You may have seen the viral video — two teenagers sit side-by-side in a room adorned with band posters. One of them plays “Hawaiian Cocktail,” a melancholic tune widely associated with the television series “SpongeBob SquarePants,” on a lap steel guitar. The other gurgles water to simulate the sound of bubbles and says, “Ah, Bikini Bottom” as the video comes to a close.
The two brothers in the clip are Palomar students Nathan and Gabriel Rosenthal, better known on local stages as the guitarist and bassist of Savonarola, a post-punk trio joined by drummer Gavin Cann. The video’s humor masks a serious grind: juggling school and work, planning new releases and navigating the reality of low-paying gigs.
Previously known as Sound Cookie, Savonarola was formed by the Rosenthal brothers in 2019. A video of Eddie Van Halen playing the “Eruption” guitar solo is largely to thank for the band’s creation. Nathan may have only watched the concert through a phone screen, but Van Halen’s masterful skill was enough to inspire 12-year-old Nathan to start his guitar playing journey.
After his older brother picked up an instrument, it was only natural that Gabriel would follow his lead. Both siblings sing for the band, and Carlsbad High School student, Gavin Cann, joined as their drummer in 2023.
They got their start by playing covers at birthday parties around their neighborhood. It wasn’t until 2020 that they released their first EP, “The Sound Cookie EP.”
Fast forward to the present day and the band has performed at many iconic local venues such as The Che Café and SOMA San Diego.
Even though Gabriel does not partake in the music programs on campus, he enjoys when Palomar College hosts bands at campus events.
“One thing I do love a ton is when bands are invited to play at campus events. Every time Mariachi Arcoiris is on campus, I stay for their entire set,” Gabriel said. “I love to walk by the Student Union and see a little concert set up, it always makes my day better.”
While many genres of music intrigue Gabriel, the ones that define his band are more rock-oriented. Though Savonarola draws from genres such as indie, punk and math rock, they align most with post-punk. However, this was not always the case.
According to the Rosenthal brothers, the band’s music more closely resembled ‘90s grunge and alternative rock before Gavin joined the band. Kyle Denton, friend and fan of Savonarola, views the change as a positive one.
“I believe they’ve really come into their own,” said Denton. “They went from a more clearly indie sound to a professional sound, with more attitude in each song.”
Even with their rising success as a band, they have hit their fair share of roadblocks, including low pay. At one of their recent gigs, for example, they sold $250 worth of tickets. Of that amount, they received only $25 to split among their three members.
Another obstacle they have encountered is scheduling.
“I work full-time. Gavin is in school full-time. Gabe is in school full-time. And then we all have our things that we do outside of school, and then we also have this. So we’re all juggling our work life, and then our personal life, and then [the band] and it becomes difficult,” Nathan said.
Despite these conflicts, they still manage to meet at least once per week for band practice,
prioritizing each member’s input on every song they make.
“It’s pretty important for every member to be happy with what we’re making,” Gabriel said. “It’s great to have a collective consensus and different ideas being brought to the table in writing.”
Their dedication to writing music has not only brought about two EPs, but is now leading them to their next one. Savonarola is set to release a mini-EP in December 2025, and then a full-scale album in either 2026 or 2027.
When asked what their favorite song from their existing discography was, the answer was unanimous: “Amity” from their “Funambulate” EP released in March 2025. With its immersive guitar sound, pleasant vocal harmonies and overall cohesiveness, it’s no wonder why the song is their favorite.
“It has a wonderful structure. We need to analyze it; it’s our lucky break,” said Gabriel about
the song.
In the future, they hope to expand their reach and be able to play in other cities such as Los Angeles. But for now, they just want to secure more local shows.
“I miss the stage and I’m excited to get back out there,” Gabriel said.