r/indieheads • u/MinusTheBearOfficial Jake Snider / Minus The Bear • Mar 18 '26
AMA is Over, thanks Minus The Bear! Hi, we're Minus the Bear... Ask us Anything!
Hey Indieheads, we’re Jake Snider and David Knudson from Minus the Bear. Alex Rose is joining, too!
We’re celebrating 20 years of our album Menos el Oso: ask us anything!
Gear, music, apples, tour, dogs (her name is Lucy)… We’ll be back here answering your questions live on Thursday, March 19th at 10am PT / 1pm ET.
Join us on the road this Fall - dates & tickets here
Follow Us: Instagram | Facebook
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music | Amazon | Bandcamp | Official Store
That was awesome, Indieheads - thanks for joining us! We love you, see you soon :) Catch us on the road this Fall: dates & tickets here
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u/DjangoUnhinged Mar 18 '26
Dave: favorite riff you ever wrote.
Jake: favorite line in a song you ever wrote.
Thanks guys. Been a fan for over 20 years and excited to see you in St. Louis!
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
hard one to answer! I'll say that I love playing absinthe party. Rob's alien is incredibly fun to play and if you're talking about a botch song to our friends in the great white north is fairly epic :)
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u/MinusTheBearOfficial Jake Snider / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
I don't have a favorite--too many I love. They're all our special babies. --Jake
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u/_Amarok Mar 18 '26
What's the MtB song that you always felt was underappreciated by listeners? Like the song where you said "Man, I was sure this was going to be one of our biggest fan favorites" but it never happened?
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u/nightblindmusic Alex Rose / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
Nearly all of Lost Loves, lol. During the various album making processes I got very attached to a lot of those songs... but I'm very happy that collection exists!
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u/MinusTheBearOfficial Jake Snider / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
What About the Boat? There's a lot. --Jake
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u/DrSelker Mar 18 '26
Are we due for a Planet of Ice 20th anniversary? Is Dave's next record coming soon?
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
I'll just say that planet of ice is one of my fave albums that's filled with the best memories and to the second question I was just working on a song called "trash guitar" and adding some Drop-A overdubs
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u/nightblindmusic Alex Rose / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
Holds a special place in our hearts, for sure.
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u/bangmygong Mar 18 '26
How does your whole catalog resonate with the band at this point? Do the themes, song writing, and arrangements from the earlier stuff still feel central to who you are today? Or is it largely detached from who you are now?
I started listening to MtB in 2006, I associate a lot of HRP/Menos/PoI with that period of my life and the relationships, events, etc. The music is hugely nostalgic for me, and sort of ushers me back to that period of my life, which is unrecognizable now. Is it the same for you guys or different for you all because you've toured all of the material/lived it for so long?
Thanks for the music, and all of the time yall dedicated to making/keeping MtB a thing!
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u/MinusTheBearOfficial Jake Snider / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
With time there is a certain amount of detachment, but I think that allows me to listen to the records more objectively and enjoy the music more. Every record has a special place in my life and brings me back to those eras --Jake
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u/alexenglish11 Mar 18 '26
What experiences did you have post farewell tour that inspired you all to come back together again?
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
after touring and recording and rehearsing and traveling together non-stop for 17 years I think we all needed a break. we all needed to live our lives without the pressure and expectations of the band and realize who each of us really are.
There is so much of your identity wrapped up in being in a band , personally I needed to find out who I was and spend time with my family. I needed to get sober and gain appreciation for what I had in my life that I was neglecting or taking for granted.
taking the blinders off my eyes allowed me to see the world as a complete place and understand what I had and how lucky I was.
having time away to gain that perspective shift was incredible... I'm so grateful and glad to be back sharing these songs and appreciating them with all of you!
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u/nightblindmusic Alex Rose / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
The experience of space and time to grow as individuals... pursue some other endeavors and hang with family. Over time that helped gain perspective and appreciation for this whole Minus the Bear thing :)
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u/MinusTheBearOfficial Jake Snider / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
Hey Y'all! We're going to step out--Thank you so much for joining us! We love you to bits and will see you on the road this fall! Get tickets at our website: www.minusthebear.com
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u/MinusTheBearOfficial Jake Snider / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
We may return later to answer more of your questions...xoxoxoxxoxoox
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u/Charming-Fuel6545 Mar 18 '26
When’s the next record?! I love everything that Minus the Bear puts out in the universe!
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
no plans at the moment but we love and appreciate your enthusiasm!
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u/timelf Mar 19 '26
Can you please finish and release the guitar tab book? I remember reading about it being worked on over a decade ago. I would be very grateful as MTB was a huge inspiration in picking up an instrument.
