Barcelona at Neumos: The Melodrama

Yeah, I know...it's been awhile.  I can't say I've really been doing anything that interesting since my road trip last fall.  But, I'm ready to fire up the ole blog.  It's road trip time again!  But, before we get to that, I need to tell you about my first concert of the year...one of many to come.  It was time to reconnect with my favorite Seattle band, Barcelona.  I had last seen my musical friends about a year ago in Santa Ana, CA.  That seems so long ago!

Yesterday, Barcelona played to a hometown crowd at Neumos.  When I got to the club, I noted that their van was already there and their equipment already unloaded.

After grabbing a quick dinner, I returned to Neumos to wait for doors to open.  I had only been there a short time when Brian Fennell...the front man for Barcelona...came out of the building.  As he got some things out of their van, he initially didn't notice me.  But, when he turned around to re-enter the club, Brian spotted me standing there.  He was very happy to see me, and we chatted a bit.  I had with me a CD of Brian's solo album, Safety Songs...this was before Barcelona came to be.  Brian was surprised I had the CD, and I explained that I managed to find one on Amazon.  I asked Brian if he would sign it, and he gladly did.  He then went back inside, and I settled down to wait for about an hour till doors opened.

A woman about my age soon came by to join me.  She thought I looked familiar, and then realized we met at the Five For Fighting concert at Neumos back in 2009!  I couldn't remember her, but not only did Robin share my mutual admiration for John Ondrasik, she also liked Barcelona!  When her husband showed up, he remembered me, too!  It was nice to have someone to talk to and share space in front of the stage.  Barcelona had two opening acts for the night.  Seattle band Gibraltar started things off, but I didn't much like them.  I found the music too repetitive and I couldn't hear the lead vocalist's singing.  It was also pretty loud...I put on my ear plugs.  The second band was Mackintosh Braun from Portland, OR.  Their electro-pop style was a little easier to listen to, but it also wasn't my cup of tea.

Barcelona didn't hit the stage until after 11:00 pm, but it was worth the wait.  I was elated to hear them perform many songs from their new album, The Melodrama.  The new material is somewhat of a departure from Barcelona's signature soft alt-rock style, but I found it refreshing.  Brian has a great voice, and he's an amazing songwriter.  Here's their set list for the night:

Paper Lion
Sick
Diamond And Silver
On/Off
Fall In Love
Drop Everything
You Can't Always Get What You Want (The Rolling Stones cover)
Cure
Strange Way
Falling Out Of Trees
Background

Encore
It's About Time
Last Night

There was one special moment during the show.  Brian announced it was his sister's birthday, and called her up on the stage.  When Lauren made it up there, Brian presented her with a bouquet of flowers and led the audience singing Happy Birthday!

I was enjoying Brian's toned down version of It's About Time during the encore when I felt someone bumping me from behind.  Turns out a rather intoxicated guy in a suit had pushed his way toward the front and was in his own little world.  Things really got out of hand when he put his arms around me and Robin.  We both pushed him away and he sat on the edge of the stage when Brian finished his song.  I was pretty pissed off, and I wasn't the only one...others in the vicinity were equally irritated.  As Brian started singing the last song of the night, a Neumos security guard suddenly appeared and escorted the inebriated idiot out of the club.  Everyone was happy to see that!

After the show, most of the crowd left the club...no big surprise considering it was close to midnight!  I hung around, wanting to talk to the band.  I walked over to the merchandise booth, and immediately found a couple of things to buy.  Even though I had the digital download of their album, I really wanted the physical CD, which they had.  I also bought a T-shirt with The Melodrama theme.  I got my CD signed by Brian, Rhett Stonelake, who plays drums, and Branden Cate, who was on keyboards for the night.  It was so nice to talk to them, and I got my money shot, too!

So, tomorrow, I start my road trip, but I won't be going too far.  I'll be seeing Barcelona perform again in Portland in two days, so I adjusted my plans to start things out slow.  I'm looking forward to hearing them play again!