By Amy Larson

Collegian Correspondent

The Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton reached maximum capacity Saturday night, as the venue hosted the blissful Barefoot Truth for two knockout sets. The band first captivated its audience with a soulful acoustic set at 7 p.m. and then tore the roof down near 11 p.m. with an electric set.

Fun-loving from the start, Barefoot Truth began as an acoustic duo of lead vocalist and drummer Will Evans and guitarist Jay Driscoll. Driscoll graduated from UMass in 2006 and, while living in JQA, spent time dodging RAs on his “quiet floor” as he tried to find a place to jam.

The duo expanded to become an unstoppable quintet with the introduction of Andy Wrba on bass, John “Wayno” Waynelovich on keys, and Garrett Duffy on harmonica. All five attended universities in New England and then hit the studio and the road in 2007 as full-time musicians.

Barefoot Truth is good at keeping busy. In the past five years the group has released six albums. To date, they also have over five million plays of their single, “Roll If Ya Fall,” on the internet radio site Pandora. In an interview with USA Today, BFT claims that, “Pandora has basically created an avenue for us to have a career in music.” And a successful career it’s been so far.

One of their biggest successes was scoring the opportunity to tour and record with Pete Francis of Dispatch, which is one of their main influences. Following that tour, BFT recorded their most recent album, “Threads,” and released it in Feb. 2010. The album – worked on in both Boston and Amherst – was wildly praised. Lead guitarist Driscoll stated that one of the goals when recording the album was to, “create an album full of songs that work well in a live setting.” After the show on Saturday, “work well” would be considered a gross understatement.

Kicking things off with “Walk Softly,” the performance was spontaneous and filled with talent. The group exposed an enticing, unique dynamic, which warranted an encore set well after midnight. Their five units of talent and free-spiritedness combined to create one deliciously musical and fun brew.

Each band member was versed in multiple instruments, which enriched the experience. As they switched roles and exited the stage, the audience witnessed several different areas of musical mastery.

Drummer Evans inspired new thought as he also led the vocal performance flawlessly. He even brought out a didgeridoo mid-show to surprise the crowd with his talents on a wind instrument rarely seen at a rock show.

To add to the unique instrument combo, Duffy provided vibrant lines on his harmonica. On the keys, Wayno revealed his versatility by leading BFT on songs as diverse as a cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “The Wind Cries Mary” to the theme song for The Office. He proved his easygoing personality as he played the entire show in socks and kindly complied to a fan’s plea for a shout out for her friend’s birthday.

Barefoot Truth are a group that most UMass students would want as their buds. They randomly lead a club-wide fist-pumping session and covered a collection of top 20 songs including “Get Low,” “Remix to Ignition,” “Baby Got Back,” and “Forget You.” Guitarist Driscoll even contributed a rendition of the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” theme song.

Driscoll proved he could rock acoustic, electric, and classic slide guitar. He powered through “Roll If Ya Fall” and “Reelin” to get the crowd at their most excited. Driscoll drove home the lively sound the entire night while showing a face of pure contentedness.

This happiness in turn infected the entire crowd.

“Barefoot Truth just introduced me to a new perception of fun” said one truthful (yet shoe-clad) concertgoer stepping out of the Iron Horse.

The tender melodies and messages of tracks such as “Spoonful” and “All Good Reasons” surely lifted attendees’ spirits, but those who missed the show can rest assured that these local phenoms will be playing nearby again soon.

Amy Larson can be reached at [email protected].