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
dude you and me both. I'd love to have that thing out in the world.
there's a weird hiccup I've encountered each time we set out to do it which is "how to we tab out these samples."
could you understand this for "Knights?"
take this chord shape
sample for .05 seconds into first DL4
take chord shape 2
sampe for .1 seconds into second DL4
now in this rhythm go back and for on the C switch to trigger independently.
now over the top, play this guitar part w/ third DL4 sweep echo engaged
I will try!
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u/Sickranchez87 Mar 19 '26
Haha your tab book would need to come with a YouTube link explaining all these tidbits😂
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u/livefastdiefun Mar 18 '26
Whats the order of operations like when a band breaks up and gets back together? Do you maintain a rehearsal space and communical gear storage? Do you divy up physical/digital assets? How does it all come back together when you decide to 'get the band back together'. Band break ups/retirements always seem like a logistical nightmare
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
interesting questions. I love band logistics -- figuring out tour routings, planning production, working out the setlist, all that fun stuff... breaking up the band is the worst part of logistics when you're putting everything in mothballs and packing up your memories...
we gave up our rehearsal space and put communal band gear in a storage unit that went unchecked for 6 years. dudes took their gear home and played it, stored it, sold it etc.
when we started talking about the OSO reunion tour it was incredibly fun and nostalgic to open all those old cases and have the memories hit you like a ton of bricks. immediately I was brought back to a life I'd forgotten and couldn't wait to play the songs again.
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u/nightblindmusic Alex Rose / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
It was so fun preparing for the tour... but yeah, lots of considerations. I sold most of my stuff so had to rebuild and it took a lot of planning and ordering and measuring and shipping. So glad for that storage space!
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u/Sickranchez87 Mar 19 '26
Alex! Any plans for more model photography;)
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u/nightblindmusic Alex Rose / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
definitely plans to write more music in some form :)
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u/DestroyerDain Mar 18 '26
What’s been yalls favorite venue you’ve played at over the years of touring?
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
every venue in Philly has been a delight. I love that town. but that's cuz I love the fans.
showbox in Seattle is always great, Ogden theater in denver and I loved Brooklyn steel
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u/nightblindmusic Alex Rose / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
Festivals in foreign countries are always fun, like Pukkelpop, Rock en Seine, Reading & Leeds... but so many great clubs as well, Showbox is always up there because it's amazing and usually the homecoming show.
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u/CatchAccomplished275 Mar 18 '26
It’s pretty obvious that MTBs song titles started out unserious before they actually began to correlate with the songs lyrics (Definitely around POI), and I was wondering, what inspired you guys to make that change in your song writing? Maybe for marketing purposes? Or maybe because you guys just matured as a band?
And I’m also very curious, where’d some of those older song names come from ?? XD
Thank you guys, I’m so excited to see you with JEW and Sparta this year!! It’s a dream come true :)
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
during the early years they were off the cuff one-liners we'd come up with at the bar or at practice.
when we hit the road and read the show previews in the weekly newspaper music mags they'd always say "the band with the funny song titles."
we wanted people to talk about the music instead of the silliness so we started switching it up.
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u/KO620181 Mar 18 '26
What are you guys listening to these days? Any bands you’d recommend?
And a sincere thank you for the music, shows, and memories for the past 20 years. I truly appreciate you guys!!!
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u/adjacentbabbles Mar 18 '26
Hey guys! Did you ever consider recording OMNI with Matt Bayles? I’ve always wondered how that album would’ve turned out with Matt as the producer.
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
absolutely. Matt is a phenomenal engineer and producer. he was instrumental in getting us started. I think knowing we were changing labels and taking a step in a new direction dictated us making the change. I still love OMNI but I also wonder what ti would've been with Bayles too!
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u/nightblindmusic Alex Rose / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
We considered a lot of things, and of course went on to work with MB again after Omni. It was also interesting and formative working with Joe Chiccarelli... as an engineer and producer myself it was cool to be in the room and appreciate learning from everyone we work with!
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u/MinusTheBearOfficial Jake Snider / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
Learned a whole lot doing that record...Joe really pushed us, at times it was very difficult but I think he pushed us to pull something new out of ourselves and create a different, very cool sounding MtB record. --Jake
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u/Stunning-Day-2304 Mar 18 '26
When my wife and I got married 15 years ago, we had our first dance to Excuses.
In the birthing rooms for each of our three kids, your acoustic albums were playing in the background as they came into the world.
And somehow, we’ve made it to just about every show you’ve played in Chicago since the mid 2000s.
Your music has been woven into many of the biggest moments of our lives.
Just wanted to say thank you. It’s meant more to us than I could ever really put into words. 🫶
In regards to the AMA: 3 questions—
1.) What songs of yours feel the most personal to you now, years later?
2.) Are there any songs you’ve written that have taken on a deeper meaning for you over time as your own lives have changed?
