Last year, The Bear, the FX Series about Chicago, families, cousins, trauma, grief, perseverance and restaurant workers, ran smack into unsuspecting TV viewers like a line chef who turns the corner but doesn’t shout “Corner!” Viewers were blindsided and bowled over by the moving, funny, harrowing writing and the award-winning acting.
The acclaimed series returned for a new season in late June and served a tantalizing second course. Not only did the show avoid the sophomore slump, the sequel season is even better than its predecessor. And avid music fans have especially been enamored of the series’ soundtrack. The music chosen for season two’s 10 episodes is thoughtful and evocative.
A brief example: Refused’s “New Noise” is used in a couple of scenes depicting urgency on the parts of the show’s characters. When it’s time to roll up their sleeves and get to work, the familiar opening chords of the 1998 punk anthem score the pressing matter at hand. By the time the first line of the song is delivered – “Can I scream?!” – viewers also feel the dire, do-or-die gravity of the onscreen moment.
“New Noise” is a great song, but it also exemplifies a quibble with The Bear. “’New’ Noise” is a 25 year-old song. A glance at the Spotify playlist dubbed “The Bear Season 2 Soundtrack” shows some of the biggest hit makers of the last century listed, everyone from AC/DC to Wilco, in its 60-song collection.
But, where is the new music by newer artists?
The irony of the soundtrack is this show, a huge part of its premise, is about a band of people trying something new. They’re unknowns and upstarts experiencing and managing the joy and pain that comes with that. They’re talented and pooling their resources to create something that hasn’t been done before or done to death. New recipes, new concepts – not the tastes we’ve all sampled time and again. They call in some favors and lean on one another as they try to make something happen, to rise above all the established brands.
Sound familiar, independent musicians?
There’s an obvious a parallel to The Bear’s hopeful new restaurant starters and the world’s new, independent bands. They all know what they’re doing is a longshot. It might not work. Maybe no one will pay attention to their efforts. They pretend they don’t care and forge on because they love what they’re doing. They’ll fight for it. Are we talking now about the fictional culinary characters or the real-life enterprising but unheralded musicians? Doesn’t matter, they’re the same. They deserve their shot.
Practically every act on the series’ soundtrack is from the last half of the last century. The track listing includes a song from Andy Williams and two from Dean Martin. Dino! He began his career in 1932. Pretty much everyone else is from the 1950s-1990s. Two “recent” acts started in the early 2000s, Taylor Swift and The Budos Band, the youngest act of them all. They formed in 2005.
For a show about taking chances and hoping the tastemakers will choose something new and fresh over what’s been served to billions like Big Macs, well, it just seems like they could break and mix a few new eggs into the omelette (which, yes, is the actual title of one of the new season’s episodes).
Since the series is set in Chicago, it makes most sense to turn an open eye (and mind) to that city’s very robust music scene. I won’t pretend to be an expert about the music offerings of a city hundreds of miles from my own, but off the top of my head, Horsegirl comes to mind. They rock. I saw Ratboys a few years ago opening for PUP in Houston and their music would surely work in the series. Post Office Winter would be a perfect fit. French Police is nice for when The Bear needs to go ’80s new wave. I’m going to personally campaign for a couple of personal favorites, the Suburbanists and Palmer Squares, to get some upcoming season love.
There’s obviously nothing wrong with the actual songs selected for the actual soundtrack for The Bear season two. They’re great songs and it’s admirable how the curators and producers chose deep cuts for scenes intended to cut deep. Like using Otis Redding’s pleading-like-it-hurts “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” or Mavis Staples’ wonderful-beyond-words “I Like the Things About Me.” Viewers of The Bear may never have heard these songs and including them in a mega-popular TV show is a good move, for sure.
But, the show is about talented, maladjusted, big dreamers trying to break through, people a lot like many of our favorite new bands. If any of this breaks through to the show runners at The Bear, I hope they’ll respond with a “Heard,” as they plan their season three soundtrack.
All episodes of The Bear are now available for streaming on Hulu.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2023.
