On a Friday night at Southside Bethlehem’s Funhouse, Tavern Tan was getting ready to go onstage for the first time in a year and a half since the pandemic.

But the band members weren’t nervous. The Funhouse is familiar territory. It is the last venue where the group performed before the pandemic, in February 2020. Before then, the group typically did a concert at The Funhouse once a month for 15 years.

After toasting each other with shots of alcohol, the band launched into a long set of Americana-based originals, and captured the crowd once again.

Tavern Tan is at :Blues, Brews & Barbecue,” downtown Allentown, 3:45 p.m. July 23, Bru Daddy Stage, Hamilton Street. The event is free and open to the public.

Although the band concentrated on upbeat rockers at The Funhouse, the band plays an eclectic blend of music that not only covers the Americana genres of blues and country but veers into rock ‘n’ roll, bluegrass, reggae and punk.

“There is a lot of everything we are influenced by,” says guitarist, vocalist Andrew Brubaker.

“We very naturally cover many different styles,” says drummer, vocalist Dave Joachim.

The band has had nearly the same lineup since forming in 2004. In addition to Brubaker and Joachim, there’s Doug Ashby, guitar, vocals; Tom Aczel, harmonica, vocals; Bill Melcher, bass guitar, and Kevin Nickles: saxophone, guitar.

The band plays without a set list, but the musicians have such natural communication with each other, they hardly need to speak. At The Funhouse, they effortlessly segued into each song as the audience picked up on the joy the band members had from being able to play together again.

That Friday night was also the record release party for Tavern Tan’s fifth album, “Tandemic,” the first in seven years. It was produced by Matt Molchany at Shards Recording, a few doors away from The Funhouse.

“Everyone is writing songs all the time,” says Joachim. “There were so many tracks we debated what to do, and finally decided to make one long record of 19 tracks.”

The Burt Bacharach, Hal David song, “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” is the only cover tune.

“Tandemic” has many rock-based songs that are given a bluesy feel by Aczel’s harmonica, such as “Monster” and “Sticks and Stones.”

There is also a honky-tonk, country influence that especially comes through on “Toast of the Town” and “Found Love.”

Ashby thinks that some of the songs on “Tandemic” seem a little nervous and politically bitter because of contemporary politics and the coronavirus pandemic.

“For the basic tracks, we did 20 songs in 20 hours in 2019. But then, the studio had to close down for the pandemic. It took forever to do overdubs. We all sent tracks to Matt to mix,” says Joachim.

Americana roots music has experienced a resurgence nationally and in the Lehigh Valley.

“Bands like Wilco and Son Volt are getting rediscovered. They write good songs,” says Ashby.

Ashby feels that looking to the past, to a more organic and natural form of songwriting, is a better way to tell a story and express feelings.

“It’s the emotional honesty of the music that attracts people. It’s a great way to write honest songs. You can say what is important,” says Ashby, who has been involved with WDIY public radio since its beginnings. Ashby is host of “Roots After Hours,” 11 p.m. - 1 a.m. Tuesday.

Although Tavern Tan has recorded at various studios, the band’s five records are attributed to Fez Monkey Records. The Fez Monkey is on the cover of “Tandemic” and is on the band’s logo. The logo has the slogan: “Because life is too short to listen to bad music.”

Tavern Tan: https://taverntan.com. “Tandemic” and the band’s other releases are available on Bandcamp, Amazon and ITunes

“Blues Brews & Barbecue” information: https://www.discoverlehighvalley.com