Named for a character in an ’80s movie (the inept principal in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), you might assume that the band’s music has an old-school New Wave twinge to it. While that's correct, their influences run much deeper.
Listen closely and you can also hear the Power Pop of the ’60s.
“Yeah, I think in the beginning that (’80s style) was definitely the main thing,” says Rooney drummer Ned Brower, “especially on the first record. It was sort of traditional Rock mixed with New Wave. But we always kept learning about new things (and) explored a lot of stuff from the ’70s.”
Thus you’ll here bits of ELO, The Beach Boys and Tom Petty. Rooney blends it all together and produces a contemporary sound that is richly American. Like this country, the fan base is quite diverse.
“Our audience varies sometimes depending on what city we’re in,” Brower says. “It definitely depends on what country we’re in. Our fan base in Europe is more male-oriented, which is interesting. (Here) I think we do get a lot of girls, college kids, guys too. Then sometimes we get a lot of older Rock and Roll fans, musician-types who appreciate how we play.”
Rooney opens for Hanson at 7 p.m. Monday at Moonlite Gardens (in the Coney Island Amusement Park), 6201 Kellogg Ave., Anderson Twp. Tickets: $27.
Get show and venue details and buy tickets here.