Dan Nicorata, a junior in the College of Engineering, plays bass and sings for the "pop-punk rock synth" band, whose influences include Blink-182, New Found Glory and early Fall Out Boy.,”Before performances by Lucky Boys Confusion and Reel Big Fish Sunday night, a quintet from Palos Heights, Ill., called Love Me Electric will take the stage.

Dan Nicorata, a junior in the College of Engineering, plays bass and sings for the "pop-punk rock synth" band, whose influences include Blink-182, New Found Glory and early Fall Out Boy.

Nicorata, the only member that goes to Marquette, started the band with his brother more than six years ago. Since then, Love Me Electric has been a continuously maturing band.

The band began as Public Affairs, a name that was mentioned at an 8th grade lunch table. From there, it became a prototypical high school band, playing as many shows on weekends as it could.

When they reached college, the band members decided on a more mature name.

"Public Affairs was just something some kid said at a lunch table," said Nicorata, "and we said, 'oh, that sounds cool.'"

The band mates chose the name Love Me Electric during one of their practices.

"We were just throwing out names, ridiculous stuff," said Nicorata, "and my brother just mumbled Love Me Electric."

They mulled over it for a while and it stuck.

"It's kind of catchy and describes the sound a little bit," Nicorata said.

A few months later, Love Me Electric recorded their first EP, Medicine and Magic, which was recorded at Gravity Studios in Chicago in December 2005.

Love Me Electric started playing shows at the Metro and the House of Blues in Chicago, which were two goals of the band.

The show at the House of Blues six months ago included headliner Lucky Boys Confusion, whom Love Me Electric will play with Sunday.

"They are awesome guys," Nicorata said. "They went out of their way to get us on the House of Blues show."

Nicorata learned various things from the members of Lucky Boys Confusion, including proper sound checking and set list preparation.

For smaller shows, Love Me Electric has a formulaic set list, Nicorata said, but for bigger shows, like the one at the Varsity Theatre, the band takes time and assembles a first-rate set list.

"For this show at the Varsity Theatre, we'll probably throw in a cover or two just to keep it interesting for people who have never heard of us," Nicorata said.

Love Me Electric prides itself on never being too serious. Nicorata, who compares his band to Lucky Boys Confusion, said, "They're kind of like us in the aspect that they're up there for fun."

Love Me Electric is able to have so much fun because they are all friends. Four of the five members went to Marist High School in Chicago together. The other member, keyboard player Matt Cargill, went to junior high with Nicorata.

Nicorata has his sights on even bigger goals such as a Midwest tour and recording another EP over winter break, which he believes will be more mature than the previous one.

Love Me Electric opens for Reel Big Fish and Lucky Boys Confusion 7 p.m. Sunday. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Student tickets are now on sale in the Brooks Lounge for $15. Tickets for the public are $22. Individuals must be at least 18 years old to attend.

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