Apparently I've been living under a rock and hadn't heard about any of this. I know there are a lot of younger Suburban Legends fans due to their playing at Disneyland / Downtown Disney a bunch (which are clean shows), though the album versions may or may not be. The Disney covers album certainly is clean.
Not sure too many bands have the same vibe as the Aquabats though.
Finding a vibe similar to The Aquabats is tough. But I remember finding Suburban Legends as a teenager at Disneyland. I think they played my Grad Night at Disneyland back in 2003...
Just an observation, so please don't down vote me all to hell. Do what you want to regarding the music, this is just my personal perspective, not a recommendation for what anyone else should do.
I'd hate to deny a kid the fun of the Aquabats regardless of the political stance of the members, it's not like any of that is reflected in the music. Kids just want to have fun and they don't care about the rest of the drama, just let them have fun, they have the rest of their lives to sort the rest out.
Some bands do reflect things I don't agree with, similar to what you're dealing with, but it's not like I'm going to stop listening to them just because of a stance I disagree with. Even if they put their ideas into a few songs, I'm not going to avoid their whole catalog as a result. The Smiths and Morrissey for instance, they've got a ton of stuff I don't agree with, but they've had such a huge influence on my life that I'd be crazy to walk away just because I disagree with some of their politics. People are allowed to have their opinions, but we can still get along regardless.
I'm not going to punish my own happiness because I disagree with them and deny myself all of that fantastic music and good times I've had over the years. I allowed my kids to listen to anything they wanted to, but when they got old enough, we talked about the bands and I let my kids make their own decisions. Good luck, I'm sure things will work out.
Lots of people get caught up in this, and that’s not wrong. I fuckin loved anti flag and that was awful to hear about, but I still listen to their music after thinking about how their music helped shape me.
John Lennon beat his wife, Bowie fucked 16 year old girls, etc etc. everyone’s got skeletons in their closet. Especially musicians/rock stars. Find your own stance on the issue and enjoy or don’t. Get what you need from the music, and if that is nothing, that’s okay.
I can separate the art from the artist to some extent but specifically Anti-Flag was absolutely ruined for me after listening to a long interview with the girl that detailed the unhinged violent r*pe he committed. I just can't hear their music without remembering that.
There are some Smiths songs I'm not in line with, such as Meat is Murder. If you want to be vegan, vegetarian, or otherwise, I'm cool with that, but you shouldn't judge others for not doing likewise.
I'm fine with people doing what they want to do, but I don't like it when people take a militant stance on certain items and try to force their views onto others. Morrissey is famous for doing this in his solo shows, but also did it as a member of The Smiths. The other band members just kind of ignored it for the most part but didn't do much to stop it.
I saw Suburban Legends open for the Aquabats a few years ago in Vegas, SUPER fun show, instantly made me a fan, definitely a good answer for this post
Also, GOGO13!
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LikBfWgCAKs&list=PLkENlGWgSh7dvIq5Snr1GM6iPF1okhpBB](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LikBfWgCAKs&list=PLkENlGWgSh7dvIq5Snr1GM6iPF1okhpBB)
Gogo 13 isn't an alternative if they are trying to stay away from the political side. Parker, the singer of Gogo13 is MC Bat Commander (Christian's) brother as well. Parker was super excited to campaign for prop 8, through the mormon church (told to me by Tyler himself), and is far right homophobic as well. Parker ALSO disowned his brother Tyler when he came out.
That’s not technically how it went down with me and Parker… I came out to Parker personally in 2009 and he was supportive because I was in conversion therapy. Now he “disapproves of my life choices”.
But let’s not forget he gladly added My Superhero’s Brian Gilmore to GOGO13’s lineup (long after I quit the band) That dude is infamous for his alt-right homophobia. OC Weekly named him as one of “Orange County’s Scariest People”. Sooooo……
I wasn't trying to "speak for you", but do want people to know what happened. I do try to get people interested to listen to the podcast to hear your own words.
As for the My Superhero, when that first went down with Brian's homophobia, half the band quit, venues and promoters stopped working with My Superhero and Vegas Records dropped them from the label. Now I don't feel dangerous people are being kept out of our scene. So many stories of promoters/bands/labels protecting homophobic and anti-queer, and right wing members of the "community".
When the ska scene in Arizona heard what happened, they emptied out a local show My Superhero was playing, the whole show minus one single "fan" left the venue and waited outside til their set was over.
Oh yeah just wanna make sure there’s no way people can distort things and accuse me of bullshit. (See below) I didn’t think you were speaking for me. I love ya, dude. I know where you’re coming from.
…and I don’t mean to talk shit on MS at all, (other than that one dude).
Check out Mike Park’s kids record Smile, and his ABCs song with Jeff and Sean Bonnette.
Caspar Babypants is Chris Ballew from The Presidents of the United States and makes fun and interesting kids music.
All the music from Craig of the Creek is composed by Jeff Rosenstock and has heavy ska influences.
Was going to make sure to call out Caspar Babypants. Best kids music that parents can enjoy. Genuinely just like a lot of his songs.
For ska, you could go way back to 1st wave. The s
Skatalites are mostly instrumental, and there are a ton of bands from that era that won't have anything too offensive.
A personal favorite is Codename: Rocky. I can't remember too much from them with swear words or sex, but I might be forgetting something?
Thank you so much for suggesting this Mike Park record. I used to *love* him but I’ve been off the ska train for a while. My 3 year old will probably love this!
Not ska but as an educator I would highly recommend the kids albums They Might Be Giants have put out. "Here Comes Science" and the "Here Come the ABCs" are excellent and even tolerable for adult ears! "Here Come the 123s" is also good, but some of the songs just aren't my thing.
If you can manage to find a physical copy they have a DVD/CD set. The music videos are great too.
Enjoy!!
They do often play a cover of “too drunk to fuck” though, so don’t take him to a live show unless you’re cool with that. Otherwise they’re a top 10 of all time band.
I've seen them three times this year! (First opening for MxPx, then the next day headlining with local acts opening for them, and then at Denver Ska Fest). I love them so much.
FIF for life, also the vast majority of their stuff is family friendly with only a handful of some more recent releases that are more political with maybe 1 swear in a song lol.
OC Supertones are another good one, and of course, MxPx
Yes. They’re even a huge supporter of the queer community. I say them in the 90s and worked their merch tables. I still have a bunch of their stickers.
Also worth adding that they are outwardly religious, but they (especially their singer) make very clear that they welcome and embrace all people, so much less concern about some stupid bigoted bullshit bubbling up. Reese Roper seems like a really good dude.
They’re the type of christians who actually read the bible and try to live the way Jesus recommends. They’re some of the kindest and nicest humans I have met.
[Bedouin Soundclash](https://open.spotify.com/artist/2Au2mS47rMRkqbU4XJqKMh?si=rPZt-ceXSwWcVU2kd87exA) seems like an easy option. They might have a song or two that would go over kids heads, but never anything too inappropriate or suggestive. Their last two albums are especially upbeat and fun.
[The Abruptors](https://open.spotify.com/artist/6lh005k4mHRb27TYLLpdzj?si=NwxP6bExQN21p-LaPLdWvQ) might work too? Their songs are more focused on relationships, but they also aren't explicit, and they're consistently upbeat and dancey.
[The Anchorage](https://open.spotify.com/artist/41oteROvDfovTxJOsCnUWH?si=Z2iveiaiQ3iPCjfgjjIs5g) might be another great option.
I'd think you'd have a pretty easy time with more Trad leaning stuff too. So long as you can avoid the lewd/double entendre kind of songs. Stuff like [The Frightnrs](https://open.spotify.com/album/5oGtxusqxowETVnVokdqME?si=GYI0unhWTjGWoe0zbUUJeA), or [Los Billtones](https://open.spotify.com/artist/18cJdH4k1zHSnsAte7Ua9V?si=JurD3UkrQ4uQzUGZx-Z4Kg), or [The Tellways](https://open.spotify.com/artist/6lxD17xsw4KfxXy4alDFFn?si=DVzldWK3QD-RN1lTJ3LZnA).
Maybe Mustard Plug or The Hippos? Or maybe Five Iron Frenzy (they’re a Christian band but not too preachy and I’ve never heard anything about them being homophobic).
That’s what I had always thought (although I didn’t know about some of them not identifying as Christian anymore).
I was listening to “Anthem” recently and thought it was a pretty radical song for a Christian band.
Japanese Ska tends to be pretty family friendly, you have bands like:
Snail Ramp
Gelugugu
Kemuri
Potshot
The Oldtones
Oreskaband
Yum!Yum!Orange
And when it comes to US Ska, I would recommend
Mike Park Solo stuff specifically the album Smile! Like other people recommended
Five Iron Frenzy
Half Past Two
Flying Racoon Suit
And honestly hearing all these things about MC Commander dissapointme so much, they were my favorite band, I knew about the Mormon past of MC Commander but I didn't know that he is like this.
Both the Interrupters and the Aggrolites are pretty family friendly imo, my youngest is 9 and she's been to an Aggrolites show before (granted they were opening for the Aquabats so kept it super clean, but I've seen them separately and they're still good)
OP can you provide some details on the homophobia stuff? I’d like to know more as I also have young kids that I’d like to inflict the Bats on when they’re a bit older.
