The Aquabats! at the House of Blues Anaheim
Photos and words by Alex Matthews
Photo: Alex Matthews
SoCal ska/punk rockers The Aquabats! played a fantastic Valentine's Day themed show at House of Blues Anaheim. The band of costumed superheroes was in fine form for the evening and played to a raucous sold-out crowd. An Aquabats show is an auditory and visual spectacle that must be experienced, and their fanbase is just so much fun. There were tons of folks wearing costumes and celebrating the evening, with fans ranging from young children to older adults, all rocking out together. Tons of inflatables like giant sharks and hearts were floating above the heads of the crowd while the band battled costumed monsters onstage.
House of Blues Anaheim seemed to be a perfect venue for this show. with lots of space available for the kids, and a separate room broadcasting the concert on a video screen with tons of space for them to run around. This show was truly a family friendly experience, and it's so cool to see how the band's fanbase has morphed and continued to grow over the years. All of the staff at the venue were really fantastic and provided a safe and welcoming environment. The only bummer was the insanely long merch line that stretched all the way throughout the venue and flowed outside for most of the evening.
The Aquabats! are singer MC Bat Commander (Christian Jacobs), bassist Crash McLarson (Chad Larson) and since 2006, keyboardist Jimmy the Robot (Randall Briggs), drummer Ricky Fitness (Richard Falomir) and guitarist Eaglebones Falconhawk (Ian Fowles). In addition to this core group there were also three additional members at this show, with the band featuring a horn section and an additional guitar player. All of the members wore their signature brightly colored blue outfits with black masks and really put a ton of fun energy into their show. The atmosphere this band creates is different and special, it's really fun to be in the middle of. If you ever get a chance to experience The Aquabats! live just do it.
