"I remember the first night we heard ourselves on 100.5 The Zone," said Method Echo lead singer Josh Guerrero. "It was like that movie [That Thing You Do] with The Oneders: Everybody was stoked and pumped up, we were calling each other [saying], 'Oh my goodness we're on the radio.' "

Friday night, Method Echo will be bringing its funky soulful style of rock 'n' roll to End of Summer Fest in Cesar Chavez Plaza. Pop-singing piano player Shannon Curtis and pop-rock vocalist Bobby Zoppi will open the concert (click links for MySpace).

The members of Method Echo first met more than 10 years ago at Harvest Church in Elk Grove (the pastor was guitarist Tyler Hagan's father). Then teenagers, they shared a love for the rock and gospel played at church, and it helped their music develop, Guerrero said.

Two and a half years ago, the five friends decided to form Method Echo. The name doesn't have a meaning, Guerrero explained; it was just a cool name they made up that stuck.

Hagan previously played guitar in a punk rock band while brothers David (drums) and Chris (bass) Moore draw from an R&B background. Keyboardist Daniel Herrera adds an electronic dynamic to the band while Guerrero brings his soulful and stylish pop vocals to front of the group's sound.

The band has been compared to Maroon 5 in the past, but at times its songs sound more like Michael Jackson's layered dance-pop numbers or one of John Mayer's ballads.

"We heard the Maroon 5 label, and initially at first, it was like, 'We want to be more original,'" Guerrero said. "We're not trying to bite anybody, it's just naturally who we are. [We have] rock, soul, pop, R&B and, at times, hip-hop influences as well."

After being featured on 100.5 The Zone, they were asked to open for Chris Daughtry and Lifehouse in 2008 at the Zone's Day in the Zone concert. Playing in front of a crowd of between 8,000 and 9,000 people marked a new high for the band members, as it was and is their biggest audience so far.

After drawing record label attention, the band, now unsigned, is writing as much new material as possible. Guerrero described the new material as "dancy" with a "hip hop element" to it, and he said they will decide in the next few months what to do with it.

Method Echo recently played in Cesar Chavez Plaza at the Guac and Roll festival in May, and the members said they have always wanted to play a show there on a Friday night. They are excited to debut some of their new material there this Friday, Guerrero added.

"I loved looking at Sacramento when we were playing," Guerrero said of playing in the park. "Because we're from Sacramento, seeing the buildings and the trees makes us have a little pride when we play."

End of Summer Fest takes place at Cesar Chavez Plaza on 10th and J Streets from 5 - 9 p.m. every Friday through Sept. 18.

The fun continues after the festival if you bring your beer garden wristband to The Shady Lady Saloon. Details about drink specials to follow.

Photographs credit Karl Schroeder.