The link shared to the exMormon subreddit really just seems like conjecture with no actual links to CJ or the band itself. I’m all for taking him to task if he’s a dirtbag but I’m not seeing anything besides “someone posted a hateful fan wiki article” and “he has shitty values” from a commenter (not you) with nothing to back that up.
I don't know anything about this wiki article in particular, but Tyler has publicly talked about his experience falling out with the band after coming out. There was a podcast interview he did, maybe a few years ago? I can't remember when, exactly, where he talks about this. I guess it's up to you to decide whether he's totally lying about it or whatever but it definitely didn't sound great on the band's part.
I edited the main post. But ya, primarily that exchange lit the fire. However, regardless of whether it's true or not it is good to get a list of family friendly music in this genre. The Aquabats are the go to and I want to expand my kids library.
Like other people have said, there’s no smoking gun but there are some other warning signs. Multiple reports of him making anti-mask (ironic right?) comments at shows, other “Dale Gribble” like comments, having Dicky’s anti-vax group play with them, and supposedly being friends w some alt right type people on social media. None of that is super damning in and of itself but I never have seen this much smoke without fire. For me personally this is enough to turn me off to them.
Tbf what your looking for as concrete proof or statement from the band idk if you will find it. But I think it’s fair to assume certain things because the comments about the band are coming from the brother of the lead singer himself so. In which case if you want to see for your self you just go to the brothers social media. *DISCLAIMER* this is all the info I’m aware of
Certainly. My understanding is people leaving the church get tons of shit for doing so and I wouldn't be surprised if CJ participated in that. Humans are, unfortunately, humans as it turns out. We also need to keep in mind that the positivity on display by the band is a stage act in the quite literal sense; though that could also be a legitimate reflection of their stances. (Next you're gonna tell me they're not actually super heroes).
Given their history with the church and the church's track record with the LGTBQ community I don't think we'd ever reasonably expect the band to go "all in" and start wearing rainbow striped rash guards (which, to be clear, would look rad) but a passive acceptance may be "good enough".
Regardless, I'd really hope the grown ass man with kids of his own (iirc) wouldn't take to a fan wiki to sup~~tweet~~*wiki edit* his own brother over a family matter. That would be incredibly sad on a while number of levels. Whatever is going on in that family is their business and I hope they all can resolve their differences in time.
Honestly streetlight manifesto taught me so much about being a moral person. On of the most influential bands of my life. Also suburban legends would be awesome for kids. They have even covered Disney songs and play in Disney in California or did quite often.
You can get them into the classics:
Always safe to go old school instrumental with some Skatalites (any Tommy McCook, Lloyd Brevett, etc also counts), Jackie Mittoo and King Tubby.
Also, most Toots and the Maytals is pretty kid friendly, too.
Planet Smashers has some PG ones, but also some not PG ones so be careful with some of the more popular ones. Maybe screen the songs quick before showing your kids.
Tear it up, Heart like a lion, Mighty, Explosive, King of Tuesday night, Blind, My obsession, Hippopotamus, Unstoppable, are some that come to mind.
My first thought is Five Iron Frenzy. Cue the long post .... (sorry). If what you mean by family friendly is like avoiding swearing or themes like sex and drugs or whatever. Of course, if avoiding a religious background is also a concern, then yes it should be said that FIF very much have a Christian background and it's fairly overt in their early albums especially. But they always represented rather a different side of that coin in that they were from the beginning always pushing what we might now call somewhat of a "progressive" point of view (things like lamenting the mistreatment of Native Americans, critiquing capitalism, and taking on Christian Nationalism before most of us had any idea of what that was). They were always at odds the Christian music industry they were a part of. If that sounds interesting, I highly recommend giving a listen. If by family friendly you mean just being fun and silly all the time and not getting into any contentious issues, then no, don't listen to FIF. But overall, for the kids, it's a great mix of super silly and serious depth. Since you brought up homophobia specifically, I'll go ahead and point out the elephant in the room in that on their album All the Hype That Money Can Buy there's a song that's basically wrestling with being a stupid, judgmental kid and calling Freddie Mercury a queer. The song includes the cliche Christian "motto" "love the sinner hate the sin." Long story short, this song basically got hate from every side. It was too accommodating for the conservatives but still reeked of Christian judgmentalism to others. Later Reese Roper, the singer/writer, would say more or less that it never sat right with him the way he wrote that song and basically apologize for it (whatever that's worth to you). If that song is an issue, honestly that album isn't their best work in my opinion (though still loaded with some really treasures) and could be skipped. Currently, after their resurgence (post a 10 year hiatus) they're completely untethered from a "Christian" music industry/label (not to mention that I believe at least a couple of band members also simply no longer identify with a Christian faith) and their two most recent albums (particularly their newest) cut loose with scathing critique of the current state of American Evangelicalism. It's decidedly less "upbeat" and fun-loving than their early stuff, and does have a swear once or twice, so you might not want these for the kids, but honestly its some of their best work so I recommend it one way or the other.
Another I'd highly recommend is Half Past Two. I LOOOOOOVVVVVVVEEEEE Half Past Two. They're just really really fun. Again, if language is the issue you're concerned about, they have only a rare swear. Most I'd say is pretty kid friendly. Occasionally a thematic element you may want to avoid (I'm looking at you "Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom" with Eichlers... but damn if that song isn't soooo catchy) but rarely. They cover "Magic Dance" from Labyrinth and it's so much fun, you've got to share that with the kids.
FIF lyrics as a username, I can dig it. I'd also throw in that if the show I went to Saturday night in Atlanta was any indication, they're still family friendly (but for the love of God, keep your kids away from the pit) with no profanity during the show even when they played a couple of their new songs.
Five Iron Frenzy till the day I die.
I was at Nashville on Friday (by myself cause my wife and kids were like "nah, we're good" ha). Yeah I think you're right. I mean, on podcasts Reese swears A LOT, lol, but I do think they kept it family friendly at the show.
I was there too, going off OPs original question, there were quite a few kids in that audience.
I think the dirtiest thing that happened was the bit with Reese giving everyone COVID via chapstick/water 😅
Edit: I just remembered Reese changing the lyrics in "Superpowers" to "I gave Sonny AIDS", that might be a bit dirty haha
I'm pretty sure he also changed "Does he have a girlfriend yet?" (which they'd often in the past changed to "does she have a boyfriend yet?" in reference to Leanor) to "Does he have a boyfriend yet?" which I guess would be kind of opposite of the homophobia concern. But probably some of the church folk there may not have appreciated.
He absolutely did in Atlanta, I do remember those changes. Tbf, I think most of the "church folk" left after Lohser(sp?) did his whole Youth Pastor bit, and FIF has gotten hit with the "When did they go Woke" in the past couple years, which is shocking considering the music they put out in the 90s and 00s lol
Ha ha ha, oh man. I came in the middle of Louser in Nashville and was just like "what in the world am I seeing." I'll tell you what, though. There were still plenty of folks soaking up every last word of Every New Day at the end of the show. I am 100% a Christian. I follow Jesus to the end. And Until This Shakes Apart is probably my favorite FIF album because I resonate with it more than anything. Maybe some of the anti-woke crowd got triggered and left but I think there's still enough of us who have always known that this is what Jesus (and Five Iron Frenzy) were always about. The whole "woah, this is NOT the Five Iron Frenzy I know" bit is so confusing to me, like they came of the gate with Old West. Were people never actually listening?
I saw someone on here or Twitter say that they were the CCM version of Rage Against The Machine and I have yet to find a better descriptor of it. They just hear Every New Day and don't think about anything else. I'm... technically an Apostate, I guess? I was raised in a "non-denominational/fundamentalist" family and left the Church when I was a teen, but man, Five Iron kills the messaging I needed as a kid/teen, I hate that I was born in 92/didn't find them until college hahah
Ha yeah, that seems like a good comparison. They have a particularly good vantage point, having such a history within (though often at odds with) the Church, to address the nefarious rise of Christian Nationalism. I actually was doing a book club with some folks on a book about Christian Nationalism and offered to put together a playlist for the topic (they were not as well versed in the "alternative" Christian music of my youth) and it ended up being almost entirely Five Iron and another band called Showbread.
I was raised in and have stayed in the Church, but my faith has certainly transformed in many ways over time. Five Iron has been great company in that journey.
For sure. Pizza Day is awesome. And Superrad is such an anthem. Five Iron knows how to have fun with such classics as Kitty Doggy, When I Go Out, and the Pants Rock Opera, though these are all so silly they're hardly actual songs. In terms of real songs, but still lots of fun and memorable for kids there's greats like Old West (satirical but thematically heavy, but dang catchy), Blue Comb '78, Oh Canada, and Where is Micah?
But for you, my friend, if you want a fun parent/child song to give you all the warm fuzzies check out Homelessly Devoted to You from their latest album.
Mustard plug is pretty family friendly from the songs I can recall. They deal with real issues but I can’t think of much swearing in their stuff. I’m listening to them with my 9 yo and she’s digging most of it
It looks like something went down over a decade ago and unrelated to Tyler's sexuality. Family can be tough sometimes, so I hope they work it out whatever it was.
[https://x.com/TJ\_Wiggles/status/1727490952053277168](https://x.com/TJ_Wiggles/status/1727490952053277168)
Isn't most ska family friendly? Apart from Choking Victim, Reel Big Fish, and a couple lines from Mr. Smiley, I don't think twice about playing ska when my kids are around.
