From the neighboring scenes of Kansas City, MO and Lawrence, KS, PB&TAT takes influence from punk rock and D.I.Y. legends, traditional stand-up comics, and musical theatre, blending art forms to provide poignant social commentary.
The provocative three-piece’s debut studio LP, King of the Ooze, was released under the Macbeth Theater record label in 2025 and follows a conceptual story arc revolving around the album’s main antagonist, Pastor Bob. PB&TAT brings the LP to life through a one-of-a-kind, energy-fueled, and interactive stage show, including a dynamic setlist with material ranging from over-the-top and surreal humor to earnest and relatable accounts of addiction recovery and self-improvement.
The band is fronted by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Brian Bar-Tells and prominently features Sturge (The Rat God) on backing vocals and bass guitar, with percussion driven by the fierce, ferocious Frankenstein. Together, the three have traveled the country to spread the bad news to clubs, basements, skateparks, prisons, and rehabs across the nation. The project is now anchored by a growing mailing list of hundreds of fans, with additional community-building efforts including traditional social media outlets, intimate online spaces like Discord and Patreon, and in-person outreach via mailers and hand-crafted zines.
PB&TAT has shared bills with scene legends such as Matt Pless, Brook Pridemore, Escape from the Zoo (Days N Daze), and Apes of the State, and is slated for the upcoming 2026 Death to Electricity Fest (Chicago, IL). Billed regularly on both regional and national comedy showcases, such as NDA Comedy (Lawrence, KS) and Pure Chaos Comedy (New York, NY), PB&TAT transcends traditional boundaries and proves credibility in both the alternative music scene and the stand-up comedy circuit.
FFO: Pat the Bunny, Apes of the State, Days N Daze, NOFX, and blink-182, PB&TAT is a one-of-a-kind, must-listen-to band offering a fresh take on punk rock and folk punk with a dynamic emotional and musical range.
FFO: Bo Burnham, Demetri Martin, Mitch Hedberg, John Mulaney, and Gianmarco Soresi, PB&TAT further stretches the limits of alternative and musical comedy styles with their thematic and interactive performances, substance-driven material, and punk edge.
Year after year, PB&TAT consistently finds new and innovative ways to challenge listeners’ expectations, build community, and allow the spirit of punk rock to thrive in the modern age of art and entertainment through unapologetic self-expression.