Having seen Cadillac Sky several times over the last few years, I can say it is exciting to see this band evolve. The first time I saw them (at FloydFest 2008) I was impressed with their energy and talent—but it wasn’t until a year later (at Kirk Ave. Music Hall) that I knew this was no ordinary bluegrass band.

By then, David “Mayhem” Mayfield had joined the group, adding what can only be described as a larger-than-life personality to the stage show—so much so that I wasn’t sure he’d ever really settle in. But after listening to their latest CD featuring a collaborative-writing effort, Letters in the Deep, and seeing the joy the band still takes in playing together, it’s clear that Mayfield is in C-Sky for good.

And I’m not the only one rejoicing for the result. The boys played to a sold out crowd at Kirk Ave., starting with the catchiest track on the new album, “Hangman.” And once they got going there were no lags in the show. Whether they were playing new songs, such as “Break My Heart Again” or “Trapped Under the Ice,” or beloved older tunes such as “Born Lonesome” and “Bible by the Bed,” the band continues to innovate and progress.

Ever the professionals, they adeptly managed obnoxious hecklers and even string changes were smooth transitions filled in by mini-jams. Proving their status as consummate musicians, all the members switched instruments at one point or another. Over the course of the evening we got to see bassist Andy “The Panda” Moritz on the drum kit, fiddler Ross Holmes on guitar, mandolin player Bryan Simpson on fiddle and guitar, banjo player Matt Menefee on keyboard and drums, and Mayfield on guitar, mandolin, bass, and drums. They even invited their “young ward” and instrument tech, Royal, onto the stage to play mandolin for one song.

I was especially happy to hear them play the Death Cab for Cutie cover, “I Will Follow You Into the Dark” as an encore—and even more so that they played an intimate unplugged version of it in the middle of the crowd. They ended with crowd favorite, “Inside Joke,” and after all that still found the energy to come out to sign autographs and pose for photos with fans. Because that’s the way the Cadillacs roll.

Taryn Chase Jackson never used to like bluegrass. But then bluegrass wasn’t nearly as cool as it is now.