Opening for Carbon Leaf was Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers, a fun band who likes to work pop culture references and other band’s song lyrics into their music. They worked in several references to Napoleon Dynamite, which went over huge with the mostly college crowd, including a re-enactment of the movie's trademark dance scene. The highlight of their set was when they did a mock high school dance, which included bringing ladies from the audience on stage to awkwardly slow dance with them. Kellogg, his bandmates, and the ladies from the audience then took turns retelling their first kiss stories. They did a great job getting the crowd warmed up and Carbon Leaf was able to keep that energy going throughout the night.

For those unfamiliar with Carbon Leaf's sound, their music is a bit difficult to sum up. On their official website, the band describes their music as "good acoustic-based rock with some roots and pop influences." The band is quite unique, using instruments unfamiliar to most rock fans, including the mandolin, tin whistle, bodhran and cajon.

Carbon Leaf came out strong, playing "Changless," one of the best tracks on Indian Summer. Guitarist Carter Gravatt emerged first, playing a short solo before the rest of the band joined him. Naturally, the last one to come on to the stage was frontman Barry Privett, who walked up to the mic and effortlessly began signing the tunes opening lines, "Call my friends to share some wine / To share some laughs, and last goodbyes."

The next song was one of their older tunes, "Ordinary Eyes" from their 1999 album, Ether-Electrified Porch Music. The rest of the night they continued to play a good mix of their newer hits and some of the older, seldom heard songs. Before going into "For Your Violin ..." another song off of Ether-Electrified Porch Music, Privett asked how many old school fans were in the audience. When everyone cheered, he smiled and said, "Liars."

The biggest crowd responses of the night came for "Life Less Ordinary," their first single off of Indian Summer and "The Boxer," one of their hits from their 2001 release Echo Echo. Also well received was a new song the band decided to test out called "Porpoises."

The band ended their set with "Grey Sky Eyes," another Indian Summer track. Then, they came back on stage for an encore. Privett, Gravatt, guitarist Terry Clark and bassist Jordan Medas all gathered around a microphone and sang a moving version of "Gloryland." Then, they played another song from their newest album, "What About Everything?"

Carbon Leaf left the stage, but then returned for a second encore, this time bringing out Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers. With both bands filling the stage, they did a medley of John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads," Kenny Roger's "The Gambler" and Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall." It was a very strong and fun ending to a very enjoyable night.

The show was absolutely great and lasted longer than expected. Carbon Leaf played for nearly two hours straight and they turned in a very solid performance. One of the best compliments that can be given to the band is that they sound as equally good live as they do on CD, which isn't always the case with rock bands today.

Setlist Changeless I Know the Reason Ordinary Eyes When I'm Alone One Prairie Outpost Let Your Troubles Roll By For Your Violin ... Screen Door Paloma Life Less Ordinary Is This The Fall? Banish Misfortune The Boxer Torn to Tattered Maybe Today Porpoises Grey Sky Eyes First Encore Gloryland What About Everything? Second Encore County Roads Another Brick in the Wall The Gambler

Terry Clark, Barry Privett, Jordan Medas and Carter Gravatt sing "Gloryland" during the night's first encore.

Written by Joel Murphy, September 2005. For more on the band, make sure to check out One on One with Carbon Leaf.