Shake That Bear

Shake That Bear is more than just a few guys that jam out in a basement a few times a month. Since solidifying their lineup in May 2011, the five members that form Shake That Bear have transformed their creation into one of the worst-kept secrets of northern New Jersey. With their unique blend of pop-style guitar riffs and catchy vocals with an aggressive and unrelenting push that one would normally attribute to hardcore bands, they have created something so unheard of that concert promoters struggle to find bands that sound similar enough to match them; thus, the band wins over metalcore/thrash crowds and pop-punk fans alike. Since their first show after finalizing their lineup with the addition of vocalist Brandon Zemel (formerly of Ataraxia), when they took the stage at Starland Ballroom, they have been on the warpath, leaving new fans in their wake whenever they blow through town. The band, now made up of frontman/vocalist Zemel, guitarists Chris Vuoncino (also of Big Jet Plane) and Tyler Crifasi (formerly of Beyond The Summit), and drummer Frank Massanova, released their first single, “King Of The Castle”, prior to their show at Starland Ballroom in May 2011. After the show, they re-entered the studio to continue and complete the recording process for their debut EP, “Bedsheets and Alibis”, which was released on iTunes and Amazon, along with physical copies on the band's official webstore, on August 5, 2011. The release coincided with the band's first tour. On August 4, 2011, they embarked on the BroDown The Coast Tour with New York-based band City At Dawn, with the second show of the tour, held at Architekt Music in Butler, NJ serving as the CD release show. Upon returning home, the band put renewed effort into booking in-and-out of state shows. Their hard work finally showed signs of paying off when they were offered a slot as direct support for Trivium on the main stage of Crocodile Rock in Allentown, PA. At the same time, they began to receive management interest, and in October signed with CB Entertainment for management representation. After only days short of a year since their first show together, the band had earned a slot on The Bamboozle Festival 2012 in Asbury Park, NJ alongside We Came As Romans, Whitechapel, The Wonder Years, The Story So Far, Volbeat, Stray From The Path, Texas in July, Skrillex, Foo Fighters, Gaslight Anthem, All-American Rejects, Brand New, and Bon Jovi. In the short time they have been together, the band has opened for multiple touring bands including Trivium, Our Last Night, Crown The Empire, Palisades, Set It Off, Lions Lions, Close Your Eyes, MyChildren MyBridge, Spies Like Us, Delusions, and more, not to mention their spot on Bamboozle. They have also done two East Coast tours, the BroDown The Coast Tour in 2011 with City At Dawn, and the #Tourlife Tour in 2012. The band continuously writes new material and, unlike many bands, doesn't wait for it to be recorded before playing their new songs live. “We get so into our songs that we really don't want to wait to play them live,” frontman Zemel says. In addition to the excellent feedback received on “Bedsheets And Alibis” (which has held a consistent 4 1/2 to 5 Star rating on iTunes), Shake That Bear's live show has drawn rave reviews from fans and promoters alike. Their powerful, energetic, and sometimes comical performance captures the attention of everyone in the room and earns overwhelmingly positive feedback from crowds and promoters alike. In late 2012, original bassist Jim Sabino and original lead guitarist Sean Mulligan left the band, prompting a several month hiatus for the band. On March 31, 2013, the band made their return announcement by releasing their cover of Ke$ha's hit track "Take It Off", and announcing their comeback show on June 1 at Architekt Music in Butler, NJ. Shake That Bear is back and better than ever and determined to raise the bar. SHAKE THAT BEAR is not currently signed with any management or label. All booking, management, label, and press inquiries should be sent to shakethatbearnj@hotmail.com. SHAKE THAT BEAR has had the pleasure of playing with these nationally and internationally touring bands: -Trivium (Roadrunner Records) -Our Last Night (Epitaph Records) -Crown The Empire (Rise Records) -Set If Off (EqualVision Records) -Palisades (Rise Records) -Lions Lions (Century Media Records) -This Or The Apocalypse (GoodFight/Lifeforce Records) -My Heart To Fear (Solid State Records) -Close Your Eyes (Victory Records) -MyChildren MyBride (Solid State Records) -Sirena (Darkslate Records) -Spies Like Us (InVogue Records) -Delusions (Tragic Hero Records) -We Came As Romans* (EqualVision Records) -Skrillex* (Big Beat/Owsla Records) -Miss May I* (Rise Records) -The Story So Far* (Pure Noise Records) -Stray From The Path* (Sumerian Records) *Denotes a major festival Shake That Bear was a post-hardcore band that went on indefinite hiatus in 2013.