Minus the Bear Defy Labels in Los Angeles

Minus the Bear are doing well for themselves these days. On a tour stop in Las Vegas earlier this week, lead vocalist/guitarist Jake Snider bet $60 -- and lost it. He then bet some more, won $600, lost that, but eventually walked away with $400 in his pocket. The band also sold out their Thursday night concert at the 1500-person capacity Mayan Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

Two weeks ago, the Seattle five-piece released 'Omni,' their fourth studio album in almost a decade. But it wasn't until the fourth song of Thursday's show that they sampled from their latest offering, opting to start with their older tunes -- 'Drilling' off 2005's sophomore album 'Menos el Oso,' followed by two from 2007's 'Planet of Ice': 'Throwing Shapes' and 'Knights.' L.A.-based openers Everest spiced things up with their "open invitation to boogie," aka the track 'Let Go,' which included dueling drum kits and a monolith disco ball that slowly descended from the rafters.

Despite playing several of what keyboardist Alex Rose called the band's "deep cuts," Minus the Bear played seven new tracks off 'Omni' that further make the band difficult to lump into one category. Most sites generalize them as a plain old "indie-rock" band -- a pretty hard feat considering all the genres out there these days (pop-hop, electro-punk and, yes, tropical-goth).

But take a track like the newer 'Summer Angels,' which the band played mid-set, and you get the picture. One moment the song is a stripped-down guitar and bass rocker and next it's interrupted by a synth-driven electronic surge. A mellow song, usually doesn't stay mellow for long when Minus the Bear are involved. The final verdict falls in the gray area between experimental and vintage rock 'n' roll. Whether you consider them longhairs or hipsters, college radio-friendly or worthy of some big airtime on Adult Contemporary stations, the crowd alone Thursday night was convincing enough to make anyone believe that now, eight years deep, Minus the Bear weren't looking for that perfect way to describe themselves. The show was, after all, already sold out.