Courtesy of Young Goodman

SOUNDS LIKE: Anberlin, Avenged Sevenfold

LOCATION: San Diego

WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/younggoodman

It’s safe to assume that when Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote the short story “Young Goodman Brown,” he never imagined a band would one day draw enough inspiration to name itself after it. Dropping the “Brown,” the band Young Goodman also draws many of its lyrics from the short story.

“Our lyrics are about facing life challenges and that is relevant to the themes in the short story,” lead singer C.J. Ackerman said. That’s certainly a relatable topic for the punk band, which is also inspired by big names such as Bad Religion, Guttermouth and No Use For A Name.

Young Goodman is a local San Diego band, although two of its members 8212;– brothers C.J. and Freddy Ackerman 8212;– are originally from South Dakota. Pursuing their dream of music is priority number one, but C.J. also attends Mesa College to study biology and works for a biotech company. Recently, the band played at the House of Blues opening for Sick Puppies and has played shows as far as Orange County, delighting audiences with its heavy eurhythmic guitar riffs and melodic drum lines. For the most part, however, the group plays at local venues and bars such as Soma and O’Connells.

Its five years of experience together has given Young Goodman the ability to hang tough with many respectable punk bands. Building a larger fan base is becoming a reality, as networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook help to promote its sound and message. The recent April 15 show at UC San Diego helped the gentlemen earn more fans who are intrigued by its sound and believe that music should have a message.