Gym Class Heroes: Class of 2007

Just as happens to front man Travis McCoy in the video for Gym Class Heroes’ Billboard 100 Top 5 charting hit “Cupid’s Chokehold,” I feel as though Cupid speared me in rear with his love arrow when it comes to this Geneva, New York, alternative hip-hop ensemble.  I first came across the band while doing some MySpace browsing.  You know how it goes…   Click on a band, look at their influences, scroll down to their top friends and click on another band… lather, rinse, repeat until you find something you like.

I was surprised when I learned that Gym Class Heroes were signed to Pete Wentz’ Fuel by Ramen imprint label, Decaydance.  Most of the crew members hold Decaydance artists in particular affection yet I hadn’t heard of the group before.  My curiosity peeked, I headed over to the internet fountain of knowledge – better known as Wikipedia – and quickly got to reading.  The first thing that struck me as funny was the genre they were listed under: Alternative Hip-Hop.  I have to admit that that’s one I hadn’t heard before.  I had no point of reference for this term and it left me a little puzzled.  The closest I came was the Rap/Rock stylings of bands such as early day Papa Roach, Limp Bizkit or Linkin Park.  But those bands sounded nothing like the catchy, hook ridden songs I had heard on GHC’s MySpace.  It was then that I realized I was on unfamiliar ground.  Certainly I knew a fair amount about the alternative world but hip-hop is pretty much uncharted territory for me.  As you can imagine, I was a little nervous when I heard CONFRONT Magazine was being granted an interview with the band just a few weeks later.  Yet again, You Tube, Wikipedia and MySpace became my best friends.

For those who, like me, are Gym Class Heroes challenged, here are a few interesting facts I discovered:
GHC was formed in 1997 by Travis and drummer Matt McGinley who became friends during their physical education class while in high school and were then joined by guitarist Milo Bonacci and bassist Ryan Geise, who both later left the band. Milo was replaced by guitarist (and then Cornell University student) Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo in late 2004 and in mid 2005, Ryan was replaced by current bassist Eric Roberts.
It was after hearing the song “Taxi Driver” that Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump became interested in GHC, leading to their eventual signing with Decaydance.  The band has toured with many different acts, recently completing their leg of a tour with The All-American Rejects and currently headlining The Daryl Hall For President Tour ’07, which will last through April 2007.
It was during their Montreal stop that I met with Matt and Disashi in the basement dressing room area of Le National, a place the Crew has become mighty familiar with in the past few months.  The alternative hip-hop description I had first read had so intrigued me that I barely managed to get passed the introductions and plesantries before asking them what they thought of the label that had been assigned them.
Matt, casually sitting back in a black uncomfortale looking love seat next to Disashi who was eyeing his laptop periodically, shrugged carelessly before answering.