polarbear - oldnews

(9/18/06) Eric with Venice Underground (video)
Added the "Insane Toy Symphony" video to the videos section of the Polarbear myspace. (I also put it on YouTube [below] for the non-myspace folks.) Check it out. It's Eric Avery with Peter DiStefano and (correction) not Kevin Haskins. Very cool little song, with some nice studio footage of the guys. It was released on the self-titled Venice Underground album in 2000. You can get it as a regular CD, six channel 5.1 surround sound DVD, or DualDisc version that came out last year. Venice Underground is also on myspace if you'd like to check out more from this project lead by Peter DiStefano. 

(9/12/06) Some new (old) pictures
Big thanks to Dani Tull for sending me a few of the band's unused promo pictures from '98. Click here for them.

Also, the Spirit Girls are on MySpace now. Dani has been playing guitar in this project that also includes Marnie Weber (keyboards, vocals), Tamara Sussman (bass, backing vocals), Debbie Spinelli (drums), and Tanya Haden (cello, backing vocals). Expect an album out soon.

(8/29/06) Biff update
Biff Sanders tells us what he's been up to lately, namely the TV shows he's been doing the music for:

Thanks for the myspace deal. Busy finishing another season of Project Runway for Bravo, and just finished the NBC show, Treasure Hunters. A second season of Top Chef will be on this fall and may also do another season of Real Housewives of Orange County. I seem to be Bravo's "favority son." Maven may play some gigs this fall although I'm focused on the reality TV world through the fall. Biff

(8/22/06) Eric update + Polar Bear on MySpace
My apologies for the last update where I initially jumped the gun declaring Eric the new bassist for the Smashing Pumpkins. His involvement turned out to be fleeting, and they've now pretty much stopped working together.

Eric is currently hard at work mixing his record. So it shouldn't be much longer. In addition, he still plans to offer everything from Polar Bear's catalog soon on various download sites, including some totally unreleased songs. So while we most likely won't be seeing Eric up on stage alongside Billy playing to a packed stadium, us fans of his have plenty to look forward to in the near future.

Oh, and since every band and their side project has a MySpace now, I went ahead and made one for Polar Bear. So if you're amongst the addicted, feel free to send a friend request. I'll try to rotate the songs from time to time, mixing in some rare tracks, plus I'll send out bulletins when I get news related to Eric and the guys. The URL is http://www.myspace.com/polarbearaudio

(5/30/06) Big Eric Avery news
Read for yourself this excerpt from an email reply Eric was nice enough to send my way:

i am slowly closing in on a finish line with a few songs. should  
be done in a couple of weeks. i will absolutely keep you abreast of  
anything i do. ive been distracted by a real job. i noticed they were  
in your list of bands at your myspace site. it looks like i will be  
working with the smashing pumpkins.

Nice! Finally some new songs from Eric on the horizon, plus a huge gig joining one of the most popular bands of the past 15 years for their triumphant comeback. The Smashing Pumpkins.
I'll be sure to post when I get more info to share on either of these fronts.
Update: to clarify, the guys have been playing together for a couple months now, on the downlow, feeling things out and seeing how they worked together. All parties were into it and just recently made things official.
Update 2: maybe I assumed too much when I implied Eric was now a full-fledged member of the Pumpkins. I guess we'll have to wait and see. A recent MTV News article contained the following:
could Eric Avery, the erstwhile bassist for Jane's Addiction, be interested in the slot left vacant by Melissa Auf Der Maur and original bassist D'Arcy Wretzky before her? Perhaps. According to a spokesperson for the Pumpkins' management, Avery "has been rehearsing with [the band] in their pre-production of the new record, but nothing [has been] confirmed in regards to [Avery joining the Pumpkins]." There's no word on whether Corgan has reached out to either original guitarist James Iha or Wretzky to return to the fold, but Auf Der Maur has expressed interest in playing a role in the Pumpkins' return.

(4/28/06 + 6/11/06) Dani Tull update
There's a very nice new interview with former Polar Bear guitarist Dani Tull at LA Weekly. It includes a paragraph where he talks about his time in the band. Also, Dani has been involved with The Spirit Girls, a band that grew out of "The Spirit Girls: Songs that Never Die," a rock opera created by artist Marnie Weber which follows the journey of a group of ghost girls searching for a place to perform their songs and tell their stories. The music is moody, surreal and full of wild guitar, vintage synths and heavy drums. An album will be released later this year.

