Stepping into Temple Bar to see Hot Buttered Rum live, it was impossible to not immediately take notice of a sweeping stretch of cultures. Leaving the swaying palm trees outside to enter an incense-filled den decked with Buddhas and ambient red lights was just the beginning of the culture clash.

A quick look at the stage revealed a band that looked like it belonged on a porch in Tennessee, or playing a whiskey joint in North Carolina. But Hot Buttered Rum seemed oblivious to the fact that they were indeed a few blocks from the Pacific and jamming in a hipster West Side bar. They rocked the joint like a henhouse in a hurricane with their fiddle-filled upbeat tunes.

Attracting a crowd packed with shaggy beards and flowing skirts, the Phish/Dave Matthews jam band fans were out in force.

The band played a good amount of original material and a few covers, including the Bob Marley classic “Satisfy My Soul.” They harmonized with skill and were great at playing together, as well as off of each other.

Even without a drummer, the band created a full sound and had an almost frenetic pace as it zipped through two fairly long sets. The Rum boys were able to keep the crowd dancing and their spirits so high that it was impossible to not to become absorbed in the groove.