Bear’s Den wakes Minnesota from Hibernation at the Fine Line

With a name like Bear’s Den and hailing from the temperate climate of the British Isles one would expect a band to avoid touring the north of the country in the winter but somehow, they crossed the frozen desert of South Dakota to play the Fine Line yesterday. The duo of Andrew Davie and Kevin Jones released their second album “Red Earth & Pouring Rain” last July and their lasted single “Berlin” in December.

Andrew Davie came on stage to introduce opener Gill Landry (a nice touch that I think more bands should do). The Louisiana singer/songwriter took the stage by himself armed with a guitar and harmonica. Several of his songs were inspired by hitchhikers he had picked up. His songs were interesting, required listeners to pay attention, and got a bit lost among the chatty audience in the back of the Fine Line (their loss). I for one enjoyed them and added a few to my playlist.

In a bit of a mind twist Bear’s Den used the theme from Terminator 2 (could have been the original) as an intro music. I am happy to report that despite that, there was nothing robotic about their performance. Touring as a six-piece band I found their sound to be rich and very melodic. Fans were clearly into it. “I agree with that guy” Davie quipped to a particularly loud cheer. Bear’s Den is not afraid to push the envelope with their performances. “Stubborn Beast” is and old song that they had a hard time figuring out how to play live. “Don’t Let the Sun Steal You Away” was performed acoustic with no microphones or amps. A hushed silence settled over the crowd to listen and a couple of women coming down the stairs from the balcony made a visible effort to do so quietly.
On this tour, Bear’s Den challenged fans to come up with one song for the band to cover that would showcase the city they are playing in. Yesterday the purple one was chosen and Bear’s Den cover or “Nothing Compares 2 U” was nicely done. “Gabriel” was again performed acoustic but this time the band moved into the crowd. This was my first time seeing Bear’s Den live and I quite liked their set.

Set List: Red Earth & Pouring Rain / Emeralds / Elysium / Greenwoods Bethlehem / Stubborn Beast / Isaac / Don’t Let the Sun Steal You Away (acoustic) / The Love We Stole / Roses On a Breeze / Love can’t stand alone / DOTV / When You Break / Auld Wives / Above the Clouds of Pompeii Encore: Nap / Gabriel (acoustic in the crowd) / Nothing Compares 2 U (cover) / Agape