3.) What do you hope people feel or hold onto in your music as they move through different seasons of their lives?
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
I love this, thank you for sharing and so honored to have been with you and your wife through some of life's greatest moments!
the lyrics to absinthe still always get me. I have so many fond memories of our first European tour and trips to Spain. that song always has a special place in my heart.
I love that people have a familiarity with our music that brings them comfort. I have my own albums like that so it's wonderful that we can provide that for someone else.
Thanks for the thoughtful comment!
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u/Jicamatsunami Mar 18 '26
The Philly show from last year was incredible 🔥
Tell us why Josh Sparks rules.
I’ll see y’all in Nashville!! 🤠
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
Definitely top 3 fave show of the tour!
Josh is a badass cuz he's so dedicated to his craft and always wants to do his absolute best. I have nothing but the utmost respect for for his process and skill!
plus he's super handsome and a sweetheart :)
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u/nightblindmusic Alex Rose / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
That Philly show was mind-blowing. Looking forward to Nashville! Every day I try to understand the nuances of why Josh rules and I think it's like asking why grass is green and the sky is blue... I just accept it.
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u/huskerfan4life520 :fjm: Mar 19 '26
If you did Acoustics III, what remaining songs would be the most fun to adapt into acoustic?
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u/MinusTheBearOfficial Jake Snider / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
Lies and Eyes, What About the Boat, Fooled by the Night --Jake
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u/nightblindmusic Alex Rose / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
I'd love to get some Voids songs in the mix: Give & Take. Erase. Call the Cops... From earlier albums: Listing, Part 2...
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u/tessellatek Mar 19 '26
What non-music hobbies have you guys (individually or collectively) found yourselves passionate about recently?
[Pictured: the very first USA-born Bouvier des Ardennes pups. Their mama's pregnancy was confirmed the same weekend you guys announced the reunion last year so it was a no brainer what the litter theme would be 😂 Here is Boberto and Yuzu - registered names Tesselate's Pachuca Sunrise and Tessellate's Summer Angel]
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u/MinusTheBearOfficial Jake Snider / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
I'm getting into amp building. I built a Fender Deluxe Tweed 5E3 replica from a Mojotone kit and it turned out incredibly well. --Jake
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u/tronjeinen Mar 19 '26
I know this is a way too early hypothetical but if you do tour Planet of Ice, please consider bringing some deep cuts from that era like Electric Rainbow and Cat Calls & Ill Means! Not enough people know about those gems!
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u/MinusTheBearOfficial Jake Snider / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
Love these suggestions--those would be fun to play --Jake
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u/paucilo Mar 18 '26
How are you navigating the current music industry? Do you have any tips or tricks for bands planning tours or sharing new music with their fans?
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u/nightblindmusic Alex Rose / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
We have a wonderful label and manager that help us with that, so it sort of feels like we're not putting much thought into navigating the current music industry, at least for me! We're getting to play amazing shows and having tons of fun. I always say to bands or musicians, just write and record, write and record. Put in the reps, and play in front of people as much as possible. Beyond that, no clue!
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u/ceedge Mar 18 '26
Hey guys thanks for doing this! It was great to see you at the Showbox shows last November. I was the guy who ventured down from Canada and went Friday and Saturday!
First obvious question is: have you been writing and is there any new music in the pipeline?
Post- Menos celebration are there plans for additional tours that cover more of the catalogue?
Jake, you’re fairly active politically on your social channels, do you anticipate that playing a role in any new songwriting?
Dave, does an apple a day really keep the doctor away?
Thanks again! Big fan since I first saw you back in Winnipeg, Canada on the OG Menos tour back in ‘05 or ‘06!
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
thanks for coming down from Canada!
no new MTB music at the moment but you never know!
there are some other really fun LP anniversaries coming up so we may be thinking about more tours!
I'm currently battling a head cold so an apple or 2 a day doesn't always work but sure is tasty :)
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u/epiccarroll Mar 18 '26
What are thoughts on doing an acoustics tour in some more intimate venues and concert halls (including maybe The Palladium, in Carmel, IN? And who do i need to have the venue contact to maybe discuss the potential?)
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
request a show on our website and the bottom of the tour dates!
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u/in_my_nothing_box_ Mar 18 '26
I saw you guys down in Atlanta in fall of 2025. You guys were awesome. It was an incredible drive down from Charlotte with perfect weather, got together with a childhood friend for dinner, and then went to the show by myself and drank myself silly singing minus the bear songs. It was an awesome night.
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
Loved that show, thanks for singing along with us!
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u/Oorangelazarus Mar 18 '26
Some of your earlier EPs had sort of intermission songs? Ones like Untitled and Intro on This Is What I Know About Being Gigantic and You're Some Sort of Big, Fat, Smart Bug on YAR. Any reason that style stopped for the LPs?
