Soloist Jane Taylor Ramsey opened for two up-and-coming indie-folk bands wearing Batman attire and a pair of sunglasses at The Thought Lot Friday night.

Ramsey electrified the room with her textured voice, which was much like Dolly Parton’s. She admitted she was a little nervous performing and wore sunglasses to help put her at ease.

If Ramsey ever created an album she said it would be called, “Songs Banned from my Dad’s Church,” since her dad is a pastor and some of her songs would not be approved by the church. One such example was “Angels and Demons.” However, according to her Facebook page, her original music is her view of the world in a spiritual light.

Toward the end of her performance, Ramsey performed a duet with Indian Summer Jars’ lead singer and songwriter, Sarah Beth, to Coldplay’s song, “Scientist.”

Next up was Beth’s band from Harrisburg, which consisted of Jason Whetstone on accordion and pennywhistle and singer Jenn Hara. The three members kept great harmony with one another. In a lot of their songs Beth led and the others echoed.

“I love making music with these two. It’s been such an awesome journey so far,” Beth said.

One song they played was called “Restless.” The song talked about how it is good to have many passions and the value of finding a balance. Many college students can relate to this as their fall semester is about to pick up speed and they are involved in multiple clubs and organizations.

Currently, Indian Summer Jars is 14 songs deep in its next album and Beth is already writing songs for the final one. Its fourth album, “Circles,” is expected to come out some time this year. Indian Summer Jars treated the audience to a sneak peek of some of its upcoming songs.

Mallory Graham and Scott Tyler from The Rough & Tumble brought a world of sounds with Graham’s magical box of instruments. Throughout their performance Graham was continually reaching for various instruments. Her multitasking skills were on point as she switched from the xylophone to the banjo.

Recently, The Rough & Tumble released a new album called “Pieces and Pieces.” The songs are from a short film of the same title about women who experience post-traumatic stress disorder after exiting the military.

One of my favorite songs from that album was “Dog In This Fight” since it talks about a woman being tough and battling her disease. It does a good job of gradually building up and going from a sad song to an upbeat melody.

Graham and Tyler said there were a few code of ethics to follow when being in a teeny tiny folk band. No. 1 — it is preferable to travel with a dog because if people do not like your music, they will at least recognize that you have a dog that needs fed. Additionally, it is good to color coordinate outfits so that it is clear you are in a band. But most importantly, you have to care about something.

“Go on Facebook and find something people are mad about. Then pick a side to support,” Graham said.

The cause The Rough & Tumble decided to support was the 24 underappreciated holidays, such as National Chicken Appreciation Day on May 4. In 2014, the band released their album, “The Rough & Tumble’s Holiday Awareness Campaign” to make America celebrate again.

One of their holiday songs, “Punxsutawney,” spoke volumes to the audience since it focused on Groundhog Day and the struggles of getting lost in Pennsylvania, due to constant construction.

After moving to Nashville, Tennessee to perform, The Rough & Tumble decided to sell everything they had and go on tour permanently. Currently, the group tours across the country in their camper with their two dogs. 

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