Murder by Death. Always a fun band to watch, Minus the Bear delivered in a way I hadn’t expected. They played all of their first album, 2002’s Highly Refined Pirates, plus a bunch more. Minus the Bear’s songs are catchy, tight, and often sexually charged in that way we all hoped college parties would be, but weren’t. I found myself dancing to the way the clean-toned guitars sort of played around each other with all manner of interlocking melody and harmony, giving the band their signature sound. Vocalist/guitarist Jake Snider sounds great live, and the band as a whole has a pretty great stage presence. Bassist Cory Murchy played energetically, as did guitarist Dave Knudson. On keys was Alex Rose, who lends the band a little extra something that makes them so recognizable. Erin Tate kept up on the kit with hardly a break in almost two hours.
I think what got me was hearing their first album live. I haven’t kept up with this band the way I have The Velvet Teen, but considering that one of the best ways to make yourself look cool is saying things like “I like their old stuff better,” I got the chance to be so cool. I’ve got plenty of fond memories listening to serious songs with silly titles like “Thanks for the Killer Game of Crisco Twister” and “We Are Not a Football Team.” My favorite song by them—and honestly, one of my favorite songs, period—is “Get Me Naked 2: Electric Boogaloo,” which they of course played when I was visiting the merch table. After a quick break, they came out for an encore. The second-to-last song was “My Time,” which has been posted all over my friends’ facebooks for the last month (pregaming for the show, I suppose), and they wrapped up with “Pachuca Sunrise.” By the end of the set, they sounded just as good as when they started.
I really can’t wait to see what both of these bands do next. If they’ve still got it after ten years, I can only guess that they’ll keep getting better and better.
Words by Sara Bohannon
Images by Amy Bohannon