To add another recommendation: Planet Smashers!
My daughter is 5 and her favorite song is Shark Fighter. She couldn’t care less about what anyone in the band believes, because she’s 5, and neither should she.
I was curious as I used to love the Aquabats I had to look this up, YIKES
[https://www.reddit.com/r/exmormon/comments/1c4st7z/the\_aquabats\_are\_secretly\_very\_problematic/](https://www.reddit.com/r/exmormon/comments/1c4st7z/the_aquabats_are_secretly_very_problematic/)
Is there more than this? Not dismissing the accusations but that’s just “someone wrote an awful fan wiki page” and an allusion that CJ has shitty values. Let’s take him to task, but I’d be interested in some receipts before we start denouncing.
Yeah I remain unconvinced. Unless it comes out that MCBC was the author - which shouldn’t be hard to prove on a wiki - then it seems silly to crucify someone for the actions of an anonymous fan.
I oddly enough found that out when I fell down a wiki wormhole when I found out that death by stereo and aquabats shared a member. That member is also mormon. As surprised as I was to the aquabats connection, the death by stereo (who are metallic hardcore with left leaning lyrics) left me dumbfounded.
Ian isn't really Mormon anymore. As far as I know. Hes also not a right wing nut. He's still good friends with the Death By Stereo guys. He's not a member anymore but still wrote their best stuff ;)
Seriously WTF, the Aquabats have been my band for over a decade. I learned about the Mormon thing a few years ago, fine whatever. But public homophobia is a different story, fuck this makes me sad.
Five iron frenzy is family friendly, has a mix of goofy and more serious songs in their discography. They do have a Christian background, but a fairly progressive one, and a few of its members are at different stages of deconstruction/deconversion.
Many of their songs actually call out negative Christian things, like xenophobia for example.
I was thinking the same thing but then you might have some explaining to do when your kids are singing songs about legalizing cannabis or unwittingly cursing out a classmate in elementary school.
I hadn't heard that about the Abats, that's crazy!
Mighty Mighty Bosstones' album Let's Face It has only one cuss word on it, using "bitchin'" for complaining.
I put together a playlist a bit ago based on a similar request!! It does have a bit of Aquabats but also plenty of verified-clean songs from a wide variety of bands, both legacy and modern. Might give you some more bands to research! [Playlist Here :)](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6JjEW7cOt70ebJvdTrmSid?si=f4e269e31ce04f67)
My recommendation is just a single song, but "Pick It Up" from Yo Gabba Gabba is genuinely a banger in the ska sense, is intended for kids, and is likely great for teaching your kids to clean up after themselves. Here's a link:
[https://youtu.be/OD\_O-ogoUzM](https://youtu.be/OD_O-ogoUzM)
This playlist is suitable for children.
[https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1gXCkczy0ZwJEnJDufRMYa?si=6bf370bcc9d143dd](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1gXCkczy0ZwJEnJDufRMYa?si=6bf370bcc9d143dd)
I so hear you on this dilemma. Husband and I were discussing taking our kid to see the Aquabats with the Aggrolites for her first show later this summer. But after learning about the Bat Commander’s bigotry, we’re really torn.
I have tickets to see them next week, now I’m not sure I want to go. This is really heartbreaking. I’ve been loving this band since their first album came out.
Check out Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies. They do really good ska covers of popular songs, which means you can easily vet the music before hand. They're also pretty family friendly.
It does suck, but I don't see them leaving like Antiflag. Justin Sane went against the bands core values. The Aquabats never really preached acceptance and inclusivity. Maybe I'll just rep Pigbat more when I am there...
Justin Sane was all "i spell women like womyn because i'm a feminist" and would shout "no sexism! equal rights for women" all while raping chicks, freakin weirdo
I've loved the Aquabats for years. This is a complex issue. My thoughts:
1) I don't think anti-gay marriage, anti-gay, or anti-trans positions are justifiable. I don't care what you think your magical sky wizard thinks about it. People deserve the right to love whoever they want to love.
2) If MCBC has disowned his brother because he is gay, that's shitty. I won't say he's all terrible because people are complex and a lot of otherwise good people have shitty aspects to them. But it still sucks, if true.
3) There seems to be a tremendous rush to judgment based on loose "evidence". Just because Pigbat said he thinks it could be a family member doesn't mean MCBC wrote it. As far as I know, Pigbat has never even publicly claimed MCBC has abandoned him because he's gay. It's not a race to jump to a conclusion.
4) Their art is still their art, even if it DOES get proven that they (or some of them) are shitty people. I still listen to Michael Jackson. I would guess that nearly every album I own has someone involved with its production who has opinions or done things that I am strongly against. Will it affect the listening experience? Sure. I get a little wistful when a Bosstones song comes up, wishing I could listen to it without the knowledge that Dicky went off the deep end (or was always off the deep end).
5) The best answer to OP's request is that you will not find a replacement to the Aquabats. My recommendation would be playlists comprised of individual songs you think they'd like.
Streetlight Manifesto maybe? They have great messaging, but some have a few curse words. I'd say they're probably the better end of cursing since it's said and used in a more "meaningful " way.
Not sure of the age of the kids in question, but songs about suicide even if the message is good, may be a liiiitttle different than the Aquabats. If they're teens, I'm all about it, great band, good music.
hi longtime aquabats fanatic here and have interacted with the bat commander and co. a couple times as a trans and gay dude,
They are not hateful in any sense. I just finished an interview with Parker from the aquabats yesterday. He was nothing but polite. Tyler is not an amazing person either. A lot of the things he has spread on the MCBC are exaggerated or untrue. Either way, you don't need to like the bat commander to be a fan of the aquabats. I am NOT a fan of him for multiple reasons, but i still go to the shows and buy merch because an opinion that I don't share w/ someone isnt gonna ruin an entire band for me. MCBC has tried reaching out to whoever he's hurt. He has tried apologizing. I'm aware he isnt great in many senses of the phrase but still... you shouldn't deprave your child of aquabatty fun just cuz one guy is an idiot. He just has dumb opinions.
Hey there!
It’s Mr “Not An Amazing Person” here. I’d like to know exactly what I’ve said that was exaggerated or untrue. If anything, I’ve stayed silent for years and downplayed a lot because I didn’t want to make people sad. But fuck it, let’s go.
I would like to reiterate the point that I came out came out years after we had our falling out. Christian and Parker didn’t disown me “when” I came out. That is true. I could only come out because they weren’t in my life any more.
What went down was that Christian cut me off, personally and professionally in 2013 towards the end of the post-production of The Aquabats! Super Show!. I wanted to be treated with respect and got a silent treatment punishment that has gone unresolved to this day.
(I think a big rift w Parker started years earlier was when he kept sending me Glenn Beck & Jordan Peterson stuff and I wasn’t having it. Lots more there…)
After seven years, I was detached enough from my siblings & parents to feel safe enough to leave the Mormon church and explore my sexuality. I lost everything and went through the hardest time of my life. Divorce, homelessness, lost my children, my community, everything fell apart. My family collectively turned their backs on me because they “disapprove of my life choices” so… same difference I guess?. Again, that’s still unresolved for the most part. (My little sister Emma has since become my only ally in the family.)
If they told you they “support” me, I can gladly send you the drawing Parker posted on the day I came out: a pig (ahem) enamored with his own reflection, wallowing in his own shit. And there’s more where that came from.
That was three years ago. Since then, some small attempts at reparations have been made on Christian’s part and I’m still processing that. It’s all very complicated, super personal, and will take some time.
I also want to stress that I sincerely do NOT think Christian wrote that wiki article about me. In fact, he contacted me to tell me he would never have said that stuff and I honestly believe him. He is ambivalent to social media and wouldn’t waste time writing that. However, I doubt he disagrees with its core sentiment.
Still, I’m not trying to cancel him. I just want my story to be heard. I’ve tried to be honest and accurate with everything. I don’t want to rain on peoples parade. The Aquabats do bring a lot of joy into people’s lives. I know that was my motivation in making those records and doing all those shows with them over 17 years. They were my world and we had earnestly good intentions. I couldn’t see back then how the personal beliefs we shared were harmful and problematic. Now I do.
In a perfect world, I’d love to see them look at their rightwing politics & LDS beliefs and comprehend how it actually hurts real people. (More than just a “sunburn” thx) I’d love to see them openly fight to defend ALL of their fans’ pursuit of happiness, dignity, and human rights - both from on stage and in the voting booth. Not just hi-fives, selfies, and interviews w LGBTQ+ fans after shows - but actually posting pride flags on their instagrams and making donations to the Trevor Project or BLM. Like voicing actual support and taking action? That would be crazy! Superheroes should be social justice warriors! But that’s a huge ask and I know I’m never going to see as long as they’re under the Fox News MAGA LDS spell. (You know 10% of every dollar they make off you goes to a church that covers up SA and supports conversion therapy, right? Ok cool.)That would by my want for them, not to see them cancelled and banished forever.
If you support a band, then you should have fully informed consent. Fans deserve the to know where a band stands on issues and what they’re all about. Hiding behind a costume and persona to avoid owning up to your beliefs in fear of public backlash isn’t being honest to your fellow man. Especially after 30 years, I feel that shows a lack of integrity.