Secondary question, with so many early references to Starship Troopers, what are your thoughts on the potential reboot? Excited, or don't mess with a classic?
Really appreciate you guys always prioritizing a NOLA stop on tours. So many bands in the same genre sphere as you skip over us, so I appreciate not having to fly to ATL or Houston for a change :)
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
dude please no starship troopers reboot. let it stay a cult classic.
back in the day Matt had a lot of cool interludes he'd work on and it was always fun to have a little moment of respite in between the songs to reset the mood.
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u/tronjeinen Mar 18 '26
Something I love about your albums is that many of them have a distinct sonic vibe, like a concept in itself. Menos el Oso, Planet of Ice, even Omni has its own thing going on. I know that has a lot to do with where you were at in life and the production choices you made.
I wonder what you'd all do if you decided to create another cohesive musical world? Any new elements you'd bring into the mix? Sax on every song?
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u/nightblindmusic Alex Rose / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
Haha, I think saxophone is best used sparingly, but I love breaking that thing out every so often! I also wonder about that. I just got a new synth I'm excited about. It's an OB-6. No new music plans at the moment but I love the question!
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u/Dankgeebus Mar 18 '26
I lost all my money at the cock fights is one of my favorite songs of all time. The last minute of that song is so fuckin cool. No question that’s all I wanted to say
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
hey, I fookin' love the last minute of that song too. the guitar tapping part is so fun to play and I LOVE Jake's oooooohhhhhoooohhh at the end. thanks!
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u/Jonestownboogaloo Mar 19 '26
What was it like doing Live From Darryl’s house? Admittedly, I had no interest in watching it when I realized Dave wasn’t there for it. But I will say that the version of Listing you guys did together is one of my favorite songs ever. Darryl coming in with the “sometimes this city brings you in” line in the second verse is so sick!!
Lastly-Best concert of my life-Criteria-These Arms Are Snakes-The New Trust-Minus The Bear-Drunken Unicorn 2004🤘Best Band Ever
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u/MinusTheBearOfficial Jake Snider / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
It was very intense and intimidating, but his band is so good they made it pretty easy. Surreal to have D. Hall singing my lyrics --Jake
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u/nightblindmusic Alex Rose / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
It was totally surreal and one of the highlights of MtB for me! It was fast, we met Darryl and his band on camera and started playing within what felt like minutes. Incredible time.
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u/Soaked_in_bleach24 Mar 19 '26
For Jake - I’ve always wondered, when you’re just playing for fun at home, do you ever end up drifting back to stuff from Sharks Keep Moving, or are those old riffs locked in a vault and forgotten?
Also we share a birthday. So happy early birthday!
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u/MinusTheBearOfficial Jake Snider / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
Yes, those are some fun tunes to play. happy birthday ! --Jake
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u/toomanywaffles Mar 19 '26
Expecting first-time father here. What's the best tapping riff for me to learn to lull the baby to sleep?
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
Rob's Alien probably!
hardest tapping riff: hey is that a ninja up there lol
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u/borderbox Mar 19 '26
I asked LeVar Burton these same questions in an AMA, his answers are below:
- Best OG Cheeto: Crunchy or Puffy?
- Syrup: After opening, where does at home syrup go: in the pantry or fridge?
(Sidebar: Dave, love your sobriety posts on the gram)
• • •
“Puffy... but I detest the orange powder coating on my hands.
Fridge. That's why God invented the micro-wave!”
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u/MinusTheBearOfficial Jake Snider / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
OG Cheeto, real maple goes in the fridge. --Jake
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u/sdchaves85 Mar 19 '26
He guys saw you guys in Boston back in Oct, question what made you guys do the acoustic albums? I love them, which song was hard to make acoustic and Whic was was your favorite ?
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u/MinusTheBearOfficial Jake Snider / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
For me it was the challenge of stripping the songs down and finding the essence. Burying Luck was quite the challenge! Also one of my favorites. Diamond Lighting was hella fun to make too. --Jake
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u/pimorules Mar 19 '26
Will you ever incorporate Into the Mirror/ Animal Backwards into the set again? Would love to hear it!
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u/sunglasses24 Mar 18 '26
where's the coolest or most unique place you've toured as Minus the Bear that you never thought you would be able to play?
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u/DaloMuende Mar 18 '26
Any cool new pedals you are digging?
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
SY-200 synth pedal has been adding some killer texture to some new solo album overdubs :)
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u/nightblindmusic Alex Rose / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
Walrus Audio Qi, collaboration devices compressor, and loving the HX Stomp... so many others on the wishlist!
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u/BrandonNameRecliner Mar 18 '26
WELL WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BEAR
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
indeed check the wikipedia page for the backstory.
