An incredible wave of energy hit the crowd at Castaways last Thursday during a fierce and exciting performance by Rubblebucket Orchestra, a band that was intensely vibrant, colorful and unconventional during its third visit to an Ithaca stage.

The band, which hails from Boston and Burlington, Vt., played a heart-pumping 16-song set, but the songs in it seemed to blend together as if the set were just a jam session.

Rubblebucket Orchestra — which has described its sound as Bjork meets Fela Kuti meets James Brown — puts on an energetic live show, even more inspiring than the creative mix of tracks on the band’s debut album “Rose’s Dream.” With orchestrated trumpet, trombone and saxophone riffs, the band’s performance was a chaotic stream of consciousness.

The opening band, Bro and the Bras, kicked off what became a strong and energetic live show. Bro and the Bras are an electronic/experimental duo with strong beats and soothing vocals, reminiscent of Frou Frou. The band, which met Rubblebucket during the Ithaca GrassRoots Festival last year, played six hip, danceable tracks.

Rubblebucket’s 10-piece band is led by trumpet player Alex Toth, who started the Afro-beat band in August 2007. Afro-beat music involves a combination of jazz and funk rhythms mixed with strong percussion. Elements of rock and improvisation, with incomparable soulful vibes, make for a great sound to dance to.

In a floral dress, Kalmia Traver, on saxophone and lead vocals, led the band with her relaxed energy. Her sweet, soft vocals contrasted beautifully with the fun-filled music, an unlikely match that worked out to perfection. The poetic lyrics  on “Violet Rays” (“Violet is the color of my love for you / A muddy mixture of red and blue”) and soft music combined to create a solid track. The sound cemented Rubblebucket Orchestra’s powerful presence on stage. All the band members followed Traver’s lead with ease.

The most fun songs on the set included “Rubblebucket,” which made the crowd dance almost in unison, and “Kuma,” which includes a notable brass combination of the trumpet, saxophone and trombone. “Kuma” is also perhaps the song that can define the sound of Rubblebucket — a mix of horns, smooth vocals and funk.

During the nearly two-hour performance, the band interacted with audience members, encouraging them to clap and sing along to “Monkey Banana,” which mixed an aggressive beat with experimental melodies. During “Rivers,” the last song of the set, Toth, Traver and Adam Dotson on trombone, came out into the crowd, playing their instruments and dancing along to the music. Their ability to actually become one with the audience, dancing along with them, made for the show’s most memorable moment.

A crowd of fewer than 100 people in a relatively small venue made for an intimate setting to showcase Rubblebucket Orchestra’s talents. The small stage intensified the band’s performance, as members connected with each other in a close setting and had fun dancing with each other. The band’s outstanding performance definitely succeeded in keeping the crowd moving.

At the end of the show, Toth assured Rubblebucket Orchestra fans the band will come back to Ithaca one day. After such an impressive performance, local fans have plenty of reason to hope the band returns sooner rather than later.