Minus the Bear kick off loonngg tour with some subtle sounds

By Alex Young on October 8th, 2008

For all the chaos that comes with touring, Minus the Bear sure all foreshadowing it in its new release. Ahead of the band’s two month North American tour, which kicks off later in Spokane, Washington and will see the band stop nearly everywhere before arriving back home in Seattle at the end of November, the indie favorites have unveiled a collection offering some rather stripped down renditions of many old favorites.

As indicated in its titled, Acoustics will offer unplugged versions of seven songs, most taken from last year’s Planet of Ice. Rounding out the bunch are “We Are Not a Football Team” from Highly Refined Pirates, “Pachuca Sunri” from Menos El Oso, and “Guns & Ammo”, the EP’s lone new track, which is currently available as a stream courtesy of the fine folks at Spin. Acoustics as a whole is currently available as a digitial download, while physical versions will be up for grabs at upcoming shows. Of course, if you’re a fan of the band and/or the always unique Daytrotter Sessions, you would know this is not the first time Minus the Bear has dabbled on the acoustic side of things.

Getting back to the tour, as mentioned, it kicks off later today, and will see the band essentially take a giant loop across the country. Annuals, who have their own new release today, have been tapped for support.

Acoustics EP Tracklist:
01. Guns & Ammo
02. We Are Not a Football Team
03. Burying Luck
04. Knights
05. Pachuca Sunrise
06. Throwin’ Shapes
07. Ice Monster

Minus The Bear 2008 Tour Dates:
10/08 - Spokane, WA @ Service Station *
10/09 - Missoula, MT @ The Other Side *
10/10 - Casper, WY @ American Legion Hall *
10/11 - Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre *
10/12 - Omaha, NE @ Slowdown *
10/13 - Iowa City, IA @ The Picador *
10/15 - Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theatre *
10/16 - Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom *
10/17 - Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre *
10/18 - Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall *
10/19 - Detroit, MI @ The Majestic *
10/20 - Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
10/21 - Boston, MA @ Wilbur Theatre *
10/22 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club *
10/23 - Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts *
10/24 - Providence, RI @ Lupo’s *
10/25 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall *
10/26 - Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom *
10/28 - Richmond, VA @ The National *
10/29 - Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theatre *
10/30 - Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel *
10/31 - Knoxville, TN @ Bijou Theatre *
11/01 - Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse *
11/02 - Gainesville, FL @ Rion Ballroom *
11/03 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution *
11/04 - Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues *
11/05 - Jacksonville, FL @ Freebird Live *
11/07 - New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues *
11/08 - Houston, TX @ House of Blues *
11/10 - Austin, TX @ Fun Fun Fun Fest
11/12 - Santa Fe, NM @ Warehouse 21 *
11/13 - Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee *
11/14 - San Diego, CA @ SOMA San Diego *
11/15 - Pomona, CA @ Glass House *
11/16 - Los Angeles, CA @ Music Box *
11/18 - Sacramento, CA @ Empire Events Center *
11/19 - San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo’s 365 Club *
11/20 - Palo Alto, CA @ Stanford University
11/21 - Portland, OR @ Lewis & Clark College
11/22 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox at the Market *