It’s difficult to find a special band these days. With the ability to record decent quality music more readily available than ever before the market is flooded with bands trying to carve a niche for themselves. This is the double-edged sword of the current music scene: You have artists with the capability of being completely and totally in charge of making and distributing their product but there are just too many bands (not that that’s a bad thing). But every now and then a band comes up that brings something special to the table that you can’t describe or fully understand why it reaches you the way it does but it grabs hold and doesn’t let go. I would describe The Bunny The Bear as such an outfit. Though I’m sure not everyone agrees, everyone has an opinion and their own particular tastes of course, but they are band that kinda struck me as soon as they came into my radar. Their mix of electronic, post-hardcore experimentation of the Buffalo, NY group has definitely made for itself a place in my heart and recently, I was fortunate enough to attend one of their performances.
After a number of opening acts – that included an acoustic solo set by The Bunny The Bear bassist Kyle Colby – the audience went into a frenzy as The Bunny The Bear hit the stage to deliver an emotive set of their particular brand of synthcore. The band gave a performance that one would think was their last, the natural performers giving every fiber of their being to the crowd via the ethereal soundscapes intertwined with abrasive guitars and thundering drums that is The Bunny The Bear’s music. Bandleader Matt “The Bunny” Tybor, clean vocalist Haley “The Bear 4.0” Roback, guitarists Joe Mosey and Nathan Blasdell, bassist Kyle Colby, and drummer Matt Trozzi held nothing back.
Tybor dominated the stage with powerful screams that served as an incredible contrast to the angelic vocals by the newly inducted Roback, who was only announced a member this past February. I must say, I know that “The Bear” was previously a male singer and while these prior incarnations were good, her voice really brings a new element to the music, adding more depth to the emotion conveyed aural soundscapes. I certainly hope she’s here to stay because I’d love to hear how they sound together on record. The frontman and frontwoman of the band certainly sport the title with the incredible presence they brought along with their amazing performance. Blasdell and Mosey were energetic to no end. They displayed a natural chemistry with one another as co-guitarists and interacted with the audience like natural performers. Colby seemed more comfortable keeping to himself, at least from my point of view, but that did not stop him from jamming and banging his head to the beat, occasionally moving around for some interaction. Despite the confines of his drum set, Trozzi gave every bit as much as everyone else, spinning his drum sticks for a little flair when he wasn’t busy pummeling the kit. This group of musicians melds very well together, giving the band’s music life not only through their instruments but also with the phenomenal, energetic performance on the stage.
The band focused mainly on their latest effort Food Chain but also included material from their prior releases. Among the tracks performed were “Aisle”, “It’s A Long Way From The Esophagus To The Ovaries”, and “So Smooth, So Appealing”, I’d name more but I’m still a newer fan and though I’m a lot more familiar with the band now that I’ve given multiple spins to their records, it’s been a couple of weeks and can’t recall the specific song. What I do know is that The Bunny The Bear has won me over with their infectious brand of synth-infused hardcore. When I initially listened to them I wasn’t sure what it was that was assaulting my ears but I liked it and it’s grown on me a hell of a lot more after being fortunate enough to see the band live. They are easily one of my favorite new bands and I highly recommend you check out any of their albums. Great music, great performance, great band! Period. Their latest, last year’s Food Chain, is out through Victory Records, you can get it and more here.
