"This had better be good," I remember thinking as the five members of Clear took the stage.  After all, at roughly the same moment Kentucky and Utah were about to tip off in the NCAA basketball championship, an annual event of near-religious significance in my life.  But my sense of adventure had gotten the better of me.  The chance to see a new band from my hometown of Minneapolis on the verge of bigger and better things (more about that later) had proven to be too much to pass up. 

Actually, it wasn't exactly a stage that they played from.  This took place in a television studio at Wheaton College, where the band was taping some footage of themselves.  I guess they thought a live audience would enhance their live playing, so they had contacted friends and family in the area and asked them to bring their friends.  The result was a very intimate setting, less like a typical concert and more like a friend playing songs for you while sitting on your living room floor.  

Clear's songs were perfectly suited to the low-key atmosphere of the evening:  thoughtful, mostly acoustic folk/pop, not unlike Caedmon's Call or an unplugged Sixpence None the Richer.  They presented their songs in two parts, the first being a stripped-down acoustic set, with the drummer playing only a basic trap set.  They followed that with a semi-electric set using a full drum kit and an occasional electric guitar.  This gave them the opportunity to play both acoustic and electric versions of several songs.  The two sets showed their ability to be equally convincing in both settings, whether quiet and vulnerable or upbeat and catchy.  Following a brief break to rearrange things, those who stuck around were treated to one final (and beautiful) song from the lead singer, playing by herself on a grand piano. 

Between songs (and takes), the band members took advantage of the relaxed mood, talking and joking with the small crowd.  They even fielded questions from the audience on topics ranging from the content of their upcoming album to, "Why do you have so many extra guitar picks taped to the mic stand?"  The final touch that added to the down-home feel of the show was the batch of homemade chocolate-chip cookies provided by the band members.  How could you not like a group that made you cookies? 

Clear is a very talented, promising group, and I couldn't think of a better way to be introduced to them (I didn't even mind missing the big basketball game).  They're about to be heard by a much larger audience, thanks to their recent signing with Ardent/ForeFront (look for an album this summer).  So if they come to your town in the coming months opening for one of your favorite groups, do yourself a favor and get to the show in time to see them.  You'll be glad you did. 

By Brett MacAlpine