I love the Avett Brothers. Love them. They are the most played band in my (sizable) iTunes library. And, hands down, they are the best live show I’ve ever seen. That’s why I’m so excited that Bookmans is co-presenting (along with our friends at the Rialto Theatre) the Avett Brothers live in concert on May 7th at 8 p.m.

I’m often asked by the uninitiated what the Avetts sound like. If you’ve ever heard them, you know it’s not an easy question to answer. They’ve been garnering a lot of attention recently, appearing on NPR Music's nighttime South By Southwest showcase. So I’ll let NPR.com answer the question for me:

Hailing from North Carolina, The Avett Brothers' members embody the best elements of Southern roots music. Their vocals are earnest and earthy, they have a knack for musical storytelling and they obviously have an appreciation for family ties — singers Seth and Scott Avett are the guitarist and banjo player, respectively. The band also possesses an all-inclusive Southern musical sensibility: Its unique mix of folk, rock, country and bluegrass adds up to a uniquely catchy regional aesthetic.

That’s a pretty good description, I think. Or better yet, check out what Esquire had to say just last month:

Watching them onstage is like watching seasoned buskers working a familiar street corner — the music is actually startling in its verve and volume. Strings are routinely busted; crowd-surfing banjo solos are not uncommon. Songs are about real life (i.e., girls, travel, love, loss, more girls, more love, more loss) and are sung as frank, anti-poetic confessions or admonitions. What comes through is unabashed sincerity set to the brothers' natural song-writing chops. That, and their innate human understanding, a degree of insight as rare as it is alluring.

The Avett Brothers' next record will be out later this summer and it will be their first on a major label. So now’s your chance to say you saw them when they were “just” an indie band. You’ll be glad you did.

Tickets for the Avett Brothers (featuring special guests Magnolia Electric Co.) are available now at all Bookmans locations.