The pop-rockers were touring for their fourth album, "OK to Go," but were showcasing few tracks from the disc. The band seemed tentative when it delivered the fresh material, which is unusual since new tunes are usually played with considerable enthusiasm.

"There was definitely something weird happening across the board with this band," says vocalist-guitarist Andrew Poliakoff.

"We definitely distanced ourselves from the songs from that album, which is weird. We had some issues. There was something stagnant about what we were doing."

Virginia Coalition or VACO, as their fans dub the group, figured out what was awry. The group kept writing the same type of high energy rock tune, and the members -- who include multi-instrumentalists Paul Ottinger and bassist-banjo player Jarrett Nicolay -- each wrote songs alone.

"We needed to make some changes," Poliakoff says. "We couldn't repeat ourselves."

So VACO morphed while creating its latest album, "Home This Year," which was released in March. The group veered from fun, fast-paced songs to uncharacteristically reflective, introspective and emotional tunes.

"I think we surprised a lot of people, including ourselves," Poliakoff says. "We didn't know we could do this."

The key to the band's songwriting success was crafting songs together for the first time.

"We needed to do this as a group, and it was cool for three dudes to write and come up with stuff that is so personal," Poliakoff says. "We needed to challenge ourselves and go in another direction after all of these years.

"We all just tapped into something that was there but was never touched. If you're a musician and you have something to say that's buried, you'd better say it.

"The reality, which few people ever think about, is that you never know how long you're going to be able to do this. You should be as creative as possible. You can't let the business get in the way. You have to take that leap of faith."

According to Poliakoff, the reaction the band has received has been positive.

"The fans who have shown up have been very supportive," he says. "We'll still play older stuff, but the fans wanted something different as well. They've been really enthusiastic. I'm expecting the same reaction in North Carolina. The people there always been very good to us, and that's especially been so in Raleigh."

That's why VACO recorded "Virginia Coalition Live at Cat's Cradle" in 2004.

"We can't wait to get back there, since we're sure the response will be warm," Poliakoff says. "It's always nice when you're embraced."

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