Oh, say, can you hear ... Sunchuck?

Oh, say can you see ... Sunchunck? Singing, well, not the "Star Spangled Banner," as this piece seems to indicate, but "God Bless America," the tune that should be the National Anthem. At Fenway Park? Yeah, you can. On July 10. When the hometown team dispenses with the bottom-dwelling Baltimore Orioles. It's a thrill, of course, playing at Fenway, something  Sunchunck bassist Mike Bertolami dreamed about when he was a kid, although the Plum Island resident "never thought it would be as a musician." Of course, at this point, the Port-based power pop band is so at home with the tune that they call it "GBA." The revved-up rock version of the patriotic classic has been the emotional core of the band's performances since they came together nearly a decade ago. "GBA" was on their debut album, "On the Map," back in 2005. They've played it at every single live show since coming together in 2002. And they've performed it live at the Patriots-Dolphins game at Gillette Stadium in 2009, and during the seventh inning stretch at LaLacheur Park, home of the Lowell Spinners, during the Spinners' celebration of America's troops at their home-grown Americana Festival in 2010. This time, however, they won't be able to hide behind their instruments: They'll be doing it a cappella. Who knows? Maybe they'll give you a taste of the a capella version when they play the Grog on July 1. C'mon, dare 'em. The show runs from 9:30 p.m. until close. There's a $5 cover. Check out the Middle Street venue for more info in the show. Check out the Sunchunck web for more about the band. You heard they have a new album, right? And the game? Nah, you'll have no trouble finding that.

The many moods of Sunchunck

My first thought? That the title of Sunchunck's new album had to be an inside joke. You know, "Finally Here" as a follow-up to "L8," the Port power trio's long-promised and  famously slow to arrive second album, which finally dropped in 2007, several months after its official record release party. Same deal with "Finally Here," which had been scheduled for a Spring release, and that would be of last year, but was also late to its own release party, available only as a digital download. The actual physical copy of the album will arrive, well, let's drive spellcheck crazy and say l8er. And, the truth is that the two albums are connected, but not in the obvious way: The title cut of the new album had been conceived of as a bookend, of sorts, to "L8," which, ostensibly, dealt with chronological lateness, a passive-aggressive stance against the world, but also dealt with the concept of psychological availability as its subtext. And "Finally Here" started as a response, as a commitment, a declaration, to be emotionally ready, to be finally, fully here, but a funny thing happened on the way to the recording studio.

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Sunchunck emerges ... "L8" again

Not to get all weird and paranoid about it, but sometimes, you know, it seems like people are just messing with me. Like Sunchunck, the Newburyport-based power trio that started turning heads about three years ago when they were named the region's best unsigned band at the Emergenza Festival. The band has been conspicuously missing-in-action lately. The last time we heard from them was a 9/11 gig at the Grog. Rumor had it that the boys — John Cantino, Brett Manoloff and Mike Bertolami — have been safely tucked away in the studio, putting the final touches on a new album, their third, a collection of tunes tentatively titled "Finally Here." Which probably should have been fair warning, given the band's unconsciously ironic — or prescient — album names in the past.

We're talking about "L8," which, of course, was famously late when it was finally released, months after the record release party. Then we see the gig poster at Andyman, our favorite Left Banke pastry purveyor. "Sunchunck," it says, "Finally Here." They're playing a Jan. 8 benefit concert for Amesbury High School Class of 2010 ... With a band suspiciously called The Closers opening. We decided to do some checking — just to be sure, you know? And it turns out "Finally Here" isn't and "won't be 100 percent done" for the show at the high school's fancy new 900-seat performance center, says Bertolami, the Plum Island bassist whose tenuous, maybe even fanciful relationship with chronological reality was the driving lyrical force behind "L8," the song.