(4/4/06) more Maven news
Maven (the band with Andy and Biff) just released three new songs. You can buy them at iTunes HERE
They're also playing a show in Hollywood on April 16, 2006. Check their MySpace for more info.

(1/10/06) Update from Andy Troy
Former PB guitarist Andy Troy checks in with what he's been up to:

i wanted to let you know that "maven" recently signed a new deal with a new warner music group label called "cordless records" (www.cordless.com). we will be playing our first show for cordless this coming wednesday (1/11) at cinespace in los angeles for their los angeles record label launch party. my close friend chris bonham introduced maven to jason fiber(president/cordless records) who turned out to be a big fan of polarbear, nitzer ebb and ethyl meatplow. jason in general seems to be a huge music fan. we're excited about his enthusiasm paired with his great staff.

other news, old polarbear art director "gregg gibbs" and i ran into each other about 8 months ago. gregg was the director for our video "flyer" and many of our live show images. since the breakup of polarbear, gregg has worked quite a bit with marilyn manson and rob zombie as art director for various music videos as well as rob's horror film "house of 1000 corpses." when gregg heard that i had a production/post production facility here in los angeles, we decided to work together again and produce this feature length documentary titled "the treasures of long gone john," directed by gregg. the film features long gone john and tells the story of his life including his record label "sympathy for the record industry" and many of the artists he helped launch the careers for including, mark ryden, the piz, coop, camille rose garcia, todd schorr, etc. it also features artist robert williams and his magazine "juxtapose magazine." we're about six months into the film and hope to have it completed by march 2006.

thx...andy troy

(8/8/05) Deconstruction's "L.A. Song" video up for download
The sought after music video for Eric Avery's 1994 project with Dave Navarro and Michael Murphy is available online for the first time ever (i think). Big thanks to AlienOnAcid.com for hosting it for us.
download: Deconstruction-LASong.zip (zipped 54MB mpg)
(In case of any problems with that link, the same file is also mirrored here thanks to J-C)

(7/31/05) Checking in with Eric
I caught up with Eric recently. When asked about any new material from him on the horizon, he says, "i havent got to my own work because garbage has been running me ragged. i have been home a total of two weeks since early february. much harder than the alanis gig but much more interesting to me."
Eric was also nice enough to get me into the Garbage show down here at the San Diego Street Scene the other day. Got to hang out with him for a bit. Great guy. I put up some pics and stuff from the show here: http://rapidshare.de/files/3508775/garbage-sandiego-29july05.zip.html

(7/10/05) Update from Biff
Biff was kind enough to check in and give us and update on his current projects:

Hope all is well Gavin. I'm buried doing a second season of Project Runway
for Bravo Channel and some other "desperate housewives" reality TV score
and hopefully a big NBC series to premier in the fall. I'm on the verge of
becoming a "music house." I'm enlisting the help of Bon Harris of the band
Maven that we're in together with Andy Troy. And may also involve a couple
of other composers in order to do all these TV shows music. It's pretty crazy.
Eric and I haven't spoken since he got back from the Garbage tour. I'm
hoping to meet with him sometime soon. That's my spiel for now.
Check out my website.
Biff
http://www.barefootmusic.net/

(5/1/05) Eric Avery interview in Filter magazine
There's an interview with Eric in the Spring '05 issue of Filter magazine. It's their "Resurrection of Art Rock" issue, featuring Josh Homme and Omar & Cedric from the Mars Volta on the cover. Not a bad read, but only covers the topic of Jane's Addiction. Thanks to Tanya kindly typing it up, it's been added to the articles section of the site.

(4/18/05) Andy checks in
Former polarbear guitarist Andrew Troy gives an update on his current projects:

bif, bon and i completed our self titled maven record this past year. bif and i joined bon in chicago back in july, where bon was writing the new billy corgan record(to all in chicago, thanks for the place to stay and the equipment loan for the show at the metro). our new maven record has not been released yet though you can go to: http://www.myspace.com/mavenmusic to preview 4 songs.
while bon was in chicago this past year i did a side project with peter distefano and bif. we wrote a 5 song EP called X Junkies. im currently mixing and will hope to have it released by the end of this year.
I also finished the long live crime record this past year but i am seeking a new label to release the record.

