The Clumsy Lovers, a Vancouver, British Columbia, band, plays at the Tractor Tavern in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood. (Ron Wurzer/WPN for the Boston Globe)

As I mentioned the other day, I went to hear the Clumsy Lovers last night, and they were even better than I remember. They’re infectiously peppy, they combine genres that are fun even when they stand alone (bluegrass, Irish, thumping straight-up rock), and they just seem to be having a damned good time. Beside, you have to admire the cojones of any band that tackles AC/DC with banjo and fiddle.

The eclectic crowd was stomping and clapping, hoedown-style, setting aside PBR tallboys to fully join the fun.

Which got me thinking: what makes a great concert? Is it the mood? The songs? The energy? The venue? The beer? All of the above, of course. Specifically, I’ve found certain things to be good predictors of a better-than-average show:

banjo

fiddle

accordion*

upright bass

PBR

floors made of natural material (cork, wood, grass)

a smallish to mid-sized venue

club-style, not seated audience

spontaneity (last night, for example, the band let a woman come from the audience and sing her choice of song because it was her birthday)

I could go one. And this is, of course, just my own opinion. If you have thoughts of your own along this line, please comment below and, as always, feel free to send a private message.