It was 8 p.m. Friday and things were looking bleak at the Maintenance Shop.

This was the time scheduled for opening band Podstar to take the stage. Instead of music pouring out into the hall of the Memorial Union outside the M-Shop, all that was heard was the shuffle of a few passers-by on their way to the MU Recreation Center, or the echo of the keys being pressed on the cash machine in the corridor outside the M-Shop doors.

Due to numerous misprints of the start time for the show, the M-Shop decided to push back the start time to wait for the crowd. Slowly, starting around 8:30-8:45 p.m., people started matriculating their way into the venue, packing themselves around the intimate stage with anticipation.

A few made a beeline straight for the merchandise table. A myriad of people put on their new Ultimate Fakebook T-shirts to show their love for the band before they even took the stage.

Audience members looked confused when singer/guitarist Bill McShane started off the show alone. McShane, armed with only his guitar, began “Real Drums” while his bandmates Eric Melin, drummer, and Nick Colby, bass, looked on from the crowd. The band united for the climax of the song, and the adrenaline rush, which would last throughout the whole set, began.

You can write it off to the fact that the UFB boys hadn’t played a rock show in a while. You can write if off as the crowd having post-test stress to wear off. But no one in attendance could deny the fact that UFB was able to get everyone moving, even if for only one song.

Showing an obvious love for their jobs and their music, McShane and crew blew through 15 songs.

UFB played obvious favorites “Soaked In Cinnamon” and “She Don’t Even Know My Name,” as well as a few new songs, equally well accepted by the near-capacity crowd.

McShane is an obvious rock star – kicking up his leg and posing for the crowd and cameras with tongue in cheek, belting out geek-rock anthems you can only imagine hit him close to home.

The metal sign was in abundance while the three-piece played its comfortable brand of rock `n’ roll that appealed to the geek in everyone – sharp and straightforward rock with a twinge of emotion and sensitivity.

The animated Fakebook boys left no doubt in the minds of those lucky enough to be there – everyone had witnessed a true rock `n’ roll show. Whoever said rock is dead has never seen Ultimate Fakebook in action.

Opening band Podstar got the audience’s blood flowing with its indie-rock stylings set off by highly charged lyrics. It showed a lot of promise as an up-and-coming rock band that may someday be headlining shows of its own.

Sparechange00 picked up the energy level where Podstar left off, stirring the familiar M-Shop crowd into anticipation with its rock-laced punk tunes brimming with raw emotion.