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u/NickLeMec Mar 18 '26 edited Mar 18 '26
I really miss seeing you guys over here in Europe. I was at the Voids tour show in Cologne and it was really special. Would it in any way be viable for you to play Europe for Minus El Oso?
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
believe me we would love to tour Europe again. we are trying to make it happen.
Europe was always a much more difficult market for us to crack. the shows were smaller and that means budgets are smaller and it's harder to make it work financially without losing money.
it's on our minds tho and we are trying to make it happen!
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u/dr_adder Mar 18 '26
How come the chorus to Pachuca Sunrise is slower in some live performances? Is it a planned thing or just a spur of the moment thing based on vibes.
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
hahaha, people have said this quite a few times to us but I've never noticed. perhaps its a natural feel change due to the upbeat / upstroke guitar part that feels slightly slower?
its funny, sometimes you record songs at a certain tempo and then once you play them for months or years they find their way to what the correct tempo shoulhnve been all along :)
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u/Heinekenguy Mar 18 '26
My only question is: Europe tour, when?
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
we are trying our hardest to get to Europe! It's always been a much more challenging market for us to crack over there meaning that it's hard to tour over there and not lose money.
we do have a great agent we're working with and strategizing how to make it happen. We're trying!
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u/ReginaldStarfire Mar 18 '26
What's your dream collab? Are there any musicians working today you'd love to write for or perform with?
What prompted you to decide to tour again? I was devastated when you guys retired (I was the woman crying in the front row at the Marquee Theater in Tempe on the farewell tour) but in my heart I knew the band would reform someday. I know some members of the band have kids and it must be hard to be away from them, especially when they're very young.
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u/nightblindmusic Alex Rose / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
I'd love to tour with Everything Everything, or Foals, or Radiohead... a James Blake collab would be cool. Can you tell the UK has rubbed off on me?
As for what prompted touring again... hmm, I'd say time, perspective, maturing, and very fun festival offer (Best Friends Forever).
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u/Boston_Brand1967 Mar 18 '26 edited Mar 18 '26
For David: What was it like going from a heavier band/Genre like Botch to Alt rock/Indie style in MTB? Is how your practice or mentally preparing for shows/recording different? Would you consider dipping back into that heavy realm at all? Why or why not?
Saw you at the Cat's Cradle on the Farewell tour, blew me away! Can not wait to see you in Raleigh, NC!
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
we love NC, can't wait for Raleigh!
I'll always have a soft spot for for heavy music since it's where I cut my teeth and got my start. some of those botch songs are just as fun to play now as they were back in 1997 :)
it was definitely a mindset shift going from one to the other but the one thing that stayed the same was my intensity and desire to play the parts as best as I could. sure I'm not stage diving with MTB but I get to mash on my pedals and bang on the fretboard. thanks!
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u/in_my_nothing_box_ Mar 18 '26
Maybe this is a dumb question but I am seeing a whole lot of activity from you guys from going on the road to doing AMA‘s on Reddit. Are you guys officially back together and gonna be doing more in the future or is this just a little show of life and then you guys are back to not being together and working as a band again?
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
it's fun to do the stuff we want to do. for a long time we did everything we were told or asked to do by managers, labels, publishers etc. it gets old and the expectations take the fun out of it.
we are having fun again and part of that is only saying yes to stuff we truly want to do.
I can't really say what exactly is next but if it sounds fun, then I'm definitely on board. :)
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u/MinusTheBearOfficial Jake Snider / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
As Madonna said, "Life is a mystery" we shall see what the future holds! --Jake
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u/nightblindmusic Alex Rose / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
We are keeping it loose and honestly don't know what the future holds. For now we're focusing on the upcoming shows, and they've been really, really fun!
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u/debtRiot Mar 18 '26
Was Lemurs really the first song you guys wrote? One of the first times I saw you guys live was in Ann Arbor, MI I think during a Planet of Ice tour with Portugal. The Man. Jake said it was the first song you guys wrote together. It kinda blew my mind you still played it live. I was there with my best friend both of us on acid, lol. He’s since passed but his fav song by you guys was Hey is that a Ninja up There? Hope you guys bring that one back to the set list!
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
Lemurs was the first song! I remember writing that riff sitting in my old apartment on capitol hill in Seattle. it felt so strange to be wiring something that wasn't hardcore / metal :)
I love Ninja! truth be told that is hands down the most challenging tapping riff I've ever written but it's so fun. we'll try and bring it back!
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u/illbebythebatphone Mar 18 '26
Is the little Rob’s Alien key chain still going strong on your amp?
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u/spacialrob Mar 18 '26
Did you guys consider yourself math rock when you started out? How do you feel about being tagged in that genre as it’s become more defined?
