Matthew Banta recently lived an experience he described as “intoxicating” and “like walking on water.” A complete “out-of-body experience.”

Banta’s not talking about any drink or drug. He’s talking about something even more powerful — he’s talking about a show his band Blue Moon Ghetto played last fall at the Ak Sar Ben center in Omaha, Neb.

“It made us feel like all the work we had put into the band wasn’t for nothing,” Banta said about playing at Edge Fest. “Although we didn’t get paid, the show really paid off for us.”

Not only did Banta and his cohorts learn about massive productions from the festival’s stage manager and crew, they also had a chance to meet some of their favorite musicians.

Banta managed to bump into members of Semisonic, Verve Pipe and Flock of Seagulls. “Everyone was really cool backstage,” he said. “I would say it was probably our most exciting show.”

Sharing the stage with the big names in alternative music was part of the fun at the festival, but playing for 23,000 people was the major high for Blue Moon Ghetto.

Although the band has become a mainstay at the famed Omaha club The Ranch Bowl, Edge Fest was an incomparable experience. “It was hard to come back down and play clubs after Edge Fest,” Banta said.

Since Blue Moon Ghetto formed in the spring of 1995, the band has independently sold over 10,000 CDs. BMG’s first single “Shine All The Time,” has received over 1,500 spins on Omaha rock stations Z-92 (92.3 FM), the River (89.7 FM) and the Edge (101.9 FM).

On the track, the band collaborates with local radio announcer and friend Nicki Boulay. According to Banta, Boulay heard an early demo of Blue Moon Ghetto and said she would love to do a guest vocal track on it.

“I would say she’s one of our best friends,” Banta said. Boulay has since started her own band, and with BMG on the road, has not been able to join them on stage. “She does come up every once in awhile,” Banta added.

With the local success of the band’s debut (the No. 1 selling album in 1996 at Homer’s in Omaha) and a live show known for its high energy, Blue Moon Ghetto has garnered many comparisons to 311, including those made by record companies.

“My response is: if we can get to a level that they are at,” Banta said of the Omaha break-outs, “Then we’ll know we are on the right track. 311 has been touring for years and have really loyal fans because of it.”

Banta said what Blue Moon Ghetto admires most about 311 is the band’s professional attitude. “Making it a business but not in an un-feeling way,” he explained.

Business has been on Banta’s mind a lot recently. The band just got back from the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, where it was overwhelmingly drowned in a pool of nearly 700 label-hungry artists.

BMG has also been receiving calls from labels that have noticed the band’s high sales in the competitive Omaha area.

“[SXSW] was really enlightening as far as seeing how many bands there are trying to make it,” Banta said. “We actually saw a band playing out of the back of a pick-up truck — just trying to spread the word.”

Banta said Blue Moon Ghetto doesn’t have a certain label preference, whether it be major or independent. “We’re just going to go with whoever gives us the best deal,” he said. “We definitely want a label that believes in the band and the music.”

SXSW was also a chance for BMG to work in new bass player Bruce Coddington. Although it was his first show with the band, which also consists of Joel Kassera on drums and Joe Rhodes on guitar, Banta said the performance was “very tight.”

“Now we have four guys that really want to do this,” he said about the new addition. “[I see us] as a band that will be something to reckon with.”

Fans can expect Blue Moon Ghetto’s second release to be out by June. The band has finished recording and will mix it this week.

“We’ve been playing most of the songs on the record for awhile now, so they have their own identity to them,” Banta said.

Blue Moon Ghetto will continue its Midwestern club tour with a stop in Ames this weekend. The band will be playing at People’s Bar and Grill on Saturday at 9 p.m. Cover for the 21-and-over show is $3 at the door.