“I think people just want to have a good time.”

That’s what guitarist and vocalist Elliott McPherson of the Dexateens said people expect when they come to one of the band’s shows.

I went to the Dexateens show at Mellow Mushroom Saturday with virtually no expectations. I have some of their songs on my iPod, but I did not know what to expect out of a live show.

Well, a good time is definitely what I had. The Dexateens played after the Howlies. It may have been my first time seeing the Dexateens, but it won’t be my last.

A Southern-fried punk rock band formed in Tuscaloosa in 1998, the Dexateens are guitarists McPherson, Lee Bains III, Matt Patton, Brad Armstrong and drummer Brian Gosdin. The band has a sound similar to—well—it’s not really similar to anything. It’s a unique sound all their own, and they definitely own it.

It’s the kind of music that sets your soul — as well as your feet — on fire. You can’t help but get out of your seat and jump, dance, scream or whatever else you feel compelled to do.

Although the band is notoriously loud and you can’t always here the live vocals as well as you can on their studio tracks, the vocal and the songwriting talent is immensely present in their work. “Grandaddy’s Mouth,” on their latest album Singlewide, will always remain one of my favorite songs. Although, it’s the mellowed-down sounds of the Singlewide album that make it my favorite of the band’s five albums, the other four do not disappoint.

I get the feeling that as soon as these guys step on stage, they’re going to play like it’s their last time. They make you feel what they’re feeling and there is a deep connection to their audience. They can slow it down or they can melt your face off. Either way, I think you’re in for a strong show.

Many know the Dexateens have not just burst onto the scene. In more than a decade together, they have become a nationally known band and have surpassed expectations to move out of the college-town circuit and onto a path that they hope will lead them on a long, successful musical journey. But they have never forgotten where it all started. Bains said there is a different feel to shows the band plays in their hometown in Tuscaloosa.

“It’s a bunch of our friends,” Bains said. “It’s kind of like a party. Here you look out and you see people singing the words to your songs, I think that’s pretty cool.”

“You get that at other places too sometimes, but definitely here,” McPherson added.

The Dexateens are definitely worth a listen and more than worthy of a trip to see one of their shows.