Williams remarked, "I forget who was in band. So we came up with the idea of a rival for Squidward and, in some ways it's Squidward's story, and SpongeBob and Patrick are just kind of around." The idea of having a band was unspecified. Williams said, "We always wanted to do a rival show, and I think we tried to do a rival show for SpongeBob, and it wasn't working. The writers started to work for "Band Geeks" with the idea of a rival. Frank Weiss served as animation director, and Greenblatt worked as storyboard artist. "Band Geeks" was directed by Aaron Springer, and was written by Springer, C. Squilliam enters a state of shock and faints, leaving Squidward to happily conduct the band and celebrate triumphantly as he leaps into the air. Squidward cringes in fear as he conducts the band, assuming the performance will be a disaster, but the band is tremendously successful, playing a rock ballad song called "Sweet Victory" (with SpongeBob's lead vocals provided by the song's actual singer, David Glen Eisley).
They enter the Bubble Bowl, a large glass dome that elevates them into a live action football stadium full of human fans. The band then immediately arrives, and Squidward reluctantly proceeds with the performance. On the day of the concert, Squilliam shows up at the venue entrance, where Squidward claims that his band "died in a marching accident". However, SpongeBob convinces the other band members to go through with the performance for Squidward's sake, and he takes command of their training. As band class ends, everyone instantly calms down and starts filing out of the building before they leave, Squidward appears outside, expresses his disappointment in them, and goes home in distress over his failure. The band members start insulting and blaming each other for their poor performance as Squidward tries to bring down the tension but fails as the whole band gets into a huge brawl.
However, they take his theory too literally and play so loudly and poorly that they break the windows of the building. On the last day of practice, Squidward (theorizing that "people talk loud when they try to act smart") says that, if everyone plays loudly, they will succeed. On the third day, Squidward checks on Plankton's harmonica solo, but Plankton becomes exhausted and collapses from running back and forth between the holes, since the harmonica is too big for him. On the second day, while practicing a march, two flag twirlers spin their flags too fast (per Squidward's demand), causing them to fly into the air and crash into a blimp. On the first day, Patrick and Sandy get into a brawl. ĭuring their one week of training, the band performs consistently poorly and fails to improve at all. He assembles a large marching band composed of various Bikini Bottom residents, including SpongeBob, Patrick, Sandy, Mrs. However, to impress Squilliam, Squidward defiantly insists that he has a band and accepts the challenge. Squilliam derisively suggests that Squidward's band should substitute for his at the Bubble Bowl, correctly believing that Squidward does not have one. Squilliam reveals to Squidward that he has become the leader of a band scheduled to play at a venue called the Bubble Bowl, but he will be busy at that time and so cannot attend. Squidward Tentacles gets a call from his wealthy former high school classmate and rival, Squilliam Fancyson, who has succeeded in everything in which Squidward has failed, including music. The episode won Best Sound Editing in Television – Animation at the 2002 Golden Reel Awards. The episode received widespread acclaim, with many fans and critics considering it the best episode of the entire series. "Band Geeks" follows Squidward, who recruits the citizens of Bikini Bottom to play in a marching band for the Bubble Bowl. Springer served as director, and Greenblatt served as storyboard artist. Greenblatt, Aaron Springer, and Merriwether Williams, and the animation was directed by Frank Weiss. It originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on September 7, 2001. It is the second part of the 15th episode of the second season, and the second half of the 35th episode overall.
" Band Geeks" is an episode of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants.