Whiskey Shivers and Lyndsay Nissen brought bluegrass and folk music to the stage Friday night at DG’s Tap House. Nissen took the stage shortly after 9 p.m. with her guitar.

“I’m glad to be here, [and] I’m glad to be opening for Whiskey Shivers,” Nissen said right after she walked onto the stage.

Then she started playing a happy tune entitled “Rosie’s Café,” which was the first of many originals she played that night.

“Take it for Free” was the next song Nissen performed and she said it was written after visiting Georgia and seeing how giving and caring the people there were. The passion that she has for her songwriting was evident as she always told stories of how she came up with her songs.

Along with the more upbeat songs, she also played more emotional ones such as “Baby, What’s Your Problem?,” which she seemed more sad and frustrated while she sang.

Nissen closed with a soft song entitled “Lay Down Your Head” as cheers and applause came from all around DG’s as she exited the stage.  

About 15 minutes later, Whiskey Shivers came onto the stage and the tone shifted from inspirational folk music to wild and rocking bluegrass.

A boom from the instruments occurred and then they launched into a couple of instrumental pieces. Both songs showed the band’s talents early on as their playing style was full of energy.

Many members of the audience came onto the dance floor right away, and most of them wouldn’t leave for the rest of the night.

The energy didn’t stop when they added lyrics into the mix as they played the song “Old Home Place.” It featured lyrics about coming home and how being somewhere else for too long can be regretful. Many of their songs followed a fun tone while still having a lot of heart behind the meaning of the lyrics.

Along with meaningful songs they also had their fair share of dance songs which, when played, would always reach the goals of a good party song because they made the crowd move all over the dance floor.

The band also had a great sense of humor during breaks from the music. They were joking around and talking with the audience, giving the occasional high five to someone in the crowd.

Songs like “Gimme All Your Lovin’” showed just how fast the band could keep the pace going, but they weren’t afraid to slow down. The start of their cover of “Blue Moon” was soft and peaceful, creating a whole different tone from the band. About halfway into the song though, it broke into a faster rendition and it was an interesting take on the popular bluegrass song.

Another cover that fit the band well which was “My Sweet Baby’s Arms,” which was the last song performed before they took a quick break.

When they returned to the stage, they didn’t lose a bit of momentum as they sang “Free” and “Long Gone.” These tracks were followed by the song “Darlin’,” which had a gentle feel but it added a nice variety into their set.

“Angel” was another sweet and lighthearted song that started off with whistling from banjo player James Bookert and guitar player Jeff Hortillosa and the song featured great vocal harmony from the band as well.

Nearing the end of the show, a cover of the Daniel Johnston song “True Love Will Find You in the End” was played and Whiskey Shivers added an interesting bluegrass twist to the song while still keeping the original’s lighthearted and soft tone.

They closed off the night in a wild fashion though with the mostly instrumental song “Angeline” which left the audience with just as much energy as they had all night.

Whiskey Shivers and Nissen brought two different styles of music and energy to the stage, giving Friday night’s audience something to cheer for and dance with.