“Aquabat March” (PDF) from The Aquabats album, The Return of The Aquabats

The rise of San Diego post-hardcore music in the early 1990s cultivated a serious demeanor throughout Southern California punk rock until a group of jokers from Orange County decided to openly mock the underground scene by forming a band of superheroes called The Aquabats. Heavily inspired by the big band swing and Jamaican ska revivals popularized by Los Angeles session musicians, members of The Aquabats, Reel Big Fish, and No Doubt repurposed the traditional role of ska into the practice of youthful joy as a form of protest music.

Coasting on their own popularity, The Aquabats self-released its debut album, The Return of The Aquabats, in 1995 and featured additional musicians from the local ska scene. Trombonist John Pantle of The Nuckle Brothers performed on “Aquabat March” and became better known as a booker and show promoter throughout Los Angeles. By independently producing events for the ska and Latin communities, he gradually expanded his reach through national tours to become a talent buyer for corporate music venues and events around the 2002 Olympic games in Salt Lake City. In 2023, Pantle became a global booking agent with London’s One Fiinix Live.

Here is a YouTube interview with John Pantle discussing his early career in booking shows: [EXPLICIT LANGUAGE]

Recommended reading: “Music executive John Pantle speaks to entertainment class” by Kaitlin Martinez. Daily Titan, February 8, 2019. Published by California State University, Fullerton.