Grammar: When to use Is vs Are with collective nouns like band names?

Teapot is a collective noun, so the answer is that the verb can be either singular (is) or plural (are) depending on the intent of the sentence. If everyone in the group is acting as a unit, then the verb is singular. Since the folks in the band will all be playing together, the correct verb is "is." (Teapot is playing a gig tonight). However, if the band members were all doing something different (one heading home, the other going barhopping, the third going to a restaurant), the correct word would be "are" to indicate that they are acting independently. (Teapot are leaving the club). The same rule applies to words like team, senate, herd, family, committee, squad, audience, etc. However, many people disregard the rule and stick to the singular.