| Avant Garde | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Mansfield, Connecticut, USA |
| Genres | Progressive metal |
| Years active | 1986–1990 |
| Past members | |
| Rivers Cuomo Kevin Ridel Justin Fisher Bryn Mutch Eric Ridel Michael Stanton |
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Avant Garde (later renamed Zoom) was a progressive metal band most notable as an early musical project of Rivers Cuomo, who would later gain worldwide fame as the frontman of the alternative rock band Weezer. At the time, Cuomo performed under the name Peter Kitts.[1]
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The band formed when Cuomo was only seventeen years old, along with his high school friend Justin Fisher.[1] While they attended E. O. Smith High School.[2] Eventually, other people joined the band.[3] They decided on the name Avant Garde as, according to Cuomo, "[they] were anything but."[1] From late 1986 to early 1987, the members of the band were confident enough in their musical ability where they would regularly make 4-track demos when they weren't rehearsing in various locations.[4]
By the summer of 1987, Cuomo was accepted to a five-week music program at Berklee School of Music,[5] where he met future Avant Garde guitarist Michael Stanton.[6] On December 12, 13 and 18 the band recorded six new songs at Trod Nossel Studios in Wallingford, Connecticut. within weeks the demo made the WHUS 91.7 heavy metal playlist at the campus radio station of the University of Connecticut.[7]
In 1988, both Cuomo and Fisher graduated from E. O. Smith High School.[8] By 1989, the band had departed to Los Angeles in hopes of being discovered on the Sunset Strip.[9] When they arrived in Los Angeles, the entire band lived in the same apartment. While on the strip, the band didn't have much musical success.[10] In order to make ends-meet, all members of the band took minimum wage jobs.[11] The band later changed its name to Zoom in order to make them sound more commercial.[12] After the continued lack of success, the band split up in the spring of 1990.[13]
This demo was printed on black-shelled cassettes with plain, light-blue label stickers on one side.[14] There were probably approximately 100 copies printed.[14] It was recorded at Trod Nossel Studios in Connecticut.[7]
This demo was printed on black-shelled cassettes with purple label stickers on one side featuring the Avant Garde logo.[14] There were approximately 200 copies printed.[14] It was also recorded at Trod Nossel Studios in Connecticut.[7]
Like the first two tapes, Somethin' Different was recorded in Connecticut at Trod Nossel Studios.[15] The tape was professionally duped and featured the songs and information printed directly onto the clear cassette, as well as a black and white J-card that had portrait photos of the whole band.[14] The number of copies made is unknown, but may exceed 200.[14] The name "Somethin' Different" was applied to the demo later, when it was printed a second time.[15]
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