Neighbor and The Jauntee play in Beaver Creek Thursday

Neighbor started in early 2019, about a year before pandemic shutdowns, but that didn’t stop them; in fact, it extended their reach.

Childhood neighbors Richard James, on vocals and keys, and guitarist Lyle Brewer entered a residency at Thunder Road Music Club in Sommerville, Massachusetts in 2019 playing covers and originals. Within a few months, bassist Dan Kelly and drummer Dean Johnston fueled the groove, as it gathered more and more attention.

“It gave us the opportunity to get creative each week and push ourselves. We went from 10 to 20 people showing up on Tuesday nights, and it kept growing. We kept writing — every week we (performed) new originals and cover songs and new set lists. Shortly, it went from 80 to 100 people to 200 to 250,” James said.

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When the pandemic hit, they rented a warehouse and kept Tuesday nights going for fans. They also added a virtual option, which led to streams worldwide. A fan Facebook group emerged to follow and support the “down home” sound.

While some have pigeonholed Neighbor as a jam band, James characterizes it as more of an improvisational rock ‘n’ roll vibe.

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“Because we do a lot of improvisation, our music got coined as a jam band, but really the core of the music is the songwriting — paying attention to the song,” he said. “The lyrics and songwriting came first, and then the jamming came.”

But, true to jam bands, Neighbor delivers completely different shows with various twists every night. Audiences can see them at the Vilar Performing Arts Center April 11 and two nights later have a completely different experience at Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom in Denver.

Last May, the Boston-based band released its self-titled album, which showcased its versatility.

“We wanted to give fans a unique experience — and for new fans, give them a little of everything we do — soul tunes, a ballad, straight-up rock ‘n’ roll and a two-beat bluegrass tune,” he said about the album.

Though Neighbor hasn’t been to the Vilar yet, the musicians view Colorado in general as “a really strong market for Neighbor, so coming back is always a pleasure and an honor,” he said. “We like to cater to the places we’re playing, so I’d imagine that it’s going to be a little bit of everything that Neighbor does. We’re looking forward to going deep and to some collaboration with The Jauntee.”

James describes The Jauntee as incredible musicians, who will both open for Neighbor and most likely perform with them during their set.

“Their music, it truly is an experience,” he said. “They keep you in it from the downbeat, right through the end. Those guys know how to rock.”