boy and bear

It's days like today which are living evidence of perfection. Ok, so the weather was at times rotten, but you can't have everything.

Sunday started slowly with a gentle amble to Newtown Festival, where we ate our way through the festival, and retired to a friends' courtyard for sangria. To a soundtrack of Gotye, we relaxed in the humidity discussing the merits of Britney Spears lip-syncing being front page news. Our sleepy idyll was interrupted when an insane German friend of friend burst into the house wielding a knife in one hand slashing the air with a cake in the other, imploring us to join her in dessert, simultaneously swearing at us in a combination of German and English....

Deciding that it was a case of "I don't want what she's having", we passed up the chocolate fudge and marijuana rippled cake pleading the need to drive as justification for our passing up sweet treats.

Escaping her slightly psychotic clutches, we found a quieter spot in Surry Hills. Over gin and tonic, I swapped A and T for Lisa and we popped across to Low 302 for some Sunday evening music.

Low 302 is a brilliant little venue- devoid of pretension, but still in the heart of Crown St. It was quite an amazing feeling to have bar staff actually smile genuinely at you as you enter and order drinks. And with a food and cocktail menu to match this vibe, the venue is certainly a winner.

However everything that had passed throughout the day was eclipsed by the band we saw. Up and coming Sydney group Boy and Bear performed an acoustic set complete with utterly spine-tingling harmonies and guitar interplay.

My oft-maligned verbosity lacks the necessary adjectives to provide sufficient description of this band. They are, quite simply, superb.


The standout moment was most certainly an acoustic re-interpretation of the buzz single which has the indie music world rhapsodic, Mexican Mavis.

An extended stripped-back introduction is almost unrecognisable, with the first few minutes of the song featuring perfect vocal harmony delicately balanced over the bare bones and chordal progressions of the original melody.

Finally, after a tense beginning, we are delivered the track we have come to know and love by virtue of its adoption and high rotation on Triple J.

Quite seriously, this band is incredible. They are delightfully charming and interactive with the audience, making us feel included rather than extraneous observers.

I am torn in advocating everyone see them, as I would almost like to keep them as my own little secret. In just weeks, it will be impossible to see them in a delightful wine bar with twenty other like minded folk...

So, I am resigning myself to join the masses, and follow their gigs across Sydney in order to get the maximum possible fix of Boy and Bear. They are my musical therapy...

www.myspace.com/boyandbearmusic

www.triplejunearthed.com/boyandbear


PS.
Just putting a little bear-themed request into the cyberspace atmosphere...
Please, please pretty please can we be successful in booking Grizzly Bear tickets tomorrow... Grizzly Bear, Middle East, Becks Bar.

Please cyberspace gods? Here is an offering.. of a bear...