Jag Star is quickly gaining notoriety in the Southeast. Their popularity has crossed state lines into North and South Carolina, and down into Atlanta as well. They were finalists in the 1999 Lilith Fair Talent Search in both Nashville and Charlotte.

The Jag Star performance was one of the few times that I have seen the crowd at Barley's really focused on the music. Every chair was turned to the stage, and conversation was minimal. The small audience appeared to be captivated by this extremely talented band and its smooth pop vocals.

The five-member band features Sarah Lewis on lead vocals and the mandolin, Erin Tipton on the violin and viola, J Lewis on acoustic and electric guitar, Kenner Rawdon on bass and Seamus Tierney on drums.

Their musical style is hard to categorize. I would say that they have one foot in sophisticated pop and the other in folk. They have a unique sound that provides a fantastic harmony that stays with you.

"We describe ourselves as an eclectic rock band, meaning that we mesh lots of styles together. People describe our sound in many different ways, which is cool because we know that it's not a monotonous sound," said Sarah Lewis.

Their rock-pop sounds interspersed with folksy rhythms create music that can either lull you into a dream filled sleep or make you listen attentively. Their performance showcased one excellent melody after another.

Sarah Lewis' enchanting voice seemed to float through the air at Barley's. She displayed an impressive range in her vocals. The haunting chords of the violin and viola add a splendid touch to the overall listenability of their songs, and allows them to explore many different types of music.

Jag Star's sound would attract almost any music lover. I dislike most pop music and I usually do not listen to bands with female lead vocalists, but somehow I became a big fan of this band. I already own their CD, and I will definitely catch their next performance in Asheville.

"Our shows appeal to a wide range of people, including people who are into heavy rock, pop, female vocals, violins and strings and even people who are into world music," said Sarah Lewis.

The tight interaction with the instruments would lead you to believe that this band has been playing together for many years, but they have only been together since May 1999. Tierney has only been with the band for about a month. Things did not work out with their old drummer, and they were lucky enough to snag Tierney.

Tierney had previously performed with Jewel, Letters to Cleo, Tori Amos and Phil Driscoll. He hails from Boston, and his world tour with Driscoll landed him in Tennessee. He bought the band's CD and showed up for an audition.

"He was the missing link that we knew deep down we needed. He makes the music come together better. He knows where to go and where not to go on the drums. He is not here to show off, he is here to take our sound to the next level. I think that he is already done that," said Sarah Lewis.

The band was originally formed by Sarah Lewis and her husband, J Lewis. They recruited Tipton, who was classically trained on the violin. She had never attempted to play with a rock band, but obviously picked it up quickly.

They dragged Rawdon away from his punk roots and converted him to their more mellow style. His energetic influences add to the unique sound of Jag Star.

The band members all come from very different musical backgrounds, and they cite a varied list of musical influences. J and Sarah Lewis both listen to Dave Matthews Band, Jump Little Children, Tori Amos, No Doubt, Peter Gabriel and Angie Aparo. They actually played with Aparo at a previous performance.

Tipton is into Jeff Buckley and Rawdon likes Mr. Bungle and the Foo Fighters. Tierney finds his musical influences in a variety of music. All of the band members are inspired by the band VAST. They believe that this band and No Doubt will be strong influences on their next album.

J and Sarah Lewis were first inspired to pursue their musical ambitions by Jump Little Children. This band gave them the courage to work towards getting the band together, according to Sarah Lewis.

"Our main goal is to be able to make music without having to do anything else to put dinner on our table. We would love to travel all over the world playing Jag Star music, and I think we are working hard enough that we will do that someday. We are still a new band, but we know what we are capable of," said Sarah Lewis.

Tipton and Rawdon plan to graduate from the University of Tennessee soon, and the band will then increase their touring. Sarah Lewis hopes that she will be able to pass along some of her duties in booking, managing and promoting by then so that she can concentrate solely on their music.

Jag Star's audience is growing rapidly.

They hope that their unique style of music will have an impact on all of the music industry.