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The Aquabats

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Read more about The Aquabats at: Wikipedia

Official Site: The Aquabats

The Aquabats are an American rock band formed in 1994 in Orange County, California. They have released five full-length studio albums and have toured internationally. They are best known for their mythology, in which they claim to be superhero on a quest to save the world from evil through music. As a part of this mythology the band members have adopted superhero pseudonym and dress in matching costumes. Their eclectic live show often includes onstage "battles" with costumed foes, and the band has built up an elaborate and ever-changing backstory of their origins and adventures, along with a roster of allies and enemies.

The group's lineup has fluctuated significantly throughout their career, with founding members The MC Bat Commander and Crash McLarson as regular fixtures. Jimmy the Robot has also remained a longtime member, having joined the band in 1997. The Aquabats' early work was heavily rooted in the third wave of ska music, with touches of surf and punk rock. Over the years their music shifted towards more synthesizer-based rock with a new wave influence. Their current style blends elements of rock and roll, pop-punk, ska, and synthpop. As of 2012, The Aquabats star in their own television series, The Aquabats! Super Show!, airing on The Hub.

The Aquabats originated in 1994 in Brea, California. Vocalist Christian Jacobs, bassist Chad Larson, and trumpet player Boyd Terry formed friendships while attending the same LDS church. The trio recruited more friends from church and began rehearsing together in the garage of a house that Jacobs and Larson shared. Inspired by the matching-outfit stage concept of Devo, the band purchased wetsuits at a surf-equipment store owned by Terry's brother to create costumes. The group played its first show at a party in August of 1994, but Larson recalled, "The first performance we did as a joke. We weren't trying to be a band. We were trying to have fun." After enlisting Jacobs' younger brother Parker, the group began conceptualizing its style, creating pseudonyms for each of the members. However, the band struggled to develop its sound, and disapproved of the violence associated with the punk rock scene. While attending a ska show in Orange County, Jacobs noted "No one was fighting or pushing each other but having a good time. It wasn't, 'Let's start a pit and maybe my boots will cause someone to bleed.' We started the Aquabats to be part of the fun."

Their music was heavily rooted in surf rock, punk rock, pop, and ska, and influenced by groups such as Devo, Oingo Boingo, Madness, and The Skatalites. Shortly after forming, the band began to establish their mythos, taking the above-mentioned stage names and claiming that they were superheroes from an island called Aquabania. Trumpet player and original member, Boyd Terry worked for Aleeda making wetsuit, and using spare rashguard and pieces of neoprene fashioned matching costumes for the group. They recorded and released a demo known as Revenge of the Midget punchers and began to build a local following through their energetic and eclectic live performances. They also released another demo tape at a local concert in early 1995 called the "Bat Boy" cassette.

The Aquabats has not been a contender in any CBUB matches.