The Mates of State travelling road show made its way to the 20th Century Theatre in Oakley on Monday. Really, that’s the only way to describe it. Between the magician who got lukewarm-at-best reactions from the early crowd, comedian Todd Barry, Free Energy and the headliners, there was something for everyone. But that’s bound to be true with acts this disparate.

Some parents bring their kids to Mates of State shows. It’s easy to see why: whether or not children get the lyrics, the band’s got peppy, danceable music. The married Mates (Kori Gardner, Jason Hammel) are famously known for bringing their kids on tour, adding to the family-outing aspect of their shows. Which is why Todd Barry, though pretty damn funny, seemed like an odd opening act. “Oh, there are kids here,” he realized after using the f-word early in his act, not that it prevented him from using it many more times, nor should it have. His off-the-cuff stuff was better than his rehearsed material—including calling out a loud-mouthed high schooler when he tried to videotape the show. It was all funny and awkward like good comedy should be, but it was hard to tell if he was as agitated as he seemed, and even harder to say if anyone felt amped up afterward.

Luckily, that job fell to Free Energy, which rocks like they want to be America’s favorite bar band. And let’s just get the obvious Hold Steady comparison out of the way because it’s not a very apt one. Free Energy is a band that’s clearly taken cues from classic rock and good-time anthems blared at barbeques throughout the country (and cues from bands that have already taken those cues). They’re not too self-important, but they’re not too silly, either. It’s very of-the-moment, evident when lead singer Paul Sprangers espouses good-time mantras like “Do what you want to do,” in a song reminiscent of The Cars’ “Just What I Needed. He even made a point of acknowledging those dancing in the crowd, adding “Good work, everyone,” after one song. It wasn’t the most poignant performance in the world, but it doesn’t need to be when you’ve got unabashedly fun guitar solos.

It’s an interesting thing to strike out on tour when all your new songs are actually old songs, and somebody else’s at that. But Mates of State didn’t overload the crowd with songs from Crushes (The Covers Mixtape), instead peppering in a few here and there. They played their own material fairly straightforwardly (plus the very welcome addition of a trumpet player), keeping up the same manic energy and sideswiping changeups heard on their albums. These guys can be a workout to listen to. They gave new life to songs like Daniel Johnston’s “True Love Will Find You in the End,” taking the original’s wistful tone and making it hopeful, bright and celebratory, Gardner playing an extended outro on a ukulele. They’ve said that, in releasing Crushes, they wanted to play these songs like they were their own, and they succeeded with the Johnston cover. Can’t exactly say the same for their version of “Laura” by Girls, but damn does it rock live.

Amidst all the old material and the new-old material, they played one new song, though they didn’t give the name. It had an urgency to it, a driving pulse, and lacked the tempo changes that typified albums like Bring it Back, barreling headlong instead. It’ll be interesting to see how it sounds on an album. Aside from that, Monday evening was a chance to hear a bunch of favorites, including “Rearrange Us,” and “Think Long,” though it took a favorite of fans and cruise-enthusiasts alike, “For the Actor,” to get everyone really excited. The first strains of it launched those on the floor into a dance party. “Ha Ha,” and “My Only Offer” later followed.

The road show wrapped up, appropriately enough, with Todd Barry and members of Free Energy joining Mates of State to play extraneous percussion on “Goods.” It was a nice enough way to get most everyone back on the cramped stage, but really paid off when it erupted into a drum circle, with Gardner vacating her keyboard to join Hammel on drums. It felt spontaneous enough, and even if it wasn’t, it was the highest note of the night.

-MaryKate Moran