Meet the band: Dylan Su (drums), Joe Parker (bass), Matt DelBrocco (guitar), David Resnik (guitar), Twon Mueller (vocals)
A New York State of Mind: David Resnik lived in New York and started Gentlemen of Leisure there in 2006 with his friend Twon Mueller. The band broke up in 2008 and Resnik moved to England for two years before moving to Cleveland. Last year, he recruited Mueller to put the band back together. "I talked to Twon about recording some old songs for shits and giggles," says Resnik. "As we were going through the mix and master, Twon told me he thought the music sounded way better than the bands he was playing in while in New York." Mueller moved to Cleveland in November and the band's been gigging around town ever since. "We don't look at this as a commercial entity," says Resnik of the band. "We're just here to have fun and play some rock 'n' roll."
Radio Friendly Rock: Influenced by rock acts such as Guns N Roses and Green Day, Resnik and Co. take inspiration from the '80s and '90s, a time when radio played raw rock 'n' roll rather than formulaic pop music. "First and foremost, when that stuff was on the radio in the '80s and early '90s, everybody wrote their own stuff," says Resnik. "That's what drives me crazy. Lady Gaga isn't my thing but she writes her own stuff. It makes me sad. I start to feel like they found the formula that makes young boys and girls shake their ass and open their wallets. It's just a math problem now. There's no artistic integrity there. How did this happen?"
Why You Should Hear Them: Released last year, the band's self-titled album centers on a concept about confused twentysomethings who try to find their place in the world. The beefy guitar riffs in songs such as "Red & Blue" recall the likes of AC/DC and the Cult. "The album tells the story of three main characters," says Resnik. "Growing up your twenties in any big city in America was an interesting time. In my experience, I found that it was a divisive time when people fell into one of two camps. You were either really about your career and your money or you were about humanity and the flower power stuff. We wrote the album to represent growing up with that around you."
Where You Can Hear Them: gentsofleisure.bandcamp.com.
Where You Can See Them: Gentlemen of Leisure perform with Thaddeus Anna Greene and Archie and the Bunkers at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 29 at the Grog Shop.
