Courtesy photo

THEY ARE: Chris Boss and the Fuss

MEMBERS: Chris Boss, lead guitar and vocals; Anthony Aleman, bass guitar and vocals; Mario X, drums

THE SOUND: The band covers everyone from Prince to Depeche Mode to Metallica to the Killers. Their original music is energetic guitar-driven rock influenced by Green Day and the Foo Fighters, with an unapologetic '80s feel.

THEIR WORDS: “We take liberties with the (covers). We figure, here's this song that's really popular, there's this part in the middle where not much is going on, let's put something in there. I don't mind playing a 15-minute guitar solo.” — Chris Boss

ALBUM: One Hot Night (2006)

WHERE TO SEE THEM: They play several nights a week at Mad Dog's on the River Walk, Sherlock's Baker Street Pub at U.S. 281 and Thousand Oaks Drive and the Bitter End on Bitters Road, as well as other bars around San Antonio and the state.

THE WEB: myspace.com/chrisboss777, chrisboss.com, thefussrocks.com

THE 210 TAKE: The Fuss just might be the most popular cover band in San Antonio, and with good reason. Boss, who won Alamo Music's annual Guitar Wars so many times they ended up making him a judge, leads the band with hot licks and equally hot charisma. And that's not as easy as you might think, Boss says. “Bar bands don't get respect,” he said. “Yeah, we're just a cover band, but it's entertainment.” But they sprinkle their gigs with original songs, too, which they hope eventually to play exclusively. Playing covers helps them toward that goal. “It's a way for us to build our reputation up as being a great band, to make fans, to be in the public eye, to develop our chops and our stamina, too,” Boss said. Check out the Fuss live before they get famous.

Jessica Belasco | 210SA Contributor