As the intermission song, Toto’s “Africa,” faded away, the members of The Head and The Heart jovially skipped and grooved onto the stage. After crooning the lyric, “It’s gonna take a lot to take me away from you,” they launched into “Cats and Dogs,” the opening song to their self-titled debut album. Their energetic dancing and singing, punctuated by dog barks, immediately got the crowd dancing.

The six members of The Head and The Heart — Jonathan Russell, Josiah Johnson, Charity Rose Thielen, Chis Zasche, Kenny Hensley, and Tyler Williams — have great chemistry on stage. It’s as if they only perform for themselves, like they have an inside joke that they aren’t sharing with the crowd. Perhaps it’s that camaraderie that allows the three main singers to so effortlessly blend their distinct voices and singing styles.

Not surprisingly, one of the show’s highlights was “Lost in My Mind.” The Head and the Heart were joined on stage by all members of the two opening bands, Lemolo and Thao with the Get Down Stay Down. Guitars, maracas, drumsticks, shakers, tambourines and hair all flew around onstage as the crowd sang along.

The powerful finale to their set was a strong and emotional rendition of “Rivers and Roads.” Charity Rose, whose nuanced voice ranges from sweet and thin to gospel-y, was at her finest here. Kenny Hensley, the band’s keyboardist, added to the climactic finish by standing up, grabbing his piano stool and pounding it into the floor in time.

Photos – The Head and the Heart at House of Blues – October 14, 2011