So many bands these days refer to their music as indescribable, unmatched and genre-defying that it’s become clich‚. But when common descriptions of a band mix Jewel with Bare Naked Ladies or the Grateful Dead with Peter, Paul, and Mary, the claims of uniqueness might just ring true.

That’s where Eddie From Ohio, a Virginia-based band enters the picture. The quirky four-piece is an amalgamation of folk, rock, pop and world music laced with a sharp lyrical wit that’s landed the band slots on some of the nation’s most prestigious folk festivals.

Eddie From Ohio will play for a sold-out Maintenance Shop crowd Saturday night. Ames is the third stop on the tour.

It’s the first day of Eddie From Ohio’s tour in support of its eighth disc, a double-live called “Three Rooms,” as Robbie Schaeffer, guitarist, talks on his cell phone from the band’s tour bus in Ann Arbor, Mich. Since the album was just released, the public hasn’t had much time to react just yet.

“This is our very first show on tour in support of the album,” Schaeffer explains. “It got released about a week and a half ago. As far as response to the album, our parents really like it.”

Though the band is known for its smart-alecky lyrics and infectious stage fun, the playful tone leaks into Schaeffer’s responses as he describes why the band has been able to exist in its current form since 1991 — a feat not many bands can boast about.

“Personal hygiene, definitely,” Schaeffer jokes.

“Well, I think part of it is just luck,” he continues, sharing his truthful answer. “We’ve been lucky in that through most of our careers we’ve been four people that have wanted, for the most part, the same things out of our lives and our careers.

The band members’ lives have changed drastically since 1991. Back then, there weren’t spouses and offspring to worry about. But Schaeffer says the trick is in working out a balance between lives at home and lives on the road while supporting each other through major life changes. It’s also in not taking themselves too seriously.

Eddie From Ohio’s comedic approach to an otherwise somber folk scene has allowed them to defy a typical fan base. “Edheads,” as the band calls its fans, come in all genders, ages and lifestyles.

“There really isn’t a stereotypical Eddie From Ohio fan and that’s how we like it,” he says earnestly. “We have fans that are in high school. We have fans that are six, seven years old all the way up to people in their 50s or 60s. By and large, it’s a pretty broad spectrum.”

Whatever is mixed in the equation that has led to Eddie From Ohio’s current success, the appeal doesn’t appear to be waning. Even Schaeffer himself doesn’t like answering comparison questions, and lets out a sigh when he’s forced to describe a sound he helped create.

“I only hate that question because I have a hard time answering it,” Schaeffer says. “I’ll usually say folk rock or folk pop. You hesitate to use the ‘F’ word — folk.”