Bluegrass band Pert Near Sandstone performs Thursday at Volcanic Theatre Pub in Bend.

There are a lot of rootsy bluegrass groups out there, and a lot of them come through Bend. It can be hard to tell them apart if you don’t have a finely tuned eagle ear.

But you don’t even need that to pick Pert Near Sandstone out of a police lineup. This is, after all, a band with a clogger in it. We’re talking about a dancer with wooden-soled shoes, not the breakfast sandwich at Rockin’ Dave’s.

Matt Cartier is his name, and he also plays fiddle for Pert Near Sandstone. In fact, the rest of the band’s instrumentation is basic bluegrass — mandolin, fiddle, banjo, guitar, bass — but Pert Near is no basic bluegrass act. For evidence, listen to its 2020 album “Rising Tide” to hear how the band incorporates progressive ‘grass, pop melodies, punk spirit and political leanings. Oh and, of course, percussion … courtesy Cartier’s feet.

Pert Near Sandstone will return to Bend Thursday night for its first local show in years. They’ll be joined by Laney Lou and the Bird Dogs, an upbeat band of Americana sweethearts from Montana.

Pert Near Sandstone, with Laney Lou and the Bird Dogs: $15; 8 p.m. Thursday; Volcanic Theatre Pub, 70 SW Century Drive, Bend; volcanictheatre.com.