Acclaimed banjoist Bela Fleck, bass god Victor Wooten, and percussion innovator Future Man have reunited with "the man with two brains" - Howard Levy, who plays harmonica and piano at the same time - and, just like that, the original lineup of the Flecktones is touring again. Last night, they appeared at the University at Buffalo Center for the Arts and treated the crowd to a highly impressive performance.

The group's set seamlessly ranged from earthy bluegrass to bouncy world music to throbbing funk, and the Flecktones never allowed the extremely high technicality and complexity to become overbearing. The musicians took breathtaking solos but never overstayed their welcomes, trading licks with bandmates and eventually segueing back into a theme. Between a few pieces, the musicians spoke to the crowd and genuinely seemed like kind, down-to-earth, regular people who were just glad to be playing.

It's truly a privilege to see men as talented as these four (plus a fantastic violinist who joined the band for two songs) play their instruments. Future Man plays his drumitar (which he invented) and hits real drums at the same time, making one person sound like a percussion ensemble, and on one song, he even provided some soulful vocals. Levy, who towers over the rest of the group in height, has a sense of humor that comes through in his playing, as he teased themes and made rhythmic, off-tune jabs that made the crowd laugh on more than one occasion. And Fleck, the leader of the group, will change your opinion about the banjo, as he rocked it harder than most guitarists rock guitars.

But the true star of the show was Wooten, who many will tell you is the greatest bass player alive (or even of all time). He didn't do anything to appease the doubters last night, showcasing a range of technical skills and truly earning the stature of the oft-overused word 'virtuoso.' After the crowd beckoned for an encore, the Flecktones went into their most popular number, "Sinister Minister," which features an extended bass solo. Wooten used his entire bag of tricks, and at the end of an especially face-melting run, he flipped the entire bass a couple of times around his neck and underneath his arms, caught it, and looked at the crowd (which gave him a standing ovation) with an expression on his face that seemed to say, "I'm the best, aren't I?" No argument here.