SEVEN CLASS ACTS The Dismemberment Plan is in good company. Did you know that the following bands were also born on campuses?
R.E.M.: University of Georgia, 1980 The R.E.M. masterpiece began to take shape when U.Ga. art student Michael Stipe (vocals) met record store employee Peter Buck (guitar), who had dropped out of Emory University. The picture was completed when the pair met two more U.Ga. students at a party – bassist Mike Mills had an interest in English literature and journalism, and drummer Bill Berry was studying pre-law.
Radiohead: Abingdon School, 1985 They might not have been ready for college quite yet, but the members of Radiohead did meet on a school campus – an all-boys prep school in Oxfordshire, England. Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano), Ed O’Brien (guitar), Phil Selway (drums), and brothers Colin (bass) and Jonny Greenwood (guitar, keyboard) rehearsed on Fridays in the school’s music room.
Styx: Chicago State University, 1969 A lesson in success, Styx got its start at Chicago State, where many of the group’s members were studying to become teachers. Twin brothers Chuck (bass) and John Panozzo (drums) had made music with their Chicago neighbor Dennis DeYoung (vocals) before the trio signed up at CSU. There they met guitarists John Curulewski, a fellow CSU student, and James “J.Y.” Young, who studied aerospace engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology.
Pink Floyd: Regent Street Polytechnic, 1965 Pink Floyd began building a name for itself when a group of architecture students from London’s RSP – drummer Nick Mason, bassist Roger Waters, and keyboardist Richard Wright – joined forces.
Coldplay: University College of London, 1996 Success was written in the stars for Coldplay. UCL astronomy major Jonny Buckland (guitar) met Chris Martin (vocals), who was interested in ancient world studies, during orientation week. Martin played on the school’s hockey team with anthropology major Will Champion (percussion). Engineering major Guy Berryman (bass) joined later.
Queen: Imperial College, 1971 Queen’s reign began at Imperial College, when Brian May (guitar), who holds a doctorate in astrophysics from the London school, was an undergraduate there. May hooked up with bassist Tim Staffell (later replaced by John Deacon), who went to Ealing Art College with Farrokh “Freddie Mercury” Bulsara (lead vocals). When May placed an ad for a drummer on a college bulletin board, dental student Roger Taylor responded, and the group originally called itself “Smile.”
Creed: Florida State University, 1995 The whole gang hailed from FSU. Vocalist Scott Stapp, who studied law, and guitarist Mark Tremonti, a finance major, met in high school, then teamed up with bassist Brian Marshall and drummer Scott Phillips, who majored in business. The above information was largely gathered from the Online Universities website.
replacement, Joe Easley, clicked well with the band. They began touring consistently, polishing their act along the way and gaining momentum with every show. “They became much more mature in their playing and their presentation,” said Stoneman, an audio engineer who often has served as tour manager for The Plan and other bands, and has been an adjunct professor. The Plan was still on an upward climb in 2003, when they decided they’d had enough. It would be nice, they thought, to walk away on a high note. “We had yet to make any significant career blunders,” 28
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Axelson said. “After 10 years of really flogging it, you get pretty damned tired.” Besides, the corporate world was calling. Living in Washington, D.C., Axelson and Caddell – both English majors – have pursued professions outside of the band. Caddell is a freelance audio engineer, and Axelson, who has worked as a data analyst and taught AP English literature in a D.C. high school, is now a civics program manager for Rock the Vote. Morrison is a developer for The Huffington Post, and Easley works in robotics for NASA. They’ve all maintained their musical ties, as well.