Local rock band Five Year Jacket opened to a fairly large crowd Friday at The House, 263 E. Lincoln Highway.

When the heavy golden curtain swung aside to reveal the foursome comfortably situated onstage, the vibe was one of familiarity.

Acoustic guitar, the prevailing sound that instantly filled the intimate room, gave a down-home, American roots feel. Not quite country, not quite folk, not quite rock, blues or funk – the music created by Five Year Jacket is not easily classified.

“We’ve been playing together now for about eight or nine years,” said Kevin Trudo, frontman and acoustic guitarist.

This is no cover band. Every song is an original, and all but a few were written by Trudo.

The first tune of the set started off with a down-home feel, but quickly veered in and out of different styles. At times, the band was soft and subtle, almost reflective; at other times it was rocking. About halfway through the first song, electric guitarist Pat Goode traded his electric ax for an alto sax. The soulful, bluesy sound of his sax jelled perfectly with the medium tempo groove that drummer Chad Winckler had set.

The band, obviously at home onstage, flowed along smoothly through the set with almost no dead time from song to song. Jacket worked well together musically to bring high emotional climaxes to many of its songs. Trudo showcased his talent with a wild fervor by singing softly, intensely and passionately at different times.

“We’re normally a lot louder than this,” Trudo said about the acoustic feel. “But The House seemed like a low-key type of venue, and we try to adapt to our performance environment.”

Toward the end of the first set, Trudo passed the lead singing torch to Goode, who sang “Long Way To Run.” Bassist Todd Graham joined Trudo in supporting Goode in a perfect three-part harmony.

Most of the band’s lyrics pined away about relationships gone good or bad. Other songs told about the general living and learning involved in life: “I throw a handful of seeds to see if anything grows/ if nothing blooms, no one has to know.”

The band had a great knack for putting newfound energy into rock ‘n’ roll’s tiresome three-chord structure. Jacket ingeniously used silence along with its instruments to portray excitement and anticipation.

Jacket performed for two hours with a short intermission and ended the show with as much energy as it began.

It was the last performance of Five Year Jacket as it existed Friday night.

“We’re making a couple of personnel changes and revamping things a bit,” Trudo said.

The band is taking about a month off to make the changes and plans to then get right back where they belong — onstage.

For more information about Five Year Jacket and to obtain a copy of its CD, “Folk Songs,” visit www.fiveyearjacket.com.