Tuesday, November 10, 1998
Aquabats antics full of punk, pizazz
MUSIC: Ska group delights fans with hyperactive performance
By Michelle Zubiate
Daily Bruin Staff
They sport more staged fights and pratfalls than WWF wrestling.
They’ve got magic chickens, professors and space monsters. You want
to see snakes falling from the sky? You got it. The Aquabats always
satisfy.
Last Saturday night The Palace hosted a fervent explosion of
hi-jinks for the crazily-clad audience composed of kids from Orange
County.
The ska group brings as much pizazz to any stage as it does a
great collection of hyper, crazy tunes. Saturday proved no
different as the group gave a performance better than most so far
and showed that they could grow up and remain juvenile at the same
time.
Driving the house wild from the moment the curtain went up,
every kid in the joint was reaffirmed as a loyal follower of the
group that still embodies the true meaning of punkish ska. The band
ignored any limitation of the stage or their instruments and
constantly ran about, jumping all over each other, meshing
characters into the show’s equation. Throughout the evening they
never seemed to tire of crowd-surfing, flipping or even fighting
evil space monsters.
The mood of the night, though somewhat odd, made every person
feel comfortable with the chaos which developed around them. While
stage performers designated as the "bad guys" beat up Magic Chicken
on the balcony and plastic snakes rained onto the crowd, the
Aquabats had a knack for never forgetting the people in the
audience.
Inviting participation from the floor and the balcony, they
announced their need to "protect the kids" and displayed an
endearing sense of camaraderie with their fans. The adventure was
always a collective one.
Despite the mini-plots and elaborate scenes, the Aquabats did
not hide their ability to rock hard. Fans recognized the tunes from
the opening notes because of their simple, catchy melodies. Always
fun to jump and dance to, the band’s most popular song "Super Rad"
held no less energy than it did when it first saw air time last
year.
Other favorite picks such as "Red Sweater" and "Captain Hampton
and the Midget Pirates" inspired much moshing with their
unrestrained rhythms. More than just silly lyrics ("I had a small
friend/ Who had a fat friend/ Who had a big friend/ Who gave birth
to many friends"),the Aquabats played Saturday night with a
refreshing quality that differed from the old days of electric
noise and lost beats.
Their talent is evident – a unique blend of fun and music.
The band proves that only in groups like theirs does ska have a
future. Creativity remains the key in a genre dependent upon good
times rather than serious hits.
And so the fury of the Aquabats lives on.Goldenvoice
The Aquabats brought their souped-up costumes and zany antics to
The Palace in Hollywood last Saturday night.
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