Boston Magazine published the first long interview with the performer behind the costume. The bear had already been seen around the city before the Boston Marathon.
Boston
History
A public record of the character, from the first interview through the film. Dates below are the ones the cited reporting gives.
Who is Keytar Bear?
Boston Magazine’s 2015 Best of Boston note calls Keytar Bear Best Street Performer and Boston’s unofficial musical mascot. The person in the costume is not named. Boston’s Bear
When did Keytar Bear start?
The April 4, 2014 Boston Magazine interview says the bear had already been seen around the city before the Boston Marathon. Read the origin
Why does Keytar Bear wear the costume?
Anonymity was intentional. The costume came together around a TED event, after a police officer made performing on the street difficult. The interview
What is the documentary?
Keytar Bear, written and directed by Kely Maloney, premiered March 7, 2025 at Suffolk University’s Modern Theatre and screened in GlobeDocs. Film and now
Origin
Boston’s Bear
Boston Magazine named Keytar Bear Best Street Performer and called the character Boston’s unofficial musical mascot. The same note mentions performances with Guster and at Fenway on Opening Day.
The City Stood With the Bear
One chapter for the hard years and the support that followed. The 2014 reporting does not describe those attacks as racial. The June 2017 reporting is the documented racial attack.
April 2014
Two attacks, then a video
Boston Magazine reported that the bear was attacked twice that month: once with a bottle of Snapple that broke a keytar, and once during a selfie. A video of the second incident was published the following week. The reporting does not describe these attacks as racial.
May 1, 2014
The selfie punch on video
Boston Magazine published video of the April attack in which the bear was punched during a selfie.
May 2014
A fundraiser for the bear
After the attacks, supporters raised thousands of dollars for medical costs and a replacement keytar. The target was passed, and hundreds of people came to a benefit.
May 8, 2014
Keytar Bear and Abby Taylor Day
Cambridge declared May 8 Keytar Bear and Abby Taylor Day.
2016
Third annual day at The Middle East
The Middle East hosted the third annual Keytar Bear Day, a sign the celebration had continued past the first Cambridge declaration.
November 1, 2014
Two arrests at Faneuil Hall
Boston.com reported two arrests after an assault and robbery near Faneuil Hall. The bear’s tip jar and equipment were damaged, and there was blood on the Bruins jersey.
June 18, 2017
The documented racial attack
Boston.com reported that three teenagers attacked the bear near Faneuil Hall, using racial slurs, pulling the head off, and taking tip money. The Boston Police Civil Rights Unit investigated. The Boston Globe reported the same day. The same reporting says people intervened, and that public support continued afterward.
April 26, 2018
A motorcycle accident
The bear was injured in a motorcycle accident: a broken foot, and injuries to a knee, a shoulder, and fingers on the playing hand. This was not an assault.
Film and now
Universal Hub reported Keytar Bear performing at Downtown Crossing. The year is the date that reporting gives.
Universal Hub