TOM BERG HAS THE SEXIEST BASS TONE OF ALL TIME
Minneapolitan Tom Berg is, in order, (1) a bearded giant of impressive stature, (2) the nicest dude in whatever grungy rock club he inhabits, and (3) commander of the absolute greatest bass tone in rock history. It’s as thick and fuzzy as 1973 Sean Connery’s chest hair, but as smooth and well-rounded as 2013 Sean Connery’s balding head. This article features his two stylistically distinct but equally stellar bands, Self-evident and Zebulon Pike, both of which are anchored tonally by Tom’s massive bassticles.
Punk and prog are two great flavors that aren’t paired often enough. Self-evident floored me when I first saw them perform, already 15 years into their career. I would have shat my pants as a 16 year-old had I known that there was a math-rock version of angsty Against Me-style anthemic punk. They’ve been given hearty endorsements by both Tera Melos and This Town Needs Guns, so if you have any interest in math rock and you dislike them you are objectively a dumbass. Let Tom’s mighty bass tone drag you kicking & screaming through the insistent 9/8 rhythm that opens “The Past”.
Aquarian Records-approved instrumental doomers Zebulon Pike are Minnesota’s best kept secret. Think you know what epic is? Try this; take Krallice’s sense of twisting harmony, give it some triumphant blues swagger, and add just a tinge of artful jazz harmonics; repeat for 5-15 minutes to create flawlessly composed musical journeys into the deepest corners of space. Zebulon Pike is too-frequently inactive because Erik Fratzke is more famous as a part of jazz-fusion legends Happy Apple and Tom Berg is usually busy providing Self-evident with the best bass tone known to man. When stars align and this Minnesota Voltron comes out of hiding, the city takes notice, and so should you.
