The Bear Necessities

For the song from Disney's "The Jungle Book", see The Bare Necessities.
The Bear Necessities
Also known asThe Bears, TBN
OriginProvidence, Rhode Island, United States
GenresA Cappella
Years active1992-present
LabelsA Cappella Records (ACR)

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]

  1. ^ "The Bear Necessities." CASA: The Contemporary A Cappella Society. Web. 5 Dec. 2011. <http://www.casa.org/node/4442>.
  2. ^ "The Bear Necessities | A Cappella Music - The Contemporary A Cappella Society". www.casa.org. Retrieved 2019-01-29.
  3. ^ 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>.
  4. ^ "Voices Only 2009." Voices Only A Cappella. Web. 5 Dec. 2011. <http://www.voicesonlyacappella.com/VO/vo2009.php>.
  5. ^ "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>.
  6. ^ 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>.
  7. ^ 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>.
  8. ^ 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>.
  9. ^ Brown Bear Necessities Streets of Philadelphia 25th Anniversary (Extended Version), archived from the original on 2021-12-15, retrieved 2021-06-04