(3/11/05) Garbage tour
Garbage's tour (with Eric Avery on bass duties) kicks off in April. Many of the shows have already sold out, so if you plan to catch them when they come to town, be sure to get tickets fast. A good page to check is garbage.com/tickets

(1/30/05) Eric radio appearance 2/5/05
This was just posted on 6767.com, Dave Navarro's own website:

THIS JUST IN! Special guest on Camp Freddy Radio next Saturday (Feb 5th) between 6-8pm (Pacific Time) on Indie 103.1 That's right. You ask and you shall receive. (OG) Eric Avery will be joining us in the studio. Awwww hell yeah! We really do bring it at CFR. Eric will be playing some of his favorite tunes and discussing his new gig with Garbage. Perhaps I can talk him into bringing his acoustic Bass.

For those not in the LA/OC area, you can listen live online at http://indie1031.fm/

POST-SHOW UPDATE: It was a terrific interview, with Eric and Dave talking about both old times and current projects. Eric spoke about his new gig playing with Garbage. He also explained what the deal was behind his audition for Metallica (he knew he wasn't right for the band, but they asked him and gave him the royal treatment, so he thought, 'what the heck.') During the interview, Eric performed a new song acoustically, with the working title of "Animals". (an mp3 of the track is available in the "files" section of the polarbear yahoogroup.)

(1/23/05) Big news
As promised, Eric shares his 2005 plans:

my year is two pronged:

as bass player i have left alanis, with much personal and professional 
gratitude, and will be touring with garbage for at least this coming 
year.

as a solo artist/pbr guy it looks like i will be signing a direct 
download deal with a company that is launching this year under the 
moniker burn down records. i will be giving them why something instead 
of nothing, all the unreleased polarbear that i can get from biff and 
gussy up enough for public consumption, and all the new stuff i that 
have been and will continue to work on here at home. they will be 
placing the stuff at all the usual outlets ( itunes, audio lunchbox 
etc.) that will have me.

(12/30/04) Eric checks in
I'm very happy to report I've heard from Eric for the first time in quite a while. While he said his 2005 plans are still being laid out, he said he'd fill me in when they solidify, and he clarified a few rumors regarding current projects:

[...] i dont know where the ken andrews thing came 
from because i have never even spoken to ken let alone worked with him. 
the filter thing was just one night working on a bass line for richie. 
i know richie from back on the first lollapalooza. he was playing 
guitar for nine inch nails while i was with janes. and speaking of 
janes, dave and i have found it impossible to get together. we just 
want to hang and catch up and all that but we arent going to do even 
that until 2005. making music with him might be fun at some point but i 
think we are going to start with an espresso and a chat first.

sorry about the lack of real info but it would be really premature to 
say anything this week but i hope to have some more solid news by the 
middle of january. thank you big time and  big thanks to all the pbr 
peeps for your continued interest in my creative exploits.

(10/14/04) Eric happenings
Peter Murphy's new album, Unshattered, mentioned in last update, has been pushed back to an October 19th release.
In other news involving Eric, he will be appearing on the next Filter album. In a brief Q&A on Filter's official site, Eric said the following about his involvement: "So far, it has been to lay down a bass foundation for [Richard Patrick] to build on. Aside from that, we will have to see. I’m happy to help him out in any way I can so... I guess we will have to see what the future brings."
Also, there's talk of Eric being part of a new project with Ken Andrews from Failure. The currently unnamed band also features Kellii Scott (also ex-Failure) on drums.

(9/14/04) Eric on the forthcoming Peter Murphy album
Eric Avery plays on Peter Murphy's new album, Unshattered, which is due for release on October 5th by Viastar Records. Stephen Perkins and Peter DiStefano also appear.

(8/26/04) That n' this
As first reported here in the last update, Eric Avery and Dave Navarro may possibly get together for some reunited jamming soon. Taken from Navarro's official site, 6767.com, posted on August 23rd:
1. Do you keep in touch with Eric anymore?

Yes, I do. In fact, I spoke to him just a week or so ago. He was on tour with Alanis. He seems very happy and we plan to get together soon, possibly to jam for old time's sake.

In other news, the video for the Polar Bear song "Belly" will be shown at this year's Resfest, a digitial film festival touring the world from September through December. For dates and such, check the official Resfest site.

(7/16/04) This n' that
MAVEN (featuring Bon Harris formerly of Nitzer Ebb, with Biff and Andy both formerly of Polar Bear) is playing a show at the Metro in Chicago on Saturday, July 17, 2004.

