Polar Bear - May 03, 1997 - Bimbo's, San Francisco, CA
| Date: | May 03, 1997 |
| Location: | Bimbo's, San Francisco, CA |
| Recorded: | No known recording |
| Status: | Confirmed |
| Type: | Concert |
| Lineup: | Eric Avery Harold "Biff Barefoot" Sanders III Thomas Von Wendt |
| Artwork: |
Show Information:
Billed as a Man's Ruin Record's Showcase concert. Fu Manchu, Mover, Gifthorse and Speedbuggy also performed.
4/15/1997
Ex-Jane's Addiction Member Co-Leads Polar Bear
Cover art from first Polar Bear EP was designed by Frank Kozik.
Addicted To Noise staff writer Chris Nelson reports:
Polar Bear, the project conceived by former Jane's
Addiction bass player Eric Avery and one time Ethyl Meatplow drummer and sampler Biff Sanders, will release a five song CD EP next month. To ensure their lineup is not completely rhythm heavy, Avery and Sanders have added one Thomas Von Wendt to their ranks on guitar. The group's eponymous EP will be issued on the Dry Hump label.
While Polar Bear is the band's first release to garner attention, Avery and Sanders have actually been working together quietly for two years. The group made its debut on an instrumental 12-inch single for Man's Ruin Records (the label operated by poster artist and ATN graphics contributor Frank Kozik).
A combination of psychedelic and Middle Eastern ingredients sets the tone of new EP. Even with the addition of Von Wendt, Polar Bear's sound is very rhythm centric. On top of the guitar, exotic elements, and Avery's overarching bass, Sanders lays on weighty percussion, comprised largely of sampled and synthetic beats.
When Jane's Addiction disbanded following the first Lollapalooza tour, Avery and Jane's guitarist Dave Navarro formed Deconstruction. That band released a single self-titled LP before Navarro left for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Sanders came to Polar Bear on the heels of Ethyl Meatplow's first album, Happy Days, Sweetheart. The group disbanded when singer Carla Bozulich began fronting the Geraldine Fibbers.
While Polar Bear's lineage is likely the band's biggest selling point, Averyand Sanders have shied away from trading on their past affiliations. Thus far they've played out only in small venues without mentioning the band's membership. They're currently slated to play a party for Man's Ruin next month in San Francisco, after which they'll do dates in the Los Angeles area.