SPILL LIVE REVIEW: SILVERSUN PICKUPS w/ MINUS THE BEAR @ UNION HALL, EDMONTON

Silversun Pickups w/ Minus The Bear

@ Union Hall, Edmonton

October 29, 2017

With two veteran American Alternative Rock groups on the bill, Edmonton’s Union Hall had a busy Sunday night filled with grunge inflected guitars, ethereal synthesizers, and rumbling bass lines.

The first band to take the stage was Seattle’s Minus The Bear who, despite having a noticeably injured lead guitarist, still managed to provide ample energy to excite and engage the growing audience. Fronted by Jake Snider, Minus The Bear played a set that heavily featured material from their latest release, VOIDS. Many of their newer songs, such as “Last Kiss” or “Give & Take”, prominently featured Alex Rose’s vibrant synthesizers and Cory Murchy’s driving bass lines.

Minus The Bear

Unfortunately, Minus The Bear wasn’t the only band on the bill with an injured member. Silversun Pickups’ front man Brian Aubert took the stage while sporting a sling on his recently broken arm. While he did need a fair bit of assistance to strap on his guitar and monitor, he proceeded to hop around the stage energetically for a majority of Silversun Pickups’ raucous set. Their set consisted of a nice mix of songs that allowed their fans to hear both newer material from 2015’s Better Nature, and a few of their older radio hits like “Panic Switch” and “Lazy Eye.” One of the evening’s highlights came in the form of “Cannibal”, which showcased a punchy power-pop sound that placed Joe Lester’s synthesizers in the spotlight alongside Nikki Monninger’s crunchy bass tones. With loud drums supplied by Chris Guanlao and a vividly bright light show, Silversun Pickups easily enthralled a crowd that had been waiting a decade for the indie rockers to return to Edmonton.

Even though they were dealing with injuries, both Minus the Bear and Silversun Pickups delivered stunningly complex and energetic sets that precisely evidenced why these bands have lasted for so long.

(Photography by Joel Weatherly)

Photos

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Silversun Pickups Links

Minus The Bear Links