Local Chicago band, The Fresh Bears, rock out at SubT
The one thing about the local music scene in Chicago is that there's a lot of unseen talent that, unfortunately, goes very unnoticed. This year, it was a goal of mine to really find more local bands to see what diamonds I would be able to find. The Fresh Bears was a little different because I didn't actually find them.. they found me through a mutual friend - whose spot I ended up stealing this night (SORRY Mayzie!!!). Anyway, they very quickly got my attention with their "POVERTY SOUL" album - with songs like "WHERE WIND BLOWS" and their title-track "POVERTY SOUL."
The band has a great sound, both live and in their recorded work. They honestly give me a similar sound to bands like Royal Blood and The Blue Stones, which are two phenomenal bands (and some of my favorite, newer rock bands).
Tonight, The Fresh Bears were opening for Jettee (and Tuff Sudz). To say that they were showstoppingly good would be an understatement. They came out lightning fast and with a bang. I was only disappointed that they weren't on any longer... Honestly, I wasn't even fully prepared for them to start; I saw the band hit the stage and before I could prep any settings, or even take off my jacket, they were ON! The Fresh Bears have a lot of serious potential and are a band that everyone should have their eyes on. I wouldn't be surprised if they went on tour, opening for some bigger names. With one of their recent hit releases, "Chemical Sweet," they prove that they have what it takes to take their innovative sound to another level - with its deeper, darker, and more melodic sound.
On that note, the band did just release another song, "Tears Me Apart," which has a much different sound from their other, recent release - only adding to their ever-growing catalog of songs and sounds. You'll have to listen to it for yourselves, but the song is an incredibly emotional-provoking song that seemingly has more of a that indie/rock - indie/pop sound. It's actually a perfect transitional song for "POVERTY SOUL" and "SUNLIGHT." (By the way, Mayzie shot the cover art for "Tears Me Apart" and she completely absolutely killed it.)
I'm incredibly grateful to have been in attendance and to be able to support this absolute unit of a band. After having listened to their full catalog, I cannot wait to see what all The Fresh Bears have in store. Their journey is not something you want to miss, so hop aboard the train and invest early into these guys and go catch their next show (which is currently set to be May 14, 2026 at SubT).