Biff checks in:
"I'm going right to work when I get back next week on a Spike TV 3 show pilot thing and then will be scoring 'Project Runway,' and then 'Project Greenlight' this fall for Bravo Channel. Andy is setting up a movie that I will be doing both score and sound design. It is called 'Comedy Hell' and starts shooting next week if the fires aren't too bad up in Big Bear. It's a horror comedy. After hardly doing much this year it looks like I won't be getting much sleep until late October when we're hoping the Maven album will finally be released."

Biff also says that Eric's solo project seems to be better than halfway complete, and he mentions working on a song titled "Sun Is Gone". The two have also discussed possibly doing an instrumental album together sometime. And although it's still very much speculation at this point, there's a chance that Dave Navarro could be involved. That would mark the first time the former Jane's Addiction members worked together since Deconstruction a decade ago. But again, this is very, very tentative and I really shouldn't even be saying anything at this point, as it very well may not come together. But just something more for fans to get excited about.

One more thing, I've been told Eric makes a cameo in the new Metallica documentary Some Kind of Monster as one of the several well-known bass players to have auditioned for the band. (thanks to David Gonzalez for the heads up)

(5/21/04) Eric with Alanis
If you're an avid TV talk show viewer, you might've seen Alanis Morissette making the rounds promoting her latest CD, So Called Chaos. And if so, you probably noticed Eric behind her keeping a steady groove (Eric plays bass on the album, too). And while it'd be great to see Eric doing his own thing, it's always nice to see him play, even if just relegated to the background. Sorry I didn't mention the previous TV appearances, but I didn't really think about it till now (check your listings for reruns in the coming months if you're really interested).
Here are a few remaining upcoming Alanis appearances. I'm not positive Eric will be with her for these, but it's a safe bet.
‹ ‹ Tues 5/25 - ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW, syndicated
‹ ‹ Thu 5/27 & Fri 5/28 - JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE, ABC
Also, over at vh1.com, you can watch her latest video, "Everything"... keep an eye out for few seconds of Eric near the end. [here's the link]
For tour dates and stuff, check her official site. I'm pretty sure Eric will be playing with her the entire tour.

(2/10/04) Why Something Instead of Nothing now available
It's a great day for fans of good music, as Polar Bear's 1999 opus is finally back in print. The CD should be available for purchase at fine CD retailers across the nation. It can also be ordered online from many places, such as Amazom.com.

(1/26/04) "Belly" video
Visit http://mvwire.com/dynamic/article_view.asp?AID=10570 to see a QuickTime video of the song "Belly". Also on the page are some comments from Eric and an interview with director Brett Simon.

(11/25/03) WSIN pushed back yet again.
Amazon is now listing the release date as 02/10/2004 (pre-order). (thanks to Tanya again for the info)

(11/13/03) Why Something pushed back a couple weeks.
The re-release date of WSIN has been pushed back to 12/9...listed both at Amazon and KOCH.
(thanks to Tanya for the info.)

(11/3/03) Why Something reissue details.
As mentioned before, the cd will be released on 11/25.
- it will include all new artwork and photos (front, back, cd, inside pages)
- music will be the same as the original version

There may be another release in 2004 with new mixes, unreleased songs, etc. But that is subject to change. (thanks to smithca12 on the mailing list for the heads up.)

The CD can now be pre-ordered at Amazon. Check out the new cover art. (thanks to sarianna72 on the mailing list for the heads up.)

(9/24/03) Why Something reissue news.
According to this (below), Polar Bear's Why Something Instead Of Nothing CD will be (re)released on 11/25/03.

Long Live Crime Records to announce the launch of their new public relations campaign with aLine media
Thirteen-month-old label, Long Live Crime Records, launches Public Relations campaign to support its roster of clients.

Hollywood (August 24, 2003) – Newly formed Indie Label, Long Live Crime Records, strategically engages aLine media, to execute a public relations campaign to help launch their impressive roster of bands.

Of the six bands under the Long Live Crime Records label, two, Polar Bear (a project of Eric Avery, a Janes Addiction original member) and El Centro have album release dates of November 25, 2003. The remaining bands, Ethyl Meatplow, Long Live Crime Musical Project (featuring renowned artist, Ray Pettibon), Lucky Loser (with Peter DiStefano formerly of Porno for Pyros) and Maven (includes Bon Harris formerly of Nitzer Ebb) will be releasing albums throughout 2004.

With a newly signed deal with the largest independent music distribution company, Koch Entertainment Distributions, Long Live Crime Records is ready to make their mark in the music industry.

aLine media is an aggressive full service public relations firm with expertise in the development and execution of media coverage, event planning, artist representation and brand marketing.

