Since its resurrection in 2005, the Granada Theater has proved itself a worthy music venue with superior acoustics and knowledgeable booking agents who pull in bands, which are not only largely popular, but who can also put on a great show.

Ben Kweller stopped by on his world tour with the Sam Roberts Band of Montreal, Canada.

Both acts brought a great deal of energy and excitement, though the crowd fell a bit short in the pep department.

The Sam Roberts Band performed first, sneaking onto the stage and heading straight into their first song without an introduction.

Their set focused wholly on the music with a minimal amount of stage banter. Their style was a mixture of modern southern or blues-rock, more reminiscent of Jet than the Black Crowes.

The front man/guitarist stood out with well-executed blues-flavored solos, but many of the band’s songs sounded similar.

All in all, the band provided a very enjoyable and suitable transition into Ben Kweller’s performance.

Ben Kweller opened with “Wasted and Ready,” a single from his 2002 debut album.

The crowd seemed moderately enthused, but Ben and his new touring band did their best to keep the energy levels high.

Ben traded his guitar for keys on “Falling” and “In Other Words,” the first an ode to his hometowns (Dallas included) and the second a melancholic number which was still poppy enough to prevent being a downer on the mood.

Several songs from his new record (in stores today) were debuted, including the beautiful ballad “Thirteen,” a lonely piano song that he dedicated to his newborn son.

After leaving the crowd cheering (finally!), BK and his band returned for the obligatory encore.

They ended the show with “The Rules,” a song from Ben’s second record, which, though not one of his more popular songs, definitely topped all of their prior songs.

Ben ditched his guitar and pranced around stage with the cockiness of a twenty-something Steven Tyler (or perhaps a less flamboyant version of Queen’s Freddie Mercury).

Ben Kweller and his band brought an energy, which appealed to the youngsters and a classic rock/folk styling authentic enough to leave the most weathered concert-going geezers in the house waxing nostalgic.

All things considered, the show was wonderful.

The Granada is always an enjoyable venue to visit (if for nothing more than its pizza), and Ben Kweller and the Sam Roberts Band made a great duo for a night full of grungy, poppy, solid rock and roll.