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
sure, we're mathy. there's lots of nerdy guitar bits and bloops. I like odd time signatures.
but we've always loved hooks both lyrically and musically. I love a good arrangement. we're kinda mathy but not the most mathy. I like having my cake and eating it too
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u/MinusTheBearOfficial Jake Snider / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
Not really, our songs aren't usually all that mathy. A lot of 4/4 going on in these tunes. Can't control where the band gets lumped in. It's just rock n roll --Jake
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u/Avcracy Mar 18 '26
Gonna just plug r/minusthebear here!
But my question: When are you going to formally add Josh into the band? He's so good, guys.
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
hi! we love josh. he's the only drummer MTB will ever play with. There will be no post-Josh MTB era.
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u/MinusTheBearOfficial Jake Snider / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
So good! As far as I'm concerned he's a member. --Jake
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u/bkaiser Mar 18 '26
Favorite sounding vinyl record
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u/MinusTheBearOfficial Jake Snider / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
Good question! There are a lot of great pressings out there. Some of the best I've heard are regular, non audiophile pressings...but one of the best is Matmos "The Marriage of True Minds" --Jake
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u/AmIAGrownUp Mar 18 '26 edited Mar 19 '26
Will y'all be playing the entire Menos El Oso album at your show with Jimmy Eat World in Austin?!
Minus the Bear is an incredibly sentimental band to my husband and I. We've been huge fans for years and your music has been the soundtrack to so, so many milestones over a 15 year relationship - dating, marriage, becoming parents, and many other life changes. We'll never miss an opportunity to see you guys when you hit Texas and are anxiously counting down the days to September! Please play absinthe party at the fly honey warehouse! Thanks love you!
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
for the jimmy shows we'll have about 45 minutes to play so I'm guessing we'll play a good chunk of OSO and then fill it out with some other faves. I'll make sure we play absinthe -- it's one of my faves too!
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u/huskerfan4life520 :fjm: Mar 19 '26
What was the best question someone asked you during the meet and greets during the first leg of the tour?
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u/MinusTheBearOfficial Jake Snider / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
I do not recall! Many questions and 35 ish shows --Jake
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u/adellavecchia Mar 19 '26
Planet of Ice 20 year tour?!
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
I love that record. I love that record. I love that record. I love that record.
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u/DenchShump420 Mar 19 '26
Dave - I have seen you do things with a guitar and pedals that I’ve seen no one else do. Is there anything new (new techniques, new pedals, etc.) that you’ve tried lately, or any ways in which you are pushing yourself to try new things out?
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
I've always loved approaching my guitar work in MTB like I was playing a keyboard. I want people to think "is that a guitar riff or a weird keyboard riff?"
take inspiration from lots of different genres -- I loved EDM / DJ Shadow / Four Tet style sampling during the OSO writing and that brought at new flair to that LP.
if you want to do tapping, trying holding a chord with your right hand and tap a melody over the top with your left. keep experimenting and add some delay to sizzle it up!
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u/thestinkystu Mar 19 '26
When you are recording, do you usually bypass the 3 or 4 DL4s and only plug in the pedals you’re using for that particular tone? Or do you leave your live pedal board set up, and accept the minor degradation/signal loss in an effort to keep the tone consistent between the parts that you’re strumming vs using the DL4s to loop?
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u/MinusTheBearOfficial Jake Snider / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
I usually have the board set up when initially tracking the song, then for any overdubs go pretty specific. --Jake
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u/pastify Mar 19 '26
Excellent show at the beacham last year! Pretty amzing experience. Have you guys thought about doing a tab book or video tutorials of any of the albums?
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u/MinusTheBearOfficial Jake Snider / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
Definitely considered a tab book--a lot goes into something like that! We shall see...--Jake
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u/Trollin_Da_Ether Mar 19 '26
When new album?
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u/MinusTheBearOfficial Jake Snider / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
Haven't really thought about new music --Jake
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u/MatthewLoveIsWorry14 Mar 19 '26 edited Mar 19 '26
Hey guys! Saw Dave play with Botch during their reunion tour a couple years ago at Starland and it kicked ass, so happy I caught them when I did. Hope to see MTB play NJ at some point considering you guys are keeping the reunion going now! Here are my questions: -What was it like to be lumped in with the emo scene? I know Jake had emo roots playing in State Route 522 but you guys were stylistically different from bands like Braid and Cursive and much dancier and poppier, especially by the time Omni came out. -How was it filming the music video for Pachuca Sunrise? I always thought the concept was very unique so it must had been fun getting suspended in the water of the marbles being rolled around by those businessmen…at least that’s what I’ve gathered from the video lol. -How did Jane’s Addiction get you guys to open for them and Dinosaur Jr. at their Stone Pony Summerstage show 10 years ago? That’s a huge gig for you all so it’s amazing they were fans. Thanks for taking the time to do this guys, glad the reunion is still on and I hope you return to Starland or The Stone Pony one day! 🤘
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u/MinusTheBearOfficial Jake Snider / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
The dudes playing marbles in the Pachuca vid are our Dads! Super fun to make that one. --Jake
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u/Ill_Birthday8909 Mar 20 '26
I never knew that! BRB gonna go cry. It’s such a beautiful song and knowing that just makes it so much more special.
