Band of the Month - The Bears of Blue River

When Gavin Wilkenson put together Bears of Blue River (BOBR) in Muncie, he didn’t want to be tied down to any particular sound. After having played with This Story and a few other bands, he was able to conceptualize how each individual part of the whole affects a song. Bands broke up, and Wilkinson immersed himself in seeking and listening to old one-hit wonders and this search eventually developed into an obsession. The short, direct messages of these pop songs inspired him to write again. Thus, the birth of BOBR.

Gavin decided to bring long-time friend and fellow musician Justin Spring with him from This Story to help evolve the sound. Some similarities were carried over from This Story, but their new sound was fresh and unique. There was no specific style or sound in mind, just an idea to, “Forge their way in any listener’s ear for a permanent residency.” While nurturing their sound, Wilkinson knew that he wanted it to be something all its own. The result was a mix between Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison from the 1950s and 1960s to indie groups such as Rilo Kiley and Thao with the Get Down Stay Down.

The Bears hit the proverbial ground running in Muncie, and before too long the group moved to Chicago, where they found the music scene to be a fast-paced learning experience. Wilkenson describes it as, “The Big Fish in the Small Pond Syndrome.” Early jitters gave way out of necessity, and the BOBR quickly recognized the daunting task that lay ahead. In the Windy City, the BOBR found themselves a part of an incredible experience, finding a large, supportive network with the people who have become part of “The Bear Family." This close-knit group helped them with their ambitions and in recording.

Richard Edwards and Tyler Watkins provided the pre-production and in-studio work with the band, and they assisted the Bears with their first EP, “The Killer Bee Scare.” In the studio, each member had to step up and push themselves to become better musicians. Edwards and Watkins pushed the group, offering insight and encouragement with each track. The process consumed and is still consuming each and every paycheck Wilkenson brings home, but he is focused on the future and Sharing the Bear and their upcoming “Killer Bee” tour in support of the album, which kicks off January 17 in Chicago with the Indianapolis-based band Jookabox (on Asthmatic Kitty’s label).

While writing the songs for “The Killer Bee Scare,” Gavin tried to avoid the stereotypical idiosyncrasies many songs possess. He went about writing with an idea that each song would be a story and allow the listener to enjoy the upbeat nature of the music even though some of the underlying messages hint otherwise. “Me, Me, Me,” has a bubbly, Indie pop vibe, but the subject matter is quite the opposite. “Crayola” was written about various events that happened to Wilkenson, including a rather interesting New Year’s Eve in New York City involving bandmate Justin Spring. “Tickled Pink” fluffs the whimsicality of the band, but Gavin admits he couldn’t finish writing the song until he overheard his neighbors’ lovemaking one afternoon. “I suppose the whole cycle of someone finding happiness whenever and however amused me.” He prefers not to offer up the sources of all his inspiration, however, because he wants the listeners to conjure up their own personal insight for each song. Wilkenson did confirm that there are inside jokes in some of his lyrics that only a few people would be able to catch the actual references.

Their tour’s second stop (and EP release!) will in Indianapolis January 20 at the Earth House Collective. This will be the BOBR’s second official show in Indianapolis since the 2009 Broad Ripple Music Festival. Dan Fahrner from Musical Family Tree knew Wilkenson and the band from Muncie and assisted in putting them on the lineup. The Bears were excited to be playing in Indiana again in front of friends and family to be a part of what has become a favorite event of many Indianapolis music lovers.

The group played along side another Chicago-based band, Deep Cricket Night at La Jolla’s Wasted Space. With such a heavy local-band lineup, Wilkenson and the Bears were pleasantly surprised to find that their Indie Folk sound had already found a supportive following. Although the venue was small, it was absolutely packed with unfamiliar faces, and as Gavin said, “It reminded me that Indianapolis always has a bit more love to offer than you think.” The audience was extremely receptive and consequently, the Bears saw a surge in electronic messages, website plays, comments and Facebook friend requests. The social media network has been a huge help to BOBR- from Twitter and Facebook to MySpace, to keep The Bear Family updated on shows and other related news.

I’ve listened to "The Killer Bee Scare" EP several times, and I’m still catching new references each time. One of my favorite things about their sound is how well the intricate layering works. It provides a simplistic, yet full quality to the whole, and there is not a single wasted note. I particularly love the undertones of slide guitar in the background. Expect big things from the Bears, including a Daytrotter session. For more information about that, as well as upcoming tour dates and how you can Share the Bear, get online to www.myspace.com/thebearsofblueriver or www.facebook.com/thebearsofblueriver for their latest updates. If you miss them at the Earth House on the 20th, you’ll have another shot to hear them in Indianapolis on March 25 at the Melody Inn.

Listen and download the Killer Bee Scare right here: http://www.musicalfamilytree.com/band/bears_of_blue_river_the

By Andrews Feigenbaum