Gym Class Heroes

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Left to right: Matt, Disashi, Travis, and Eric
Background information
Origin	Geneva, New York, USA
Genre(s)	Alternative hip hop
Years active	1997–present
Label(s)	Decaydance Records Fueled by Ramen Atlantic Records
Website	www.GymClassHeroes.com
Members
Travis McCoy Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo Eric Roberts Matt McGinley
Former members
Ryan Geise Milo Bonacci Sie One

Gym Class Heroes is an alternative hip hop band from Geneva, New York. The band is best known for their Billboard Hot 100 top 5 single "Cupid's Chokehold" from As Cruel as School Children. Rather than using the conventional tools of hip hop production, Gym Class Heroes use live instruments, similar to artists such as Stetsasonic, The Roots, and Crown City Rockers.

[edit] Band history

The original Gym Class Heroes formed in 1997 when Travis "Schleprok" McCoy and drummer Matt McGinley became friends during physical education class while at high school in Geneva, New York, and joined forces with guitarist Milo Bonacci and bassist Ryan Geise. The original GCH began playing birthday parties, clubs, and festivals which eventually led to numerous larger venues throughout the northeast, including two years on Warped Tour (2003, 2004). During this time, GCH released four self-produced CDs: "Hed Candy" (1999), "Greasy Kids Stuff" (2000), "For the Kids" (2001), and "Papercut Chronicles EP" (2004). After the release of "For the Kids", lead singer Travis McCoy won MTV's Direct Effect MC Battle and as a prize, he appeared in Styles P's video "Daddy Get That Cash".^[1] The current configuration of GCH formed when guitarist Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo joined in late 2004, and bassist Eric Roberts joined in mid 2005. ^[1][2]

[edit] Decaydance and Beyond

After hearing the song "Taxi Driver", (which pays homage to various rock artists), Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy became interested in the Gym Class Heroes and invited the band to one of his shows. Travis met with Stump on June 10, 2004 in Buffalo and struck up a rapport. Gym Class Heroes then went on to join Pete Wentz's label, Decaydance Records, an imprint of Fueled by Ramen. Travis later said that Stump's support, coupled with the label's touring ethos and family atmosphere, is what drew him to Decaydance/Fueled by Ramen.^[3]

Gym Class Heroes appeared on the Warped Tour in the summer of 2005 and 2006. The band completed their leg of a tour with The All-American Rejects on Nov. 29 in Las Vegas. They are currently headlining The Daryl Hall For President Tour '07, which will last through April 2007, with many shows sold out. Other acts on the tour include RX Bandits, k-os and P.O.S..

They will open for Gwen Stefani on her The Sweet Escape Tour in Australia during July and August 2007.^[4]

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

Cover	Release date	Title	Label	Chart positions
	1999	Hed Candy	Independent Release	-
	2000	Greasy Kid Stuff	Independent Release	-
	December 2001	For the Kids	Independent Release	-
	February 22 2005	The Papercut Chronicles	Decaydance Records Fueled by Ramen	-
	July 25 2006	As Cruel as School Children	Decaydance Records Fueled by Ramen Atlantic Records	35 (U.S.) (228,571 Copies)

[edit] EPs

[edit] Singles

Cover	Release date	Title	Label	Chart positions
	August 28, 2006	The Queen and I	Fueled by Ramen	#42 (Billboard Pop 100) #40 (Top 40 Mainstream) Non-chart qualifier (UK)
	October 23, 2006	New Friend Request	Fueled By Ramen	Non-chart qualifier (UK)
	March 2005 (Version 1) December 2006 (U.S.) (Version 2) 30 April 2007 (UK) (Version 2)	Cupid's Chokehold	Fueled by Ramen	#4 (Billboard Hot 100) #5 (Billboard Pop 100)
	May 2007	Shoot Down The Stars	Fueled by Ramen	TBR

