Tag Team Media Ultimate Fakebook, a Kansas-based rock
band, is currently touring in support of its latest release, "Open
Up and Say Awesome."
By Kathleen Dunphy
Daily Bruin Contributor
The mist that spreads through an Ultimate Fakebook show is
appropriately reminiscent of a junior high dance ““
appropriate because everything about the band oozes nostalgia. From
its members’ well-mannered, non-pierced, non-tattooed selves
to the very rock music they leap onstage to play, the band leaves
its audience with a satisfied, white-noise-in-the-ears-for-two-days
glow.
The band ““ vocalist and guitarist Bill McShane, bassist
Nick Colby and drummer Eric Melin ““ is currently touring the
nation in support of “Open Up and Say Awesome,” which
was released last week.
Ultimate Fakebook tries to live up to the image of some of the
nicest rock stars to tread club stages.
At every gig during a recent Southland stint the guys spent
plenty of time visiting with fans. And not that “I have to be
nice to you because you paid to get in here tonight and might not
have bought your merch yet” nice. These men aim to make their
fans feel as welcome at shows as they would feel at a
friend’s home. The “scene” disappears and the
music speaks for itself.
The band doesn’t spare any high fives or smiles as
giggling teens and fellow musicians all approach to give their
greetings. Often the UFB guys oblige last-minute pre-show song
requests for their fans.
“I’d rather play to a bunch of kids who want to come
see music rather than a bunch of people who just want to spend all
their money on beer and just kind of have the music in the
background,” Melin said.
The members of Ultimate Fakebook seem like earnest, hardworking
guys who want to include the audience in on their fun. On their off
days, they find opportunities to visit Medieval Times ““ three
trips and counting ““ and any local theme parks, as well as
review movies on their Web site accompanied with ratings of either
“rock fist up” or “rock fist down.”
“I write the reviews and then they (Colby and guitarist
Bill McShane) give me their thumbs up and thumbs down and we put
those in there for the chart,” Melin said. “I’m
the only one nerdy enough to feel like I have to write about
everything. If this doesn’t work out, I want to take
Ebert’s place when he dies.”
Though they haven’t had as much time for off-day fun
during this tour, which is in support of their latest release
“Open Up and Say Awesome,” the Manhattan (Kansas that
is) based UFB guys have traveled enough to have very definite
favorites among the theme park world.
“Our favorite one is Universal Studios Islands of
Adventure in Orlando, Fla.,” McShane said. “We’ve
been there a lot. So many times that we actually kinda need a break
from it. It’s the most raddest place.”
UFB tours eight to nine months out of the year, but even in
their off time, they manage to create some rock. Members of the
band have several side projects. Among them, McShane played the
role of Guns “˜N Roses bassist Duff earlier this year during
the first (and so far only) performance by Sweet Band “˜O Mine
““ yes, you’ve guessed it, a tribute band.
“We’ve toured so much now that we know somebody
almost everywhere we go,” Melin said. “Which is really
cool because it means we almost always have a place to stay and
people to drink with after the show.”
The constant touring hasn’t taken the fun out of it for
UFB. Colby’s constant grin illuminates exactly how much UFB
loves rocking out onstage.
“We try to write catchy, clever pop songs and we play them
loud and we have fun,” Melin said.
Their enthusiasm is infectious ““ fans virtually ride out
the door on a wave of euphoria, chatting loudly about the show.
Often when UFB plays several dates in one area, the same faces pop
up at numerous shows.
It isn’t easy to bring arena rock to the local club level,
but UFB attempts it wholeheartedly. Their self-built “Rock
Box” ““ a square wooden box covered with a clear, hard
plastic layer that is lit from underneath whenever a band member
hops on top to solo ““ and dual floodlights aimed toward the
audience create a stadium look in a club setting.
“We try to make anthems and there’s usually some
sort of semi-nostalgic twist of innocence,” McShane said.
“We’re a certain age but we’re still writing
songs about growing up and having fun. There’s that kind of
lyrical twist on it. So it’s definitely a fun lighthearted
thing, even though musically we try to make serious pop. You see us
being dumbasses on the rock box, we obviously still love to just
rock out.”