Long before the Reeltime Travelers took the stage Friday evening, festival-goers had staked out spots in front of the Heritage Stage, where the band would kick off the 66th National Folk Festival.

It seemed fitting, after a short crowd-warming instrumental, that the Travelers launched their set of old-time string-band music with the traditional gospel song, “When the Gates Swing Wide Open.” Before the band was through with the number, it was apparent that if there had been gates to the area, they would have indeed been swung wide open, evidenced by the number of people gathered and their collective enthusiasm for the music.

The Travelers did not disappoint. Drawing mainly from traditional material for this set (they also write and perform their own songs as well), the four-piece band – upright bass, fiddle, guitar and banjo – delivered an hour’s worth of schtompin’ and twangin’ music. They brought a youthful energy to the stage, which made the traditional tunes come truly alive. At one point, vocalist and fiddler Heidi Andrade traded her instrument for a pair of clogs and accompanied the music with a wowing performance of old-time country dance, stomping, clacking and high-stepping to the rhythm.

What was most impressive was the Travelers’ collective ability to maintain the music’s authentic feel while revitalizing and reintroducing it with a driving dynamic that set more than a few toes a-tapping.

– George Bragdon