With the cover art pattern used on their seminal debut LP, "Highly Refined Pirates," as their backdrop, and a light show on acid, Seattle's Minus the Bear thrilled a packed house at Ace of Spades on Monday night. The band is wrapping up their 10 Year Anniversary Tour, celebrating a decade of music and performing “Pirates,” released in 2002, in its entirety. The popular math-rockers put on a tremendous performance for a very jazzed audience. Featuring guitarist Dave Knudson's signature complex finger-tapping guitar work - used on every song on “Pirates,” the band combined powerhouse indie band swagger with down-to-earth Northwestern charm. Songs like "Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Wa

I don't claim to be a math genius of any kind. I'm terrible at math. So, when my editor handed me the story of a math rock show, I was understandably apprehensive. Not knowing what to expect, I slipped my calculator in my back pocket, grabbed my notepad and headed out the door to The Lion's Den on Wednesday. Math rock is characterized as erratic and unpredictable. According to Wright, several genres are merged to create math rock: punk, blues, jazz, funk and heavy metal to name a few. The traditional rock rhythm of 4/4 is thrown out the window. Imagine hearing what is traditionally only the guitar solo, all the time. Guitarists work the fret board with insane finger dexterity to create co