Peter and the Wolf’s performance at the Cat in the Cream on Saturday night was set up with everything a cozy, folksy Cat show needs to succeed: the cookies were warm, every seat in the room was filled and the band was squeezed together on an onstage couch to perform. Despite the group’s talented command of acoustic guitar and vocals, the show was tinged with the awkwardness of the band members’ overly self-deprecating attitude and sarcastic jokes between songs.

Redding Hunter, the band’s frontman, dominated most songs, while his two female accompanists, Dana Falconberry and a guest artist, introduced solely as “Zoe,” either sang backup, picked a little guitar or just sat onstage. Their range of vocal abilities, from Hunter’s low and sometimes twangy voice to Falconberry’s breathy and babyish tone, provided an interesting contrast. One of Peter and the Wolf’s best skills was their careful modulation of the relative strength and quietness of their voices. Some songs allowed Falconberry’s voice to shine while Hunter sang an appropriately toned-down backup, when in other cases the two harmonizing female voices were barely louder than the guitar over which Hunter cried out emotional indie folk.

Zoe, in particular, had an enchanting voice — full and warm — that did a great service to Hunter and Falconberry’s vocals, which were unique enough to be at times grating. Without her, it’s easy to imagine their sound would lose a great deal of its depth.

But Zoe was the picture of hipster aloofness as she sat on the couch between Hunter and Falconberry onstage practically yawning with boredom. Her only acknowledgement of the audience was muttering a few dry jokes in response to Hunter’s stories. Otherwise she stared blankly ahead and occasionally adjusted her hair.

This attitude was echoed in Hunter’s self-conscious interaction with the audience. His introduction of himself as a novelist, in a voice dripping with irony, and his numerous sarcastic suggestions that the audience purchase band merchandise were obviously intended to be self-deprecating. His constant jokes attacking the idea that the audience might actually like him made him seem defensive and insecure. Jokes like “none of us could ever have gotten into Oberlin” and “I bet we can’t afford the things you guys do for fun” elicited uncomfortable laughter.

Hunter twice read from his novel (again, the sarcasm), which was actually quite funny and featured short, silly scenes of drunk people acting bizarre. Overall the songs themselves were impressive: complex lyrics weaving through the kind of sweet, plucky guitar-and-vocals combination that is folk music at its best. Yet while these qualities might be enough for recorded music, Peter and the Wolf’s live performance style leaves much to be desired. Hunter would do well to trust his audience more and spend less time defending himself against imaginary haters.