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Only tennis balls can defeat dinosaurs (and other things I learned at the Aquabats concert)

The Aquabats & Emily's Army, Sept. 20, 2014
Emily’s Army perform at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014. The band opened for The Aquabats, who were on their 20th anniversary tour.

The Aquabats perform at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014. The band was on their 20th anniversary tour. (Photo by Ben Moffat) The Aquabats perform at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014. The band was on their 20th anniversary tour. (Photo by Ben Moffat)

On Saturday night, I had the pleasure of seeing The Aquabats in concert for the first time. Although I have been a fan for years, I had never had a chance to see the band live. I had always heard great things about Aquabats shows, so I went in with the bar set pretty high as to what to expect. Fortunately, the band did not disappoint. After seeing them live for the first time, here were my five biggest takeaways.

Emily’s Army perform at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014. The band opened for The Aquabats, who were on their 20th anniversary tour. Emily’s Army perform at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014. The band opened for The Aquabats, who were on their 20th anniversary tour.

 

5. Emily’s Army is an excellent up and coming punk band

Opening the show for The Aquabats was Emily’s Army, a punk quartet from Oakland, which I feel perfectly represents the next generation of punk rock. With singing duties split between brothers Max and Cole Backer (the band’s lead bassist and guitarist, respectively), the band opened with a track from its most recent release, “Swim.”

It proceeded to rip through the remainder of the half hour or so set, playing a mix of tracks from previous releases “Lost At Seventeen” and “Don’t Be A Dick,” engaging the audience. Emily's Army made sure everyone in the crowd, even the younger kids (there were many) enjoyed themselves. The band’s talent is apparent,and perhaps surprising, given that the members are all in their early 20s. Keep an eye on them; they have potential.

The MC Bat Commander, or Christian Jacobs, of the Aquabats performs at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014. The band was on their 20th anniversary tour. (Photo by Ben Moffat) The MC Bat Commander, or Christian Jacobs, of the Aquabats performs at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014. The band was on their 20th anniversary tour. (Photo by Ben Moffat)

4. The Aquabats attract fans of all ages

While not necessarily a surprise due to (1) the content of their music and (2) their children’s television show, I was surprised to see how many younger fans were at the show. As many adults as there were, there was no shortage of kids between the ages of 5 and 8.

While it may have made some uncomfortable, I personally thought it was a really cool thing to see. There aren’t many bands a parent can take their child to and have as good a time as they normally would, but that was certainly not the case on Saturday night.

Everyone in the crowd was enjoying themselves, and it was nice to see that the band was aware of younger fans in the crowd. Many times throughout the evening, Aquabats frontman MC Bat Commander made sure to tell those in the mosh pit to be aware of their surroundings and to make sure that everyone could have a great time.

EagleBones Falconhawk, or Ian Fowles, of the Aquabats perform at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014. The band was on their 20th anniversary tour. (Photo by Ben Moffat) EagleBones Falconhawk, or Ian Fowles, of the Aquabats perform at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014. The band was on their 20th anniversary tour. (Photo by Ben Moffat)

3. People cosplay to Aquabats concerts

I always knew the band had an eccentric fan base given its status as a cult band, but I was not expecting people to be dressed up as the band in the crowd. Seriously, people were in full Aquabat costumes, decked head to toe in the tight-fitting uniform as well as the helmet and goggles. While at first it was a bit strange to see, in the end, it made for a more entertaining experience and just went to show how much the band's fans love it.

Jimmy the Robot, or James Briggs, of the Aquabats performs at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014. The band was on their 20th anniversary tour. (Photo by Ben Moffat) Jimmy the Robot, or James Briggs, of the Aquabats performs at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014. The band was on their 20th anniversary tour. (Photo by Ben Moffat)

2. Aquabats loves theatrics

Opening the show with the theme song to its television program, the band made sure fans know what they were in for from the get-go by leading a mass sing-along to the track.

Bat Commander then proceeded to run, jump and dance around the stage without stopping for the next two hours, never showing any signs of fatigue or intent of slowing down. He brought a man in a chicken suit on stage during “Magic Chicken,” then threw chicken nuggets into the crowd. Immediately after, the band fought a 20-foot-tall dinosaur and saved the crowd from being eaten. (“We had to do it for the kids, they were next,” joked bassist Crash McLarson.)

The band closed the night with an encore of “Pool Party” and invited kids up onstage to dance and throw beach balls into the crowd. It was moments like these that blurred the line between children's and adult entertainment. The band made everyone in the crowd forget about everything else and feel like a kid again, as well as prove yet again why Aquabats is one of the most fun and unique bands out there.

Crash McLarson, or Chad Larson, of the Aquabats performs at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014. The band was on their 20th anniversary tour. (Photo Ben Moffat) Crash McLarson, or Chad Larson, of the Aquabats performs at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014. The band was on their 20th anniversary tour. (Photo Ben Moffat)

1. The band knows what the fans want to hear

The Aquabats, on a 20th anniversary tour, have no shortage of potential songs. However, it knows which songs are hits, which aren’t and which classics the crowd wanted to hear. The band played a nearly two-hour set that included 15 of its greatest hits, including “Pizza Day,” “Pool Party” and “The Cat With 2 Heads.”

The only track I was dying to hear that didn’t get played was “Captain Hampton and the Midget Pirates,” but I ultimately got so caught up in the show that I forgot all about it. I’ve been to a lot of concerts, but I can honestly say that The Aquabats put on one of the best, most entertaining shows I’ve ever been to. I can’t wait to see it again the next time it comes to Tempe.

Setlist

  1. The Aquabats! Super Show! Theme Song
  2. Martian Girl!
  3. Cat With 2 Heads!
  4. My Skateboard!
  5. Lovers of Loving Love!
  6. Magic Chicken!
  7. Burger Rain!
  8. Look At Me, I'm A Winner!
  9. The Shark Fighter!
  10. Pizza Day!
  11. Super Rad!
  12. Hey Homies!
Encore:

13. Red Sweater! 14. Fashion Zombies! 15. Pool Party!

 

Contact the reporter at seweinst@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @S_Weinstein95

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