Hot Club of Cowtown received its first big round of applause before it played its first note Wednesday at Lincoln Hall. As the trio of Elana James, Whit Smith and Jake Erwin took the stage and stood poised to play their instruments, the pre-show music continued to pump out of the P.A. system. The three musicians stood their ground and didn’t flinch. “We’re ready,” James said resolutely with a smile to the soundman in the back of the room. Finally, the canned music was cut. Applause erupted. “Here we go,” Irwin said.

The Austin band opened with “Ida Red,” a traditional song that dates back to at least the 1920s that was a hit for Bob Wills in 1938 and that was adapted by Chuck Berry for “Maybelline” in 1955. It signaled the sound of the night. Hot Club of Cowtown can swing with the best of 'em and even rock. Its music, a combination of Western swing and hot jazz, is rooted in a different time. James’ fiddle, Smith’s guitar and Erwin’s slap-back bass are keeping it alive and swinging.

James and Smith handled most of the lead vocals, and Irwin sang a couple songs, too. Their effortless harmonies and adventurous playing are that of a band that’s played for years together on the road. They took the music wherever it wanted to go. Such cohesive confidence made for a vibrant show. The setlist developed on the spot with the written one on the stage floor merely offering suggestions. Requests by band members and fans were played.

Highlights included “When I Lost You” with Smith’s slowly unfolding vocals and James’ light playing, “Dev’lish Mary” with Erwin cutting his bass loose, and the terrific curveball of Tom Waits’ “The Long Way Home,” which featured soft vocals and delicate instrumentation that rendered those in the hall silent until the last note faded. Nifty solos abounded throughout the set, which included a small handful of instrumentals. The band is touring being their new album, What Makes Bob Holler, a collection of songs that Wills made famous. “Time Changes Everything” and “Oklahoma Hills” were among the songs played from it.

The band members were well-rested thanks to a rare two-day off stretch on tour, and it showed in the energy and enthusiasm of the performance. James commented on how she stayed in a Lincoln Park hotel and how much she enjoyed discovering the neighborhood with her dog. References of past shows at Schubas, Park West, FitzGerald’s and Taste of Chicago along with radio stations WBEZ and WLS were made. Repeated appreciation was expressed from the stage for the seated audience. “If you weren’t here, we wouldn’t be here,” James said. “We came to see you. Thank you for coming.”

The band then launched into a closing “Orange Blossom Special.” Notes were ripped off at the start to sound like a train and the music picked up speed like a chugging locomotive until it was barreling down the tracks. It’s easy to see why Bob Dylan made James a member of his touring band in 2005. She and her band share a similar timelessness.

Partial setlist:

Ida Red
She’s Killing Me
Oklahoma Hills
Sleep
Time Changes Everything
Oh Baby
Emily
When I Lost You
Dev’lish Mary
The Long Way Home
It Stops With Me
Orange Blossom Special