IamAlejo

After nearly five years of playing music together, Bear Vs Shark have
decided to conclude their story and will no longer be playing music
together.

The breakup comes only six months after the release of their new
album, "Terrorhawk," and in the midst of tour plans with Limbeck and
The Honorary Title. BVS have cancelled the upcoming tour, and have no
plans for a final show.

Bear Vs Shark has meant so much to us here at Equal Vision, we wanted
to share with you some of our thoughts and experiences about the
band. Please feel free to share your thoughts about the band on their
website, www.bearvsshark.com.

******

I remember it like it was yesterday. The first time I saw Bear Vs
Shark was Fathers Day of 2002. They played at an outdoor skatepark
somewhere in Michigan to a handful of people (most of which were
skating, not watching). I remember one thing about that day... and
it wasn't their musical performance (because they were still very
rough around the edges in those days). As I was standing there in the
warm midwestern sun I thought about where the band would be in five
years and it gave me goosebumps. I had never seen a frontman like
Marc (and I still haven't seen another one since) and the energy that
radiated from the band was unique and thrilling. When I left Michigan
that day, I was pretty sure I just had a life changing experience.
Now as I am looking back, that day definitely changed my life forever.

Over the last almost four years we have had our share of
disagreements and bumps in the road, but the art never suffered. I
have never met a bunch of guys more dedicated to seeing their vision
through than Bear Vs Shark. Over the last four years they grew,
evolved and became everything I hoped they would be. They were one of
the reasons I got myself out of bed in the morning. They gave me hope
for the music industry. Most importantly, I was able to look myself
in the mirror at the end of the day and knew we were doing it for the
right reasons. Art.

I am proud of the work we did together. The two records BVS made are
documents that should be saved, they are more important than words
can describe. I am proud to have them as friends and thankful they
became part of my family.

An important part of my family died this week. There will never be a
replacement for the magic that Derek, Mike, Marc, John, Ashley, and
Brandon created together. It cannot be recreated, but it will be
missed and loved for a long time to come.

- Daniel Sandshaw / Equal Vision Records

******

Bear Vs Shark. The name alone breathes life.

I feel that Bear Vs Shark in itself was like an individual being. On
their own, John, Marc, Mike, Derek, Ashley, (and Brandon) are amazing
people I'm glad I can call friends, but together they formed
something completely different. Every few weeks, sometimes months, I
was lucky enough to witness this humble beast take shape right in
front of me, and for those 30 minutes, nothing could distract me from
what I was experiencing.

Some people chose to enjoy that short amount of time by running
around and completely going off, but I was never really that guy. I
always sung along to myself and all kinds of ideas and images shot
through my head; I wish you could've seen it.

At first you think, "These guys are maniacs!" There's one guy hanging
from the ceiling with a microphone in his mouth, another couple of
guys trading instruments, and another deeply involved with the music,
with his eyes rolled back in his head.

The more you watch, the more you realize they're not maniacs, they're
just unafraid. A lot of bands take the stage with something to prove.
Bear Vs Shark took the stage with no preconceived notions - they just
wanted to have a good time, and hopefully pass it along to the
audience. They never failed. Every time I left the club, I was in awe
and could never stop saying, "I love that band."

There are few bands that truly get me excited about music, Bear Vs
Shark was one of those bands. I will never forget them.

- Greg Sieme / Equal Vision Records

******

As much as I love music, there are very few bands that I can honestly
say have had an impact on my life. Bearvsshark was one of those
bands. Their music speaks to me and I’ve been able to connect with it
more than almost anything else I’ve ever heard. In their short
existence, I haven’t heard a single song of theirs that I haven’t
completely fallen in love with. I’ve taken countless road trips,
sometimes by myself, to see them play. They were one of the few
bands left who I was always excited about seeing play live, and now
they’re gone. The guys in Bearvsshark were some of the most down to
earth, genuine people that I have ever met, and always seemed to be
more concerned with music rather than having an image. When I got
the news that Bearvsshark had broken up, it almost feels like a
person that I loved and cared about has died. I’m definitely not the
only person that felt that way either; there are so many people that
loved this band just as much as I did and who are just as
devastated. Although I want to be selfish and want the band to
continue, I completely respect their decision to part ways. I don’t
think I could ever thank the band enough, or in an appropriate
manner, for everything they have shared over the past few years. I
wish each of them the best and hope they can find whatever it is that
will make them happy.

- Glenn Dooley / Equal Vision Records

******

Bear Vs. Shark is an incredible band, incredible people, and
incredible company. I remember all the times they played southern CA
and would come crash on my floor after. Every time it was lots of
beer, lots of stories, and lots of laughs. We definitely never got
bored for a moment any of those nights. Whenever they left I always
wished we had more time to hang. I hated to see them go but I was
excited to see that they were off to conquer yet another city.

I got to know these guys very well over the past couple years and I
am very thankful for that. If I had not had the opportunity to work
with this band I do not know where I would be at right now but I do
think that things would be very different than they are. There is no
doubt that I would not be where I am at without them. They taught me
a lot and always kept me on my toes. I am honored to have been able
to work with them. I saw them grow as people and as a band over the
past couple years and I am very proud of them for everything they did
and accomplished. I wish them nothing but the best in the future. I
am sure they are all going to be very successful at whatever it is
they do and I, for one, can’t wait to hear about it.

- Dave Shapiro / Velocity Touring

******

Bear Vs Shark meant a lot to me. I had seen Bear Vs Shark many times
over the past few years during their existence. I was never
disappointed by any means. From the first show I witnessed to their
last. I will never forget a moment. Bear Vs Shark, in my opinion,
were set to be a ground breaking band and were highly under-rated.
They deserved a lot more acknowledgment for their music. I remember
being in the studio when they were recording "Terrorhawk," and
enjoying every second of it. It was extremely interesting seeing the
input of each song and development. Even driving 10+ hours to
Michigan to see them in their hometown for their record release
show. I cherish every moment I encountered with this band. A true
diamond in the rough. They will be missed.

- Paul Gigante / Equal Vision Records

******

I first heard Bear Vs. Shark before I worked at Equal Vision and was
blown away at the diverse sounds and how genuine the people involved
with this band were. That first album really opened up a lot of
doors here at EVR with how people perceived the sound of Equal Vision
to be. Since working here I have had the chance to work and hang
with a band that truly work their own way. As a sound thats
different from a lot of stuff we do, they were a breath of fresh
air. I will definitely miss working for them and will hope they are
happy and understand that Equal Vision as a label wouldn't be where
its at without Bear Vs. Shark.

- Tom Mullen / Equal Vision Records

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a man, a plan, a canal, panama

sleepy jack

.
This saddens me.
I liked them.
They weren't my favorite.
But still gah :'(

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dirt mcgirt

so who won? i got my money on tha shark son.

IamAlejo

Personally I think the bear bitch slapped him.

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a man, a plan, a canal, panama

one_more_atrocity

lmoa! hmmm i'd be guessing the shark took a huge chunk out of his ass first!!

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.::: I'd redecorate the walls with your inner thoughts, but im afraid it's the wrong shade of red :::.

riseagainstrocks

depends on if the fight was in water or on land. hmmmm...

anyway, solid band, good tunes. Like Misfits said, not my favorite, but still solid. Pity i didn't get to see them.

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One note timeless, came out of nowhere...

EDGE

HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH
but back on topic;
I like this band alot.