Minus the Bear are reuniting to headline Best Friends Forever Festival, a three-day music festival in Las Vegas, Nevada, where they will perform their 2005 album, Menos el Oso, in full. The Seattle math-rock band had broken up in 2018 after feeling sated from a 17-year run. With six full-length albums and a number of EPs, Minus the Bear cultivated a devoted fanbase who turned to them for their distinct style of finger-tapping guitar work and creative use of pedals and electronics. The festival has not yet specified which of its three days—October 10, 11, and 12—the band will headline.
Additionally, Minus the Bear have also signed a new manager, Jordyn Reese of Do Better for Artists, to help steer their return. “Vision, enthusiasm and drive are the most important qualities you can find in a manager and Jordyn has been gifted all three in spades,” said guitarist Dave Knudson. “While working together on my first solo LP, I found her love of music and strategy intoxicating. Having a long history with Minus the Bear, she seemed like the perfect choice to bring ideas and energy and to our reunion.”
In a 2018 interview with Stereogum, after announcing their disbandment, Minus the Bear elaborated on their decision to call it quits at the time, citing an uptick in life events, spending time with their families, facing differing creative attitudes, and indulging the possibility of new paths. “We want to keep the band’s legacy intact and go out while we’re still doing well,” singer-guitarist Jake Snider said.
Rounding out the 2025 lineup at Best Friends Forever are Jawbreaker, Rilo Kiley, Texas Is the Reason, Pedro the Lion, Superchunk, Wednesday, Tigers Jaw, Rival Schools, and Pretty Girls Make Graves, among other artists. Special highlights include Mineral’s farewell show, Cursive playing Domestica and The Ugly Organ, Bear vs. Shark playing Terrorhawk, and a newly reunited Snowing, the cult-favorite Midwest emo band from Philadelphia.
Best Friends Forever Festival takes place at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center across three days and features two stages. Tickets for the all-ages festival are currently on sale. The inaugural edition of the festival in 2024 was headlined by Sunny Day Real Estate, Cap’n Jazz, and—after Bright Eyes had to drop out—the Blood Brothers.