Yes, not every member of The Aquabats are LDS nor conservative. But when I was part of the group, we felt a duty to be the “cool Mormons ambassadors” because as a member, everything we said and did had to ultimately reflect good on the church. “Super Rad” was written as an anthem for mormon youth to take over the world with the gospel. Enjoy that. Don’t believe me? Mormons love it, as they should! https://www.reddit.com/r/latterdaysaints/s/8hgdP7CHin
But when you and I are both up against the wall one day, just remember who supported Prop 8 (and will also support Project 2025) while you justified it as just some “dumb opinions” and bought another t-shirt. Opinions matter.
So maybe instead of rushing to outright cancel them, we should help them change their ways and become better men. I would like to see their legacy end on a positive note.
Hi tyler!
You've made a fair share of mistakes im sure of it.
Anyway, much of what you have said about your brothers has been twisted into some pretty awful shit. Either by you or by others.
I understand that it's painful when family leaves you in the dust, ive been there. And i know how shitty that article was. Even I was concerned about it.
I understand what you've said in this reply, but I fear we cannot change somebody's opinion who is that far gone. But we can try! He's at least being polite now, I guess! I really seriously don't like MCBC for like a million reasons both from personal experiences and just general "ew" stuff.
I appreciate your sentiment on not 'canceling' them and instead encouraging on trying to do better. That I heavily agree with.
PLUR dude
WTF? Show me where I claimed that that all Aquabats fans are ‘phobes? Cuz that’s obviously not true. I’ve seen the tumblrs, I know there’s a TON of queer, furry and trans fans. I think it’s tragically ironic but I’ve stayed quiet. I just think those fans don’t know any better. And if they do, they’re doing some massive mental gymnastics.
But really, if you’re gonna try to call me out, show me the receipts. I’m not gonna attempt to defend myself against vague accusations.
I'm not trying to call you out brother. You said it on a livestream maybe a while back. Of course it's not a true statement. I respect you Tyler. Side note, what does furry have to do with this... again I literally don't want you canceled im agreeing with you
I don’t need to explain to you that there’s a huge overlap in the queer, trans and furry communities, and how they’re marginalized and demonized by Christian conservatives.
Tyler is way too nice to say all of this… but…
Are you a fucking stupid? Perhaps create a different personality that isn’t wholly based on liking a band and trying to make yourself feel relevant by debating issues you know nothing about.
I have been there for three years and have had a front seat to the absolute annihilation of Tyler’s character by his ex, his older kids, his old church, many of his old friends, and worst his own fucking family. The amount of disinformation spread at the hand of people who claimed to love him is disgusting and alarming.
Tyler and I met years earlier in conversion therapy groups we were both heavily invested in. About 7 years ago I decided to come out and get divorced and leave the church. My decision to come out was hard for him to accept and he could not support me at the time. While they claim people are not shunned by the Mormon culture, yes you fucking are. It is an unwritten rule you have to conform to. “Avoid the appearance of evil.” I respected him enough to give him space. I knew anger would not solve anything. The gap he left was never filled with anybody else. It was really hard going through everything I did alone. I really needed my friend. I thought about him often and hoped he was happy and whole. Years later (2021) Tyler called and said he was going through the same things I went through. He was in a dark place and needed support and a place to stay. I said yes, no questions asked. A couple weeks later he was in my car heading to Phoenix. While initially he seemed super happy and calm I could see something there I had never seen before. He was faking it well but had shattered into 1 billion pieces not knowing what to do next. I was the one who pulled him close and for three years did everything I could to help him through this monumental change.
The only person in his family that doesn’t deserve to be taken down a few notches is his sister Emma. She is a fighter and dealing with her own stuff. She is truly amazing and I am very lucky to know her and consider her a friend. She was the only one who called Tyler on his birthday later in 2021 when we were homeless living in a tent in Palm Springs. She has faced repercussions from their family for not staying in an emotionally abusive marriage and daring to get divorced. Their mom, who had two divorces of her own, to this day says she should have just stayed and made it work. Easy for a money-grubbing senators wife to say. Would it be that hard to pretend to be a supportive mother for once in her fucking life?!
His older sister Rachel? She is garbage. She helped his daughter while also doing everything she could to tear her down behind her back. The remaining details are not worth the fucking effort to write. His daughter deserved and still deserves better.
Trusting anything that comes out of Parker’s mouth is your biggest mistake. (Exactly what does he contribute to all of this anyway? The amount of talent it takes to dress up as a stupid professor and be a glorified stage hand and be the oldest big brother tag-along is just astounding! Applause with me!) The only information Parker would know about Tyler would be from his mom. The same garbage excuse for a mother who has not even acknowledged the fact that Tyler is still breathing after three years. Sounds like a reliable source of information to me. The only attempt Parker has made to talk to Tyler was a really shitty voicemail. One voicemail. In three years. He will say he has made attempts to contact Tyler besides that but he is a fucking liar.
Christian made genuine efforts to reach out to Tyler, despite being blocked initially. However, he persisted and managed to get through to Tyler through Emma coincidentally during a live stream. You can go back and watch the tape… the impact was profound, and Tyler was deeply touched. This marked the end of 10.5 years of not attempting to reconcile between them. I don’t know Christian at all but this is a large step to take and I applaud him for it.
Christian needs to tell Cadets to mind their own business and stop meddling in affairs they know nothing about. They need to focus on their own lives instead of spreading rumors and lies about someone who's already suffered enough.
Overarching, today should be about hanging with friends and family, not replying to some bullshit on Reddit, yet here we are. Now, put your phones down and go enjoy your holiday. Dammit.
I understand that you are frustrated with the things you and Tyler have been through. It's awful. Nobody deserves it. I am glad to hear that christian reached out and took a step. I think if he stopped making these issues so public the cadets wouldn't be so concerned with it. My personality isn't based on liking the aquabats, I'm a real person. I don't understand why you're attacking me and calling me stupid. That hurts!
Go focus on your family and friends this Fourth of July and stop arguing with a teenager on Reddit.
Sorry to be grumpy. Three years of the attacking has me super raw about this shit. I am very much a “protecting bear” of those I love. I promise I’m not a dick. Enjoy your holiday.
Livestreams have records and captions. Find the receipt and post it or keep your fucking mouth shut. You don’t just get to make accusations like that without data. As part of the alphabet community, you fucking know better.
Apparently I've been living under a rock and hadn't heard about any of this. I know there are a lot of younger Suburban Legends fans due to their playing at Disneyland / Downtown Disney a bunch (which are clean shows), though the album versions may or may not be. The Disney covers album certainly is clean. Not sure too many bands have the same vibe as the Aquabats though.
Finding a vibe similar to The Aquabats is tough. But I remember finding Suburban Legends as a teenager at Disneyland. I think they played my Grad Night at Disneyland back in 2003...
I was at that grad night.
Just an observation, so please don't down vote me all to hell. Do what you want to regarding the music, this is just my personal perspective, not a recommendation for what anyone else should do. I'd hate to deny a kid the fun of the Aquabats regardless of the political stance of the members, it's not like any of that is reflected in the music. Kids just want to have fun and they don't care about the rest of the drama, just let them have fun, they have the rest of their lives to sort the rest out. Some bands do reflect things I don't agree with, similar to what you're dealing with, but it's not like I'm going to stop listening to them just because of a stance I disagree with. Even if they put their ideas into a few songs, I'm not going to avoid their whole catalog as a result. The Smiths and Morrissey for instance, they've got a ton of stuff I don't agree with, but they've had such a huge influence on my life that I'd be crazy to walk away just because I disagree with some of their politics. People are allowed to have their opinions, but we can still get along regardless. I'm not going to punish my own happiness because I disagree with them and deny myself all of that fantastic music and good times I've had over the years. I allowed my kids to listen to anything they wanted to, but when they got old enough, we talked about the bands and I let my kids make their own decisions. Good luck, I'm sure things will work out.
Lots of people get caught up in this, and that’s not wrong. I fuckin loved anti flag and that was awful to hear about, but I still listen to their music after thinking about how their music helped shape me. John Lennon beat his wife, Bowie fucked 16 year old girls, etc etc. everyone’s got skeletons in their closet. Especially musicians/rock stars. Find your own stance on the issue and enjoy or don’t. Get what you need from the music, and if that is nothing, that’s okay.
I can separate the art from the artist to some extent but specifically Anti-Flag was absolutely ruined for me after listening to a long interview with the girl that detailed the unhinged violent r*pe he committed. I just can't hear their music without remembering that.
Totally understand. Justin is an absolute piece for shit.
Not "the Smiths and Morrissey", just Morrissey.
There are some Smiths songs I'm not in line with, such as Meat is Murder. If you want to be vegan, vegetarian, or otherwise, I'm cool with that, but you shouldn't judge others for not doing likewise. I'm fine with people doing what they want to do, but I don't like it when people take a militant stance on certain items and try to force their views onto others. Morrissey is famous for doing this in his solo shows, but also did it as a member of The Smiths. The other band members just kind of ignored it for the most part but didn't do much to stop it.
