Wrong Side of Dawn is NOT “classic rock.”

They say they’re “classic rock,” which probably means they’re a cover band. But wait, they do original music? So I can’t book them for this wedding and request one or twelve Journey songs? If they won’t promise to play “Don’t Stop Believing,” they’re definitely out of contention for any job.

“Classic rock” might refer to some of the most innovative and original music made during rock’s golden age, but when a modern band says they play “classic rock,” it pretty much just means: “We do a lot of Foreigner covers.”

And if you do original classic rock, it’s supposed to sound rootsy and retro, like something the Rolling Stones might have written, only without any hooks.

Wrong Side of Dawn’s Stay Awake album definitely has some classic rock influence. The sound is layered and ambitious, like something out of The Who’s Quadrophenia, or Queen’s A Night at the Opera. But this isn’t just a ‘70s cover band who got cocky one day and decided they could write. There is something distinctly modern about this eclectic set, as though someone put John Mayer and Jack White in the same room and forced them, at gunpoint, to re-write Led Zeppelin IV.

Do not pay any attention to Wrong Side of Dawn. They are not classic rock.

Band members

Wrong Side of Dawn is Brian Rose and Nelson Pavlosky. It couldn’t happen without the talent and support of many other musicians and friends, but as of now there are no other permanent members of the band.

Nelson Pavlosky – rhythm guitar: Nelson can often be found strumming on his green Takamine acoustic-electric named Kermit. Musical influences include various punk/ska/emo bands, 90′s alternative rock, and people who play acoustic guitars with weird tunings and open strings, such as the Goo Goo Dolls and Joni Mitchell. His favorite band is Queen, even though his songwriting doesn’t lean in that direction. He was active in jazz choir and musical theater throughout high school, and still sings loudly in the shower to this very day. Nelson can also play the piano, ukelele, and oboe, in decreasing order of competency. In his spare time, he enjoys pyrotechnics, eating fruit, and fighting the Man.

Brian Rose – lead guitar: Brian played violin in a school orchestra for 10 years, but because he never practiced or took private lessons, he sucks. He listened mainly to the Goo Goo Dolls until the summer of 2000, when he took a few guitar lessons and began listening pretty much exclusively to The Who and any song on this list*. Favorite artists and influences include The Who, Peter Gabriel, James Taylor, U2, Billy Joel, Ben Folds, Dave Matthews, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and all classic rock. Brian likes to seem diverse by pretending that he also likes classical and jazz and stuff, but that’s a lie. He really only likes rock. And blues. Having been a music minor, though, he knows just enough theory to act pretentious about it. He enjoys poker, baseball, and internet memes.

*They change this list every year. The older — and much more correct — list that I was raised on is no longer available.