Not many bands are described as a mix between Sigur Rós, an experimental post rock band, and George Michael, a pop singer, but that's how Seattle-based band Barcelona was described by Seattle Weekly. The band played at Whitworth Thursday, April 17 and the Service Station the next day.
"We don't mind it, those are bands we like and respect," guitarist Chris Bristol said.
What they don't like, however, is being described as having a similar sound to Coldplay and The Fray.
"Those are the bands other bands rip off," Bristol said. "You can't rip off Sigur Rós, they're too creative."
The members of Barcelona describe their sound as melodic piano pop rock. Not all of their songs feature a piano, but the songs that do have a distinct sound different from many other bands that could be described as pop-rock.
The band's live music sounds somewhat different from their debut CD, "Absolutes." The band members chalk this up to the atmosphere of the live shows.
"When you're playing live it's a lot easier to share energy," Bristol said. "It gives you a chance to open up more."
Barcelona's show at Whitworth featured much of this said energy. Federal Way-based New Heights kicked off the show.
The audience sat through New Heights' set and then moved back the chairs and stood in front of the stage for Barcelona.
Barcelona singer Brian Fennell attended Whitworth for two years, in 2001 and 2002, but transferred to Seattle Pacific University because he wanted to be closer to home. While he was there he met drummer Rhett Stonelake, and Bristol, who lived across the hall from each other.
During the concert, Fennell talked with the audience about the unofficial little three (catching a virgin pinecone, dropping your tray in the dining hall and ring by spring) and joked about the band's fourth member, Brian Eichelberger, who wasn't on the tour.
Barcelona started touring in late 2005, and have had nine or 10 West Coast tours since then, Fennell said.
"It was horrid," Bristol said of the band's first show.
The show was at a corporate party with a martini bar, and the band played at 1 a.m. so everyone was either asleep or drunk during their set, Bristol said.
Since then their shows have gotten progressively better as the band has toured more, Fennell said. Barcelona recently finished their first national tour.
The band was one of MySpace's featured bands, but the group members don't think that had to do a lot with their growing popularity.
"People might have recognized our name more, and it was helpful from a promotional standpoint," Fennell said.
However, he thinks touring and building an audience has helped more than MySpace.
The group's debut CD "Absolutes" was released in late September. Before they released it, they took several of Fennell's songs he wrote for his solo act and remixed and changed them to fit what the band wanted, Fennell said.
Band members said they are looking forward to recording their next CD because they hope to have more flexibility. This time around, they had a limited budget and were cautious about time in the studio, Bristol said.
"We want our next recording experience to be a lot different," Fennell said. "We want it to be peaceful and organic and not rushed, we want more time to be creative."
So far, the best part about touring has been going to shows and having people know the band's music.
"Going to towns we have never been to before, where we have no lateral support and having kids know songs is pretty out of control," Stonelake said.
Contact Caitlin Richmond at caitlin.richmond@whitworthian.com.
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