Bear Vs. Shark

Detroit-area indie rock quintet Bear vs. Shark only formed officially in 2001, but guitarist John Gaviglio, vocalist Marc Paffi, bassist Mike Muldoon, second guitarist Derek Kiesgen, and drummer Brandon Moss had known each other since junior high school. Influenced by crushing highs and soul-searching lows of '90s emo and indie, Bear vs. Shark self-released a debut and gigged throughout the metro Detroit and Lansing area, all the while waiting for most of its membership to graduate from college. Once that hurdle was conquered, the band signed with the New York indie Equal Vision, which released the ambitiously textured rock of Right Now, You're in the Best of Hands in July 2003. The album's release was followed by a year of heavy touring (with acts like Hopesfall, Hey Mercedes, and Coheed & Cambria), so heavy that Bear vs. Shark's website recounted numerous tour van mishaps. By September 2004 Bear vs. Shark were back in Michigan and making plans for a second album; Terrorhawk was released in mid-2005. Sadly, the bandmembers announced their breakup before the year's end.