The Bear Necessities

American acappella group from Brown University

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The Bear Necessities
Also known as	The Bears, TBN
Origin	Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Genres	A Cappella
Years active	1992-present
Labels	A Cappella Records (ACR)

Musical artist

The Bear Necessities is an American TTBB acappella group from Brown University.^[1] Also known as "The Bears", they were established in 1992, making them the youngest of the two TTBB acappella groups at Brown. The Bears have released 8 albums, and are currently in the process of recording an EP to be released in late 2024. 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. 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 acclaimed 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]

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

Suspended Disbelief (2023)
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]

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,^[20] an a cappella compilation album to raise money for Integrated Community Development (ICDI), an organization that sponsors well-drilling efforts in Central Africa^[21]
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^[22]^[23]
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^[24]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Bear Necessities.

References

^ "The Bear Necessities." CASA: The Contemporary A Cappella Society. Web. 5 Dec. 2011. <http://www.casa.org/node/4442>.
^ "The Bear Necessities | A Cappella Music - The Contemporary A Cappella Society". www.casa.org. Retrieved 2019-01-29.
^ Alternative Press Staff. "A Cappella Group from Brown University Sings at Oratory Prep." The Alternative Press. Web. 11 Dec. 2011. <http://thealternativepress.com/articles/a-cappella-group-from-brown-university-sings-at-o>.
^ "Voices Only 2009." Voices Only A Cappella. Web. 5 Dec. 2011. <http://www.voicesonlyacappella.com/VO/vo2009.php>.
^ "The Bear Necessities: Hand in My Pocket Video." NME: First for Music News. 17 Oct. 2009. Web. 12 Dec. 2011. <http://www.nme.com/awards/video/id/hr_QSx9V7ck>.
^ Cohen, Matt. "Brown University Bear Necessities - Circus People." Rev. of Circus People Album Release. Recorded A Cappella Review Board 23 Oct. 2000. RARB. Web. 8 Dec. 2011. <http://rarb.org/reviews/170.html>.
^ Christie, Rebecca. "Brown University Bear Necessities - Circus People." Rev. of Circus People Album Release. Recorded A Cappella Review Board 23 Oct. 2000. RARB. Web. 8 Dec. 2011. <http://rarb.org/reviews/170.html>.
^ Sears, Jonathan. "Brown University Bear Necessities - Circus People." Rev. of Circus People Album Release. Recorded A Cappella Review Board 23 Oct. 2000. RARB. Web. 8 Dec. 2011. <http://rarb.org/reviews/170.html>.
^ Brown Bear Necessities Streets of Philadelphia 25th Anniversary (Extended Version), archived from the original on 2021-12-15, retrieved 2021-06-04
^ Mitchell, Martha. "Musical Clubs." Encyclopedia Brunoniana. Web. 5 Dec. 2011. <http://www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/Databases/Encyclopedia/search.php?serial=M0460>.
^ Chazen, Colin. "High Jinks, Old and New, Back on Campus." Brown Daily Herald[Providence, RI] 6 Feb. 2009. Web. 5 Dec. 2011. <http://www.browndailyherald.com/features/high-jinks-old-and-new-back-on-campus-1.1668122#.Tt0ry7JCq0t>.
^ Borden, Timothy. "Rockapella." Contemporary Musicians. Web. 5 Dec. 2011. <http://www.enotes.com/contemporary-musicians/rockapella-biography>.
^ "Bear Necessities - Eat the Beach (2012)".
^ "Voices Only 2009." Voices Only A Cappella. Web. 5 Dec. 2011. <http://www.voicesonlyacappella.com/VO/vo2009.php>.
^ Sawyer, Kevin. "Brown University Bear Necessities - Teaches of Peaches." Rev. of Teaches of Peaces Album Release. Recorded A Cappella Review Board 14 Aug. 2009.RARB. Web. 8 Dec. 2011. <http://rarb.org/reviews/934.html>.
^ Diamant, Jonathan. "Brown University Bear Necessities - Dry Clean Only." Rev. of Dry Clean Only Album Release. Recorded A Cappella Review Board 8 Mar. 2005.RARB. Web. 8 Dec. 2011. <http://rarb.org/reviews/489.html>.
^ Cohen, Matt. "Brown University Bear Necessities - Circus People." Rev. of Circus People Album Release. Recorded A Cappella Review Board 23 Oct. 2000. RARB. Web. 8 Dec. 2011. <http://rarb.org/reviews/170.html>.
^ Oliva, Joe. "Brown University Bear Necessities - TBNJ: The Bear Necessities Jam." Rev. of TBNJ: The Bear Necessities Jam Album Release. Recorded A Cappella Review Board 20 Apr. 1997. RARB. Web. 8 Dec. 2011. <http://rarb.org/reviews/39.html>.
^ Cohen, Matt. "Brown University Bear Necessities - TBNJ: The Bear Necessities Jam." Rev. of TBNJ: The Bear Necessities Jam Album Release. Recorded A Cappella Review Board 20 Apr. 1997. RARB. Web. 8 Dec. 2011. <http://rarb.org/reviews/39.html>.
^ Liquid 5th. "Ripple Effect: Constructive Interference." Web. 8 Dec. 2011. <http://www.ripple-effect.net/>.
^ "About ICDI - Our Vision and Values." ICDI. Web. 8 Dec. 2011. <http://icdinternational.org/>.
^ "Voices Only 2009." Voices Only A Cappella. Web. 5 Dec. 2011. <http://www.voicesonlyacappella.com/VO/vo2009.php>.
^ "Voices Only 2009 College A Cappella (Disc 1)." Amazon.com. Web. 8 Dec. 2011. <https://www.amazon.com/Voices-Only-2009-College-Cappella/dp/B005EO6TZW/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1323380304&sr=8-4>.
^ "Masi Oka." IMDB.com. Web. 8 Dec. 2011. <https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1199811/>.