Alicia Wagner Calzada OK, Lesti Huff is the one front and center. Then, left to right you've got: Jim Bard, D.C. Olsen, Gil Polanco and Ray Symczyk.

THEY ARE: The Lesti Huff Band

THE SOUND: Americana/blues/folk/roots rock. Think Lucinda Williams, Bonnie Raitt and Robert Earl Keen. The band performs a mix of originals and covers, but to many audiences, even their covers are new — such as songs by Chris Knight and Fred Eaglesmith. “Personally, I like to educate the public on what kind of songwriters are out there, and I always get a good response,” Huff said. “I'm glad to support my favorite singer/songwriters.”

THE BAND: Lesti Huff (lead vocals, guitar); Jim Bard (lead guitar, harmonica, backing vocals); D.C. Olsen (bass); Gil Polanco (drums); and Ray Symczyk (mandolin, squeezebox)

ALBUMS: Come Out and Play (Lesti Huff and the Beads, 2001)

THEIR WORDS: “A lot of times, people aren't familiar with the type of music (Americana) is. Everybody here wants rock and roll, and to me it is rock and roll. It's just not headbanger.”— Lesti Huff

WHERE TO SEE THEM: On Saturday, Aug. 11, at Scenic Loop Café in Leon Springs and Tuesday, Aug. 14, at Riley's Tavern in Hunter. The band also plays every First Friday at Madhatters and every other Thursday at Joe's Crab Shack in the Quarry Market and has regular gigs in New Braunfels and Fredericksburg.

THE WEB: myspace.com/thelestihuffband

THE 210 TAKE: Look for the band's forthcoming album, Where Is the Love?, due out in the fall. Huff wrote the title track after seeing Al Gore's film “An Inconvenient Truth.” “It speaks about what we are leaving for our children to pass down to them,” she said. “Do we care that we're depleting all our natural resources?” The other tracks range from “country music: broken hearts, cheatin' and lyin'.” to “Daddy's Song,” which Huff wrote for her father. Or catch them live; the band backs up their passion and gritty style with real skill.

Jessica Belasco | 210SA contributor