Cruiserweight brings ’90s back to the ‘Burgh

‘ ‘ ‘ Stella Maxwell looks forward to ’90s music making a big comeback. And when it does, she… ‘ ‘ ‘ Stella Maxwell looks forward to ’90s music making a big comeback. And when it does, she and her band, Cruiserweight, will be there to play it. ‘ ‘ ‘ Cruiserweight’s fresh take on a decade-old style will provide nostalgic entertainment tonight in Pittsburgh and rock the South Side’s Diesel Club Lounge. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘We’ve never felt like we were on the cutting edge or underground, but maybe right now we are,’ said Maxwell, Cruiserweight’s lead singer. ‘Maybe everyone should jump on our bandwagon, maybe we are the cutting edge of cool now.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Maxwell formed Cruiserweight in 1998 with her brothers, guitarist Urny Maxwell and drummer Yogi Maxwell, and non-sibling bassist Dave Hawkins. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Being a band that was three-fourths siblings, there was naturally no way we could agree on a name,’ said Maxwell. ‘We finally pulled out a Trivial Pursuit game and started tossing out cards.’ ‘Cruiserweight,’ a wrestling term for the weight category between lightweight and heavyweight, was the winner. ‘ ‘ ‘ Cruiserweight often finds itself billed as a girl band, somewhat ironically since Stella Maxwell is the only female band member. Maxwell herself does not dwell on the fact that the band is female fronted, but does acknowledge that many do pay attention to such gender distinctions. ‘ ‘ ‘ Rather than fighting this classification and the stigma attached to it, the group has accepted it unreservedly. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘We’re proud of the fact that we’re female fronted, even if some people are going to stereotype us for that,’ said Maxwell. ‘It can be an easy way to make ourselves stand out in a group, having a female lead singer, but it’s not gimmicky. We’ve been part of a couple of girl-power communities and featured as such, and I think that’s great. There’s nothing wrong with it.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Cruiserweight is currently touring with Pink Spiders and Primo Mondo, promoting its sophomore album Big Bold Letters, which came out in early October. ‘ ‘ ‘ Of the tour so far Maxwell said, ‘It’s been great. We’ve done some sketchy tours in the past, but the Pink Spiders are great guys who really fit in well with us and our music, so it’s all been really good. We make a lot of sacrifices to be able to record and tour with this band, but we love it.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Maxwell said the band played some great shows with audiences who got into it by singing along and dancing, but audience participation isn’t the only thing that can make a concert good. The act of performing the music itself can play a big part. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘It’s great when people aren’t afraid to show their enthusiasm like that,’ she said. ‘At the same time, though, when we’re in sync with each other and the songs are flowing together, that makes it an awesome show regardless of the crowd.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ The band does not fit what most would define as today’s pop-punk genre, preferring a more antiquated sound. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I jokingly like to describe us as a late ’90s slumber party rock band. We’ve had a slow evolution over the 10 years that we’ve been together,’ said Maxwell. ‘We haven’t embraced new trends, not because we don’t like them, but just that what feels natural to us comes from the ’90s bands. We write the songs that we know how to write.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ There’s something to be said for looking forward, but there’s also nothing wrong with a fond look back. ‘ ‘ ‘ Everyone misses ’90s music now and then. But when the classics themselves become stale, pop-punk band Cruiserweight keeps it fresh.