Back in 2016, Bear Vs. Shark announced a reunion show at Local 432 in Flint, so my brother and I drove there from Boston to see it. All of the news coverage about the water crisis leading up to that point had painted the place as a dystopian wasteland, but that couldn't have been more inaccurate. Like a lot of cities and towns in the Rust Belt, there was such a deep sense of community there along with the scrappy optimism of building something new amidst the relics of bygone industry. In the short time we were there, we got to meet the dudes in the band (who were so wonderful), went to the Flint Pride parade, and met some small business owners. The whole experience was a testament to the resilience and strength of community despite overwhelming hardship.
