Only five days into the Black Clouds and Underdogs tour, the first act of the night, The Hush Sound, performed with an air of experience for the sold-out Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie on Friday. This underdog act issued an upset, as it was a top contender for best performance of the night.

The Hush Sound, similar to tour headliners Fall Out Boy, emerged from the ever-exploding Chicago music scene. Despite the difficulty in categorizing its style, the four-member band considers itself an indie-folk-pop-rock band, and the appeal of its sound results from its music’s authenticity.

“Our music is honest,” the band’s pianist and vocalist Greta Salpeter said. “It’s not at all contrived. We’re writing our music for fun.”

The Hush Sound began as an acoustic/piano duo featuring Bob Morris and Greta Salpeter. It expanded its sound in the winter of 2004-05 when Darren Wilson and Chris Faller joined the band. Things progressed for the band as it began to play local shows and secure a devoted local following.

“We didn’t start with the idea that we need to sign to a label – we need to manufacture music,” Salpeter said. It was the band’s talent (and their page on purevolume.com) that earned it the attention of Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz and a home on the renowned indie label Fueled By Ramen/Decaydance Records.

“Things just happened and we’ve reached this point, but we’ve always carried the goal of making good music,” bassist and vocalist Chris Faller said.

The Hush Sound’s album “So Sudden,” re-released in the fall of 2005, is characterized by an original sound. The band offers a considerably oversaturated music scene something different with catchy guitar riffs, enticing piano parts and layered male and female vocals.

And from the album comes a perfect balance between powerful lyrics and sound. The lyrics, inspired by personal experiences, evoke imagery and reflection. They work with the music to color each song with a personality that can be related to and appreciated. Listening to the album is similar to listening to a well-picked mixed CD – there is a range of sound, but the tracks are well positioned, so the CD perpetuates a theme.

When asked about its influences, the band mentioned a range of artists including The Beatles, The Zombies, The Flaming Lips and Fiona Apple, as well as Motown and folk music. However, these influences aren’t easily spotted in the band’s original sound.

“I think that’s a good thing. I don’t think you want to be able to pick out our influences in our music because that loses the point,” Salpeter said.

The Hush Sound has taken its influences, followed its instincts and made its own individual music. Therein lies the appeal of The Hush Sound: it plays good music that is uniquely its own.

The band hopes its fans appreciate its originality, just as they appreciate the originality of its inspirations. Faller said what excites him about music is listening to a song you think you know, only to realize when you listen to it again there is something new to discover. The Hush Sound’s music offers that commodity, which is rare of today’s music. “So Sudden” invites its audience to listen to the album over and over, because there is no hint of redundancy. The songs range in sound from the smooth, piano-grounded track “Echo” to the catchy, rhythmic track “The Market.” The album captures listeners with its immediate allure and keeps them hooked with its quality sound.

The band is not at all intimidated by the idea of a struggle. It is committed to the music and invite what may come of that. However, it is also not turned off by the idea of a career featured on MTV’s TRL.

“I think a person makes music for themselves, and anyone is welcome to like it. If that means it’s being played on TRL, than that’s OK,” Faller said.

When asked its opinion on Fall Out Boy’s rise to TRL stardom, the band was proud and impressed by its label mates. Because of its shared hometown of Chicago, the band was witness to Fall Out Boy’s’ emergence.

“It’s different to see people you know on TV with screaming fans,” Salpeter said. But The Hush Sound does admire the dedicated fan base that stood by Fall Out Boy from the start and hopes it too can be deemed worthy of a devoted following. Based on its music, humble attitudes and qualified ambitions, The Hush Sound is well desesrving of the success that will come its way.

At this point, however, it considers itself fortunate enough to be “a baby band.” Salpeter brags about being able to meet fans after the band’s shows, something the fans find most attractive.

The band has secured a grass roots following that is vital for indie bands. It’s easy to recognize that The Hush Sound produces good music because it has been accepted by those who are experts at sorting through it all and finding the best.

With the commitment of all the members involved, the second album is guaranteed to be as powerful as the first. The album carries the same focus on quality music, which is the quintessential element to successful music.

The Hush Sound will continue the Black Clouds and Underdogs tour across the nation and in Europe.

Although the band doesn’t feel it is in the position yet to make career related demands, the band’s talent will undoubtedly provide it with the long-lasting career it hopes for.