If I told you that there was a street performer playing keytar and it was worth seeing, would you believe me? I hope so because the myth is true, there is an entertaining keytarist out there and they call him the Keytar Bear. From Boston Magazine:
If you have the Internet, ride the MBTA, or know people in Boston, then it’s likely that you’ve come across Keytar Bear.
Known to perch on the platforms along various MBTA lines, strapped with his portable piano and donning the ruffled yet somewhat-fluffy animal costume, Keytar Bear has captured the hearts of the commuting public. Within months of first launching his busking career, Keytar Bear has already amassed a loyal following, and a Facebook fan page was created in honor of his musical talents—he’s even booking gigs outside of the tunnels and train stops where he’s usually seen rocking out with a portable amplifier by his side.
Now here’s the thing about Keytar Bear, he’s been under a little stress lately. It seems that people see a bear playing a keyboard instrument on the street and they want to throw bottles at him and beat the hell out of him. The latter leading to a broken nose for the musician.
Luckily, not everyone is so adverse to furry musicians and many in Boston have come together for a benefit for Keytar Bear. From Artery:
Word quickly spread on social media about the attacks, and Abigail Taylor, a Keytar Bear fan, decided to raise some money for the injured musician.
“I was having this discussion on Twitter, with a couple of my friends, and they were like, ‘He must be feeling like he never wants to play in Boston again. … Boston looks like such a jerk right now! Can you imagine what that looks like?’ ” Taylor remembers. “And I was like, no, we’re not like that. We’re not just one meathead who punched someone in the face. We’re a community that is supportive of our artists.”
Taylor is organizing a May 8 benefit — originally to be held at Workbar in Cambridge, but due to the great outpouring of support now scheduled for the larger Middle East Downstairs in Cambridge.
Taylor also put together an Indiegogo campaign that has surpassed the original $2,500 to the tune of $5,475 and will go to Keytar Bear with “no strings attached.” I can’t really blame them, just watching the video below and some other performances across YouTube, the guy is pretty funky.
I don’t know why anyone would want to be a buzzkill towards someone who is just trying to add a little bit of joy to the daily grind. Keytar Bear might not be out there changing lives in the conventional sense, but it doesn’t mean he’s not giving people some cheer. I say enjoy some Keytar Bear and let’s hope the guy keeps it up.