Here is another site that confirms the Nov 25 date and gives a little more info.

(8/23/03) FAQ. Not really an update, just wanted address a couple questions I've been getting a lot lately.

"Where can I get a copy of the Why Something Instead of Nothing CD?"
The bad news is it's very hard to find these days. I don't really have any good tips for finding a copy. I guess just check around various stores that carry used CDs, and maybe do an eBay search for it once in a while. If a cd-r copy would be good enough for you, you might try asking nicely on the pbr yahoogroup and somebody might hook you up.
The good news is Andy Troy (former guitarist for the band) is in the process of starting up a record label and plans to reissue the cd once he gets it off the ground. I'll be sure to mention here and on the yahoogroup if and when I hear more on this.

"What has Eric been up to lately?"
Unfortunately, I haven't heard from Eric in like a year, so I don't know too much (if anybody out there is currently in contact with him, maybe you could ask him to drop me a line when he gets a chance?) I know he's still been playing in Alanis Morissette's live band. There've been rumors about him trying out for a couple other big-name bands, but I can't confirm that. However, I have heard from a friend of mine who talked to him recently that his solo album is still in the works, so that gives us fans something to look forward to sometime in the next year, hopefully. Again, I'll post if I hear any news.

(2/22/03) Biff drops by. Cool; Biff lets us know what he's been up to lately..

Hey Gavin, I'm currently starting the score and title theme for the HBO series "Project Greenlight." Wish me luck. It will be an entire second season for the show, so a bit of work. Andy probably let you know the latest on Maven. With a little luck we might get on a decent tour this spring. Eric and I had lunch a couple of weeks ago and talked about exchanging music to do a bit of collaboration but I've gotten a bit busy. I think we're both interested in doing something together, it really depends on making the time to make it happen. I'm going to get together with Dani Tull next week to give him some music for his reel as a Production Designer. In exchange I'm hoping to get some flailing guitar damage from him on the "Project Greenlight" score. Thanks for your interest. Sincerely, Biff

(2/9/03) Checking in. I've checked in with former PB guitarists Andy Troy and Dani Tull and gotten nice updates from them (sorry, Eric and Biff are MIA).

Andy says:

i've been pretty busy for the past couple years. i'd been doing alot of producing and engineering at a new recording studio/post facitlity i opened almost 2 years ago. i also started a record label named "LONG LIVE CRIME RECORDS" based here in LA. it's been a bit of a slow start mainly because of the overall state of the entertainment business but we're still plugging away and hope to launch the label at the early part of this year. i also wrote and produced a record titled Long Live Crime with the assistance of Mr. Avery, Bif, and friend Bon Harris. The record features the writings of artist Raymond Pettibon. Raymond also sang on a few songs, as well as Eric, Yvonne, my friend Abby Travis and Myself. Bif and I teamed up with Bon Harris of Nitzer Ebb last year and are in the process of completing our first record. We're hoping to finish the record and start playing some shows by March. I'll keep you updated as things progress.

and Dani says:

I have been very busy working on the house we bought 6 months ago. It’s been a big project, but I completed the build of a new art studio that’s attached to the house and I have been working on some new paintings and sculptures for upcoming exhibitions. The biggest news though is that Yvonne and I are having a baby due in June. Everyday seems to add new thoughts or emotions that are wondrous yet inexplicable. It has changed the lens through which I look upon the world. As for music, I was a guest with Destroy All Monsters at All Tomorrows Parties, a three day music event organized by Sonic Youth. Otherwise, I am still on a hiatus of sorts. Just taking a break as my strings get dusty. Although, I have continued to Art Direct/Design Music Videos recently doing Jurassic 5, Jewel, and Outkast among others.

(9/3/02) The CDs are sold out. Thanks to everybody who bought one. If you missed the boat on the offer.. not to worry, because as the 7/16/02 update below mentions, the CD should be available again soon. I'll be sure to post any info I get regarding that.

(8/30/02) CD offer ending soon. My supply of Polar Bear CDs (see below updates) is down to single digits. So if you need one, better get on it!

(7/16/02) Plenty of CDs are still available (see below update). No need to email me asking if there are any left.. I'll be sure to mention here when supply starts to get low. And good news for Polar Bear is that former guitarist Andrew Troy plans on starting up a small record label and will be distributing "Why Something" through it. So even when my stock is gone, the CD won't completely disappear.

