The Bikini Whales are (from left) Melissa Cassidy, Jon Carney, Dan Gordon, Seth Gamez, Maui Mang and Todd Camp. Katie Robertson not pictured (Photo by: Kyle R. Trentham)
There may be glitter on the highway to Fort Worth this Saturday. Covering The B-52s music, The Bikini Whales will headline its second appearance at Club Reflection. Among its founders is Fort Worth notable Todd Camp who works in preserving queer history in North Texas.
But on Saturday, he and band co-founder Dan Gordon will serve up their inner rock lobster.
“I think people are starved for fun,” Camp said in a press release. “And what’s more fun than leaving the gloomy grind of the Lone Star State’s daily dumpster fire and heading’ on down to the “Love Shack?” It’s time for all of us to get outta that state we’re in.”
The band debuted at the Chat Room Pub in Cowtown’s Near Southside last month. On Saturday, the band will play Club Reflection in Fort Worth’s own gayborhood at 9 p.m.
“We’re on a mission to inject a little joy back into the Fort Worth music scene,” Gordon added. He originally had the idea about creating the band. “Live music venues have taken a hit lately with the loss of some pretty prominent night spots, but we’re hoping to brighten things up by bringing upbeat sounds to unlikely places.”
The band includes Camp — who many will know from his work with the QCinema film festival and now YesterQueer, Fort Worth’s LGBTQ+ History Project — on vocals with Melissa Cassidy and Katie Robertson, Gordon on guitar, bassist Jon Carney, keyboardist Maui Mang and Seth Gamez on drums.
The Saturday gig will also serve as the band’s ramp up to next month’s Trinity Pride celebration in June.
Follow the band at @TheBikiniWhales on social or its website.
—Rich Lopez