They have a big, black truck that means business. Inside are men who are used to moving big, heavy objects around tight hallways, packing up a house full of stuff in a jiffy, and oh yeah, performing for screaming crowds of adoring fans. They are REAL RocknRoll Movers, a Los Angeles moving company that really ROCKS!

Founded in 2006 by drummer Scott Quist, REAL RocknRoll Movers came about when Scott returned from a tour with his band and needed some extra cash. He partnered with a friend on moving gigs, and the business grew from there. It is staffed entirely of musician movers, who adapt well because they are already used to carrying heavy band equipment, fitting it neatly into a vehicle and making it to a gig on time.

REAL RocknRoll Movers is licensed and insured and does cross-town residential and commercial office moves, but the scope of the work is flexible. The musicians can be hired to load and unload a truck only, rearrange existing furniture and other items or help with packing. They also have a single-item or small move service called Cheap Truck, paying homage to one of their favorite bands, Cheap Trick.

“They’re all touring and recording,”; says Scott. “We provide employment for musicians who know if they do a good job, they can take time off for a gig or a tour and come back and still get a paycheck. No other business allows that much flexibility with their employees.”;

With moving trucks painted flat black, embellished with a giant skull and crossbones and a big, bold tag line that reads, “Movers That Rock,”; it’s easy to spot when they’re on the job. While the branding gets a lot of attention, Scott says there are those who think their guys will act like the stereotype of rowdy, destructive rock stars. He says the opposite is actually true, and a five-star rating on Yelp today with hundreds of reviews seems to prove it. “Musicians make really good movers. They have attention to detail that I don’t think other people have instinctively.

They also have to work hard to keep the moving gig. “We have a question on the job application that asks, 'can you run up and down three flights of stairs 20 times in a row?’ We joke that this job pays you to stay in shape!”;

Being a mover can even benefit their music careers. REAL RocknRoll Mover musicians network with coworkers and start new music projects and bands. Scott also allows his crew members to promote their bands to clients and even links to their band websites from his moving site. Sometimes customers show up at the mover’s band concerts.

Scott’s team members are also rock stars at addressing moving challenges in a city like Los Angeles—finding parking for a large truck, navigating complex apartment buildings and dealing with tiny elevators. Scott often sends in extra manpower so they can stage the move, handing off items to each other like batons in a relay race.

Unfortunately, sometimes customers will discover they can’t quite fit their old furniture into their new space, even if they can get it up the stairs. “We had a girl who had a couch too big to get in the door and there was no safe way to hoist it in through a window, so she ended up just giving it to us.”

And thus a resale store was born in the REAL RocknRoll headquarters. It is filled with furniture people no longer wanted and didn’t want to move. On any given day there could be couches, desks and armoires, from funky to traditional – all at extremely affordable prices.

Being in Los Angeles has the added benefit of having an impressive list of celebrity clients. Admittedly, Scott said his team gets the most excited about moving famous musicians. “We moved the drummer from the Melvins, Kyle Gass from Tenacious D., who was one of our coolest customers, and Beck’s drummer. I think the guys got a little star struck on that one!”;

He said the company strives to maintain the privacy of their customers and don’t discuss specifics of the jobs.

What sets Scott’s moving teams apart from the rest is that they’re cool, fun to hang around with and know what they’re doing when it comes to moving. They also often offer some relief from the pain of moving by telling stories about their bands’ tours. You won’t get that from most movers! “We’ve had customers write a review saying they want to move again just to have the guys come back!”;