F!SHBOWL: Rexburg’s Cutest Band?

_{By Julia Brunette}

I first saw F!SHBOWL live at The Basement in Rexburg. My friend had texted me: “They are the hottest creatures I’ve ever seen.” I remember laughing thinking that she had said that about pretty much every band we’ve gone to see together. But upon further investigation, it seems she’s not the only one who feels that way.

F!SHBOWL was formed in September 2021 by a group of BYU-Idaho college students. The band features Riley VanNortwick, Noah Skrinak, Max Curtis, Justin Bullock, and Noah McQuivey. Since then, the band has made its mark performing on the apartment complex rooftops that surround the BYU-I campus.

Riley VanNortwick plays lead guitar for the band and describes their sound as alternative indie. When a fan was asked how they would describe their sound, they said “dreamy.”

It seems that F!SHBOWL has the hearts of many in Rexburg. At a performance at an apartment complex called The Lodge, a fan ran up to the stage to tie the shoe of drummer Max Curtis.

During the performance, fans jumped and screamed. One looked at their friend and said, “I just want to touch his face.”

The band’s favorite part of performing are the fans. They like performing with energy, and they know how to get that energy back from the crowd. It may be the secret of their appeal.

“Yeah, I guess just seeing people’s reaction to what we create is kind of cool, because you never know how they’re gonna react,” said lead singer Justin Bullock. “Sometimes it’s like they all get super excited and they sing along. Sometimes they’re just like, solidly listening. Like during a slower song, you know? You never know how it’s gonna hit.”

The band loves watching the crowd’s reactions just as much as the crowd loves watching them.

“I think they just have a ton of energy,” said Nikki Smith, a student. “It also helps that they are cute. So girls are going to line up to see them. Band boys just hit differently these days.”

F!SHBOWL recently released “W.W.J.D.” this past May on all streaming platforms. They plan to keep performing at local events, festivals, and of course, the rooftops of Rexburg. You can catch them at The Boardwalk in Orem, Utah on October 1. Listen to “W.W.J.D.” below!