[edit] Trivia

• On an August 2006 episode of Steven's Untitled Rock Show, Gym Class Heroes front-man Travis McCoy was discussing his involvement in a new Cobra Starship music video. After meeting Samuel L. Jackson on the set, McCoy confided that he came to the following realization: "Wow... I'm just as cool as (Samuel L. Jackson.)"
• The Papercut Chronicles version of the "Cupid's Chokehold" video was directed by Andrew Paul Bowser, who also directed the "New Friend Request" video with Joseph M. Petrick.
• The song "The Queen and I" peaked at #42 on the Pop 100 Airplay chart, and #40 on the Top 40 Mainstream chart.^[1]
• The hook in the song "Cupid's Chokehold" is taken from the Supertramp song "Breakfast in America" written by Roger Hodgson.
• The chorus in "Clothes Off!" is taken from the Jermaine Stewart song "We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off" minus the word "don't." Both artists are associated with living in Chicago, Illinois.
• The song "The Queen and I" is found in the video game Tony Hawk's Project 8.
• There are two versions of the video "Cupid's Chokehold" (one for The Papercut Chronicles and As Cruel As School Children) and Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy is in both. Patrick Stump is also featured on the song "Clothes Off!".
• William Beckett from The Academy Is... is featured on the song "7 Weeks".
• Travis brushes his teeth in every one of their music videos with the exception of "New Friend Request" from the album As Cruel As School Children, and "Taxi Driver" from the album "The Papercut Chronicles"
• Travis McCoy released a spoof video about dating advice on Youtube around Valentine's Day 2007. The video featured the band's song Cupid's Chokehold in the background.

[edit] Recurring lyrical elements

• Travis frequently references other songs by Gym Class Heroes.
  • In "Cupid's Chokehold", he references "Makeout Club" ("and I know you heard that last song/about those girls that didn't last long").
  • In "Make Out Club", he references "Girl or Dog" from Travis's solo album 'Bernie Allen' ("That girl I talked about/In that 'Girl or Dog' song/Yeah, the poster girl for Paxil/Almost made me lose my grip").
  • In their cover of "Under the Bridge", they reference "Simple Living" ("from the poorest of poor to the richest of rich/I already told you once before, simple living's a bitch"). "
  • In "Clothes Off", he references "Naked Peekaboo", a song done in drunken collaboration with The Academy Is ("Possibly reconvene and play some naked peekaboo").
• On The Papercut Chronicles, "Papercuts" is referenced in a number of GCH songs (in addition to the remix of the Papercuts): "Band Aids", "through all the papercuts and all the broken hearts..." ; "Pillmatic", "a couple meds to ease the pain of the papercuts..."
• In the song Pillmatic they also reference a previous album, "...For The Kids". ("this ain't a song for the kids like our last album.")
• GCH has frequently referenced Bob Ross, even dedicating two songs to him ("To Bob Ross with Love" (The Papercut Chronicles), and "Happy Little Trees" (For the Kids)).
• GCH frequently pays tribute to other musical influences, their favorite artists, and other people who have generally helped them. "Taxi Driver" uses several band names as lyrics for example "Boy meets girl, Jimmy Eats World".
• The song "Scandalous Scholastics", about an affair between a student and his teacher, makes reference to "Don't Stand so Close to Me", a song by the Police based around the same premise.
• "Band Aids" and "On My Own Time (Write On)" also thank their hometown, people who have helped through the years, and other artists.
• GCH have made a reference to the community website MySpace several times in their songs, in fact their song "New Friend Request" is about finding love through it.
• The song "Taxi Driver" includes the following band references: Death Cab for Cutie, Cursive, Dashboard Confessional, Bright Eyes, Sunny Day Real Estate, My Chemical Romance, Hey Mercedes, Coheed and Cambria, Fall Out Boy, Jimmy Eat World, Thrice, Brand New, The Postal Service, Planes Mistaken for Stars, At the Drive-In, ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, Midtown, The Get Up Kids, Scraps & Heart Attacks, The Early November, Thursday, Taking Back Sunday, Jets to Brazil, Story of the Year, Elliott (band) and Hot Water Music. They also mention their recording label, Fueled by Ramen, in the last line.

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Biography at allmusic.com
2. ^ Article in which Travis comments on winning the Direct Effect MC Battle.
3. ^ Pete Wentz interviews Travis McCoy and they discuss how they met.
4. ^ http://www.gwenstefani.com/news/?nid=7482 Gwenstefani.com

[edit] External links

• Official Web site
• Gym Class Heroes on MTV.com
• Myspace page
• Fueled by Ramen Page