Minus the Bear’s 10 Year Anniversary Tour Live in Los Angeles, 11/1/11

My newfound pal Ed came to the show just because he liked Minus the Bear. He had no idea that this show was particularly special: This was Minus the Bear’s 10 Year Anniversary Tour where they would play Highly Refined Pirates in its entirety. Both LA dates—one being on Halloween—were sold out shows.

We stood next to each other upstairs at The Troubadour, Budweisers in hand, as “Thank You for Being a Friend,” the song most commonly known for being The Golden Girls theme song, emitted from the speakers. Band mates Dave Knudson (guitar), Cory Murchy (bass), Alex Rose (keys), Jake Snider (vocals, guitar) and Erin Tate (drums) immediately headed into “Hey, Wanna Throw Up? Get Me Naked,” an old song that caused the large and loyal fan base to react simultaneously in the most positive ways they knew how: dancing, swaying, drinking and singing.

“Do you guys like the feeling?” Snider asked the crowd once the band finished “Lemurs” and took a moment to pause before switching gears into “Knights,” “because I fuckin’ do.”

“It’s got so much heart, ya know?” Ed shouted to me halfway through the set. I could only agree. The bands’ energy synched with the crowd’s (I don’t think Murchy stopped hopping around at any point during the show, seriously) and they claimed the stage with their ever-changing tempos and rhythms, a friendly reminder as to why Minus the Bear fans don’t ever miss shows.

Aside from a brief technical glitch during the encore, (“I haven’t rebooted my guitar in years,” Snider said) it was a lovely evening indeed.

Minus the Bear celebrated a decade of music by playing more than 20 songs. The set list was as follows:

1. Hey, Wanna Throw Up? Get Me Naked (This is What I Know About Being Gigantic)
2. Lemurs, Man, Lemurs (This is What I Know About Being Gigantic)
3. Knights (Planet of Ice)
4. Hooray (Menus el Oso)
5. Fine +2 PTS (They Make Beer Commercials Like This)
6. Thanks for the Killer Game of Crisco Twister (Highly Refined Pirates)
7. Monkey!!! Knife!!! Fight!!! (Highly Refined Pirates)
8. Hey, Wanna Throw Up? (Highly Refined Pirates)
9. Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse (Highly Refined Pirates)
10. Get me naked 2: Electric Boogaloo (Highly Refined Pirates)
11. We Are Not a Football Team (Highly Refined Pirates)
12. You Kill Bugs Good, Man (INTERLUDE) (Highly Refined Pirates)
13. Spritz!!! Spritz!!! (Highly Refined Pirates)
14. Women We Haven’t Met Yet (Highly Refined Pirates)
15. Damn Bugs Whacked Him, Johnny (Highly Refined Pirates)
16. I Lost All My Money at the Cock Fights (Highly Refined Pirates)
17. Andy Wolff (Highly Refined Pirates)
18. Let’s Play Guitar in a Five Guitar Band (Highly Refined Pirates)
19. [ENCORE] Just Kickin’ It Like a Wild Donkey (This Is What I Know About Being Gigantic)
20. Throwin’ Shapes (Planet of Ice)
21. My Time (Omni)
22. Pachuca Sunrise (Menos el Oso)

Nearby, halfway between their four-song encore, an old friend of the band’s, explained to a small group of listeners that nine years ago this band sucked and they used to sleep on her couch.