Avett Brothers give thrilling performance

Describing The Avett Brothers as energetic is an understatement.

The band’s spirited genre,… Describing The Avett Brothers as energetic is an understatement.

The band’s spirited genre, influenced by bluegrass, aggressive folk, emotive alt-country and rockabilly punk leaves little to be desired.

Comprised of brothers Scott and Seth Avett, who play the banjo and guitar respectively, bassist Bob Crawford and cellist Joe Kwon, the group brought its act to the Ches-A-Rena this Sunday.

No strangers to Pittsburgh, The Avett Brothers played at the Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead last June and have made two prior appearances at the Three Rivers Arts Festival.  Sunday’s show was a thrilling ride, leaving the huge crowd thoroughly satisfied.

Though the punishing heat and low ceilings of the Ches-A-Rena made for an awkward venue, the Avetts’ performance was unrelenting.

Each song was uniquely interpreted and played with an enthusiasm that showcased both the improvisational and instrumental mastery of the musicians.

After they opened the show with a moving performance of “Laundry Room,” the Avetts followed with an epic version of “Salina,” complete with punk screaming, before ending in a clever exchange between Seth on piano and Joe on cello.

The setlist was heavy on tracks from Emotionalism and included older acoustic songs, the rollicking “Wanted Man” and “One Line Wonder,” a song full of quick-fingered country guitar picking.

The band began to tour, produce and promote their albums tirelessly until 2009, when the prolific Rick Rubin decided to produce an album for it on Columbia Records, I and Love and You.

Songs from I and Love and You had a depth and a roughness when performed that fans might have missed on the flawlessly arranged studio album.

An acoustic heartbreaker, “My Last Song to Jenny” was beautifully sung by Seth before the show descended into a no-hold-barred finale.

Scott leapt around the stage and shouted like a madman, snapping banjo strings left and right, as Seth moved between guitar and hi-hat.

Crawford lent fullness by switching from double to electric bass, as Joe lost his glasses and broke bow hairs from shredding his cello, which he held midair the entire night.

“Pretty Girl from Chile” was a favorite — a two-part song that progressed from a ballad to finish with the fiery “Gabriela” at an impossible breakneck speed.

An encore of “Paranoia in B-flat Major” was a grandiose ending, and though “Kick Drum Heart” was expected as a closer, it was a pleasant surprise.

If you missed out on this show, do yourself a favor and listen to any one of The Avett Brothers’ live CDs to tide you over until the next time they take Pittsburgh by storm.