Also, great news concerning new music from Eric: "Im trying to get an ep done this summer with taylor in between his gigs with the foo fighters. i will eventually make a solo record. i still keep writing, always always."

(5/25/02-6/02) They're here. I recently received a box of Polar Bear's excellent CD, Why Something Instead of Nothing. Thanks to the generosity of Eric Avery, I can offer them to the public real cheap. The CDs are new/sealed. Limit one CD per person (email me if you need more than one for some reason).

This is really incredible of Eric to make this happen. I told him a lot of fans were unsuccessfully searching everywhere for a copy, and he came though for them. Please be cool and only buy a CD if you really need it. I'll likely be putting a copy on eBay from time to time with a note about the offer on this site, to discourage people from buying copies just to sell for more.

(5/25/02) Another Maven show: Maven (featuring Biff and Andy formerly of PBR) is playing their second show at the Dragonfly in Hollywood on May 31st. Also appearing that night are Mellowdrone and DJ Twiggy Ramirez (bass player from Marilyn Manson).
UPDATE 6/4/02: Their CD should be released in the fall. If you're interested in Maven, check out this mention from AllStar.. Maven info

(5/4/02) Another post-pbr project: The Very Best Of... The Perfect Me, a CD featuring former polarbear guitarist Dani Tull, is now available from theoretical.com
It's a project band with art world luminaries Jim Shaw & Mike Kelley (of the band DESTROY ALL MONSTERS), Marnie Weber (did the art for sonic youth's a thousand leaves), Thaddeous Strode, Sarah Seagar, and Jamie Bair.

(4/25/02) Post-PBR Projects: Sorry this is short notice, but I just received this message:
Bif Sanders and Andy Troy will be playing their first show since the breakup of PBR with new group "Maven" fronted by Nitzer Ebb singer-programmer Bon Harris tommorrow evening, Friday April 26th, in San Diego, CA at Canes opening for the "Charlatans U.K.." Show starts at 8:30.

And Eric Avery recently let me know he has been writing songs with Taylor Hawkins, drummer for Foo Fighters. They plan on making an album together. Should be good stuff.

(4/4/02) More audio up: Check the audio section for a full polarbear show in mp3.

(3/14/02) No Somethings again: CD Baby is apparently sold out of their polarbear why something instead of nothing CDs. I heard they sold 19 copies in about 2 weeks, and I guess that's all they had. So congrats if you got one. If you still need a copy, don't give up hope. I'm still trying to get some copies from Eric. Hopefully this'll happen soon.

(2/28/02) Why Something CD available??: I was just checking out IUMA to see if they got their shit together yet, and it seems as though Why Something Instead of Nothing? is in fact available for purchase. If interested, check this link. It's actually though CD Baby now, not IUMA. It'll run you about $15 total. If anyone has success/failure with this, please let me know so I can pass it on.
UPDATE 3/6/02: Ok, I've gotten confirmation that you can currently get the CD from CD Baby and they're real quick about shipping it out to you.
P.S. If you wanna pick up another CD while you're at CD Baby, I recommend Calamine. ...pretty.

(2/22/02) Alanis appearances: Alanis Morissette's new album, Under Rug Swept is coming out next week. So us Eric-watchers will need to keep our eyes open for her performances. For example, on February 21, she played at the Olympics after-party-type-show in Salt Lake City. A song from that was broadcast on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. And yep, there was our favorite bassist behind her, bustin' out a solid groove.
Here's a list of upcomming TV appearances I just got off her official site: (note that several of these might be acoustic or interview-only... meaning no Eric.)
2/25/02 Late Show with David Letterman
2/25/02 Charlie Rose
2/25/02 Bravo's Musicians
2/26/02 MTV TRL
2/26/02 Rosie O'Donnell Show
2/27/02 The View
2/27/02 Carson Daly Show
4/20/02 Saturday Night Live

(2/1/02) New URL: Finally, after many headaches, everything is a-ok. If you are sweet enough to have a bookmark/link to this site, please make sure they all point to http://members.cox.net/pbr/ or http://listen.to/pbr
The old addresses (http://members.home.com/pbrsite/ & http://members.home.net/divercity/polarbear/) will likely disappear by the end of February.
..............thanks.

