Things have been falling into place for 2nd Best. In the space of one summer, the band recorded an album, charted on college radio stations across the country and played the Warped Tour. Bass player and singer Paul Friemel has plenty to say about the band’s good fortune.

2nd Best’s plans for the summer included recording a new album with its fresh three-piece lineup, a task the group set to immediately, Friemel says.

“The first week school got out, we started recording,” he says. “We’d only been together as a threesome again for six months and we already had enough songs for an album, so we were pretty stoked.”

The group started out recording the beginning tracks at a studio in Davenport before troubles set in and 2nd Best moved the whole operation north.

“We did that in Davenport at Reel Trax studios, which is the place we did the last album,” Friemel says. “And then we ended up mixing it and mastering it at Two Fish studios in Mankato. It’s in this little town that no one knows about. It’s so awesome.”

Through a connection with the owner of Two Fish and another incidental one with Bi-Fi Records in Ames, 2nd Best was referred to Tinderbox Music, the promotion company responsible for last year’s Keepers of the Carpet Cinderella story.

The band traveled to Minneapolis to discuss things with Jon Delange, owner of Tinderbox.

“We went up there and he talked to us and explained everything he thought we should know,” Friemel says. “He was really helpful and opened everyone’s eyes. We decided we really wanted to do it so we could see what would happen.”

Friemel says that the success Keepers had with their CMJ push helped convince them it was the right step for them.

2nd Best sent its CD, “Put Your Heart Where Your Mouth Is,” off to about 250 stations across the country. Friemel says it wasn’t long before the thrills started.

“I was really excited when we first started getting adds,” he says. “That was really cool to see that we were actually charting. We made the top 20 and that was really exciting. We were the only self-released album on there during that particular week. We thought `Oh my God. This is huge and we don’t know what’s going to happen.'”

Even though the band didn’t chart nationally beyond the first week, Friemel says the experience was definitely valuable.

“I don’t think it was a complete failure or anything,” he says. “I’m glad we did it and we’ll probably do it the next time if we make another album.”

2nd Best was also privileged enough to play on two dates of the biggest punk package tour in the country, the Warped Tour. A contact at Drive-Thru records hooked them up with the slot after the band Showoff hastily vacated.

“We ended up playing in Council Bluffs and Minneapolis,” Friemel says. “They were about a month apart. That was really good because we got a chance to see what’s going on at the Council Bluffs show. Then we had a month to get ready for the next one.”

Friemel says the Council Bluffs appearance was definitely initiation by fire, but they came out ready for the next show.

“We thought we knew what we were getting into the first day and we didn’t really,” he says. “We only played like four songs and we wasted so much time. We were really just kind of unprepared.”

Friemel says that 2nd Best headed to the Twin Cities ready to rock and let it all hang out.

“Minneapolis was a lot more fun because we knew what to expect and we were a lot more confident,” he says. “I think that after that show everything changed for me. The way we played was not perfect, but I thought it was so much of a better event for us. The first thing I did is I jumped off the drum stage and fell on my ass, knocking the microphone stand off the stage. So I had no inhibitions after that. Neither did any of the other guys. So we had our moment on stage.”

2nd Best will most likely be having a few more on-stage moments together, since they’re playing some of the larger shows around Ames, including headlining the Dance Marathon Kickoff on Central Campus on Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and a performance at the Marathonathon on the deck of Alpha Sigma Phi, 2132 Sunset Dr. on Friday night.

Of the gig on campus, Friemel says, “That’s something I’ve always wanted to do since when I first came to school here. I saw the Nadas out there and I just thought that was the coolest place to play ever. And now that we get to do it, I’m just in awe. It just kind of fell into place – just luck, I guess.”

Despite the increase in momentum, Friemel says the band will remain grounded for the time being and get their degrees.

“Things are just kind turning around,” he says. “I think our plans are to finish school and not get a job but see if we can tour. Ever since our old singer left . we like each other a lot more. It’s a lot better than it used to be.”

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Listen to “928” by 2nd Best!