CMW 2012: Bear Hands @ Sneaky Dee's by Cody McGraw

FRIDAY: I have a (completely justified) problem: I'm pretty closed to non-Canadian bands – which is why no one told me Bear Hands is from Brooklyn. There I was expecting to see this homegrown talent before being told I was just busted supporting a band outside my comfort zone. And did I ever. Bear Hands dominated the packed house at Sneaky Dee's with their pitch perfect garage rock and sweat-inducing tracks off Burning Bush Supper Club.

Dylan Rau, Ted Feldman, Val Loper and TJ Orscher were a complete whirlwind of energy on the small stage, ripping dance-friendly rock through the crowd like a bull with roid rage. And the crowd loved it. They were going crazy; my body became damp with other peoples' sweat as I shared their utter delight. To say Bear Hands is a well-seasoned rock band is a complete understatement – they're more like a well-oiled musical robot sent to this city to remind us Americans know how to rock too.

MP3: "High Society" by Bear Hands

Find all our coverage of Canadian Music Week 2012 here

Photos by Adam Bunch

Cody McGraw is many things but the thing you can actually call him to his face is the Managing Editor of The Little Red Umbrella. See more posts from him here or follow him on Twitter (@cody_mcgraw).