The first time I ever heard Perkasie was when they opened for Hackensaw Boys at a CapLive (www.caplivemusic.com) show. I had heard of the Lancaster-based band, but knew nothing about what style of music they play. I didn’t know what to expect, but I have a personal philosophy about always arriving in time for the opening act.

By about the first chorus of the first song that night, I was a fan. The music was solid, the performance was entertaining, and the whole thing just felt like a party. I’d come to see the Hackensaw Boys, but was blown away by Perkasie, who played like well-seasoned headliners.

Their live perfomances are so engaging that I was skeptical that a studio recording could live up to the energy conveyed at a show. Their 2008 self-titled debut album is, in fact, chock-full of fan favorites that translate well to CD. They’re windows-rolled-down, sing-along-at-the-top-of-your-lungs songs that you’ll want to play over and over. Several songs include laughter, clapping, and banter at the end of the tracks that hint at the hootenanny atmosphere of the live shows.

The band is comprised of seven young musicians – including two lead vocalists (one male, one female) – and features saloon-style piano and throwback lyrics that make singer Kate Foust’s frocks and dancing seem as though they’re not the least bit anachronistic. The CD was recorded by an earlier incarnation of the group, with only five members: Foust and Alex Wash singing lead, with Wash playing the piano, Dom Billet on drums, Danny Sadler on upright bass, and Ben Roth on guitar. Go see them live to check out their current cast of characters, including Matt Kelly on washboard (yes, washboard).

The lead track, Barstowe Station, features smooth and graceful lead vocals by Foust, with backup and harmonies by Wash. The melody rolls along like a train through the countryside, the intensity plowing through the crescendos of the song’s choruses before reaching its breathy final notes.

Foust and Wash’s dueling vocals on tracks like Down by the Riverside and Silly Girl never upstage the old-timey accompaniment from their bandmates. Every song has a catchy hook and gives the feeling of a summer night on some big porch in some small town, long ago.

My only complaint about the CD is the absence of the song Wastin’ Time, with its striking harmonies and sing-along chorus. My fingers are crossed that it will be on their forthcoming follow-up to Perkasie.

Thanks, in part, to an unwavering commitment to their schtick, these wildly talented but endearingly humble kids put on one knee-slapper of a show. How many Central PA bands have a guy that plays the washboard and jerks across the stage like Joe Cocker? And I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve heard some new (instant) fan gush about how they can’t wait to say they saw Perkasie before they hit it big.

Their CD, like their live shows, is loud and fun and demands that you have a good time.

~ JJS