Friday night’s performance showcased the band’s eclectic mix of folk, rock, blues and jazz. Their songs were upbeat and catchy; every vocal and instrumental line was memorable, and delivered with bounding, joyful energy. Their stage show was infused with positive vibes, and communicated a sense of togetherness with the audience. The Barefoot Truth connected with their fans in a way that few bands are capable of.

Barefoot Truth is five members strong, featuring Will Evans on lead vocals and drums, Jay Driscoll on guitar, Andy Wrba on bass, Garret Duffy on the harmonica, and Wayno on the piano. Driscoll, Duffy, and Wayno performed in the appropriate fashion – without shoes.

The band is uncommonly versatile, seamlessly fusing many genres of American music. Their set list transitioned smoothly between hard-edged rock songs, reggae-infused jams, and soft acoustic numbers. Driscoll’s guitar riffs were memorable and melodic, complementing Evans’ distinct vocal style. Duffy pushed his harmonica to its fullest potential as a lead instrument, and Wayno’s jazzy keyboards added another layer of complexity to the bands sound. Wrba on bass, together with Evans on drums, laid down a bouncing, upbeat rhythm section that elevated the music to a heightened level of intensity.

The band opened with several songs from their last album, “Threads,” including favorites, “Okay,” “The Ocean,” and “Spoonful.” The title track off of the album was one of the highlights of the show, prompting everyone in the crowd to sing along.

The audience roared as the Barefoot Truth played two new songs slated for their upcoming album, to be released in Spring 2011. “Worth” is a straightforward, guitar-driven rocker, and “Playing with Fire” is a duet with Evans on acoustic guitar and Wayno on piano.

During the set, the band incorporated a medley of “Billionaire” by Travie McCoy and “Santeria” by Sublime. For the encore, they closed with a cover of “The Bad Touch” by Bloodhound Gang.

The band’s popularity has exploded since the February release of their album, “Threads,” a critical and popular breakthrough that crystallized the essence of the band.

“I think it’s really an album where the group is really at its whole, and the recording, the producing, and everything is the idea of Barefoot Truth. I think it was a moving forward album for sure,” Wayno said before the show.

With their newly defined sound, the Barefoot Truth will continue to tour the East Coast through the fall, building anticipation for their new album. With it, the band is hoping to emulate what they achieved with “Threads.”

“We’re sticking with the sound of Threads,” Wayno said. “We’re really happy with how everything sounded.”
The last time the Barefoot Truth played in Northampton was only days after “Threads” was released. The show on Friday night was a celebration of everything the band has accomplished since then.

Several of the band members are from Pioneer Valley, and Driscoll graduated from UMass in 2007. The band had many friends and family members in attendance, in addition to a devoted local following. Their presence complimented the music by contributing to the positive and friendly atmosphere, and helped to make the concert an all around great night.

“It’s really fun for us to come back and do this sort of hometown show,” Driscoll said.

Barefoot Truth will continue to tour extensively as their fan base expands rapidly beyond the North East. In the interview, Driscoll and Wayno mentioned the potential for an international tour. Their growth in popularity seems a natural result of the band’s genre-bending roots-rock, which combines an unusual level of accessibility and musical proficiency. The Barefoot Truth is certainly one of the best bands in their genre of American music.

Andrew Cogan can be reached at [email protected]