The students at the University don’t know what they missed Friday night.

Yet Virginia Coalition brought enough energy and enthusiasm to the Georgia Theatre to blow the roof off of the old building and convert a legion of Athens fans.

Winding down after the performance, lead vocalist/guitarist Steve Dawson described their unique brand of music as, “eclectic.”

“It runs the gamut from rock to rap to bluegrass, there really isn’t a list long enough to describe it,” he said.

If such a list exists, add infectious and uplifting to it. No one could take their eyes off either Dawson or his singing-rapping-bongo-playing counterpart Andy Thunder, as the two effortlessly blended rap and harmony into a great series of lyrics.

Thunder and Dawson are backed by the accomplished bass playing of Jarrett Nicolay and drumming of John Patrick, but no one was to be outdone by the keyboard playing of Paul Ottinger.

The band truly seemed happy just to be on stage.

“When it’s our first time in a place, it’s nice when five people show up,” Dawson said. “It doesn’t matter if we are on MTV. We had a choice between grad school and rock ‘n’ roll. We chose rock ‘n’ roll.”

While a good jam band is always a pleasure, the genre has grown crowded, and even classic acts can sound stale. VACO’s passion kept every note fresh and made each song a new experience.

The music was easy to listen to without ever approaching a ‘pop’ feel.

The band played songs from its recent album, “Townburg,” as well as a handful of new tunes and covers. Most notable was a fast-paced rendition of Toto’s “Africa.”

“Some ’80s for the ladies,” Thunder said during the show.

Their talent was strongest during solos including inspired wood block playing by Ottinger that was almost as much fun to watch as it was to hear.