You know it’s going to be a good show when the audience starts to whoop, holler and clap in time during the soundcheck.

That’s exactly the caliber of performance put on by the Forge Mountain Diggers this past Friday night at the Stillwater Tap Room. Allison Williams, David Bass, Thomas Bailey and touring bassist Meredith McIntosh left the venue scorched, delivering a raucous, slash-n-burn series of sets not likely to be soon forgotten.

It’s also the caliber of performance you probably missed, as the average crowd size that night was only around 20 to 30 people. Come on people, what possible excuse can you have for missing this show? Jay Leno’s not that funny.

What the audience lacked in size, however, they made up for in enthusiasm. Word, it seemed, had spread among certain circles that this was a party band, and those who came, came ready to rock.

The Diggers’ punk influences are even more evident live than on their studio recordings. Allison Williams attacks her banjo clawhammer-style with an intensity rivaling that of any seasoned and steel-toed CBGB’s regular, while David Bass’ flawless fiddle work simultaneously drove the rhythm forward while providing a fierce melodic background. Thomas Bailey (playing a gorgeous small-bodied Gibson) unearthed a percussive element to the guitar, and even his solos were of the Lars Frederiksen variety: four or five notes, jackhammer tempo.

If you’ve been missing out on Stillwater’s Americana showcases, then shame on you, and a pox on your firstborn. Good beer, good bands and cheap cover … a holy trinity if ever there was one.