 "Photo: DN PHOTO PETER GAUNT")
Click here to view an audio slideshow about Bears of Blue River's performance at the Muncie Civic Theatre.
Shows like the Bears of Blue River benefit concert are great for Muncie Civic Theatre. Not only because they raise funds for the theater, but also because they draw an all-ages crowd, said David Sherrill, technical director for Muncie Civic Theatre.
The Bears’ diverse sound makes their music enjoyable for all ages, and they certainly draw a unique crowd: college and high school students along with lead singer Gavin Wilkinson’s 95-year-old grandfather.
Sherrill said it’s always good for the theater to have bookings during the theater’s down time.
“This is a great room for live music, and it doesn’t get used for that,” he said.
Sherrill had hoped for more people, but said the turnout was good considering the weather.
The show drew about 70 people, bringing in about $210 for the theater. Opening for the Bears was the recently-formed band Wooden Boxes performing songs such as “Pitter Patter” and “Heartbreak Way.”
The intimacy and familiarity of the show allows audience requests, including one from Wilkinson’s family. Wilkinson’s uncle, Larry Ratchford, was in Muncie from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. to watch his nephew perform his favorite song, “Crayola,” from the band’s EP album, “The Killer Bee Scare.” Cameras flashed as the Bears performed about 10 of their other songs, including “Tickled Pink” and “Betty Homemaker.”
Most of the audience were either related to band members or were long-time fans. Local fan Heather Davis said it was “delightful” seeing the Bears perform in Muncie again. Davis and Matt Dailey attended middle school with drummer Brian Swoveland. Davis and Dailey saw the band perform in Indianapolis — the first stop on the Bears’ national tour.
Ball State University junior telecommunications major Brian Ramsey said it was nice to hear a band that wasn’t commercial.
“I thought it was great. It was nice to hear original folk-type music,” he said.
Lisa Walker, a junior music major at Ivy Tech Community College, said she loved that they didn’t have expensive instruments, showing the band’s sincerity as musicians.
Wilkinson said the show was fun and intimate. Seeing familiar faces in the crowd meant that people still care to come out and listen to them play, he said.
“We’ve played in towns where we don’t know anybody,” he said. “It’s a lot different playing for folks you know than a crowd you don’t know.”
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