The disc, when it's actually finally here, will include four new songs ("Wait," "Finally Here," "No Win Fantasy" and "Voodoo on the Brain," a reggae-flavored tune that has been a part of the band's live shows for over a year) and collects new versions of Sunchunckie faves, like "Living My Life Again," "Butterfly" and, of course, the fist-pumping, patriotic cover of "God Bless America," which put the spotlight on the band in the first place. "Finally Here" has been tentatively and, let's be honest here, ambiguously (re)scheduled for a "spring 2010" release. We'll see. But the show most definitely is on, and the band, which has a Beatles-meet-Weezer vibe, has been on something of a roll over the past couple of months, despite the fact that they've been missing in action, locally: Its recording of "God Bless America" got some serious airtime recently. During the Pats/Dolphins game at Gillette Stadium on Veterans Day. In front of 60,000-plus fans, after the National Anthem, accompanied by an Air Force flyover. They've also been asked to participate in a compilation CD project for the Kevin Youkilis foundation, “Youk’s Hits for Kids,” which will find the local rockers rubbing shoulders with some pretty impressive musical company, like Springsteen, Godsmack and the Dropkick Murphys, to name only a few.

The band, if you've never heard them, plays straight-ahead rock. There’s no hip, intriguing back story to the band. There’s no trend-riding. It’s a power trio playing solid, original rock music because ... well, because they like to, and the concerts have an almost communal feel. There's a real sense of family. Maybe it's a Port thing.

JUST THE FACTS, MAN: Sunchunck will perform an all-ages show at 8 p.m. Jan. 8 at Amesbury High School. The Closers open. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 the day of the show. Advance tickets are available by emailing sunchunck@gmail.com. Proceeds benefit the Amesbury High School Class of 2010. For tickets, call 978.388.4800 or check out the band online. www. sunchunck.com
We're talking about "L8," which, of course, was famously late when it was finally released, months after the record release party. Then we see the gig poster at Andyman, our favorite Left Banke pastry purveyor. "Sunchunck," it says, "Finally Here." They're playing a Jan. 8 benefit concert for Amesbury High School Class of 2010 ... With a band suspiciously called The Closers opening. We decided to do some checking — just to be sure, you know? And it turns out "Finally Here" isn't and "won't be 100 percent done" for the show at the high school's fancy new 900-seat performance center, says Bertolami, the Plum Island bassist whose tenuous, maybe even fanciful relationship with chronological reality was the driving lyrical force behind "L8," the song.

The disc, when it's actually finally here, will include four new songs ("Wait," "Finally Here," "No Win Fantasy" and "Voodoo on the Brain," a reggae-flavored tune that has been a part of the band's live shows for over a year) and collects new versions of Sunchunckie faves, like "Living My Life Again," "Butterfly" and, of course, the fist-pumping, patriotic cover of "God Bless America," which put the spotlight on the band in the first place. "Finally Here" has been tentatively and, let's be honest here, ambiguously (re)scheduled for a "spring 2010" release. We'll see. But the show most definitely is on, and the band, which has a Beatles-meet-Weezer vibe, has been on something of a roll over the past couple of months, despite the fact that they've been missing in action, locally: Its recording of "God Bless America" got some serious airtime recently. During the Pats/Dolphins game at Gillette Stadium on Veterans Day. In front of 60,000-plus fans, after the National Anthem, accompanied by an Air Force flyover. They've also been asked to participate in a compilation CD project for the Kevin Youkilis foundation, “Youk’s Hits for Kids,” which will find the local rockers rubbing shoulders with some pretty impressive musical company, like Springsteen, Godsmack and the Dropkick Murphys, to name only a few.

The band, if you've never heard them, plays straight-ahead rock. There’s no hip, intriguing back story to the band. There’s no trend-riding. It’s a power trio playing solid, original rock music because ... well, because they like to, and the concerts have an almost communal feel. There's a real sense of family. Maybe it's a Port thing.

JUST THE FACTS, MAN: Sunchunck will perform an all-ages show at 8 p.m. Jan. 8 at Amesbury High School. The Closers open. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 the day of the show. Advance tickets are available by emailing sunchunck@gmail.com. Proceeds benefit the Amesbury High School Class of 2010. For tickets, call 978.388.4800 or check out the band online.