Today we’d like to introduce you to Tabs Pearce.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I have performed on stage since I was 6 with my parents running their own live children’s show performing with puppets and doing skits on stage in costumes. I was also trained on violin and piano since age 6, so entertaining and being a performer has always been in my blood. I went to college for music but ended up majoring in cinematography (film) with a minor in music production. I performed with many symphonies in the southeast, played a solo at Carnegie hall New York, and when I focused more on film I became a video editor for 6 years. During my editing career I had worked on many commercials, films, and everything in between. I became a member of SMPTE (society of motion picture television engineers) and was accepted into the Young Entertianment Professionals division of the Hollywood Professional Association (HPA). During those memberships I worked on a particular commercial that won a daytime Emmy. Some of the clientele I worked with were Disney on Ice, Marvel, Sesame Street Live, Monster Jam, The Braves, and more. While I was working as an editor, and as a performer with various symphonies on the side (Tampa Bay Symphony and the Sarasota Pops Orchestra), I always made costumes as a hobby on the side. It was my true outlet for creativity and exploration of design. I got into it from going to DragonCon (a major comic convention in Atlanta) with my dad for many years and we would always dress up for it. I was always amazed at the intricate and diverse costumes I would see at these conventions. I started to strive more to make unique costumes and improve on my craft. I learned from YouTube and also from other cosplayers in the area. It’s now been about 10 years since I started my costume journey and I’ve competed for many years, having won many awards such as judges choice at Megacon Orlando’s Sunshine Qualifier in 2023, as well as gaining sponsorships and with companies such as Zynga for their game Merge Dragons. After gaining some traction on social media I started to get messages from businesses wanting an entertainer for their events, so I started wearing my costumes and incorporating my musical talents with it. I would play anime and nerd theme songs on violin while dressed up in that fandom. During that time I was also teaching private music lessons and became a fulltime music teacher (once the film industry took a bit of a dive), and I gained a lot of connections with musicians in the area. With those connections and the cosplay/music gigs I was getting, I had a thought to go bigger. I wanted to form my own cosplay ska band that plays all of your favorite nostalgia theme songs but in the genre of ska, and dressed up. So I rallied my musical friends (some from the Tampa Bay Symphony, music teachers, and a guitarist that has toured with Bowling for Soup, Mayday Parade, Senses Fail, MC Lars, MC Chris, Mega Ran, and more) and we jammed out a couple of times and it blossomed into what it is now. We started to write our own arrangements adding easter eggs to the songs, and comedy bits into them as well. My vision was all about entertainment and creating a live show that makes you happy, forget the world, has amazing costumes and visuals, and fun music that makes you want to dance. I’m so honored to be able to make that dream come true now and we are still growing! We all picked the name as a band, The Button Smashers, and I design and create all of my stage costumes myself. I try to make a new costume for each show, which is a fun challenge to do. I even had the idea to make our mascot (Smashy…he’s in our logo which I designed) come to life! Which I did! You can see Smashy and how I made him on my instagram (Tabs Labs) and on the bands instagram. I can never sit still….I’m always exercising my creative brain and am told to take a break and relax for once haha. But my constant creating has made me an excellent designer and it sharpens my skills. I’m proud to say that my cosplay hobby has lead me to apply at a costume studio full time and I used all of my cosplay work over the years as my portfolio. I was offered the job and now I get to make costumes fulltime and learn from some of the greatest costumers and entertainment directors in the world, and we make costumes/ productions for live shows, theme parks, and other events around the world. I currently do that fulltime, play in the Tampa Bay Symphony (as a violinist. Gotta keep my violin chops up!) and the band is still going strong! We are always expanding our live show to perform at more conventions and events around the US and we plan to tour at some point! We also have studio recordings that will be out very soon on Spotify! As for our mascot Smashy, we continually make comedy skits of him that we post regularly on the bands instagram.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely has not been smooth! I went through 3 career changes during all of this which was a big struggle for me. I always felt this urge to find a career in passionate about but also really good at. I like being to top player in any field I’m in and I had to accept that I didn’t have the passion nor talent for some of my careers. It took many years to accept that, but sticking with my hobbies helped me get to the incredible job I have now. I also met so many great people during my different careers that ended up being part of (and helping immensely) with our band, The Button Smashers. I wouldn’t trade my journey and the tough times for anytime. It’s formed who I am now and the experiences I gained were priceless.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My personal costume work is under my stage name, Tabs Labs. I focus mostly on foam construction which includes armor, helmets, hats, props, and mascot creating. I also do various craft work such as wig styling, garment embellishing, beading, painting, airbrushing, and more. My work stands out mostly for my original designs that I create rather than making replicas. I also love incorporating music into it which is the biggest thing that sets me apart. The band. The Button Smashers. Most of my work now is making costumes and props for our stage shows and skits. Occasionally I will do some solo music work with my costumes as well. Besides the band, I’m most proud of some of my original costumes and concepts such as my Gladiator Vaporeon, Fay Dragon, The Peppermint Pirate, Smashy, Piranha Plantette, and my two current projects: Warhammer Kirby and Howls Moving Castle, the bunny version.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
You can always contact me on instagram! Thats the best way! @tabs_labs for my costuming and @thebuttonsmashers for the band. If there are more serious inquiries you can always email castleflashbooking@gmail.com
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thebuttonsmashers.net/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebuttonsmashers and https://www.instagram.com/tabs_labs
Image Credits
Operation Shutter @operationshutter
Old Boone @oldboone
AEB Images @aebimages_orlando
Joey Flash @joeyflash
Richard @noluc.cc
