While other kids were playing football, Micah Walk wanted a guitar.

Growing up in a small rural town, Walk was more interested in purchasing a guitar at age 15, than following everyone else on to the field.

“So I bought a guitar. I grew up in a small rural Illinois town where sports were the main thing on most boys’ minds,” Walk said. “I surprised everyone when I decided not to go out for football so I would have more time to go home and play guitar.”

Walk, who is the front man of The Micah Walk Band, was always intrigued by music.

“Listening to music had been a big part of my life,” Walk said. “Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Beck and The Beatles were among my first favorite.”

Walk began playing 10 years ago, but doesn’t count the first year.

“It was more like beating the thing up. I figured out how to hack my way through a lot of songs but not correctly,” Walk said. “It wasn’t until after I had been playing for a year or so that I started learning how chords and music really worked.”

After learning the chords and practicing, Walk and three other musicians came together to be known as The Micah Walk Band in 2000.

Since the band was formed, Walk’s talent has been recognized. He was voted Best Singer in 2007 by the Illinois Times and Best Musician in 2006 by the as well.

The group has performed throughout the Midwest and is coming to Mac’s Uptowner at 10 tonight.

Micah, who is the lead vocalist and guitarist, enjoys live performances as well as the other members of the band: John Cardoni, vocalist and guitarist; Dan Hartman, bassist; and Darin Holthaus, vocalist and drummer.

“It’s just fun to play live. It’s a whole different animal than playing in a studio where you can overdub and record many parts and re-track parts,” Walk said. “It’s more like, here we are, just the four of us, and we’re going to rock it.”

The band graced Chicago with its presence last month at the Double Door and has also opened for Switchfoot and Mark Geary. Some of the band members opened for Little Richard, as well.

“I didn’t really meet Switchfoot, but it was a great show with a big crowd,” Walk said. “Little Richard was exactly what one might imagine.”

Since Walks started playing in high school, his taste in music has changed.

“I listen to a lot of singer/songwriters right now – Ryan Adams, Damien Rice, Ray LaMontagne to name a few – but it wasn’t long ago that I listened to rock bands like Pearl Jam almost exclusively,” he said.

As a songwriter, Walk hopes the band’s listeners can take some meaning from its lyrics.

“Hopefully they get something from it – retrospect, a new way to look at something, a few minutes of simple contemplation or something – anything,” Walk said. “You’ve created this thing and it feels good to show it to people.”

Although the band members are full-time performers, they find ways to balance part-time jobs and family life.

“It’s very hard to be an (independent) musician without another source of income,” Walk said. “We all have part time jobs, but hope to lose them soon.”