Bambi, Preachers and Bats, Oh My!
There are certain drawbacks to being the quiet observer—the fly on the wall with a camera. But every now and then, the universe aligns in such a way that the background becomes the best seat in the house. Saturday, May 17, 2025, was one of those nights.
A recent episode of @whatspoppinatthecomplex touched on something that stuck with me—how the vanishing of "third places" in post-pandemic America has only made all-ages shows more vital. If every gig is locked inside a bar, how are young people supposed to find their way into the scene? May 17 at The Glasshouse was a sharp reminder of why we do this. A sold-out room of new faces and longtime friends gathered in celebration of cartoon chaos and ska-powered joy as The Aquabats! launched their Finally! world tour in support of their eighth studio album.
As a child of the ’90s growing up in California, The Aquabats! were never far from my orbit. Between Brink and Johnny Tsunami on the Disney Channel and the X-Games happening in my own backyard, the era felt tailor-made for weird kids with loud opinions. Ska, punk, and the sprawling DIY scenes of the Bay Area were foundational. Many miles south in Orange County, The Fury of The Aquabats! was making waves. "My Skateboard!" lived proudly on Side A of my mixtape, sandwiched between "Super Rad!" and Kris Kross’s "I Missed the Bus."
Fast-forward nearly 30 years—from that garage in Pacifica to a venue in Pomona—and here we are: Finally!, The Aquabats! are back, armed with a brand-new album and the same sense of hyperactive hope that’s helped a generation of disillusioned Millennials (myself included) believe in silliness again.
Thanks to the endlessly lovely folks in Bite Me Bambi, I was invited to do what I do best: observe and document peers chasing their dreams.
I first formally connected with Bite Me Bambi and The Bar Stool Preachers in November 2024 during their San Francisco stop. I was already a Bambi fan, but the Preachers blew me away. I immediately added their records to my rotation, and Below the Static ended up in my personal Top 5 of the year.
It was great catching up with the Preachers in L.A., where they’re recording their next record—currently untitled but lovingly dubbed Preacher Number 4. Before the show, I asked drummer Alex Smith what this new album “tastes like.” He laughed and said, “Arizona Iced Tea. No joke. We’ve been slamming them in the studio like they’re rocket fuel. It’s become a running joke.”
Alex, who joined the band as a longtime fan, reflected on the gravity of it all:
“Being asked to come to L.A. and work with the guy—the legend—Cameron Webb at Maple Grove Studios? I was floored. Now to be here, outside the studio, doing shows with the guys? It’s incredible. Same with Punk Rock Bowling—playing live keeps us loose for the sessions.”
There’s a real buzz around this next chapter for the Preachers. Frontman T.J. McFaull and bassist Bungle were both fired up backstage, talking about how the new material builds on the momentum of Grazie Governo and Above the Static. The confidence is earned.
If The Bar Stool Preachers are preaching radical empathy, Bite Me Bambi are screaming self-love through a glitter cannon. Fresh off the release of Eat This—a bold Valentine’s Day drop—the band is operating at full tilt. The album opener, "Too Many People," immediately establishes the tone: fun, fearless, genre-fluid chaos. Ska, punk, surf rock, and whatever else they can pull from the Orange County ether—it’s all there, wrapped like a spicy burrito and hurled at the face of any figurative “bad boyfriend.”
Both openers are exactly what this scene needs. The Aquabats! built a massive on-ramp for the awkward, the nerdy, and the offbeat to find community. That legacy now lifts up bands like Bambi and the Preachers, who in turn open the gate even wider for the next wave. All three bands reminded me why all-ages shows matter—and why music, especially live music, is still one of the few places where joy can be political.
So yes, follow The Bar Stool Preachers to stay up to date on their next album (and keep an eye out for whatever shape Preacher Number 4 takes). Catch Bite Me Bambi as they hit the road with Less Than Jake for the Summer Circus tour.
And as for The Aquabats!—after saving California, they’re off to rescue Europe from the gray grasp of self-seriousness.
