It's Thursday afternoon, and Shaking Tree bassist Keenan Stump is weaving through traffic on a freeway somewhere near New York City.

The band is on its way to Philadelphia to finish up the final leg of a northeastern tour, and suddenly the worst traffic in their hometown of Lawrence, Kan., isn't looking so bad. 

"The road hasn't been very solid today," Stump said. "Every stereotype of drivers out here was true today."

Traffic frustrations and other traveling headaches haven't kept Shaking Tree off the road. The band performs about 150 shows a year and prefers the unknown of a live show to the stuffy confines of a recording studio.

Shaking Tree will be in Lincoln Saturday night at Knickerbockers, 901 O St. 

The band has found success spreading its sound across the country, thanks to a laid-back pop sound that leans on bluegrass and Latin influences. 

Much of the material from their old releases uses varied percussion instruments such as djembe drums. Guitarist Tom Waddington also occasionally uses a mandolin in place of the acoustic guitar. 

Though Shaking Tree's live shows might appear to be a free-for-all, Stump said everything is pretty well planned out. 

"There's nothing jam about it," he said. "I never feel afraid of getting on stage and thinking people will hate us."

Many in Lincoln most likely have heard Shaking Tree without realizing it. The band's music has shown up on MTV's "Real World" and "Road Rules." It also was the headlining act on the Budweiser World Music Stage at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. 

The band formed in 1996, but the current lineup didn't solidify until March, when drummer Rees Lahman signed on. Lead singer Dain Estes rounds out the roster. 

Though Shaking Tree lists Lawrence as its hometown, Stump and Lahman both live in Omaha and commute to shows. Estes and Waddington live in Lawrence.  

Stump said they often practice and write new material during sound checks — the three hours between Omaha and Lawrence make scheduled practices nearly impossible. 

"I think the last time we had a practice was when we played in Omaha," Stump said. "Most of the time it's just practicing while we tour or warming up before shows." 

While they still use the djembe drums during live shows, Stump said their music features fewer percussion breaks.   

"The band kind of turned," he said. "We'd be playing to a room full of spinning hippies, but even now when we play those songs, people lose their minds even if we play them bad. It's just us up there beating on things."

Shaking Tree has released just four albums, but touring has allowed them to get their name out to people around the country — a recipe that, so far, has proven rather successful. 

Stump said many people come to their shows expecting to hear covers of "Brown Eyed Girl" and "Livin' on a Prayer" but quickly learn Shaking Tree does its own material just fine. 

"When they figure out you're not an amateur act, they start to pay attention to the musicianship and say, ‘They can play these instruments well.'"

Reach Michael Bruntz at 473-7254 or mbruntz@journalstar.com.

If you go

• What: Shaking Tree
• Where: Knickerbockers, 901 O St.
• When: 10 p.m. Saturday
• Admission: $5, 18 and over