In 2005, as Detroit, Michigan's Bear Vs. Shark began to get the notoriety and acclaim they had been fighting for over the years they split up after the release of their sophomore album. In the wake of their absence, the myth of this band's chaotic live shows and an emergence of new fans that got a hold of their 2 albums, Right Now, You're in the Best of Hands. And If Something Isn't Quite Right, Your Doctor Will Know in a Hurry and Terrorhawk, their popularity soared even more. After years of teasing the idea of a reunion, in early 2016, they announced they were back and hitting the road.
Performing for the first time in Manhattan in more than a decade, Bear Vs. Shark sold-out Bowery Ballroom and it was as if they never left. In the 60 minutes they performed at the intimate downtown venue, they absolutely destroyed the place. Their hardcore fans packed the front of the venue as other fans, either too old to throw down or seeing them for the first time, stood around the venue in total awe.
Opening with "Ma Jolie," from the get-go it was as if a bomb went off and people were scurrying for safety. As the pits broke out, singer Marc Paffi, one of the greatest frontmen of all time, would throw his body around the stage like a prop and the fans ate it up.
Songs like "Campfire," "Don't Tell the Horses the Stables on Fire," "We Were Sad Now We're Rebuilding," "Catamaran," "5,6 Kids," "Rich People Say Fuck Yeah Hey Hey," didn't need Paffi's vocals as fans screamed every word. As the stage looked like a waterfall of humanity as fans dove off, Paffi would deep throat his mic and run around like a fish out of water adding to the show and cementing the legacy that the Motor City is home to greatest frontmen ever.
By the closing number, "Buses / No Buses," fans wanted more but the band admitted there was no encore as they only rehearsed a certain number of songs. It was fitting to their legacy as it was short, to the point and something everyone will remember forever.