Before I start, I should clarify: I did not draw blood then decide to go to the Bear Hands concert. I also didn’t decide that the perfect day to draw three vials of blood would be the day of the concert. It kinda just, happened — mutually exclusive events, but nevertheless forces acting upon one another. Anyway . . .
If you’re unfamiliar with the band Bear Hands, they’re an American post-punk indie rock band founded in NYC and fueled by the dreams of music making. The band made a name for themselves by starting off playing at hole-in-the-wall bars and small venues, to eventually touring with highly acclaimed bands such as Walk The Moon, Twenty One Pilots, and Cage the Elephant. Together, Dylan Rau (vocals/guitar), Val Loper (bass), and TJ Orscher (drums) work together to produce the beautiful sounds you hear in their music.
photographer: @filmbymacy
They recently headlined at the beautiful Strummers venue in Fresno, California. Strummers is a medium-sized bar located in the heart of downtown Fresno, amidst the art and culture of the city’s historic past. Strummers has been home to many up and coming artists, such as In The Valley Below, Cherry Glazerr, and Lil Peep. With its sticker-covered bathroom walls and a very personal proximity between artist and crowd, there was no better location for Bear Hands to perform that Tuesday night. At one point, the band made a remark about how much they loved coming back to Fresno to do shows, and credited the “energy” in the town, while the audience screamed in admiration. It’s a beautiful thing to witness such an intimate relationship between performer and audience.
The opening artist J.D (@thejdgarza on Instagram) was a solid treat. J.D is a gay Hispanic artist who performed songs about love, rejection, and, my personal favorite, “falling in love with a straight boy.” J.D was comical, optimistic, and did an amazing job interacting with the audience. I am more than excited to see him grow as an artist.
While Bear Hands was setting up their equipment, the second mysterious guitarist, who even after extensive research, I could not get the name of, came out, grabbed his guitar, stared into the audience, and let out a shy smile. I could tell by the gleam in his eyes that his dreams were coming true. It was a beautiful moment compressed to seconds, but an inspiring moment to all aspiring creatives: dreams can become reality. That moment will sit with me for ages.
The band came out, and let me tell you: WOW. First of all, boys in bands are hot. I’d let any boy in a band cuff INSTANTLY (unrelated to Bear Hands. Unless they want it to be, then, like, hey!). Jokes aside, the band did an amazing job and put on a SHOW. The lightheadedness I was feeling on account of missing three vials of blood was forgotten, and I was completely enthralled. I could feel the energy pouring out from every single member during their set, and could instantly sense their hard work and dedication as a group.
For their song “Blue Lips” they brought out Ursula Rose, and her presence paired with Rau’s put me under a cosmic gaze while standing in the crowd. It was a beautiful display of emotions, and I truly felt every single word, chord, and note as it was being released into the air of the audience. Their performance of the song “2am” was stellar, and I was belting out the lyrics with the very nice girls I made friends with next to me who didn’t judge my “extra”-ness. They’re right: nothing good happens past 2am . . .
photographer: @filmbymacy
The showed ended, and the drummer threw his drumsticks into the audience. They came back a couple minutes after for an “encore,” but to be honest I think they just forgot they had another hour to perform. I made the comment: “If the drummer gonna play the drums, doesn’t he need the sticks?” The girls that I made friends with next to me laughed — a win for me, I’d say. At this point, I was kind of confused on what was happening, but it wasn’t bad. They played two more songs — one was a cover — and then the show was over. Overall, it was a dope concert, and the band members did their absolute best to put on a show for their crowd.
Bear Hands has a new album called “Fake Tunes” coming out May 10th, and it is available for pre-order on iTunes and their website.
Article by Sunny Sangha