Ifyougo

The Tom Fuller Band (with Beatles tribute band American English)

When: 7 p.m. tonight

Where: On The Square Sports Academy, 105 N. Court St., Crown Point

Cost: $15-$22 (all-ages show, with beer and wine garden for adults)

Details: (219) 226-1130 or www.otssa.com

Chicago rocker Tom Fuller will bust out songs from his pair of

original albums tonight when he and his five-piece ensemble turn up the

amps and open for Beatles tribute act American English.

"We'll be doing an hour-long show," said Fuller, passionate

about making music since getting his hands on a cheap guitar at age 9.

While Fuller records and performs his own tunes, he recently had some

national radio success with his treatment of the old Hollies pop hit, "The Air

That I Breathe."

"That was the first single from my latest album, ‘Abstract Man,' and I

did it for market acceptance and awareness," he said, knowing that new covers

of famous songs often get noticed on radio and by the general public before

originals.

Since his take on "The Air That I Breathe" got as high as

No. 5 on the Adult Contemporary, the plan clearly paid off

and has paved the way for Fuller's follow-up single, the self-penned "Only In

America."

"We released that one a couple of weeks ago and all reports coming in say

that it is doing really well," he added. "It's very much a song for these

times with the election and all coming up soon."

"Abstract Man" was released in May by Mesa/Blue Moon Records and is the

follow-up to Fuller's 2005 debut CD, "Chasing An Illusion." That first

album spawned five singles that all fared well at A/C radio outlets and internet

sites, with one song even landing on a couple of daytime television

dramas.

"That was more of a melodic rock-ballad CD," he said of "Chasing An

Illusion." "I wanted to significantly raise the bar on ‘Abstract Man'."

Fuller described his new collection of songs as having some Beatlesque

flavor, with a touch of John Hiatt-style roots rock, and a dash of "heartland

rock" a la Tom Petty.

"I grew up in Chicago and have been here most of my life and so has my

band," said Fuller, who is looking forward strutting his stuff on stage this

evening.

"It's going to be a lot of fun," he promised. "Yeah, man, the Tom Fuller

Band is really gonna rock!"

From here, Fuller plans to take his group throughout the U.S. this summer

supporting "Abstract Man," with possible tours of Japan and the U.K. to

follow.

For more on Tom Fuller and to hear samples of songs, visit

www.tomfullerband.com and www.myspace.com/tomfullerband.

Email Tom Lounges at beatboss@aol.com