Indie-rap group Gym Class Heroes seems to have struck gold with a fresh sound and entertaining live performance that have garnered the band a solid fanbase and catapulted the group to the forefront of an evolving music scene and a national headlining tour.
Featuring openers K-os, P.O.S. and Rx Bandits, The Daryl Hall For President Tour 2007 kicked off with a sold-out show at Avalon on Saturday night. The lineup drew an eclectic mix of fans ranging from hipsters to diehard hip-hop enthusiasts. A calm crowd largely unimpressed during the first three bands came to life as tour manager Marc DeJesus led the band onto the stage, proudly waving a flag emblazoned with Jerry, the Gym Class Heroes’ logo.
Opening with “Papercuts” off 2005’s The Papercut Chronicles, the band blazed through a 75-minute set that drew largely from its last two releases. Animated (and seemingly intoxicated) frontman Travis McCoy entertained the crowd with his trademark facial expressions and witty banter between songs. “You are all gym class heroes now,” McCoy announced to a cheering crowd after blowing through “A Beautiful Day,” a fast-paced track that had the audience struggling to keep up with McCoy’s vocals.
The energy doubled halfway through the set as the band went into “New Friend Request,” a song that mocks the popular Internet website MySpace.com. The hit single “Cupid’s Chokehold,” which featured a sound clip from Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump, was the sing-a-long of the night with the crowd almost surpassing McCoy in volume. “Hello, is there anybody out there?” McCoy asked during “Nothing Boy vs. The Echo Factor” and was met with a reassuring feminine scream from the audience.
Gym Class Heroes have successfully bridged some of the largest gaps in music, fusing a live rock sound with hip-hop beats and bringing inspiring lyrics and a humble stage presence to a genre often criticized for its lack of both. McCoy voiced encouragement to the crowd through a number of anecdotal tales that all came to the same conclusion: be yourself. The band then wrapped up with an encore of “Clothes Off!” — a fan favorite that made an assortment of garments fly over the crowd.