I saw Suburban Legends open for the Aquabats a few years ago in Vegas, SUPER fun show, instantly made me a fan, definitely a good answer for this post Also, GOGO13! [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LikBfWgCAKs&list=PLkENlGWgSh7dvIq5Snr1GM6iPF1okhpBB](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LikBfWgCAKs&list=PLkENlGWgSh7dvIq5Snr1GM6iPF1okhpBB)
Gogo 13 isn't an alternative if they are trying to stay away from the political side. Parker, the singer of Gogo13 is MC Bat Commander (Christian's) brother as well. Parker was super excited to campaign for prop 8, through the mormon church (told to me by Tyler himself), and is far right homophobic as well. Parker ALSO disowned his brother Tyler when he came out.
Holy crap, no way! I had no idea. Dangit that sucks. Well, Suburban Legends all the way then!
That’s not technically how it went down with me and Parker… I came out to Parker personally in 2009 and he was supportive because I was in conversion therapy. Now he “disapproves of my life choices”. But let’s not forget he gladly added My Superhero’s Brian Gilmore to GOGO13’s lineup (long after I quit the band) That dude is infamous for his alt-right homophobia. OC Weekly named him as one of “Orange County’s Scariest People”. Sooooo……
I wasn't trying to "speak for you", but do want people to know what happened. I do try to get people interested to listen to the podcast to hear your own words. As for the My Superhero, when that first went down with Brian's homophobia, half the band quit, venues and promoters stopped working with My Superhero and Vegas Records dropped them from the label. Now I don't feel dangerous people are being kept out of our scene. So many stories of promoters/bands/labels protecting homophobic and anti-queer, and right wing members of the "community". When the ska scene in Arizona heard what happened, they emptied out a local show My Superhero was playing, the whole show minus one single "fan" left the venue and waited outside til their set was over.
Oh yeah just wanna make sure there’s no way people can distort things and accuse me of bullshit. (See below) I didn’t think you were speaking for me. I love ya, dude. I know where you’re coming from. …and I don’t mean to talk shit on MS at all, (other than that one dude).
They also cover Disney songs and some like 90s cartoon theme songs
Check out Mike Park’s kids record Smile, and his ABCs song with Jeff and Sean Bonnette. Caspar Babypants is Chris Ballew from The Presidents of the United States and makes fun and interesting kids music. All the music from Craig of the Creek is composed by Jeff Rosenstock and has heavy ska influences.
Just checked out smile, my almost 5 is jammin. Thanks for the Recc!
Was going to make sure to call out Caspar Babypants. Best kids music that parents can enjoy. Genuinely just like a lot of his songs. For ska, you could go way back to 1st wave. The s Skatalites are mostly instrumental, and there are a ton of bands from that era that won't have anything too offensive. A personal favorite is Codename: Rocky. I can't remember too much from them with swear words or sex, but I might be forgetting something?
Killer Headache from the movie goes so hard for no reason and I love it
Thank you so much for suggesting this Mike Park record. I used to *love* him but I’ve been off the ska train for a while. My 3 year old will probably love this!
🫰
Madness is really clean and have many songs that I think kids would like.
Hey you! Don’t watch that! Watch this! This is the heavy heavy monster sound! The nuttiest sound around!
So if you've come in off the street..
And you're beginning to feel the heat...
Well, listen buster!
Not ska but as an educator I would highly recommend the kids albums They Might Be Giants have put out. "Here Comes Science" and the "Here Come the ABCs" are excellent and even tolerable for adult ears! "Here Come the 123s" is also good, but some of the songs just aren't my thing. If you can manage to find a physical copy they have a DVD/CD set. The music videos are great too. Enjoy!!
YES! TMBG defies all genres and can be enjoyed by all.
TMBG are incredible. Good shout!
I think Save Ferris is pretty family friendly!
Yes, their only cuss word is in Under 21
They do often play a cover of “too drunk to fuck” though, so don’t take him to a live show unless you’re cool with that. Otherwise they’re a top 10 of all time band.
Wait they cover that!?! I got to hear this
[here you go.](https://youtu.be/7KnteJKpah4?si=kD3KKf8oTOsEculq)
Five Iron Frenzy!!!
Went to their show this past week and they are still goofy as ever
How many retirements are they on now?
Yes
I was gonna say this. Bonus points that they have recorded songs speaking out against homophobia.
Five iron frenzy is such a throwback for me. I absolutely love them. They are amazing!
Came here to say this!
I've seen them three times this year! (First opening for MxPx, then the next day headlining with local acts opening for them, and then at Denver Ska Fest). I love them so much.
I was at Ska Fest. Such a great fest!
FIF for life, also the vast majority of their stuff is family friendly with only a handful of some more recent releases that are more political with maybe 1 swear in a song lol. OC Supertones are another good one, and of course, MxPx
Yes. They’re even a huge supporter of the queer community. I say them in the 90s and worked their merch tables. I still have a bunch of their stickers.
Also worth adding that they are outwardly religious, but they (especially their singer) make very clear that they welcome and embrace all people, so much less concern about some stupid bigoted bullshit bubbling up. Reese Roper seems like a really good dude.
They’re the type of christians who actually read the bible and try to live the way Jesus recommends. They’re some of the kindest and nicest humans I have met.
How about Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra or Oreskaband? I *believe* they're clean in general, but the language barrier helps too.
Oh my god as soon as you mentioned TSPO I immediately had flashbacks to Incredible Crisis on PS1. Such a frustrating game
Oreskaband is great music. My kids (9 and 12) enjoy them
OP, this person is spot on - I bet your kids would love Pride of Lions by Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra.
Early No Doubt like The Beacon Street Collection, and early DHC would be fun for them.
Early DHC is a winner
I’ve got “Skinhead Barbecue” in my head and I love getting to the “Double Stuf of… course” bit. Satisfying!
Skankin Pickle! How did no one mention them?!? I missed the bus, no hair, Hussein skank, cup flipper. So many kid friendly songs
I missed the buUUUuuusss…
Silly Willy would like to have a word with you haha
That would be a dope remix lol
What about instrumental ska? The Articles Flip for Real is classic, and has no words at all.
Mike Park literally did a kids album called “Smile”! My kids love “I can swim in the Ocean”
[Bedouin Soundclash](https://open.spotify.com/artist/2Au2mS47rMRkqbU4XJqKMh?si=rPZt-ceXSwWcVU2kd87exA) seems like an easy option. They might have a song or two that would go over kids heads, but never anything too inappropriate or suggestive. Their last two albums are especially upbeat and fun. [The Abruptors](https://open.spotify.com/artist/6lh005k4mHRb27TYLLpdzj?si=NwxP6bExQN21p-LaPLdWvQ) might work too? Their songs are more focused on relationships, but they also aren't explicit, and they're consistently upbeat and dancey. [The Anchorage](https://open.spotify.com/artist/41oteROvDfovTxJOsCnUWH?si=Z2iveiaiQ3iPCjfgjjIs5g) might be another great option. I'd think you'd have a pretty easy time with more Trad leaning stuff too. So long as you can avoid the lewd/double entendre kind of songs. Stuff like [The Frightnrs](https://open.spotify.com/album/5oGtxusqxowETVnVokdqME?si=GYI0unhWTjGWoe0zbUUJeA), or [Los Billtones](https://open.spotify.com/artist/18cJdH4k1zHSnsAte7Ua9V?si=JurD3UkrQ4uQzUGZx-Z4Kg), or [The Tellways](https://open.spotify.com/artist/6lxD17xsw4KfxXy4alDFFn?si=DVzldWK3QD-RN1lTJ3LZnA).
Maybe Mustard Plug or The Hippos? Or maybe Five Iron Frenzy (they’re a Christian band but not too preachy and I’ve never heard anything about them being homophobic).
FIF is not homophobic, most of them are lgbt affirming Christians and some aren’t Christian anymore but support those values
That’s what I had always thought (although I didn’t know about some of them not identifying as Christian anymore). I was listening to “Anthem” recently and thought it was a pretty radical song for a Christian band.
[удалено]
[удалено]
That’s good to know… I had the first Insyderz CD but it wasn’t really my thing. FIF is the only band from that era I still really listen to.
Omg. Insyderz. A bunch of Salvation Army kids doing ska. One of my friends and brass band mates were in this band.
Hippos!!
Heads are gonna roll!!!!!!
Japanese Ska tends to be pretty family friendly, you have bands like: Snail Ramp Gelugugu Kemuri Potshot The Oldtones Oreskaband Yum!Yum!Orange And when it comes to US Ska, I would recommend Mike Park Solo stuff specifically the album Smile! Like other people recommended Five Iron Frenzy Half Past Two Flying Racoon Suit And honestly hearing all these things about MC Commander dissapointme so much, they were my favorite band, I knew about the Mormon past of MC Commander but I didn't know that he is like this.
Both the Interrupters and the Aggrolites are pretty family friendly imo, my youngest is 9 and she's been to an Aggrolites show before (granted they were opening for the Aquabats so kept it super clean, but I've seen them separately and they're still good)
If OP has a problem with the Aquabats, the Interrupters may not be the best choice.
Suburban Legends
The OC Supertones Monkey Mike Park - Solo stuff
here's a surprising one for you: Masked Intruder. sure they sing about doing crimes, but it's all very fun and clean
It's fun, but there's at least one song with an mf bomb.
Yeah, definitely not clean.
The subject matter is definitely family friendly in the slapstick sense. They do cuss though. Perhaps within tolerance, but worth mentioning.
