This past Saturday I headed down to the Columbia City Theater to check out ‘Barcelona’s’ CD release party for “Not Quite Yours.” They shared the stage with indie rock group ‘Motopony’ and singer/songwriter Lucas Field.

Lucas Field and his two-piece backing band took the stage first and it was a good thing there were only three of them, the stage was packed with a ton of equipment. Lucas was the ultimate front man, complete with a white leisure suit that looked like it was straight from the 70s. He spent his time playing keys, guitar, and running around the stage pumping up the crowd. He would routinely jump up from the keyboard and let his band mates keep the groove flowing while he danced up a storm on stage. At one point he yelled into the mic “Y’all want a high kick?” and as the crowd cheered he did multiple Rothesque high kicks which was pretty damn entertaining. In addition to all the theatrics the music was solid, it seems that Mr. Field was born in the wrong decade, he writes jazzy R&B grooves that could have easily been popular at the height of Motown’s reign.

Motopony took the stage next and once again the lead singer was the focus of the set. Daniel Blue seemed to be hypnotized by the music from the first riff. When not at the mic he would glide around the stage as if he was on a cloud. His arms and legs would move in all different directions with the music, almost as if he was a puppet and the music was his marionette. When at the mic he would frequently run in place to release the energy that was building up inside. The set ended with Blue laying out over a stage monitor and performing the final song with half his body on stage and the other half suspended over the floor; it seemed an appropriate end to me. These guys are on the rise nationally and will soon take over the world; the rest of humanity just needs to realizes how badass they are.

Barcelona took the stage to cheers from the now full club. The trio started off the set well and the crowd was dancing and singing along to the infectious hooks. About halfway through their set they put a challenge out to the crowd. If fans were up to the task of coming up on stage and singing the chorus to their song It’s About Time they would get a free t-shirt. I’m not sure the band expected any takers, but three fans were up for it. The band would perform the song until the chorus started then the lead singer would drop out and it was up to the fan to sing it. I don’t think anyone knew how this would go, but each fan took full advantage of their chance to be a rock star and killed it. That was definitely the highlight of the night.Barcelona's music is light and catchy, they are destined for success.

Were you at this show? What are your thoughts on these bands?