Minus the Bear + The Coathangers

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (April 28, 2018) – Tonight, Minus The Bear fans gathered outside The Electric Factory, in Philadelphia, PA, in the rain, eagerly waiting to celebrate 10 years of the Seattle band’s third full-length album, Planet of Ice. Joining them on tour are their labelmates, The Coathangers, a three-piece punk band out of Atlanta, GA.

*© Splice Magazine – Kristen Derr. Please do not alter images.*

The Coathangers began 13 years ago as four friends with the modest aspiration of simply playing house shows, but quickly gained popularity in the local scene, and were soon touring and headlining their own shows. The current lineup includes singer/guitarist Julia Kugel, aka Crook Kid Coathanger, bassist Meredith Franco, aka Minnie Coathanger, and singer/drummer Stephanie Luke aka Rusty Coathanger.

The Coathangers delivered a 45-minute set of strong and assertive punk rock, barely pausing in between songs except to switch instruments for the last few songs of the set. This was my first experience seeing The Coathangers’ powerful live set, and it’s clear to me why this band grew in popularity so quickly.

Continuing The Coathangers’ energy, Seattle indie-rockers Minus The Bear took the stage. Minus The Bear, consisting of singer/guitarist Jake Snider, guitarist Dave Knudson, bassist Cory Murchy, and keyboardist Alex Rose, have been on tour since April 20th, celebrating their 2007 record Planet of Ice. They are joined on tour by touring drummer, Joshua Sparks.

Planet of Ice wasn’t the only thing they were celebrating. After playing the album from start to finish, Snider announced that yesterday was Rose’s birthday! The crowd responded by cheering and spontaneously singing “Happy Birthday”. But the celebration did not end there. The band went on to play a long list of old and new tracks, including “Burying Luck”, “Ice Monster”, “Knights”, “White Mystery”, “Dr. L’Ling”, “Part 2”, “Throwin’ Shapes”, “When We Escape”, “Double Vision Quest”, “Lotus”, “Hooray”, “Last Kiss”, “Women We Haven’t Met Yet”, “Michio’s Death Drive”, “Secret Country”, “Hold Me Down”, and “Dayglow Vista Rd.”

After briefly leaving the stage, they wrapped up the evening with an encore of “Invisible”, “Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse”, and “Pachuca Sunrise”.

You can catch Minus The Bear on tour with The Coathangers until May 30th. The Planet of Ice Tour then continues until June 13th, with support from The New Trust.