The Avett Brothers can’t be classified into a single musical genre.

The three-member ensemble is a rock band, but not really. The group sports a banjo, but its members definitely do not sing folk. The band’s songs have punk accents, but only slightly.

Whatever the group is, the Avett Brothers will perform at the Englert Theater, 221E. Washington St., at 8 p.m. today. Admission is $26.

“There are a lot of references to a lot of different genres,” said Bob Crawford, the group’s standup bass player. “We have a kind of traverse setup with a lot of different genre styles — there is even a slight pop element.”

Although Crawford is a founding member of the band, he is not one of the two brothers, Scott and Seth Avett. The three began working on what Crawford called an “acoustic project” in 2001, eventually débuting as the Avett Brothers later that year.

Since then, the group has played with other artists, including the Dave Matthews Band and Wilco, and it won the Americana Music Association Duo/Group of the Year and 2007 New/Emerging Artist of the Year awards in November of 2007.

Crawford said the band started out simple, then grew.

“It began as an upright bass, a banjo, a kick drum, a guitar, and a high hat,” Crawford said. “Then we got a piano, electric drums and added a cellist.” The cellist, Joe Kwon, joins the group on tours.

These two setups, the original and the electric version, play off of each other well, Crawford said.

“There are just four of us on stage,” he said. “It is high energy and very raw.”

And that energy and passion seems to be exactly what venues are looking for.

Englert CEO Sean Fredericks said he’s excited the theater was able to book the band.

“I took a look at some of the things they had in the works, like their new album produced by Rick Rubin, and it became a no-brainer to book them,” he said. Because the Avett Brothers has diverse fans, it’s possible that the show could sell out.

“I know people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s who are all fans and who are going to be there,” Fredericks said.

The CEO also said it is great for Iowa City to have a band such as the Avett Brothers to help create a stronger music scene here.

“Instead of skipping over Iowa for bigger cities elsewhere, hopefully, agents start seeing that shows of all sizes can come here,” he said.

The group’s music is inspired from personal experiences.

“There is a lot of self reflection here and a lot of interesting experiences,” he said. “It is very honest music.”

Even though it is difficult to classify the Avett Brothers into a certain genre, Crawford said, the music appeals to people of all ages.

“What we are doing can be appreciated by anyone, from little kids to senior citizens,” he said.