RooneyJuice.com

By ANDREW DANSBY Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle

Dec. 16, 2009, 2:15PM

Rooney grew up quickly. The Los Angeles band came together when its members were teens. A debut album followed a few years later, and then another recording. And now, with 10 years and two albums behind it, Rooney is striking out on its own.

“We’re still a young band,” drummer Ned Brower says, “but we started out really young. But we’re in a weird, cool place right now. I feel we’re only starting to approach our peak zone, and we already have all this experience.”

Not bad for a band who started with a frivolous name. Initially Robert Schwartzman and two now-departed members picked Ed Rooney as a handle, the name of the principal in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Those band members left, and Schwartzman began to assemble a new band of high school students.

“Early on we knew we needed to drop the Ed,” Brower says. “It started as a joke, but quickly we became not-a-joke band. There was a time we thought about changing it completely.”

Brower says KISS’ Gene Simmons had a lot of ideas.

“He told us Rooney wasn’t something you could touch or hold onto. He said, ‘Your band name should be a thing.’ He suggested Stuff. He said, ‘You can have that one for free on me.’ ”

Rooney did not become Stuff, and the band — Schwartzman, Brower, guitarist Taylor Locke, bassist Matthew Winter and keyboardist Louie Stephens — put out a self-titled debut full of punchy power pop in 2003.

A second album,Calling the World, came out two years ago. The band has been writing and recording much since then, which resulted in an EP called Wild One that Rooney is selling on tour. It’s part of an extended set of recordings that will also include a new album in the spring.

After just two records Rooney severed ties with its label, so the band can shop around the new recording.

“When we started the band we handled things on our own,” Brower says. “And even with the label we’ve always done a lot of the work. We just have a little more control over the content now. We’re excited to take back the responsibility for what we do. We wanted to be back in the trenches.”

The band benefits from having established a brand in its 10 years. A group that built a grass-roots following in Los Angeles now has a six-figure following across the country. They’ve been savvy about seizing opportunities like appearing on The O.C. years ago and taking an opening slot for the Jonas Brothers on a 2008 tour.

“We’ve played just about everywhere from little clubs to sold-out arenas,” Brower says. “We’ve had a pretty diverse touring thing going, which might be because we don’t fit in anywhere.”

Though rock and pop are often diced into subgenres, Rooney doesn’t lend itself to such. “Anyone who’s seen us live knows it’s just five guys with guitars and mics and (expletive) playing rock music,” Brower says. “We’ve always known what kind of music we want to make, hip pop stuff rooted in classic rock and pop.”

Which is what they’ll be doing at the Meridian on Friday. Some new material will find its way into the set as a bit of a teaser for a 2010 that will find the band touring tirelessly.

“This tour is about going out and playing for the core audience,” Brower says. “Next year is the big yearlong anniversary campaign.”

CREDIT : Houston Chronicle