(1/10/02) Dani checks in: "Just out today is a C.D. that I play guitar on. Called “THE PERFECT ME”, it’s a project band with art world luminaries Jim Shaw & Mike Kelley(of the band DERSTROY ALL MONSTERS), Marnie Weber(did the art for sonic youths a thousand leaves), Thaddeous Strode, Sarah Seagar, and Jamie Bair. The C.D. sounds really great. I will forward a press release to you when I receive one and info. on how people can get a C.D."

(12/24/01) Update from Eric. Nice Christmas present for ya! Informative update from Mr. Avery.. right here.
Also, this site may be moving soon.. I'm not sure where or when yet (it's not under my control), but you might want to subscribe to the mailing list (sign up for "special notices only" if you don't want to get the normal messages as well) or change your bookmark to the re-direct URL http://listen.to/pbr to be sure you don't lose this site. UPDATE 1/3/02: If/when I get the CD's from Eric, I'll first post (special notice) to the mailing list with details on how to get yourself one. If there are some left over after that, I'll post the details on this page. [Please don't email me to reserve a copy or asking me to let you know when I get them.]

(11/27/01) Lotsa MP3s. The audio section is back to its old self again. Thanks go to Jon for coming through (again) with the space to host them. Should get some more in there eventually.

(11/23/01) Eric's film work. Ok, this is old news but I never heard of it until I did a bit of research just now.. Eric Avery scored a documentary called "Sex With Strangers" which aired on Showtime in June of this year and was planned to be released theatrically later. "a feature-length documentary on the 'swinging' lifestyle. This 'life in progress' film is an intimate and authentic portrayal of a year in the life of couples that live out their sexual fantasies to the extreme, offering a unique perspective on this underground, often hidden world."
Does anybody have more info on this? A copy of it?
Update: while this page says Eric did it, this other page says someone else.. So I'm not positive he did it after all. Andrew on the pbr mailing lists says he thinks he once saw it used on DVD in a store, but I haven't been able to confirm that it's been commercially released.

(11/14/01) Site stuff. As you might've noticed, the site has a slightly new look, and I moved everything over to a new place with more space. So the picture section is back and in full-effect! The audio section is also back, but not quite up to its past glory.. only room for a song or two at a time for now, but I'll try to rotate mp3s every few weeks. Also made a timeline page covering the band's history. More minor updating and adding to other sections has been done, plus more coming soon.

Dani checks in: "I just finished Art Directing a video for Outkast, and in recent months did POWERMAN 5000, Alien Ant Farm, and 3 Videos for Mudvayne. And have some exhibitions coming up."

(9/01) Amanda on the pbr mailing list says, "Bob and Elisa [from the Bicycle Thief] will be touring in Europe in October, but Eric won't be going with them."

I noticed WMO will be shutting down November 15th, 2001. So if you haven't picked up the Whore: Various Artists Play Wire cd, you might want to get on it soon. In addition to Polar Bear playing "Being Sucked In Again," there are great tracks from Mike Watt and My Bloody Valentine, among others.

(9/01) "Eric Avery has been performing live support for the band Bicycle Thief. They can be seen opening for They Might Be Giants at the following shows: 9/20 Sacramento, CA Sacramento Univ. 9/21 Santa Cruz, CA Catalyst, 9/22 Los Angeles, CA Wiltern, 9/23 Scottsdale, AZ Cajun House. Thanks go out to 'Jonathan Leaf' from the [one-percent] forums for that info."

(8/01) Good news and bad news. Bad news is the audio and picture sections are down. Jon, the kind soul who was hosting them for me, moved/is moving so they had to come down. Hopefully we can get everything back up once he gets settled again. But it could be a while. If there's anyone out there who has a large chunk of webspace they'd like to donate to the cause, please let me know.
The good news is Biff just sent me an informative e-mail talking about the recent/current projects of his and other ex-PBR'ers.
Click here to check it out

Oh, and more bad news: still no relief for those seeking a 'why something' cd. IUMA is still inactive. I haven't been able to reach Eric to ask him about it, but Biff is gonna try to, so we'll see.