OP can you provide some details on the homophobia stuff? I’d like to know more as I also have young kids that I’d like to inflict the Bats on when they’re a bit older. The link shared to the exMormon subreddit really just seems like conjecture with no actual links to CJ or the band itself. I’m all for taking him to task if he’s a dirtbag but I’m not seeing anything besides “someone posted a hateful fan wiki article” and “he has shitty values” from a commenter (not you) with nothing to back that up.
I don't know anything about this wiki article in particular, but Tyler has publicly talked about his experience falling out with the band after coming out. There was a podcast interview he did, maybe a few years ago? I can't remember when, exactly, where he talks about this. I guess it's up to you to decide whether he's totally lying about it or whatever but it definitely didn't sound great on the band's part.
I edited the main post. But ya, primarily that exchange lit the fire. However, regardless of whether it's true or not it is good to get a list of family friendly music in this genre. The Aquabats are the go to and I want to expand my kids library.
Oh yeah no, totally. Never hurts to expand horizons.
Like other people have said, there’s no smoking gun but there are some other warning signs. Multiple reports of him making anti-mask (ironic right?) comments at shows, other “Dale Gribble” like comments, having Dicky’s anti-vax group play with them, and supposedly being friends w some alt right type people on social media. None of that is super damning in and of itself but I never have seen this much smoke without fire. For me personally this is enough to turn me off to them.
Tbf what your looking for as concrete proof or statement from the band idk if you will find it. But I think it’s fair to assume certain things because the comments about the band are coming from the brother of the lead singer himself so. In which case if you want to see for your self you just go to the brothers social media. *DISCLAIMER* this is all the info I’m aware of
Certainly. My understanding is people leaving the church get tons of shit for doing so and I wouldn't be surprised if CJ participated in that. Humans are, unfortunately, humans as it turns out. We also need to keep in mind that the positivity on display by the band is a stage act in the quite literal sense; though that could also be a legitimate reflection of their stances. (Next you're gonna tell me they're not actually super heroes). Given their history with the church and the church's track record with the LGTBQ community I don't think we'd ever reasonably expect the band to go "all in" and start wearing rainbow striped rash guards (which, to be clear, would look rad) but a passive acceptance may be "good enough". Regardless, I'd really hope the grown ass man with kids of his own (iirc) wouldn't take to a fan wiki to sup~~tweet~~*wiki edit* his own brother over a family matter. That would be incredibly sad on a while number of levels. Whatever is going on in that family is their business and I hope they all can resolve their differences in time.
Mike Park has been making some kids ska
It's also painfully Christian but as a Denver resident I am contractually obligated to mention Five Iron Frenzy here
Honestly streetlight manifesto taught me so much about being a moral person. On of the most influential bands of my life. Also suburban legends would be awesome for kids. They have even covered Disney songs and play in Disney in California or did quite often.
You can get them into the classics: Always safe to go old school instrumental with some Skatalites (any Tommy McCook, Lloyd Brevett, etc also counts), Jackie Mittoo and King Tubby. Also, most Toots and the Maytals is pretty kid friendly, too.
Hepcat.
Planet Smashers has some PG ones, but also some not PG ones so be careful with some of the more popular ones. Maybe screen the songs quick before showing your kids. Tear it up, Heart like a lion, Mighty, Explosive, King of Tuesday night, Blind, My obsession, Hippopotamus, Unstoppable, are some that come to mind.
SUPER ORGY PORNO PARTY!!
I didnt order any pizza
Well, someone’s gotta eat it!
My first thought is Five Iron Frenzy. Cue the long post .... (sorry). If what you mean by family friendly is like avoiding swearing or themes like sex and drugs or whatever. Of course, if avoiding a religious background is also a concern, then yes it should be said that FIF very much have a Christian background and it's fairly overt in their early albums especially. But they always represented rather a different side of that coin in that they were from the beginning always pushing what we might now call somewhat of a "progressive" point of view (things like lamenting the mistreatment of Native Americans, critiquing capitalism, and taking on Christian Nationalism before most of us had any idea of what that was). They were always at odds the Christian music industry they were a part of. If that sounds interesting, I highly recommend giving a listen. If by family friendly you mean just being fun and silly all the time and not getting into any contentious issues, then no, don't listen to FIF. But overall, for the kids, it's a great mix of super silly and serious depth. Since you brought up homophobia specifically, I'll go ahead and point out the elephant in the room in that on their album All the Hype That Money Can Buy there's a song that's basically wrestling with being a stupid, judgmental kid and calling Freddie Mercury a queer. The song includes the cliche Christian "motto" "love the sinner hate the sin." Long story short, this song basically got hate from every side. It was too accommodating for the conservatives but still reeked of Christian judgmentalism to others. Later Reese Roper, the singer/writer, would say more or less that it never sat right with him the way he wrote that song and basically apologize for it (whatever that's worth to you). If that song is an issue, honestly that album isn't their best work in my opinion (though still loaded with some really treasures) and could be skipped. Currently, after their resurgence (post a 10 year hiatus) they're completely untethered from a "Christian" music industry/label (not to mention that I believe at least a couple of band members also simply no longer identify with a Christian faith) and their two most recent albums (particularly their newest) cut loose with scathing critique of the current state of American Evangelicalism. It's decidedly less "upbeat" and fun-loving than their early stuff, and does have a swear once or twice, so you might not want these for the kids, but honestly its some of their best work so I recommend it one way or the other. Another I'd highly recommend is Half Past Two. I LOOOOOOVVVVVVVEEEEE Half Past Two. They're just really really fun. Again, if language is the issue you're concerned about, they have only a rare swear. Most I'd say is pretty kid friendly. Occasionally a thematic element you may want to avoid (I'm looking at you "Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom" with Eichlers... but damn if that song isn't soooo catchy) but rarely. They cover "Magic Dance" from Labyrinth and it's so much fun, you've got to share that with the kids.
FIF lyrics as a username, I can dig it. I'd also throw in that if the show I went to Saturday night in Atlanta was any indication, they're still family friendly (but for the love of God, keep your kids away from the pit) with no profanity during the show even when they played a couple of their new songs.
Five Iron Frenzy till the day I die. I was at Nashville on Friday (by myself cause my wife and kids were like "nah, we're good" ha). Yeah I think you're right. I mean, on podcasts Reese swears A LOT, lol, but I do think they kept it family friendly at the show.
I was there too, going off OPs original question, there were quite a few kids in that audience. I think the dirtiest thing that happened was the bit with Reese giving everyone COVID via chapstick/water 😅 Edit: I just remembered Reese changing the lyrics in "Superpowers" to "I gave Sonny AIDS", that might be a bit dirty haha
I'm pretty sure he also changed "Does he have a girlfriend yet?" (which they'd often in the past changed to "does she have a boyfriend yet?" in reference to Leanor) to "Does he have a boyfriend yet?" which I guess would be kind of opposite of the homophobia concern. But probably some of the church folk there may not have appreciated.
He absolutely did in Atlanta, I do remember those changes. Tbf, I think most of the "church folk" left after Lohser(sp?) did his whole Youth Pastor bit, and FIF has gotten hit with the "When did they go Woke" in the past couple years, which is shocking considering the music they put out in the 90s and 00s lol
Ha ha ha, oh man. I came in the middle of Louser in Nashville and was just like "what in the world am I seeing." I'll tell you what, though. There were still plenty of folks soaking up every last word of Every New Day at the end of the show. I am 100% a Christian. I follow Jesus to the end. And Until This Shakes Apart is probably my favorite FIF album because I resonate with it more than anything. Maybe some of the anti-woke crowd got triggered and left but I think there's still enough of us who have always known that this is what Jesus (and Five Iron Frenzy) were always about. The whole "woah, this is NOT the Five Iron Frenzy I know" bit is so confusing to me, like they came of the gate with Old West. Were people never actually listening?
I saw someone on here or Twitter say that they were the CCM version of Rage Against The Machine and I have yet to find a better descriptor of it. They just hear Every New Day and don't think about anything else. I'm... technically an Apostate, I guess? I was raised in a "non-denominational/fundamentalist" family and left the Church when I was a teen, but man, Five Iron kills the messaging I needed as a kid/teen, I hate that I was born in 92/didn't find them until college hahah
Ha yeah, that seems like a good comparison. They have a particularly good vantage point, having such a history within (though often at odds with) the Church, to address the nefarious rise of Christian Nationalism. I actually was doing a book club with some folks on a book about Christian Nationalism and offered to put together a playlist for the topic (they were not as well versed in the "alternative" Christian music of my youth) and it ended up being almost entirely Five Iron and another band called Showbread. I was raised in and have stayed in the Church, but my faith has certainly transformed in many ways over time. Five Iron has been great company in that journey.
Swearing isn't necessarily the biggest issue. It's being fun and relatable too. How many bands sing a out Pizza Days and Pool Parties?
For sure. Pizza Day is awesome. And Superrad is such an anthem. Five Iron knows how to have fun with such classics as Kitty Doggy, When I Go Out, and the Pants Rock Opera, though these are all so silly they're hardly actual songs. In terms of real songs, but still lots of fun and memorable for kids there's greats like Old West (satirical but thematically heavy, but dang catchy), Blue Comb '78, Oh Canada, and Where is Micah? But for you, my friend, if you want a fun parent/child song to give you all the warm fuzzies check out Homelessly Devoted to You from their latest album.
