The Classless of '23

CLASSLESS ACT GUITARIST DANE PIEPER CHRONICLES THE RISE OF A ROCK 'N' ROLL JUGGERNAUT

- Andrew Daly

AS SOME OF the freshest faces among the ranks of the New Wave of Classic Rock, Classless Act have spent most of the last 12 months barnstorming stages across the country. Between dropping their debut, Welcome to the Show, and hopping on tour with Joan Jett, Poison, Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard as a supporting act for 2022’s Stadium Tour, yeah, you could say a lot has changed for Classless Act. 

But at the band’s crux, a high-energy passion for all things rock ’n’ roll remains. The band’s rhythm/lead guitarist, Dane Pieper, played a considerable role. With a tried-and-true combination of class Gibson guitars plugged into a Marshall stack, Pieper is a throwback with a bullet. In an age where many of the old guard have proclaimed “rock is dead,” Pieper’s kick-flipping nature is a not-so-subtle reminder that perhaps there’s life left in the genre yet.

During a break from the road, Pieper dialed in with Guitar World to dig into his philosophy on life, family and, of course, guitar.

What inspired you to pick up the guitar? 

My parents always had music in the house and the car. It rubbed off on me. They weren’t musicians but definitely loved the art of music. It brought so much joy to our family, and I have many memories associated with certain rock songs. The more I listened, the more I thought, “Hey, I want to do that when I’m older.”

How did being adopted shape your outlook on life and music?