The Bear Necessities are an award-winning, TTBB acappella group from Brown University.[1] They were established in 1992 making them the youngest of the three TTBB acappella groups at Brown. The Bears have released 7 albums, and are currently in the process of recording their 8th. They are best known for wearing suspenders[2] and former member Masi Oka, one of the best known alumnus of a college a cappella group and actor in the television series Heroes. Also known as “The Bears,” the group performs at Brown, across the country and internationally.[3] Their repertoire ranges from R&B to jazz to classic rock to pop to Disney songs.[4][5] Founded as an alternative a cappella ensemble, the group has a tradition of highly theatrical, interactive performance and is known for creating a fun, down-to-earth atmosphere in both rehearsal and concert.[6] This is evident in the final track of each of their albums, titled “Bear-a-oke,” a karaoke version of one of the album’s songs designed to invite the listener to sing along.[7] The group’s alumni song is Streets of Philadelphia by Bruce Springsteen, arranged by member Andrew Callard in 1995.[8][9]

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History

Founded in 1992, The Bear Necessities were an outgrowth of The High Jinks, another all-male singing group at Brown. In the early 1990s, The High Jinks dissolved and former members came together as The Bear Necessities (The High Jinks were revived in 2009).[10][11] Some of the final members of The High Jinks, after moving to New York City after graduation, went on to begin Rockapella, a nationally known a cappella band.[12]

Albums

• Visions (2016)
• Eat the Beach (2012) - "We are left with a standout track in Stronger and a totally solid album capable of scratching your all-male itch..." - RARB Review[13]
• Teaches of Peaches (2009) – White Shadows was awarded a track on the 2009 Voices Only compilation album[14] – “This isn't just a product of studio work. These guys can sing.” – RARB Review[15]
• Dry Clean Only (2003) – “This is a well-recorded disc, and the Bear Necessities' ensemble sound is smooth, blendy, and in tune...Crash Into Me sounds like the old-school a cappella I fell in love with back in 2000 or so; a gorgeous, creative chordal intro leads seamlessly into a faithful rendition of Dave Matthews' beautiful ballad.” – RARB Review[16]
• Circus People (1999) – “The Bear Necessities deliver the goods. The arrangement is gripping, the solo is heartfelt, and the production is spotless. In short, it's a damn good treatment of a damn good song...The group as a whole rises to the occasion and turns in a very tight performance” – RARB Review[17]
• TBNJ: The Bear Necessities Jam (1996) – featuring Masi Oka '97 – “Simply a great album overall...the studio recordings have by far the best production and engineering that I have ever heard on a collegiate album.” – RARB Review[18]
• Out of Hibernation (1995) – “This album restores my faith in male collegiate a cappella...What makes this group different is that they have a better attitude. Their collective tongues are planted firmly in their collective cheeks. They are clearly having a fun time performing the material, which has the result that you'll have a fun time listening to it.” – RARB Review[19]

Masi Oka

A member of The Bear Necessities from 1993 to 1997, Masi Oka served as the group’s musical director during his senior year at Brown. While a member of the group, he arranged nearly 30 songs including "Invisible Touch" by Genesis, "Faithfully" by Journey, "Flashdance...What a Feeling" by Irene Cara, "All I Want" by Toad the Wet Sprocket, "The Promise" by Tracy Chapman and "With or Without You" by U2. His arrangements were recorded on the group's second and third albums, TBNJ: The Bear Necessities Jam (which he also produced) and Circus People, respectively.[20][21] He has described the group as a “brothership” and says his time in the group was a formative experience for him in college. A computer science and mathematics student at Brown, he spent the majority of his extracurricular time with the group. Referring to a comedic skit planned in conjunction with a rendition of the song Flashdance, he has been quoted as saying, “We had to go all-out. A cappella is all about commitment.”[22]

Awards and recognition

• In 2009, The Bear Necessities’ cover of the Disney song I'll Make a Man Out of You was awarded a track on Ripple Effect: Constructive Interference,[23] an a cappella compilation album to raise money for Integrated Community Development (ICDI), an organization that sponsors well-drilling efforts in Central Africa[24]
• In 2009, the group’s cover of the Coldplay song White Shadows was awarded a track on the Voices Only: The Best of College A Cappella compilation album[25][26]
• In early 2014, the Bears were named champions of the Casino Theatre a cappella Invitational in Newport, RIun - unseating the Heightsmen of Boston College.

Notable alumni

• Masi Oka, television and film actor, digital effects artist[27]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Bear Necessities.

References