Sarah Mannix & the Wandering Bears certainly qualifies as an Iowa City “Supergroup.” Sarah is the foxy bass player in Mannix! (the family band performing its final show on Wednesday) and a member of The Vagabonds. Her Bears consist of The Western Front (composed of David Earl and brothers, Drew and Mitch Fischels) and her banjo-clad fellow-Vagabond, Sam Blickhan.

I’ve known Sarah Mannix and the boys of the Western Front for a few years now, so writing this article seemed easy… but it hasn’t been easy. After a number of failed attempts to sit in on a Hall Mall practice, I finally made an after-hours session. The problem with this session? It came after a night of heavy drinking with Sam, the newest member. Here are my notes.

After unlocking the practice space shared by the Wandering Bears, Western Front, The Tanks, and Oh! Kuso, Sam looks over at the younger Fischel (Mitch) and inquires/states, “I saw you in your underwear today. How was shaving? By the way, I found a hot dog by the side of your house.”

I seriously doubt it will be a productive evening.

David just told me I’ll “shit my pants” after hearing the new songs. (My bowels certainly could drop — I am rather intoxicated right now). It’s been a while since I last heard the older songs, let alone consider the new songs. David has been in Washington, D.C. off-and-on since August. The Wandering Bears haven’t played since July. Before David left, the band only had six or seven songs and Sam was not yet a member. They have since doubled their collection and have a lot of work left before their performances. I’m hoping they don’t shit their pants.

For now, David sits behind his drum kit, which is located in front of a Seventies pin-up of a topless woman with pepperoni nipples. Sam drunkenly raps TLC lyrics and smacks the tambourine (an instrument she later lost privilege to) while Sarah and the Fischels laugh nervously in the foreground. Sarah begins to strum her red/orange guitar that certainly belongs in the hands of a Country/Western star at the Grand Ole Opry in 1953.

If you haven’t heard the Bears, imagine mixing the Be Good Tanyas with Fleetwood Mac, Metric, Death Cab for Cutie, Caroline Smith and the Good Night Sleeps, Pieta Brown, and Headlights. The newer songs have taken a bit of turn toward Seventies Southern Rock (a trend I’m starting to notice with a lot of bands lately).

After three or four rounds of the song “Take Care, Kiddo” (a song too complicated for drunk Bear), I got lost thinking about how much Drew looks like a coffee-slinging Jesus. My drunkenness has quickly turned into sidetracked sleepiness, so I am dipping out about an hour into the practice.

Considering the last hour, this will obviously be a crazy week for the Bears. The new songs are going to be a big step above their older, slower stuff, but they’re still being finely tuned. (I have total faith this will happen.) If you see Sarah, Sam, or the boys, buy them a drink — they deserve it after two weeks of non-stop practice between many bands. But, for the sake of their set, you may want to give Sam a drink AFTER the show.

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Download: The Wandering Bears – Take Care, Kiddo

Who: Sarah Mannix & The Wandering Bears w. The Daredevil Christopher Wright, The New Bodies, and Brighton, MA
Where: The Mill
When: Tonight
Doors: 8 pm
Cover: $6

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