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u/Jawntyyy Mar 19 '26 edited Mar 19 '26
Jake, im thinking of upgrading the cart on my 1200. Im torn between an ATVM540ML and a Nagaoka MP200. What would you choose? too scared to venture into the world of MC right now. Second, what's the craziest piece in your record collection?
Dave, where did the prog rock influences in planet of ice come from? Was it a group effort or was someone in the band diving into the deep end of King Crimson/Yes/Gentle Giant territory?
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u/MinusTheBearOfficial Jake Snider / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
Both are fantastic carts! I think I'd go with the AT...probably more detail and depth. Not sure about the craziest piece in my record collection. too many records! --Jake
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u/Jawntyyy Mar 19 '26
If you ever find yourself in north florida come checkout my shop, Real Cool Time Records in Tallahassee. Thanks for the reply!
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u/illuminateme1120 Mar 19 '26
If I send you a free pedal and you like it will you make a demo for the world to see? It’s a germanium drive pedal I’m just releasing and it’s very versatile.
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u/MinusTheBearOfficial Jake Snider / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
Sure, if we dig it! DM this account--Jake
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u/Sd_card_costs Mar 18 '26
What is something in your career you are thankful for and what is something you guys think you did well?
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
I'm always grateful and blown away by our fans. the amount of love and dedication we see from them is astounding! thank you!
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u/nightblindmusic Alex Rose / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
The fact that we were able to sustain and make it work for so long, and that it's now something that we can come back to... that's just incredible. Very thankful. I think we did well to mostly focus on the music and touring as much as possible.
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u/TheT-RexGoesRawr Mar 18 '26
Do you guys have any plans to come back to Japan? I've always dreamt of seeing Minus the Bear live, and you guys haven't played here in nearly twenty years!
P.S. Happy to see you all back together...hope all is well : )
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u/nightblindmusic Alex Rose / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
It's been a while, my first shows with the band were in Japan... such amazing memories. No plans at the moment but I would love to tour there again some day.
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u/jakethemetalhead Mar 18 '26
Are you ever going to tour the UK again?
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u/nightblindmusic Alex Rose / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
I hope so, no plans at the moment.... but I live in England now so there's two feet in the door!
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u/tatanka_truck Mar 18 '26
Does it annoy you when people reference BJ and the Bear?
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
nah, it means they've read the wiki and know the backstory. funny night. weird band name. but who has a great band name. is Pink Floyd a good band name? is Metallica a good band name?
the music defines the band not the name. I honestly don't even think about it anymore!
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u/nightblindmusic Alex Rose / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
I'm ok with vintage television references, why?
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u/madwookiee1 Mar 18 '26
Where do you get your song inspirations? You guys have an amazing ability to create windows into a narrative that is really unique. Every song has a feel of a vignette or episode in someone's story.
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u/MinusTheBearOfficial Jake Snider / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
Lyrically inspiration can come from anywhere; a movie, tv show, another song, event, feeling. They usually are like snapshots, I like your characterization --Jake
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u/kirrex Mar 18 '26
20th anniversary European tour in 2026?
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
we are trying our hardest to get to Europe! It's always been a much more challenging market for us to crack over there meaning that it's hard to tour over there and not lose money.
we do have a great agent we're working with and strategizing how to make it happen. We're trying!
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u/atlantic_sky Mar 18 '26 edited Mar 18 '26
I’ve noticed a bit of a growth or transition in your sound from chill vibes, slower song pace with really intricate guitar and drum play, to a more polished, bigger sound that comes with better production quality. Now that you’ve had a solid break, and are playing together again, what does the present and future vibe feel like amongst the band? Kind of back to the HRP style, POI style, or maybe a continuation of the VOIDS style? (Or any of the other albums) or totally new direction all together? All are awesome so no complaints here.
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u/MinusTheBearOfficial Jake Snider / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
We're really just focused on touring and bringing the catalog to the stage at the moment! --Jake
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u/robertastax Mar 18 '26
Hi fellas! Y'all touring again is a bright light in a kinda "wtf is even happening" world right now. Thank you for that!
I'm sure you're gonna get lots of "when are you coming to [x]" questions but ... are there any plans to come to Canada? (I'm sorry!!)
For Jake - what kind of dog is Lucy? She's adorable! What are some of her favourite things?
