Minus the Bear Rejuvenate Progressive Rock at New York Gig

John Lennon once said that rock music was all "rip off," meaning that an artist would take a little bit of inspiration from here and there, borrow from this, nick from that, push it through their own prism, then put it on spin cycle, and something new yet slightly familiar would burst forth. It's the beauty of the process. Such is the case with Minus the Bear.

Their Saturday night (Dec. 4) show at Terminal 5 in New York City was a rapt lesson in deep, funky grooves, heady, bombastic, '70's progressive rock movements, modern and classic technology and the good old-fashioned rock n' roll guitar jam. It's an interesting approach that relies heavily upon front man Jake Snider's fiery vocals, electric guitar-hero riffs and wild presence, drummer Erin Tate's syncopated attack (reminiscent of Rush's Neil Peart), bassist Cory Murchy's deep, solid mix of funk and grunge, keyboardist Alex Rose's classic whirling yet subtle synthesizer work and of course, Dave Knudsen's passionate, stellar guitar pyrotechnics that make the whole thing pop and crackle like water in hot oil.

Minus the Bear turned a lot of heads in 2007, with the release of 'Planet of Ice,' an album - as the story goes - profoundly influenced by the band's first ever listening to a pair of classic progressive rock masterpieces: King Crimson's 1969 debut classic 'In the Court of the Crimson King,' and 'Close to the Edge' by Yes, released in 1972. Yet, when Minus the Bear perform live, their songs take on a heightened electric energy and urgency, born of their punk and post-punk roots, adding to the complex progressive movements, giving them powerful spark that gets heads banging.

Songs like 'Throwin' Shapes' from the aforementioned album, and especially 'Secret Country' from their newest release 'Omni' simply ooze that fast and furious progressive rock attack made famous by bands like The Alan Parstons Project, Emerson, Lake and Palmer and Soft Machine. But, it's tempered with a sharper, more primal edge than the work of their predecessors. Elements of punk come bursting forth, owing a good deal to Dave Knudsen's mathcore sensibilities (he was in the Tacoma based band Botch) not to mention the influence of the Seattle Sound, and the Minneapolis scene as well. Minus the Bear have created something wholly unique and born of being a great live band that's paid its dues, building upon and paying homage to some pretty formidable musical legacies. Not an easy thing to do.

When you're on the road as much as Minus the Bear have been over the past nine years, venues, cities and days can bleed into each other, blurring place and time, and a sense of complacency can set in. Yet, Minus the Bear prowled the stage like it was their first show - or their last - never letting up for a moment, and the audience responded in kind. Thus, it was understandable why front man Jake Snider thanked the New York crowd several times during the gig for their kind and rapturous applause outpouring of love. It's been a long road.

"Thanks for being so kind and receptive." he said at the end of the night. "It's really important. It means a whole lot."