Todd Bates

He’s having a breakout year: The go-to drummer for local ska bands, Bond has played close to 70 shows this year alone. He also recorded albums with Madison Turner and Station Cases, booked U.S. tours with The Atom Age and Rescuer, and this fall he’ll join the Angry Inch — the titular band in Jobsite’s production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

Rim shots: He’s on stage the entire time in Hedwig. “It’s my first official theater gig,” says Bond. “I went into it not knowing what to expect, but couldn’t think of a better production to start on. It’s super, super relaxed.” He may have a few lines, and he’ll definitely do a few rim shots, which he learned how to do around the age of 12 when he first started fooling around on his brother’s drum set.

Ska and beyond: He’s been playing with ska bands since high school, but has been shifting his focus to avoid being pigeonholed. “I’ve tried to be more ambidextrous to try and get more grooves.” And he’s not averse to pop. “When I was 14 I didn’t listen to the radio. Now I realize that every genre can give you some kind of edge. I can add what I want to it.”

Besides, there’s power in pop: “In bands like Taylor Swift and Pitbull, the bandleader is often also the drummer.”

Straight up: Bond says he’s been vegan for four years and “straight edge since I was born.” His level-headedness is a selling point for him in the music business, he thinks. “My friend says it helps me get more gigs — they’re not going to have to worry about me showing up drunk or high.”

And he can always go to the dogs: When he’s not touring, Bond is a full-time dog groomer at a North Tampa PetCo. “I like all animals,” he says. “That’s the vegan in me talking.” But a love for animals may also be hereditary: His mother was a zookeeper for many years at Busch Gardens.