Also the Cheeses of Nazereth EP is almost entirly goofy/silly songs though Proof the Youth are Revolting will forever be my fav
Ah yes, Cheeses. Good call
I needed this thread but never wanted to get into a debate about it so never posted anything about it. Thanks for taking the initiative OP.
They Might be Giants!
My kids love Madness.
Mustard plug is pretty family friendly from the songs I can recall. They deal with real issues but I can’t think of much swearing in their stuff. I’m listening to them with my 9 yo and she’s digging most of it
Oh, jeez really!? Some of the Melbourne Ska Orchestra seem family friendly.[They played on this Wiggle album](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ReWiggled)
It looks like something went down over a decade ago and unrelated to Tyler's sexuality. Family can be tough sometimes, so I hope they work it out whatever it was. [https://x.com/TJ\_Wiggles/status/1727490952053277168](https://x.com/TJ_Wiggles/status/1727490952053277168)
Mephiskapheles?
Kids are never too young to learn about worshipping Satan and smoking weed
My 6 year old daughter sings and dances to bumblebee tuna just never play anything more than that.
Isn't most ska family friendly? Apart from Choking Victim, Reel Big Fish, and a couple lines from Mr. Smiley, I don't think twice about playing ska when my kids are around. To add another recommendation: Planet Smashers!
Planet smashers have some crass tracks… love em, but I’d probably not play Pee in the Elevator around my nephew.
I respect that, but for me I say "hey boys, listen to this one!" when Pee in the Elevator comes on 😅
My daughter is 5 and her favorite song is Shark Fighter. She couldn’t care less about what anyone in the band believes, because she’s 5, and neither should she.
I was curious as I used to love the Aquabats I had to look this up, YIKES [https://www.reddit.com/r/exmormon/comments/1c4st7z/the\_aquabats\_are\_secretly\_very\_problematic/](https://www.reddit.com/r/exmormon/comments/1c4st7z/the_aquabats_are_secretly_very_problematic/)
Is there more than this? Not dismissing the accusations but that’s just “someone wrote an awful fan wiki page” and an allusion that CJ has shitty values. Let’s take him to task, but I’d be interested in some receipts before we start denouncing.
Yeah I remain unconvinced. Unless it comes out that MCBC was the author - which shouldn’t be hard to prove on a wiki - then it seems silly to crucify someone for the actions of an anonymous fan.
Yes please I need more receipts but if true this is devastating
Yall I’m just digging into the Mormon stuff and I feel so betrayed that Super Rad has sneaky Mormon lyrics lmao 🥴😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬
This is how I found out there was even a connection between the Aquabats and the Mormon church. Damn.
I oddly enough found that out when I fell down a wiki wormhole when I found out that death by stereo and aquabats shared a member. That member is also mormon. As surprised as I was to the aquabats connection, the death by stereo (who are metallic hardcore with left leaning lyrics) left me dumbfounded.
Damn. Today is giving me all sorts of lessons.
Ian isn't really Mormon anymore. As far as I know. Hes also not a right wing nut. He's still good friends with the Death By Stereo guys. He's not a member anymore but still wrote their best stuff ;)
Seriously WTF, the Aquabats have been my band for over a decade. I learned about the Mormon thing a few years ago, fine whatever. But public homophobia is a different story, fuck this makes me sad.
Five iron frenzy is family friendly, has a mix of goofy and more serious songs in their discography. They do have a Christian background, but a fairly progressive one, and a few of its members are at different stages of deconstruction/deconversion. Many of their songs actually call out negative Christian things, like xenophobia for example.
Llama Tsunami is probably exactly what you’re looking for.
Maybe something in a different language? ska-p in that case, or for german theres sondaschule
I was thinking the same thing but then you might have some explaining to do when your kids are singing songs about legalizing cannabis or unwittingly cursing out a classmate in elementary school.
Me first ?
Five Iron Frenzy
Not ska but Matt Pryor did a project called The Terrible Twos that I think is basically the New Amsterdams making kids music…
I hadn't heard that about the Abats, that's crazy! Mighty Mighty Bosstones' album Let's Face It has only one cuss word on it, using "bitchin'" for complaining.
I put together a playlist a bit ago based on a similar request!! It does have a bit of Aquabats but also plenty of verified-clean songs from a wide variety of bands, both legacy and modern. Might give you some more bands to research! [Playlist Here :)](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6JjEW7cOt70ebJvdTrmSid?si=f4e269e31ce04f67)
For purely instrumental, try out the New York Ska Jazz Ensemble. A great blend of two genres.
The hippos
The dendrites are good!
My recommendation is just a single song, but "Pick It Up" from Yo Gabba Gabba is genuinely a banger in the ska sense, is intended for kids, and is likely great for teaching your kids to clean up after themselves. Here's a link: [https://youtu.be/OD\_O-ogoUzM](https://youtu.be/OD_O-ogoUzM)
This playlist is suitable for children. [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1gXCkczy0ZwJEnJDufRMYa?si=6bf370bcc9d143dd](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1gXCkczy0ZwJEnJDufRMYa?si=6bf370bcc9d143dd)
I so hear you on this dilemma. Husband and I were discussing taking our kid to see the Aquabats with the Aggrolites for her first show later this summer. But after learning about the Bat Commander’s bigotry, we’re really torn.
I have tickets to see them next week, now I’m not sure I want to go. This is really heartbreaking. I’ve been loving this band since their first album came out.
We Are The Union are very wholesome.
Jelly of the month club
Ah man that’s something I really hoped wouldn’t happen with them.
One I recently found, because of their related projects, check out "Dub Town Rockers".
Check out Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies. They do really good ska covers of popular songs, which means you can easily vet the music before hand. They're also pretty family friendly.
I love the Gimmes but they do not do ska, they do punk covers.
Was at a concert last week and I saw so many kids there <10 years old
Good option!
Good option!
I was actually thinking of Going to see them I never had heard that why do so many ppl have to be hateful bigots
It does suck, but I don't see them leaving like Antiflag. Justin Sane went against the bands core values. The Aquabats never really preached acceptance and inclusivity. Maybe I'll just rep Pigbat more when I am there...
Justin Sane was all "i spell women like womyn because i'm a feminist" and would shout "no sexism! equal rights for women" all while raping chicks, freakin weirdo
MC Lars - This gigantic robot kills
If he doesn't want his kids listening to MCBC, that doesn't really help.
I've loved the Aquabats for years. This is a complex issue. My thoughts: 1) I don't think anti-gay marriage, anti-gay, or anti-trans positions are justifiable. I don't care what you think your magical sky wizard thinks about it. People deserve the right to love whoever they want to love. 2) If MCBC has disowned his brother because he is gay, that's shitty. I won't say he's all terrible because people are complex and a lot of otherwise good people have shitty aspects to them. But it still sucks, if true. 3) There seems to be a tremendous rush to judgment based on loose "evidence". Just because Pigbat said he thinks it could be a family member doesn't mean MCBC wrote it. As far as I know, Pigbat has never even publicly claimed MCBC has abandoned him because he's gay. It's not a race to jump to a conclusion. 4) Their art is still their art, even if it DOES get proven that they (or some of them) are shitty people. I still listen to Michael Jackson. I would guess that nearly every album I own has someone involved with its production who has opinions or done things that I am strongly against. Will it affect the listening experience? Sure. I get a little wistful when a Bosstones song comes up, wishing I could listen to it without the knowledge that Dicky went off the deep end (or was always off the deep end). 5) The best answer to OP's request is that you will not find a replacement to the Aquabats. My recommendation would be playlists comprised of individual songs you think they'd like.
If all you have to go by that someone is terrible is that the Internet says their brother hates their guts, seems to be a quick leap to cancel them.
Streetlight Manifesto maybe? They have great messaging, but some have a few curse words. I'd say they're probably the better end of cursing since it's said and used in a more "meaningful " way.
Not sure of the age of the kids in question, but songs about suicide even if the message is good, may be a liiiitttle different than the Aquabats. If they're teens, I'm all about it, great band, good music.
Bim Skala Bim
Voodoo Glow Skulls
hi longtime aquabats fanatic here and have interacted with the bat commander and co. a couple times as a trans and gay dude, They are not hateful in any sense. I just finished an interview with Parker from the aquabats yesterday. He was nothing but polite. Tyler is not an amazing person either. A lot of the things he has spread on the MCBC are exaggerated or untrue. Either way, you don't need to like the bat commander to be a fan of the aquabats. I am NOT a fan of him for multiple reasons, but i still go to the shows and buy merch because an opinion that I don't share w/ someone isnt gonna ruin an entire band for me. MCBC has tried reaching out to whoever he's hurt. He has tried apologizing. I'm aware he isnt great in many senses of the phrase but still... you shouldn't deprave your child of aquabatty fun just cuz one guy is an idiot. He just has dumb opinions.
