Bear Hands: Concert Review and Photos

As label mates of MGMT and a band known to bring similar dance groves to the packed venues around the East Coast, Bear Hands has been getting a ton of buzz in the New York music scene. They’ve been around for about five years and still not that much love from Los Angeles.

Fortunately,  I was lucky enough to catch the trio’s first performance in the LA area at local favorite Spaceland before they would rock the Troubadour the next evening. It was apreview of things to come.

When the four piece came on stage there was a bit of anticipation in the crowd. I took a peek at the setlist which started with “Slow.”A fitting title because the song indeed achieved its namesake. It was a little something to set the mood, something to prepare the masses (which was mostly filled with punkers for the next group) and something to get the crowd moving – to get the crowd moving in a slow sultry way, the only way to move with the swaying synths.

Everything about Bear Hands just screamed sexy. “Get a Grip” highlighted funky vocals displayed by Dylan Rau to the drug-like wails of Ted Feldman which created a dreamy daze. Not everyone was into the sexiness and some mumbling about them being too mellow for those naysayers. “Can’t Stick Em” brought the house down. It may have started out with faint guitars but it turned into a kick drum tyraid complete with over-driven bass. Rau went from singing to shouting “Go Home” at the top of his lungs.

Perhaps those initial naysayers should have just gone home but they all obviously wanted more once the set ended. A band that successfully takes you in and out of lush haze with vivid shoegaze mixed in is the perfect mix for any indie dance party. Check some of the photos out from the show below!

Photography by Carl Pocket