BAEBLE CONCERTS: Hot Buttered Rum at The Mercury Lounge

You can spot this bluegrass quintet from a mile away. They're the westerners driving through the Lincoln Tunnel in a veggie-powered bus that smells like french fries. They're the musicians lugging a giant upright bass into The Mercury Lounge, where electric guitars and battered amps are the usual cargo. In a city better known for its cold expensive beer than hot buttered rum, they're a band that really, really stands out.

Granted, it's the fingerpickin' dexterity and down-home energy of Hot Buttered Rum's live performances that make the most impact. All five members play some sort of stringed instrument, and they do so with the bewildering, head-scratching awe of puppetmasters. The Mercury Lounge isn't really used to such roots-rock raucousness, but a flurry of banjo solos and harmonized vocals inspired more than a handful of audience members to dance, jump around, and channel their inner hippie during the band's set.

- Andrew Leahey