GCH Back In Town

Gym Class Heroes has gone from under the radar this time last year , to more popular than free T-shirts on Fairfield Way. Opening up for Matisyahu last October, Gym Class Heroes returns to Jorgensen Center for the Perfoming Arts for a second time.

UConn is one of the last stops the indie/hip-hop band from Geneva, NY, is making before embarking on The Young Wild Things Tour with Fall Out Boy, Plain White T's and Cute Is What We Aim For at the end of October. The tour will be stopping in dozens of major cities including Las Vegas, Sacramento, San Diego, Chicago, Austin and Columbus, Ohio.

Formed in 1997, lead singer Travis McCoy, drummer Matt McGinley, guitarist Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo and bassist Eric Roberts, make up the popular band, signed by the Decaydance/Fueled By Ramen record label.

Since the release of their single "Cupid's Chokehold," Gym Class Heroes have gained an ever-growing national fan base and continuous play on many of today's popular radio stations. Their newest CD, "As Cruel As School Children," demonstrates how the band has "stepped up their game on every level," according to fueledbyraman.com.

Many students around campus were excited to hear of the Gym Class Heroes return to Jorgensen Center.

"Gym Class is awesome and underappreciated," said John Chick, 5th-semester American studies major. "The songs they're noted for aren't even their best so hopefully the people that are going will see how good they really are. I'm pretty excited."

Gym Class Heroes are praised by critics for their individuality and sound unlike any other band in their genre.

"Earlier rap-rock stars loved to remind their listeners that they were transgressing musical and cultural boundaries. But to their credit, Gym Class Heroes dispense with all that; at his best, Mr. McCoy sounds less like a maverick and more like an inevitability," writes Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times. "Plenty of young listeners enjoy brash hip-hop and wimpy emo; it was only a matter of time before someone successfully combined the two genres."

In an interview with Tony Pascarella from the-trades.com, McCoy spoke about the Heroes' growing fan base and their reaction to their musical style.

"A lot of kids are coming to the shows, they've kind of heard of us," McCoy said. "The thing is, we're used to dropped jaws when we first start playing. It's something different, and it always takes a while for kids to get used to something different. I don't take offense to it; it's cool by the second song when I see them dancing."

By www.DailyCampus.com