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R.E.M.'s Peter Buck with The Minus 5 at Bumbershoot
During festival season it’s often easiest to focus on the new, young artists emerging onto the scene, but The Minus 5 put forward a strong case for the old music professionals on Bumbershoot’s Starbucks Stage this Labor Day. The brainchild of occasional R.E.M. instrumentalist Scott McCaughey, the band also features R.E.M.’s Peter Buck, various members of The Posies, and anyone else who McCaughey can rope into musical duty. In the past this has included Wilco and Colin Meloy from The Decemberists, but the list could go on for pages.
Today we’re just treated to a simple five-piece, but with McCaughey leading the charge and Buck backing him up on bass guitar nothing is ever truly simple. The heavens open shortly before the band take to the stage, delaying their start by a few minutes, but the gathered masses hold their ground against the meteorological onslaught. It’s not every day that you get to see a guitar legend this close-up, after all.
The Minus 5 don’t disappoint, treating us to a rather bizarre three-act set that fizzes with energy and an obvious love for what they do. The show opens with a handful of baseball-themed songs, before they launch into a selection of tracks from their latest LP, Killingsworth. It’s the show’s final section that provides the biggest surprise, however, as they lay down their folksy tunes and pound the Seattle weather into submission with a selection of up-tempo rock and punk tunes, including a fiery cover of The Sonics’ ‘Strychnine’.
They may be comprised of Scott McCaughey’s entourage of hardened musicians, but today The Minus 5 proved that they could rock out like any young band of upstarts. If they were just starting out in their careers, their witty songs about perfect seasons and untrustworthy lawyers would see them branded as something highly original and groundbreaking. As it is, this is one group of musicians who know how to bring their lifelong party to the stage.
For more info:
Bumbershoot review: Modest Mouse
Bumbershoot review: Franz Ferdinand
Bumbershoot review: Old 97's and Sheryl Crow
More Bumbershoot coverage on Examiner.com
Official The Minus 5 website
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