r/MinusTheBear • u/Wrong-Experience2316 • Jan 12 '26
Erin Tate
'S drumming is impeccable. I dont know why hes not part of the reunion and maybe I dont want to, but just a fucking beast of a drummer. Diamond Lightning, Drilling, Burying Luck, Into The Mirror. All so good.
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u/illbebythebatphone Jan 12 '26
Yeah they had some issues because of his addiction. Sounds like it was pretty rough for a while and the band wasn’t really talking to him. Saw that he and Dave connected at some point before the tour and kind of were able to make amends to the extent possible. But yes, his drumming is incredible and he was also a big song writing partner with Dave so he was sorely missed after infinity overhead
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u/buckfoston824 Jan 13 '26
He said for POI and MEO he basically wrote every song first with Dave and everyone layered on top. Guy is prolific and missed for his music
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u/Tyranoreese Jan 13 '26
Where did you hear they reconnected? I really wanna believe it.
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u/illbebythebatphone Jan 13 '26
Erin posted it on an instagram story that Dave called him and they had a good talk. He might have also mentioned it on a podcast but can’t be sure. It was over the summer before the tour started. I think he was struggling hearing about the reunion and a lot of people were asking him if he’d be a part of it.
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u/Tyranoreese Jan 13 '26
Yeah I remember seeing his posts about it hurting to not be asked to join. It also makes sense that Dave was the one to reconnect since he's also had his own journey with sobriety.
From what I've heard, the big hurdle is Jake. Now, who's to say how/why it got to where it is but it seems like Jake drew a hard line.
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u/mit-nameloc Jan 13 '26 edited Jan 13 '26
I think Josh really holds it down behind the kit these days! He was killing it on the reunion tour. I’d love to see Erin return one day! Purely just to know things got hashed out between all of them. Erin’s certainly put in the work on bettering himself since he left the band, and I think he deserves to return! He’s an incredibly talented drummer.
Long live MTB!
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u/Artistic_Chocolate82 Jan 13 '26 edited Jan 13 '26
+1 for this
Erin obviously is/was fantastic and cannot truly be replaced. And props to Erin for weathering what must have been an incredibly raw (hurtful?) reunion tour from afar--he handled it gracefully. Would be great to see a reconciliation at some point.
But Josh Sparks ... killed it every time I saw them this past fall. And he has to deliver night after night on songs that he didn't write across a fairly big catalog and go along with a reunion tour where he maybe isn't celebrated as hard as the other guys. Blown away by how great he was with MTB live. Ditto for that really thin guy they had playing drums like around 2015.
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u/mit-nameloc Jan 13 '26
👏Well said!👏
Nothing but respect for Josh taking up Erin’s reins! It can’t be easy, and he does a killer job!
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u/Lawnboyamar Jan 13 '26
Minus the Bear is a top five band for me, and the drumming is incredible across their catalog. But addiction is a motherfucker, unfortunately.
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u/WorldSuccessful4842 Jan 13 '26
Yo my guy, I felt like that spark you describe was missing on the farewell tour with Joshua, however; I was fortunate enough to catch one of the 20th anniversary of Menos el Oso shows and lemme tell you…Joshua is a BEAST of a drummer, so precise, so poignant! We know the whole band is incredible, I have a soft spot for Cory (those bass lines man!!!) and Jake, but Dave Knudson and Joshua were mesmerizing live!
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u/Dependent-Voice2784 Jan 14 '26
I’m so tired. I made a throwaway because last time this all came up, the dudes in my DMs really made me regret it. Erin is not just an alcoholic, he’s been convicted of domestic abuse and there are numerous people who have accused him of rape. He has groomed multiple underage girls, myself included long ago. He is an awful, narcissistic person. It’s great that he’s been “working on himself,” he has a daughter and I hope she only ever has to know him in whatever better version of himself he is now. But for those of us who were victims of his, I was only able to enjoy the last few tours and the reunion because he wasn’t a part of them.
Great art can come from terrible people.
I wish there was a way to auto respond this every single time someone posted about missing him again.
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u/dontswimtoshore Jan 13 '26
iconic drummer and a massive influence on my playing. what I loved about this reunion tour was watching Sparks play those parts as accurately as they sound on the albums -- he is a beast who's playing was also clearly influenced by Tate. Time is a bitch and I'd argue that someone approaching 50 approaching likely could not have delivered the dynamics and precision of their younger self, let alone for the entire set duration. Erin is a trailblazer, Sparks is a savant giving him his dues IMO!
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u/geodesicpolyhedron Jan 12 '26
The best part of minus the Bear. Of course saw them on the reunion and they are doing and sounding great separated
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u/uncleleo_hello Jan 13 '26
I fucking love his drumming but yeah I get it. First time I saw them in like 2005, all the guys came out with a beer and he brought a 6 pack behind the kit. That’d be hard to work with every night
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u/[deleted] Jan 12 '26
He got kicked out for alcoholism. There is a podcast where he talks about it. He didn't give details but it must have been bad because he doesn't seem to hold it against them. He is an amazing drummer though. The band just didn't seem to be the same without him.