The golden age of rock ’n’ roll may be a distant memory obscured by time, changing circumstances, and copious amounts of drugs (at least, according to legend), but the sound of that era lives on through new generations of rock bands inspired by it.

Five-piece band The Monolithic will bring its blend of old-school rock to Gabe’s at 9 p.m. today alongside Autumn’s Waiting, a foursome from Cedar Rapids.

Monolithic comprises Chris Chamness (guitar/vocals), Aaron Billiot (guitar/vocals), Hunter Beattie (keys/vocals), Dustin Politsch (bass), and Shayne Cordevant (drums/vocals). Despite only having formed last year, the group has released its début EP, and it is in the middle of an ambitious Midwestern tour.

For these southern Illinois rockers, the question of whether to pursue a career in music was never a question at all.

“The first time I head Dave Matthews, I knew I wanted to make a living playing music,” Cordevant said. “It was everything to me; it was always there.”

Chamness shared the feeling.

“It’s always been a part of me,” he said. “Even when I was a baby, I’d take nail clippers or toys and pretend I was playing guitar. I’ve never thought about doing anything else, because this is all I want.”

The Monolithic’s EP, titled M, features seven tracks recorded at Toy Box Studios in Nashville and gives several nods to the rock and roll sounds of the ’60s and ’70s, pioneered by such groups as Led Zeppelin and Rush.

Chamness cites the genuine quality and sincerity of the songwriters of that era as one of the reasons for his love of the genre.

“[It’s] the sense of genuine feeling behind what the groups were saying, as well as the adventurous nature of finding out how far they could stretch their creativity,” he said.

With M, Monolithic hoped to channel those characteristics of old into something brand-new.

“There’s no set inspiration for the EP as a whole, but in general, a lot of the songs deal with the consequences of having a good time and what you do with those consequences,” Billiot said.

After Monolithic completes its tour, the members will devote their efforts to their first full-length album, which they plan to record this summer.

Monolithic’s opening act, Autumn’s Waiting, describes itself as somewhere between Midwestern rock and modern country.

The band — Chad McCleary (vocals), Jarrod Hogan (guitar), Brian Corley (bass), and Travis Perry (drums) — came together after Hogan placed an ad on Craigslist.

Though most of the band members are Iowa natives, Hogan hails from Paragould, Arkansas, where he grew up listening to country music greats such as Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, and Brooks & Dunn. When he moved to Iowa in 2007, that influence came with him.

The group’s first album, A Mountain on a Stone, released in August 2015, combines soulful country sounds with modern rock elements. Although fans of each genre are sometimes quick to point out the differences, for McCleary, successfully combining the two was little challenge.

“People like our stuff because it is simple and melodic,” he said. “Combining country and rock is nothing more than taking what we grew up on and playing what comes natural.”

Right now, Autumn’s Waiting is focused primarily on playing as many shows as possible while working toward its second album.

“As an all-original act, we are finding that getting booked isn’t as easy as your run-of-the-mill cover band in this area, so we’re getting creative in that department,” Hogan said.

MUSIC

What: Monolithic, Autumn’s Waiting

When: 9 p.m. today

Where: Gabe’s, 330 E. Washington