Cover bands generally appear to fall into two distinct groups.

The first group consists of bands simply playing cover songs until they have enough polished original material to play live. The second group is made up of bands formed by college kids who just want to have some fun on the weekends, not giving much thought to whether the band will even exist two weeks out.

Enter Go Go Gadjet. No, not the beloved cartoon, but a rising cover band with a Penn State alumnus leading the way.

The band doesn't fall into either category -- it doesn't make original music, but has been around longer than most celebrity relationships.

"Honestly, doing this is a full-time career," lead vocalist Jeff Tomrell said. "We're playing four nights a week. There's longevity in this."

In Go Go Gadjet's current lineup, Penn State alumnus Tomrell is joined by Tony Mancuso on keyboard, Chris Schwartz on lead guitar, Mike Intelisano on drums and James 'Iggy' Schiavo on bass.

Now together for three years, Go Go Gadjet started off as a dance and hip-hop cover band that played at parties. Over the years, the band lineup has undergone some member changes when previous members couldn't pull their weight, Tomrell said. The band has evolved to cover all types of music.

"We don't really have a style," Tomrell said. "It's really all over. We try to be the cover band that's different from other cover bands. There's a list of about 10 songs we won't play."

Tomrell sticks by the list, so that the band can constantly strive toward different things, like covering bands as different as the Beatles and Shakira, he said.

While the band members have played in bands that created original music and made CDs, they struggled doing so, Tomrell said.

At this point in time, the band doesn't plan to pursue writing original music and they enjoy their success as a cover band, he said.

"It's a guaranteed sell," Tomrell said. "People want to go out and hear songs they know. I can't ask for a better job than that."

According to the band's Web site, www.gogogadjet.com, they are based in Reading, but often play downtown at Café 210 West, 210 W. College Ave., and the Phyrst, 111 1/2 E. Beaver Ave.

As for the band's name, Tomrell said there is no good anecdote to share with people. He said Schwartz just said it one day, and it caught.

"It's a name everyone remembers, and it's a cartoon we grew up with," Tomrell said.

Phyrst Employee Zack Modig (senior-physics) said the band plays at the bar every other Sunday and is "spectacular."

"As soon as my boss told me they were playing every other Sunday, I asked him to work every other Sunday," Modig said. "I love them. If I'm not working, I come down here and watch them play."

Café 210 West employee Andrew 'Tex' Cerula (senior-psychology) said he is also a big fan of the band.

"They play a lot of different kinds of music," he said.

In a college town where manybargoers look to music as a social, rather than artistic event, Go Go Gadjet has made a name for itself among the town's many cover bands looking to give audiences a good time.

"They bring a pretty consistent crowd wherever they go," Cerula said. "They're a really good crowd entertainer."

Compared to other college towns, Tomrell said he especially enjoys playing at his alma mater.

"Penn State is a party school," he said. "No matter what the scene is, people are always ready to have a good time. The Penn State fans are really receptive."

Right now, the band is especially looking forward to playing the Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon at 9 p.m. Friday, Tomrell said. The band wanted to play the event last year but couldn't because of scheduling conflicts.

"There are some surprises up for that show," he said. "It will be huge for Penn State students ... in addition to it being a great benefit. I hope that people will remember [the performance]."

Currently, Go Go Gadjet is also trying to incorporate some high energy lighting effects into their shows in an effort to make their performances more crowd-oriented, Tomrell said.

"We really strive to bring a concert on a small level," Tomrell said. "We've seen a lot of bands just go through the motions, and there's something to be said about the visual aspect and getting the concert feel. We really try to bring a show with entertainment."

That entertainment is what drives him.

"I really enjoy entertaining people and knowing that people have a good time," he said. "It's the best job in the world, and I wouldn't even want to call it a job."