Local Reno Band Profile: Whatitdo

The band Whatitdo leaves listeners asking, ”Well, what it do?” They’ll also be asking in a pleasantly surprised tone, “What did they just do?”

Bringing something completely new to Reno, Whatitdo members Aaron Chiazza (drums), Alex Korostinsky (bass), and Mark Sexton (guitar) hope to play a crucial role in Reno’s musical evolution.

“Once you come up with new ideas, that’s how the art progresses,” Chiazza said.

This instrumental trio is a side project of two bands: The Mark Sexton Band, a reggae/rock band, and Beard the Lion, a death metal band. The band’s genre — a mix of funk and neo-soul — is not only a change for Reno but also for the individual members of Whatitdo, who are all new to it.

Whatitdo formed not for money or fame and not out of discontent of their other bands but formed instead for the pure enjoyment of playing music and expressing themselves in a new outlet.

“We just love this kind of music, and we all want to play it,” Sexton said.

The name of the band, derived from a phrase made popular in Oakland and used by Andy Samberg in a Saturday Night Live skit, is slang for the greeting “How’s it going?” or “What’s up?” The trio used the phrase jokingly so often that when it came time to pick a band name, choosing the name Whatitdo was a no-brainer.

“I don’t think a band name has ever matched so perfectly to the music style,” Korostinsky said. “Even if you didn’t hear the name Whatitdo, you’d just listen to the music and be like, ‘Damn, what it do?’”

Whatitdo will be playing at Se7en Teahouse (inside West Street Market) from 5-7pm on Oct. 11 for the Rock for Peace Fundraiser. You can also hear their music at www.myspace.com/whatitdoreno.

Text by Jon Fortenbury