Lake Street Dive Rocks (with Jazz and Gospel) at NEC

The New England Conservatory’s main concert hall may seem a strange venue for a Southern rock-indie-jazz band like Lake Street Dive. The ornate decorations and velvet seats juxtaposed with drummer Mike Calabrese’s bare feet and trumpeter and guitarist Mike Olson’s striking purple sneakers and psychedelic-patterned suit. That being said, Lake Street Dive is no ordinary rock band, and their performance was no ordinary rock concert: The four alumni of the New England Conservatory made use of the lavish New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall beautifully by fusing old and new—and jazz and rock—for a memorable experience.

With the concert’s debut of deafening trumpets in the hall’s aisles, the gospel choir that greeted the audience with a piece written for the concert, and the big jazz band that joined Lake Street Dive, the musical group that refuses to limit itself to a single clear-cut genre gave an amazing performance. On Thursday night, the band members were first and foremost distinguished alumni of the New England Conservatory here to make their triumphant return and to pay their respects to an institution celebrating its 150th anniversary.

Lake Street Dive was also there to present its new album “Side Pony,” which the band has described as representing their whimsical and free-spirited identity. Bathed in purple, blue, and red neon lights, Lake Street Dive demonstrated their technical skills incorporating trumpet, guitar, and double bass solos into nearly all of the songs from “Side Pony” and their previous sophomore album, “Bad Self Portraits.” The result was selected tracks from two already solid albums that sounded even better in person.

While Lake Street Dive was effective when playing by themselves, it was excellent when complemented by the gospel choir. The first song of the concert was an affirmation of the band’s ability to cross genres with ease. A custom-written piece, the rendition was a welcome addition to the concert. Jordan Hall, considered to be one of the most acoustically perfect concert halls in the United States and second in Boston only to Symphony Hall, was an ideal venue to premiere the composition.

When NEC’s Jazz Ensemble joined them onstage, Lake Street Dive was able to preserve their distinctive rock feel without ever drowning out the other musicians.The jazz band added layers of musical complexity that enriched the original songs, especially the inclusion of saxophones and the adaptation of music originally composed for the double bass to accommodate a violin section amplified the experience’s intensity. The joint ensemble also covered memorable jazz songs, allowing members to show off the talents they honed at the New England Conservatory. Lead singer Rachael Price showcased her formidable vocal skills, that would have otherwise gone unnoticed in the band’s own albums, by joining the ensemble for a rendition of “God Bless the Child” and “Angel Eyes.”

In between songs and set changes, the band members talked about how they all came to be friends, sharing comedic anecdotes of contracting mononucleosis at an elderly home over the summer, acting as tumbleweeds at an improv class, and falling prey to poor fashion choices. Their charisma kept dull moments from a minimum. Their upbeat personalities made for music that made you want to clap and sing along—which they encouraged—even in century-old ostentatious Jordan Hall. It made for a congenial night, with standing ovations and a brief encore.