Chuck Taylors, leather suits, movie star shades.

The Matt Truman Ego Trip might appear to be your average, local, rock ‘n’ roll band, with a slight hint of conceitedness, but they actually have something to brag about.

After almost three years of playing together, Matt Truman (vocals, guitar), Zak Durst (bass), Derek Wright (drums), while later acquiring Danny Johnson (guitar) and Eric Barton (keyboard) are leaving their mark across North America.

From their first appearance at the 2005 Black Swamp Arts Festival to the more recent performances at Toronto’s North By Northeast Music Festival, and at Boston’s Paradise Lounge – a venue they got to play for winning the ourstage.com contest – The Matt Truman Ego Trip has set themselves apart from many of the other bands in Bowling Green.

“We were all in different bands for a while, but found we just don’t fit in anywhere,” Truman said. “We wanted to get out of it because we knew we weren’t going to break out doing someone else’s gig.”

And breaking out was probably the best choice they could have made for musicians who just didn’t “fit in.”

Doing their own thing, which is described by the band as making “burn the place down kind of music,” is comparable to bands such as Iggy and the Stooges, the Rolling Stones and MC5.

Not only is their sound less than mainstream, but also is their sense of style. In past performances The Matt Truman Ego Trip took to using props like pumpkins, and people dressed liked dancing trees and magical horses.

They’ve since discontinued this use of creativity due to differences in taste, or lack thereof.

“The truth is finally coming out,” Wright said. “I never liked those props.”

So now, doing their own thing includes a lot of crowd interaction.

“Somebody will probably end up rolling around on the floor,” Truman said. “And that someone will probably be me.”

Breaking out has even scored them three slots at the 2007 College Music Journal Music Marathon and Film Festival in New York City.

“We’ll be playing the Rocks Off Concert Cruise with a band from England called The Wildhearts,” Durst said.

The show is already sold out, so they have to use a bigger boat, which will sail around Manhattan for three hours.

“It will be a couple of bands and a lot of debauchery, I’m sure,” Truman said.

And even after all the traveling, all the nation-wide recognition and all the yearning to get out of Bowling Green, Ohio, The Matt Truman Ego Trip isn’t ashamed to play a few local performances.

Their next show is with the DirtBombs on Sept. 8 at Howard’s, and they will be playing there again in October for free. As much as all musicians would hate to get stuck in Bowling Green, there’s something about the place that keeps them coming back – the people.

“We want to thank everyone who has helped us out over the years,” Wright said.