I Must Dance Alone at TT The Bear’s

I first got to know about MiniBoone when I reviewed their debut EP Big Changes for DecoyMusic.com. They quickly became one of my favorite bands that I discovered this year and I’ve been spinning tracks like “Summer Jam” and “Rosalina Must Dance Alone” endlessly. The first time they came to town earlier this year, I was sick and, despite my best efforts, I couldn’t make it out to see them. I made sure that I dragged myself to the show on Sunday, July 11, 2010 despite an exceptionally raucous weekend. Let’s just say if you ever think about taking a last minute trip to New York City and the thought crosses your mind that “this is probably a bad idea”, go with that instinct.

I Have Ears opened for MiniBoone [weird phrase] and presented themselves as a very solid rock band. I had not previously heard of them but they reminded me of a light/American version of Arctic Monkeys. They played a set of short, catchy rock songs with adequate precision. I was most impressed by their lead guitarist who got some great sounds out of his guitar. The song that stuck out most was a twangy mid-paced tune that captured my attention from start to finish. I will definitely have my eyes open for them in the future [see what I did there?]. Listen to their latest EP, the ever-changing osom demo, with the player below and visit their bandcamp page to hear all their music.



MiniBoone opened with “Funny Money” which, despite being the last track on their EP, served as the perfect way to kick off the show. The song had a slow build that ended in a thunderous celebration. Fun and energy are two words that I don’t think you could avoid using when reviewing a MiniBoone show. Every member was contributing vocals, playing their heart out, and flailing about on stage. It was entertainment at it’s best. They even kept things interesting with a long, funky cover of James Brown’s “Living in America.

“Cool Kids Cut Out of the Heart Itself” was a definitely standout with the singer screaming the rapid verses and choruses as if he was about to explode. I always appreciate when a band pours that much emotion into a performance and the rest of the audience did as well, giving them a warm applause after every song. “Rosalina Must Dance Alone”, my personal favorite of theirs, started with a melodica and displayed their penchant for creative and diverse songwriting. The set ended with “Devil in Your Eyes” and some jammy noise; a fitting end to an enjoyable set. MiniBoone put on one of the best performances for an up-and-coming group that I saw this year and I highly recommend checking them out if you get a chance. You can listen to Big Changes with the player below and also check out my review.