Charlie Hunter and his trio left a lasting impression on the truly all-ages crowd that filled the M-Shop on Wednesday night. The show featured a variety of music from blues, to funk, to good old fashioned jazz. Hunter last traveled to Ames, when he opened for U2 at Cyclone stadium a few years ago.

“I had a good time when I was here for Hiphoprisy,” Hunter said after the show, referring to his old Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy. “There are some great people in this area.”

Hunter’s diversity kept an anxious crowd on their feet throughout the hour long show. Hunter played his eight-string custom built guitar, amplifying the three bass strings to one amp, and the five guitar strings to another. Occasionally, Hunter sent the higher strings through a signal processor, creating an organ sound that echoed through the crowd.

The trio often found themselves easing in and out of solos, admiring in awe at what their counterparts could do. Drummer Scott Amendola broke into a number of hard-rocking solos that nearly stole the show from Hunter.

“The drummer [Amendola] was fantastic,” Kirk Hackert, a sophomore in LAS said after the show. “The entire band displayed great musicianship.”

Hunter lead the trio into their rendition of “Come As You Are” to highlight the show. With their heads bobbing and feet stomping, they flowed right into a funky version of “Greasy Granny,” leaving the crowd eager for an encore.

Coming back with the blues flowing title track off their latest release, Bing! Bing! Bing!, set the pace for a melodramatic ending for the trio.

The mood changed throughout the club as saxophone all-star Dave Ellis brought the crowd to their feet for the finale.

“I really enjoyed the crowd’s reaction to our music,” Hunter said. “Shows in the Midwest are more than meets the eye.”