Most bands are better in concert, but the Heather Christie Band’s new CD comes close to capturing the concert feel. North Coast listeners can hear both at the River Theater Wednesday, Aug. 20 as the band releases its “long-awaited” CD.

The band spent two years putting together tunes since Christie’s last CD – a solo effort in 1999.

Over the past three years, the North Coast chanteuse has added four band members to her entourage – plus a fairly large fan following. Clearly, the group has developed their chemistry.

North Coast musicians – especially if they’re good, but not it’s not required – are involved with on average 271/2 “projects” at any given moment. Christie has assembled some of the most prolific musicians in the region – Joe Patenaude on electric guitar, Jeffrey Reynolds on violin, Calen Uhlig on bass and Tom Peake on drums.

Christie began collaborating with the band about three years ago, when – after several years of performing – her vision expanded for music.

During her teen years, Christie performed in a duo and then in group called Moon Famine Family, which played some gigs in Portland. Music is in her genes. Her father helped start KMUN radio station and he and relatives played in several bands. Christie even performed with her aunt Retta Christie in a Western swing group. Then she went out on her own.

While her solo release, 1999’s “Are You Willing,” is a bit more mournful, the new release “Love Road” is a funked-up version of the first. She maintains the yodel-influenced vocals, but the band adds a funky flair. The album, recorded on Love Road near Portland, is a bit more polished and more danceable than the first album.

To “hold off” the swarming fans, the group released a live CD in 2001. But like filming live theater, the CD left the listener lacking. Unless you were at the concert, it’s not quite the same.

Many of the songs on the new CD were on the live one, but the sound quality is a 1,000 times better. But more importantly, the energy is there, the feeling is there and Christie is there.

If you go …What: Heather Christie Band’s Love Road CD release party

When, where and how much: 8:30 p.m., Wed-nesday, Aug. 20, the River Theater, $10.

Scene: Waving in the aisles , fans assemble varying from 20-somethings to people who count their age on one hand to the young at heart.