Keytar Bear is the name given to a busker from

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

. The nickname "Keytar Bear" was given as he wears a bear outfit and plays a

keytar The keytar is a lightweight synthesizer that is supported by a strap around the neck and shoulders, similar to the way a guitar is supported by a strap. Keytars allow players a greater range of movement onstage, compared to conventional keyboard ...

in his performances, usually near subway and train stops. Little is known about the busker other than small bits of his life, as the performer in the suit prefers to remain anonymous. Keytar Bear has been involved in several unprovoked attacks by "drunks and youths" over the years prompting public displays of support. Keytar Bear 2022

Biography

Little is known about Keytar Bear's identity as he is emphatic that his real name not be used in any given context. In an interview done in with Vice News in 2018, he would only state that he was "somewhere in his 20s and 30s". Keytar Bear though has been open about some of his life saying that he was interested in music since he was a kid, and was homeschooled by his grandmother in Sutton, Massachusetts. Keytar bear also mentioned that he is

biracial Mixed race people are people of more than one race or ethnicity. A variety of terms have been used both historically and presently for mixed race people in a variety of contexts, including ''multiethnic'', ''polyethnic'', occasionally ''bi-ethn ...

, but has never met his dad who was in the military. He also mentioned that he was inspired by a real-life bear in the form of a mother bear and her cub that would visit his grandmother's backyard. It was also revealed by

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...

that he is a music and hip-hop dance teacher.

History

Keytar Bear started performing in 2011 after buying a bear costume from the movie

Ted TED may refer to: Economics and finance * TED spread between U.S. Treasuries and Eurodollar Education * ''Türk Eğitim Derneği'', the Turkish Education Association ** TED Ankara College Foundation Schools, Turkey ** Transvaal Education Depa ...

for Halloween. When asked why he decided to start performing in a bear costume, he stated that he wants to "kill" racism. He went on to say; "You don’t know if ’mblack or white, you just see a little bear. In 2014 Cambridge declared May 8 to be "Keytar Bear and Abigail Taylor Day" after a successful performance for charity.

Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English singer and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. His ongoing songwriting partnershi ...

said on his Facebook page that he is a fan of the bear, and posted a video of him performing "a cuddly cover of

Start Me Up "Start Me Up" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones from their 1981 album ''Tattoo You''. Released as the album's lead single, it reached number one on Australian Kent Music Report, number two in Canada, number two on the ''Bi ...

". On June 12, 2018,

Trillium Brewing Company Trillium Brewing Company is a brewery that currently operates six facilities throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut, United States. These locations include a production brewery in Canton, MA, a restaurant/taproom/beer garden in Canton, MA, a fu ...

released a beer called the Keytar Bear Double IPA to honor the Boston busker. Part of the proceeds from the sales of the beer went to help the performer after a motorcycle crash in the spring. While initially he did not think he would be able to perform in the summer, the performer was seen out and about (with crutches) after the release of the beer.

Incidents

Keytar Bear has been subjected to multiple attacks involving robbery and battery. In November 2014, he was beaten and robbed near Faneuil Hall, which led to the arrest of two people. The attack left his keytar broken, but it was later replaced through donations. A fourth attack occurred on June 17, 2017, when three teenagers from New Hampshire beat and robbed the performer, which again damaged his equipment. The teenagers were arrested shortly afterwards, and an online fundraising page raised $9,500 to help Keytar Bear with his losses.

References

External links

Keytar bear
on

facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...

{{authority control Year of birth missing (living people) Living people 21st-century American musicians American street performers American male singers Anonymous works Musicians from Massachusetts 21st-century American male musicians