Fred Savage and the Unbeatables formed in the fall of 2001 when, assembled in drummer Steve Tacl's basement, several high school friends noticed that a band might be formed from their ranks. What started out as a whim, however, grew into a powerful collection of ambitious musicians excited by making and playing good, complex music - and always with a sense of humor. Initially, the band was inspired most significantly by Reel Big Fish and Less Than Jake, steering the group's sound towards one of horn-driven punk and ska. As their first album, a self-titled effort, neared completion, the band's songwriting began to grow and was eventually manifested on the band's 2004 release, Overtron. No longer satisfied with two-minute ska/pop tunes, the members began to broaden their lyrical and musical horizons. The simpler subjects of the debut's lyrics, such as being dumped or being....well, dumped again, gave way to focus on heavier issues, like the hypocrisy of relationships, being in love with someone who's never around, and contemplations on what we're all doing here. The band has matured musically as well. On the first album, the band was content to stick with the standard ska/punk lineup: distorted guitars, bass, drums and horns. On the new release the band features piano and synthesizer, layered background guitar and more vocal harmonies. The songwriting style has shifted, too, as the band has started to move past the standard punk/ska sound and has created more of a pop/rock feel - while retaining the horns. Overall, the songs are better, the sound is better, and the band is better. Over the years, Fred Savage and the Unbeatables has played many venues around central Minnesota and the Twin Cities. Starting out at the Java Joint in St. Cloud, the band moved up to the Red Carpet, the Rox, the Cedar Point Ballroom, the Triple Rock Social Club and the Cabooze, the latter two being in Minneapolis. They have also played many outdoor events as well as numerous college campuses around the upper midwest. Rockin' Round the Clock, a local high school fundraiser that has featured acts such as Three Dog Night, Tommy James and the Shondells, Little Richard and countless oldies stars, has asked Fred Savage and the Unbeatables to perform at its last two concerts and most likely shows to come. When FSU won the St. John's University Battle of the Bands in 2002, it earned the right to play at central Minnesota's premier annual outdoor concert event. They shared the bill with the Exies, De La Soul and Everclear. Sometimes the band, always looking for new fans, has ventured out on a limb to play with little-known bands with supposedly big followings. Despite such assurances, FSU has rocked audiences as small as 3 - or even 2. With such events, good and bad, behind them, the band is looking forward to playing bigger stages with bigger acts as they expand their audience and fan base.