Concert Review: Bear’s Den Make You Feel Hope At Bowery Ballroom
“You’ll always be the love of my life”. That lyric had me publicly teary-eyed, but when you hear Andrew Davie sing it in repetition for “Roses On The Breeze”, you too will subtly cry for joy. Bear’s Den captured hope like she was a runway angel, last night, at Bowery Ballroom.
At first, the concert felt like an introduction to Rambo. Blazing, championship music coursed through the head-speakers making me sincerely believe I had confused Bowery for a boxing match. Yet, the bigness of this music helped introduce the grandness of Bear’s Den. They opened the concert with “Red Earth & Pouring Rain”, which drew up visions of 80’s romance films; where the young man, sick with puppy-love, would grab his boombox and play songs exactly like this one to woo his potential lover. The song was beautiful and set the perfect tone for the stunning night. Bear’s Den is folk rock music, with a surprising amount 80’s inspired sonics that really showed throughout the show. Yet, it was the expansiveness of their lyrics and rhythms that caught me off guard. Bear’s Den has managed to blend Bob Dylan’s complex arrangements with The Beatles own penchant for a simple chord. While on record their songs feel like diamond cut-outs made to please your ears, in concert, those diamonds truly shine for their depth and hopefulness.
Bear’s Den create songs that are balanced in how they can muster an intense sense of joy, sadness, or thoughtfulness over a winding guitar riff. These men know how to make an instrument cry with sentiment to the point that the audience was hushed. I have never been to a concert where people quieted themselves to absorb every note Andrew Davie sang like it was the last bit of water on earth. When he sings you hear heartbeats fluttering, and in “Don’t Let The Sun Steal You Away”, I was shocked to experience a concert hall fully self-silenced, with only the creaks of the building daring to make a sound. Yet, that is the power of Bear’s Den as artists and a show; they make you want to be still, for once. Often, we find ourselves in constant motion, but their music is so moving, in itself, that you want to stay still so that you can witness where it goes. From “Stubborn Beast” to “Love Can’t Stand Alone” they hold down every thought and feeling of a human being trying to decipher how to express their inner selves. Lyrically, Bear’s Den writes music that aims for the nuances of being a sentient person in a world that is not keen on people being too open with their emotions. Yet, Bear’s Den creates a clear music space, where red and blue strobes pulse over them, as they display that your life is something worth feeling.
I would highly recommend Bear’s Den as a concert, especially, during the work week. I know that is a strange recommendation, but most of us are working more in the week then celebrating “free time”. Yet, Bear’s Den give a concert to make you feel free, and their songs are so easy to the soul and ears that you realize music as a holistic alternative. When you come in tired from work, from over-thinking that you did not make yourself clear to someone, or just feeling like you are not making the right choices for yourself, you need a good show to rejuvenate you, and Bear’s Den gives it. From jumping to play in the crowd for “Gabriel” to covering songs from the legends Simon &Garfunkel, how can you not become uplifted in their concert? For More Information On Bear’s Den Click Here.
