Jeff Massey first picked up guitar in eighth grade, inspired after seeing Led Zeppelin’s concert film The Song Remains the Same.

The youngster probably would have been proud to see himself 15 years later, along with the other three members of The Steepwater Band.

On stage, they almost look like Zeppelin circa the early ’70s: Massey railing on his Gibson Les Paul, lead singer Mike Connelly pulling off the Robert Plant look with long blond hair and a half-unbuttoned shirt, unassuming bassist Tod Bowers and drummer Joe Winters laying down a solid backing rhythm.

And that’s to say nothing of the energy they exude at their live shows. Playing music that comes off as a hybrid of Brit blues from the late ’60s and Allman Brothers-style southern rock, The Steepwater Band returns to Luther’s Blues tonight.

Basically, the band plays the same type of music its members enjoy listening to.

“It’s very rootsy, bare bones. Old amps, old guitars — but not like a gimmick or anything like that,” Massey said. “It’s just what we like.”

Three of the band’s four members hail from the south side of Chicago. For the past three years they have lived together in a farmhouse 45 minutes outside the city on the Illinois-Indiana border — “The Steepwater House,” as their answering machine calls it. The arrangement has the obvious benefit of the four guys being able to play together anytime.

“[Almost every] day we play in some form, even if it’s sitting around in the living room just playing acoustics and playing congas,” drummer Winters said. “We’re always doing something.”

In addition, the house is isolated, so they don’t have neighbors to annoy while rehearsing.

“There have been times when we’ve been jamming at three in the morning, and there’s never been a cop here,” Massey said.

The band plays about 100 gigs per year, mostly in Illinois and Indiana, although tonight’s show will be the fourth time Steepwater has visited Madison in as many months. Besides headlining at Luther’s, they opened for The Fabulous Thunderbirds and played the 2002 Madison Blues Fest. Elsewhere, they have opened for Taj Mahal, Buddy Guy and Bad Company.

The members of The Steepwater Band played together even before the band’s current iteration was officially formed in 1998, and their experience shows. Near the end of the set at their last Madison appearance in November, the band stretched a Traffic cover to over 15 minutes.

While that length would become tedious with most bands, Steepwater’s jamming remained fresh. It is a credit both to Massey’s guitar chops and the talent of the tight rhythm section of Bowers and Winters, who have played together in various bands since 1991. Connelly also adds his sizeable skills on the harmonica to the instrumental mix.

The November set at Luther’s showcased much of Steepwater’s original material, as well as covers ranging from blues classics like “Dust My Broom” and “Stop Breaking Down” to a closing medley that finished with The Beatles’ “Get Back.”

The band maintained a raucous energy level throughout the two and a half hours it played. Concertgoers can expect a similar performance tonight.

“We like [playing long sets],” Winters said. “I think it’s cool that we’ve written, and we know, a ton of music. That’s what it’s all about — playing.”

Steepwater’s set centers on its originals, many of which are taken from its 2001 release Brother to the Snake, the band’s self-financed first full-length album. As with its live performances, the up-tempo, straightforward blues-rock songs are the album’s strength. Since the release of Brother, the band has written about 15 new songs, which it also works into its show.

When Steepwater enters the studio again to record, it would ideally be with support from a label. So far, a record deal has yet to develop. But that doesn’t seem to bother the band members, who are adamant about playing the type of music they like regardless of fickle industry trends.

“A lot of labels are saying that we look too retro, we sound too retro and that we’re not current enough,” Winters said.

“[Our philosophy is] you’ve got to find your audience, tune into it and just ignore everything else that’s going on. Totally not even worry about trying to market yourself like whoever’s popular or competing with Billboard charts and all that crap.”

For now the band is content to continue gigging, building a Midwestern following one impressive show at a time.

“For me, as long as we’re playing, I’m happy,” Massey said.

Steepwater plays Luther’s Blues tonight at 9 p.m. The show is open to those aged 21 and up, and tickets are $5.