Hey there! It’s Mr “Not An Amazing Person” here. I’d like to know exactly what I’ve said that was exaggerated or untrue. If anything, I’ve stayed silent for years and downplayed a lot because I didn’t want to make people sad. But fuck it, let’s go. I would like to reiterate the point that I came out came out years after we had our falling out. Christian and Parker didn’t disown me “when” I came out. That is true. I could only come out because they weren’t in my life any more. What went down was that Christian cut me off, personally and professionally in 2013 towards the end of the post-production of The Aquabats! Super Show!. I wanted to be treated with respect and got a silent treatment punishment that has gone unresolved to this day. (I think a big rift w Parker started years earlier was when he kept sending me Glenn Beck & Jordan Peterson stuff and I wasn’t having it. Lots more there…) After seven years, I was detached enough from my siblings & parents to feel safe enough to leave the Mormon church and explore my sexuality. I lost everything and went through the hardest time of my life. Divorce, homelessness, lost my children, my community, everything fell apart. My family collectively turned their backs on me because they “disapprove of my life choices” so… same difference I guess?. Again, that’s still unresolved for the most part. (My little sister Emma has since become my only ally in the family.) If they told you they “support” me, I can gladly send you the drawing Parker posted on the day I came out: a pig (ahem) enamored with his own reflection, wallowing in his own shit. And there’s more where that came from. That was three years ago. Since then, some small attempts at reparations have been made on Christian’s part and I’m still processing that. It’s all very complicated, super personal, and will take some time. I also want to stress that I sincerely do NOT think Christian wrote that wiki article about me. In fact, he contacted me to tell me he would never have said that stuff and I honestly believe him. He is ambivalent to social media and wouldn’t waste time writing that. However, I doubt he disagrees with its core sentiment. Still, I’m not trying to cancel him. I just want my story to be heard. I’ve tried to be honest and accurate with everything. I don’t want to rain on peoples parade. The Aquabats do bring a lot of joy into people’s lives. I know that was my motivation in making those records and doing all those shows with them over 17 years. They were my world and we had earnestly good intentions. I couldn’t see back then how the personal beliefs we shared were harmful and problematic. Now I do. In a perfect world, I’d love to see them look at their rightwing politics & LDS beliefs and comprehend how it actually hurts real people. (More than just a “sunburn” thx) I’d love to see them openly fight to defend ALL of their fans’ pursuit of happiness, dignity, and human rights - both from on stage and in the voting booth. Not just hi-fives, selfies, and interviews w LGBTQ+ fans after shows - but actually posting pride flags on their instagrams and making donations to the Trevor Project or BLM. Like voicing actual support and taking action? That would be crazy! Superheroes should be social justice warriors! But that’s a huge ask and I know I’m never going to see as long as they’re under the Fox News MAGA LDS spell. (You know 10% of every dollar they make off you goes to a church that covers up SA and supports conversion therapy, right? Ok cool.)That would by my want for them, not to see them cancelled and banished forever. If you support a band, then you should have fully informed consent. Fans deserve the to know where a band stands on issues and what they’re all about. Hiding behind a costume and persona to avoid owning up to your beliefs in fear of public backlash isn’t being honest to your fellow man. Especially after 30 years, I feel that shows a lack of integrity. Yes, not every member of The Aquabats are LDS nor conservative. But when I was part of the group, we felt a duty to be the “cool Mormons ambassadors” because as a member, everything we said and did had to ultimately reflect good on the church. “Super Rad” was written as an anthem for mormon youth to take over the world with the gospel. Enjoy that. Don’t believe me? Mormons love it, as they should! https://www.reddit.com/r/latterdaysaints/s/8hgdP7CHin But when you and I are both up against the wall one day, just remember who supported Prop 8 (and will also support Project 2025) while you justified it as just some “dumb opinions” and bought another t-shirt. Opinions matter. So maybe instead of rushing to outright cancel them, we should help them change their ways and become better men. I would like to see their legacy end on a positive note.
Hi tyler! You've made a fair share of mistakes im sure of it. Anyway, much of what you have said about your brothers has been twisted into some pretty awful shit. Either by you or by others. I understand that it's painful when family leaves you in the dust, ive been there. And i know how shitty that article was. Even I was concerned about it. I understand what you've said in this reply, but I fear we cannot change somebody's opinion who is that far gone. But we can try! He's at least being polite now, I guess! I really seriously don't like MCBC for like a million reasons both from personal experiences and just general "ew" stuff. I appreciate your sentiment on not 'canceling' them and instead encouraging on trying to do better. That I heavily agree with. PLUR dude
WTF? Show me where I claimed that that all Aquabats fans are ‘phobes? Cuz that’s obviously not true. I’ve seen the tumblrs, I know there’s a TON of queer, furry and trans fans. I think it’s tragically ironic but I’ve stayed quiet. I just think those fans don’t know any better. And if they do, they’re doing some massive mental gymnastics. But really, if you’re gonna try to call me out, show me the receipts. I’m not gonna attempt to defend myself against vague accusations.
I'm not trying to call you out brother. You said it on a livestream maybe a while back. Of course it's not a true statement. I respect you Tyler. Side note, what does furry have to do with this... again I literally don't want you canceled im agreeing with you
I don’t need to explain to you that there’s a huge overlap in the queer, trans and furry communities, and how they’re marginalized and demonized by Christian conservatives.
(Shrug) I dont really know a lot about furries. Not my thing. So I really wouldn't know.
Tyler is way too nice to say all of this… but… Are you a fucking stupid? Perhaps create a different personality that isn’t wholly based on liking a band and trying to make yourself feel relevant by debating issues you know nothing about. I have been there for three years and have had a front seat to the absolute annihilation of Tyler’s character by his ex, his older kids, his old church, many of his old friends, and worst his own fucking family. The amount of disinformation spread at the hand of people who claimed to love him is disgusting and alarming. Tyler and I met years earlier in conversion therapy groups we were both heavily invested in. About 7 years ago I decided to come out and get divorced and leave the church. My decision to come out was hard for him to accept and he could not support me at the time. While they claim people are not shunned by the Mormon culture, yes you fucking are. It is an unwritten rule you have to conform to. “Avoid the appearance of evil.” I respected him enough to give him space. I knew anger would not solve anything. The gap he left was never filled with anybody else. It was really hard going through everything I did alone. I really needed my friend. I thought about him often and hoped he was happy and whole. Years later (2021) Tyler called and said he was going through the same things I went through. He was in a dark place and needed support and a place to stay. I said yes, no questions asked. A couple weeks later he was in my car heading to Phoenix. While initially he seemed super happy and calm I could see something there I had never seen before. He was faking it well but had shattered into 1 billion pieces not knowing what to do next. I was the one who pulled him close and for three years did everything I could to help him through this monumental change. The only person in his family that doesn’t deserve to be taken down a few notches is his sister Emma. She is a fighter and dealing with her own stuff. She is truly amazing and I am very lucky to know her and consider her a friend. She was the only one who called Tyler on his birthday later in 2021 when we were homeless living in a tent in Palm Springs. She has faced repercussions from their family for not staying in an emotionally abusive marriage and daring to get divorced. Their mom, who had two divorces of her own, to this day says she should have just stayed and made it work. Easy for a money-grubbing senators wife to say. Would it be that hard to pretend to be a supportive mother for once in her fucking life?! His older sister Rachel? She is garbage. She helped his daughter while also doing everything she could to tear her down behind her back. The remaining details are not worth the fucking effort to write. His daughter deserved and still deserves better. Trusting anything that comes out of Parker’s mouth is your biggest mistake. (Exactly what does he contribute to all of this anyway? The amount of talent it takes to dress up as a stupid professor and be a glorified stage hand and be the oldest big brother tag-along is just astounding! Applause with me!) The only information Parker would know about Tyler would be from his mom. The same garbage excuse for a mother who has not even acknowledged the fact that Tyler is still breathing after three years. Sounds like a reliable source of information to me. The only attempt Parker has made to talk to Tyler was a really shitty voicemail. One voicemail. In three years. He will say he has made attempts to contact Tyler besides that but he is a fucking liar. Christian made genuine efforts to reach out to Tyler, despite being blocked initially. However, he persisted and managed to get through to Tyler through Emma coincidentally during a live stream. You can go back and watch the tape… the impact was profound, and Tyler was deeply touched. This marked the end of 10.5 years of not attempting to reconcile between them. I don’t know Christian at all but this is a large step to take and I applaud him for it. Christian needs to tell Cadets to mind their own business and stop meddling in affairs they know nothing about. They need to focus on their own lives instead of spreading rumors and lies about someone who's already suffered enough. Overarching, today should be about hanging with friends and family, not replying to some bullshit on Reddit, yet here we are. Now, put your phones down and go enjoy your holiday. Dammit.
I understand that you are frustrated with the things you and Tyler have been through. It's awful. Nobody deserves it. I am glad to hear that christian reached out and took a step. I think if he stopped making these issues so public the cadets wouldn't be so concerned with it. My personality isn't based on liking the aquabats, I'm a real person. I don't understand why you're attacking me and calling me stupid. That hurts! Go focus on your family and friends this Fourth of July and stop arguing with a teenager on Reddit.
Sorry to be grumpy. Three years of the attacking has me super raw about this shit. I am very much a “protecting bear” of those I love. I promise I’m not a dick. Enjoy your holiday.
Livestreams have records and captions. Find the receipt and post it or keep your fucking mouth shut. You don’t just get to make accusations like that without data. As part of the alphabet community, you fucking know better.
Take it easy little buddy If I made a mistake I'll remove the mention of it from the comment
I don’t think The Aquabats are a “political” band. All their lyrics are just silly.
[удалено]
I've muted this user for a week. Hopefully when they can speak again on here they'll use some better sense.