(4/01) Why Some CD Instead of No CD ?
A few people have written me expressing the difficulty they are having obtaining the "Why Something Instead of Nothing" cd. It seems IUMA (the website that was exclusively selling it) went out of business. But they recently were bought by another company, so things should be back to normal soon. According to the site, "it will take us a few more weeks to get sales and fulfillment up and running again." So if you need the CD check back with the site soon.
http://artists1.iuma.com/IUMA/Bands/Polarbear/

(5/30/00) Eric checks in...
"My immediate plans are hazy. I am continuing to make music, of course, because i could not stop making music. I felt PBR was not moving with any energy. I just felt blocked. So i am a free agent now. I am writing mostly at home, some with biff and am going to begin working casually with others including Kevin Haskins. He is going to work on my stuff and i am going to play on an instrumental bass and drums cd he is putting together with different bass players. Flea has done it. The guy from no doubt is doing it and im next. I will be scoring a documentary and am looking for more film work. I might look at an internet solo deal or a small label deal. Maybe publishing. I dont know. I probably wont be playing anything live anytime soon but im not sure of anything. I am keeping all eyes open. My mind is open. I am meeting with some friends for advice and taking steps forward. I will send mp3s and news your way as they become available and as long as your interest lasts. Thanks again to you and to all the folks at the website."

(5/20/00) sad news to report...
A year after last performing, Polar Bear has decided to call it quits. Here's what Dani had to say:
"There's no personal drama or fighting among us- just that we have worked so hard and had such high hopes, and felt that it just wasn't working. There's only so far one can go on love, ambition, and fan loyalty. At some point you want to feel that the profession cares, and you gotta eat. In the past year we have each focused our energy into other areas, and had the pleasure of little successes as well as had a chance to pay the bills, etc. I do hope that the band can have an after life through the music and the website."

* Check the audio section for some of Dani's old 4-track demos. Good stuff. And here are a couple not-too-old promo photos.. photo 1, photo 2

* Why Something Instead of Nothing?, the new cd..
you can pick up polarbear's latest CD here.
There has been talk lately of it being out-of-print, but Sonny says, "i called iuma and they are not sold out. only out of stock. she is getting a new stock in a couple of days. so for those of you who missed out you better go get it now. it's really great and only $15 shipped to yr door. here is the link http://artists1.iuma.com/IUMA/Bands/Polarbear/ "
Eric confirmed that he wasn't quick to send IUMA more CDs after they sold out. But they should have some now, so pick one up if you haven't yet.

* LA Weekly reviewed the new CD. click here to read it

(1/00): Good news, Eric will be touring soon. The bad news is it won't be with Polar Bear. It's with Peter Murphy.
Eric says, "February i begin rehearsals in earnest for the Peter Murphy tour. Which will be with Kevin Haskins (also from Bauhaus) and Peter DiStefano (Porno for Pyros) and is presently set for March into April. I was a huge Bauhaus fan as a kid so i was excited to have the opportunity to play with half of them."
PBR almost agreed to play a show recently, but it conflicted with Eric's rehearsals. However, they did some writting before the holidays, and the rest of the band will continue to work on some stuff in Eric's absence so they can pick up some momentum after the tour ends. So hopefully this will turn out to be a shot in the arm for the band in the end.
A record deal is still a definite possibility, but won't happen for at least a few months. There is also talk of releasing something in Europe.
(1/20/00): according to a Peter Murphy website, here are the tour dates..

February 26- Mexico City, Mexico - El Circo Volador
March 1- Anaheim, California - Sun Theatre
March 2 - San Francisco, California - The Warfield
March 4 - Portland, Oregon - Roseland Theatre
March 5 - Vancouver, Canada - Commodore
March 6 - Seattle, Washington - Showbox
March 8 - Salt Lake City, Utah - Horticulture Bldg
March 10 - Denver, Colorado - Ogden
March 12 - Milwaukee, Wisconsin - The Rave
March 13 - Minneapolis, Minnesota - 1st Ave
March 14 - Chicago, Illinois - Riviera
March 16 - Detroit, Illinois - Clutch Cargo
March 17 - Toronto, Canada - Guvernment
March 18 - Cleveland, Ohio - Odeon
March 20 - Washington DC - 9:30 Club
March 21 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza
March 22 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza
March 24 - Boston, Massachussets - Roxy
March 25 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania -Trocadero
March 27 - Atlanta, Georgia - Masquerade
March 28 - New Orleans, Louisiana - House of Blues
March 29 - Austin, Texas - La Zona Rosa
March 30 - Dallas, Texas - Deep Ellum Live
April 1 - Mesa, Arizona - Nile Theatre
April 2 - Las Vegas, Nevada - House of Blues
April 3 - Los Angeles, California - House of Blues
April 4 - Los Angeles, California - House of Blues
April 5 - San Diego, California - 4th and B

* Peter Murphy has been checking in during the tour here.

This site has been around since late '97, but this is as far back as I've been archiving the old news. sorry! :)