It was a nostalgic night of punk, reggae, and silliness as The Aquabats stopped at the Fillmore Silver Spring Monday night on their latest tour, Finally! The Album Tour.
Left Alone got the Monday night festivities started with an enjoyable 30-minute set. A California-based punk rock band, it formed back in 1996 by lead vocalist and guitarist Elvis Cortez. In 2024, the rest of the lineup includes Pablo Fiasco, Jimmy Jam, and Ben Shaw. The ska-influenced punk went over well with the Silver Spring crowd; it was a cool set that even included some Spanish-language songs. Left Alone’s latest release was 2021’s Checkers & Plaid, released on the label Cortez formed, Smelvis Records.
Also from California, The Aggrolites took the baton from Left Alone to get the Monday night crowd hyped and they were successful. The Aggrolites (Roger Rivas, Alex McKenzie, Jesse Wagner, Jeff Roffredo, and Ricky Chacon), formed in 2002 and are purveyors of what they call “Dirty Reggae”—a fusion of soul, ska, reggae, and punk.
The crowd was filled with fans who sang along and danced. Instead of a mosh pit, the show had a dance pit. Late in the set, frontman Wagner picked out some kids from the audience to join the band on stage for a fun rendition of “Banana Song,” a song from the children’s show Yo Gabba Gabba! The kids danced and sang on stage while inflatable bananas got tossed around the crowd.
While ska/reggae/punk is generally not my “thing,” both Left Alone and The Aggrolites were great. The sets were enjoyable, and both bands got the crowd engaged and dancing. There were quite a few kids present; the resulting vibe was that of a light, fun, family-friendly party.
When The Aquabats finally took the stage, the night’s trifecta of California bands was completed, and the Fillmore vibe took on a goofy chaotic quality. Emerging in 1994, and going through many lineup changes since then, The Aquabats include singer MC Bat Commander, bassist Crash McLarson, saxophonist Jimmy the Robot, drummer Ricky Fitness, guitarists Eaglebones Falconhawk and Chainsaw, the Prince of Karate, trumpeter Cat Boy, and keyboardist Gorney. It’s a lot of bodies and energy for one stage—it was tough to know where to look!
The chaos on stage broke out immediately with MC Bat Commander (the persona of Christian Jacobs) throwing water onto the crowd as the band broke into “The Shark Fighter!” While I’m usually dodging crowd surfers at the Fillmore, Monday night I was getting hit in the back of the head by giant inflatable great white sharks as they got tossed around the crowd.
Known for their masks and matching costumes, The Aquabats’ shtick is that they claim to be crime-fighting superheroes. It’s a theme that weaves through much of the band’s rock/punk/ska music. The live shows feature stunts, costumed characters and other goofiness. Monday night there was a Big Bird looking dude, a giant robot, a giant cowboy, and lots of stuff thrown into the crowd.
The screen behind the stage runs video taken from mid-20th century cartoons, ads for compilation CDs from the 1990s, Japanese children’s shows, and Patrick Nagel-inspired graphics. Honestly, a hodgepodge of everything from the 1960s onward. It all helped perpetuate the camp atmosphere. It’s a lot of fun and, as you might imagine, it attracts a lot of kids (a dozen years ago the band even had a campy TV show). Indeed, Monday night there were kids all over the place, on the shoulders of parents, running through the crowd, wearing costumes, and dancing. The adults were having just as much fun, if not more.
The set drew from across the band’s catalog and included selections from the band’s latest album, Finally! The encore featured a guest appearance by Gumby, one of the original members of the Aquabats. The last song of the night, “Pool Party!” saw even more kids pulled onto the stage for singing and dancing while the keyboards sneak in some Rush (I noticed a bit of “Tom Sawyer” in that song). It was a great show for a Monday night—tons of wholesome wackiness and, even with a 19-song setlist and two other bands, the night wrapped up around 10PM.
Finally! The Album tour wraps up in Pomona, CA on August 17.
THE AGGROLITES
LEFT ALONE
