In the culinary world, finding that perfect balance of subtle sweetness and fiery spiciness takes years of practice to perfect. In the rock and roll world, one only needs to look toward the Riverboat Gamblers for a shining example of that consonance. Having spent countless months on the road over the past decade, the Riverboat Gamblers are arguably one of the hardest working bands in rock and roll today. On record, the band is loud, sweet, and full of catchy pop riffage. Live, the band is a feral beast backed into a corner, ready to strike; natural-born frontman Mike Wiebe spends more time darting through the crowd than on stage, climbing on any surface he can scale, leaving the stage (and other surfaces of the club) perfectly seasoned from the band’s blood and sweat marinade. GREGORY FRANKLIN

Sat., Sept. 18, 7 p.m., 2010