The second Paul Wandtke takes the stage the energy oozes out of him. As he strides through the crowd, playing his guitar, Wandtke takes this opportunity to get up close and personal with audience members. Jumping up on stage he hits the first note in My Friends. To those who didn’t grow up in the grunge era, the sound may seem messy and all over the place, but to those of us who know this genre, it’s on point.

Paul is no stranger to the music scene. Dream Theater’s Mike Mangini heard Trivium was looking for a drummer and suggested Wandtke. Paul joined the band from 2015-2017. Shortly after leaving Trivium, he decided to start his own band, Bedlem, with Mike Petrasek on lead vocals.

After staying in the back behind the kit for so long, Wandtke had the itch to front his own band. He’s said Nirvana was the sole reason he got into music, so he started a Nirvana tribute band called Smells Like Nirvana. Wandtke’s vocals and mannerisms are incredibly akin to Kurt Cobain’s, which made this side project a huge hit.

Scratching that front-man itch, Wandtke thought it was time to take a stab at his own original band, launching Dead Original. If you can imagine Nirvana and Chevelle having a music baby together…that’s Dead Original. Heavy rock sounds with the grunge vibe. Petrasek joined on bass.

Paul isn’t the only heavy hitter of the band. Back to bassist Mike, who’s  not only busy with Dead Original and Smells Like Nirvana, not to forget his time with Bedlem and Madam Gun.

Behind the drums is Joe Babiak. This is someone who’s multi-talented and has had his hand in just about everything. Starting piano at 5, Joe realized his love for music couldn’t just stay with one instrument. Soon after he began playing the trumpet. Babiak has won a plethora of awards, including the opportunity to play at Carnegie Hall.

Drumming was the next step in his musical journey. Hooking up with Michael Angelo Batio, they’ve toured Hong Kong, Shanghai, Taiwan, Russia and India. Not to mention opening for HellYea and Megadeth at the 2011 Dean Guitar NAMM Jam. This is just the tip of the iceberg for Joe and his music career. Through it all, he landed with Dead Original.

The band is stocked with talent and the stage presence is just as impressive.