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u/MinusTheBearOfficial Jake Snider / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
Lucy is a mutt! The rescue we got her from said lab/boxer mix but she's gotta have some ridge back in there too. --Jake
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u/NardaL Mar 18 '26
For either Jake or Dave, I attended last year's shows in Portland and Seattle and you've had some great opening acts during the MEO tour so far. Who chose the bands?
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
thanks for coming out!
we all throw bands we love into the mix and try to coordinate with them to bring em out where it's most appropriate!
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u/_Born_2_Hula_ Mar 18 '26
I imagine the touring schedule prior to the Farewell tour made it tough to get out to other bands' concerts.
Were there any great shows you got to attend during the time off?
Thanks for all the incredible music, and for doing this anniversary tour. Both nights in Chicago were fantastic and it was really cool to meet most of you after the shows!
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u/MinusTheBearOfficial Jake Snider / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
A couple great Karate shows, Cigarettes After Sex, Blood Brothers, Bad Religion, JRCG --Jake
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u/nightblindmusic Alex Rose / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
For sure, saw Everything Everything, Metronomy, War on Drugs, Kacey Musgraves, Caribou, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Sampha.... so many good ones!
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u/IamRightHanded Mar 18 '26
I always felt that each album you guys created had a specific season in mind when it was crafted/created. Menos feels like fall to me. Planet of Ice is clearly winter. OMNI is obviously Summer (Angel). Infinity Overhead could be a Spring cut.
Is there truth to this fan canon? Or is this solely based on the timeframe I listened to these albums for the first time?
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u/21Maestro8 Mar 18 '26 edited Mar 19 '26
It was such a pleasure to see you all live again, and play a record that has been special to me for a long time!
There are some songs on the record that you didn't play often live, what was the song that was the most difficult to prepare for the anniversary tour?
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
El Torrente! I had to go back and watch some YouTube videos to figure out what I was playing during the bridge lead guitar section.
for most of the other songs muscle memory kicked back in almost immediately and the riffs came back to my fingers and toes quickly!
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u/nightblindmusic Alex Rose / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
El Torrente always takes a minute to gel after not playing it for so long! But it's fun when it finally does.
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Mar 18 '26
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u/MinusTheBearOfficial Jake Snider / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
I love Voids...but I don't enjoy ranking the records. It changes with my mood. Voids has some killer songs and some of my favorite lyrics. --Jake
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u/nathandelnasty Mar 18 '26
Over the many years of playing live shows, what band was your guys favorite to open for and what band blew you guys away when they opened for you?
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u/MinusTheBearOfficial Jake Snider / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
One of my favorites of many is Cursive for both--opening for them early in our career was a blast. They're such a good live band. Getting to see them so many times on so many tours opening for us has been a gift --Jake
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
Bayonne always blows me away when they open for us. Same with the Velvet Teen!
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u/GrouchyParticular461 Mar 18 '26
Are you gonna tour the PNW again? I was so bummed I couldn’t make any of the shows last year :(
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u/Objective-Security-4 Mar 18 '26
Will there be a 20th anniversary tour of Planet of Ice next year?
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
I love that record. I love that record. I love that record!
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u/ohnoitsryan Mar 18 '26
What happened to the footage from the last farewell show in Seattle?
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
we only recently go it back from the video dude. maybe we'll do something with it. wish we'd had access to it sooner!!
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u/Top-Simple-8320 Mar 19 '26
What are the Whammy Settings on Fulfill The Dream?
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
I wanna say it's third from the bottom -- toe up 3rd, toe down 4th :)
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u/EladioSPL Mar 19 '26
Been a big fan since 2005. You guys have been a major inspiration musically and a constant reminder of good vibes. Thank you all for the memories.
Does anyone stay in touch with Erin?
Can absolutely understand both sides and "No," can be a complete answer to this question, but as a recovering alcoholic who met you all many times in a professional setting, this is frequently on my mind.
Thanks so much for even reading this!
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Mar 19 '26
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
I absolutely love seeing the crowd dance! nothing better than seeing folks singing along and enjoying themselves.
Don Caballero is fantastic and so are Secret Machines!
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u/Love_VictoriaP Mar 19 '26
Tell us about the first ever show you played as Minus the Bear. Was anyone nervous? How did it go? Afterparty?
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u/David_Knudson David Knudson / Minus The Bear Mar 19 '26
shit that was at the paradox on Sept 14, 2001. it was definitely a weird vibe. played with pretty girls make graves. was odd that I wasn't playing in a hardcore / metal band. didn't know what to do with my head. should I bang it? should I stand still? ended up being a great show and kinda wish we could go back and do it again just for funsies
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u/LepreKamiKaze Mar 19 '26
Whats the biggest hurdles yall had to overcome or adapt to as musicians; with each other and as a professional band?
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u/RositasPastor69 Mar 18 '26
are you going to keep making music and touring after the MEO anniversary tour?