music

Snow wasn't the only thing melting in droves Friday in Minneapolis. Thanks to a sell-out concert by North Carolina's hyperkinetic kin band the Avett Brothers, 1,500 local music fans witnessed the lingering gloom of winter and heartaches all over the room drip away in one manic two-hour swoop at First Avenue.

Friday's show was one of the sunniest and most chipper affairs at the black-tinted rock club since Menudo played there, and one of its most rapturously received gigs of late.

A rootsy Americana/bluegrass band with punk and emo overtones -- think: mountain music hopped up on Mountain Dew -- the Avett Brothers are currently right there on the cusp, halfway between that precious territory of newness and discovery and the point where your aunt is asking about them. They had an impressive seven-year, seven-album tear as an indie trio spurred on by prolific songwriting siblings Scott and Seth Avett. Super-producer Rick Rubin signed them up last year and helmed their new Sony album, "I and Love and You."

New fans are learning that to enjoy an Avett Brothers concert, one has to: think that pogo-dancing belongs in roots music; not care about flubbed notes or occasionally corny, sophomoric poetry; believe that hollered vocals can still be sweetly harmonized, and remember to leave every ounce of cynicism outside in the car.

Friday's crowd -- which immediately bought up all the tickets months ago -- fit the bill, but don't be surprised if not everyone gets this band once the shows grow in size.

The Avetts' gigs couldn't get much higher in energy. With a new drummer in tow (a first for the band), plus bassist Bob Crawford and cellist Joe Kwon, the group whipped up the opening tune "And It Spread" like a Southern version of the Violent Femmes. Then came a screaming, jumping, banjo-rocking version of "Shame." Roll over, Bill Monroe.

The best parts of the show, though, were often the mellow or at least less maniacal moments. Old-nugget "Pretty Girl from Annapolis" returned them cozily to their original raw trio format. On the other end of the music spectrum, "Head Full of Doubt / Road Full of Promise" utilized the cello and piano for an elegant, dramatic full-band sound. The piano also made a warmly welcomed return in the encore for "I and Love and You."

One of the sweetest songs of the night was a no-frills cover of Roger Miller's wry but hopeful "Where Have All the Average People Gone."

Too much of the set was pent-up and jacked-up instead of straight-up, though. Scott would often wave his hands frantically or act like his banjo was Eddie Van Halen's guitar for showy effect, when he should have been focused on more basic matters like using the right harmonica or remembering to grab his guitar capo.

Meanwhile, Seth gave us some of the night's most overwrought and over-thought lyrics, including the car-crash symbolism in the solo tune "In the Curve" and the line in "The Perfect Space" where he clumsily sang, "I wanna have pride like my mother had / But not like the kind in the Bible that turns you bad." There were just as many terrifically quotable lyrics, though, especially in the crowd favorite "Laundry Room" ("Tonight, I'll burn the lyrics, because every chorus was your name").

Ultimately, there was plenty of ammo to either loathe the Avett Brothers' hyper-earnestness and punky lack of perfectionism or to absolutely adore them for the same reasons. With summer not yet here and the band not yet mega-famous, it felt a lot better falling in the latter camp Friday night.

Chris Riemenschneider • 612-673-4658