It’s no secret that Happy Valley loves Go Go Gadjet.
For the past year on Wednesday night, hundreds of people form a line that stretches past the State Theater to get into Indigo to watch their favorite local cover band perform.
From the time the band first formed eight years ago, until today, Go Go Gadjet has become a staple in our community.
They are veterans of various stages around State College, including bars like Café 210, The Phyrst and The Saloon. They’ve also performed at fraternity houses, outside of Beaver Stadium on Blue and White weekend and of course, at the Bryce Jordan Center for the Penn State IFC/ Panhellenic Dance Marathon, better known as
THON.
This year marked the fifth time Go Go Gadjet performed on the Bryce Jordan Center stage during THON weekend and as usual, they gave an amazing show for a cause they feel very passionately about.
“We were there to give everyone energy and help them forget every problem they’re going through,” says Go Go Gadjet lead singer, Jeff Tomrell. “It couldn’t have gone any better.”
Their involvement with THON doesn’t stop there. Currently, they are undergoing talks with THON overall captains to plan a concert in the fall at the BJC, in which all profits would go toward the cause.
And, that’s not the only thing you can be expecting from Go Go Gadjet in the near future.
When asked about where the name Go Go Gadjet came from, Jeff laughs. “It’s really lame, there’s no interesting story behind it.” As Jeff puts it, once a band becomes an entity, the name doesn’t matter. “I mean how stupid of a name is the Beatles,” says Jeff. “Or The Doors, that’s a f****** horrible name.” As long as they can put on a good show, nothing else matters. That is their constant aim.
“We’re not complacent,” says Tomrell. “Were constantly trying to get better.”
If you noticed their absence at Indigo a few months back it was because they took off the entire month of January to practice and research, in order to improve their performances and bring new stunts to the public.
“We want to create that Deadmau5 meets Blue Man Group meets Bobby Flay,” says Tomrell. “We just want people to come out and have a good time.”
Their performances at Indigo do just that. This past Wednesday, the band had the crowd going crazy with their music, assortment of lights and amazing ability to get anyone and everyone pumped up.
One doesn’t just get a drink at a club named after them—the $3 “Go Go Gadjet Knockout Punch”—for nothing.
Their constant strive for more is what makes Go Go Gadjet so successful. Although here in State College we may consider them our local mini-celebrities, their fan base is anything but mini. They have performed in almost a dozen states across the country and developed not groupies, but what drummer Mike Intelisano (borrowing from the movie Almost Famous) likes to call, “band-aids.”
After a round of beers and a few Irish car bombs, they share some stories from on the road. Like the time Jeff got lactated on by a woman in the crowd, the times they’ve “misplaced” band members after a show, or the time they were stranded somewhere in the middle of Florida after their van broke down. As a group, these guys have experienced it all, but judging from their passion and commitment, it’s clear they’re not stopping there.
Their future is looking very bright, although we may all want the best for them, let’s secretly hope they never get too busy to make their weekly stop in State College. After all, what would Indigo Wednesdays be without our favorite cover band?
To see them perform outside of State College, check out their website for their tour schedule.
http://www.gogogadjet.com/