Last night I found myself at one of my favorite local haunts, Rumba Cafe, for an evening of Columbus brewed rock and roll.

The talk of the night was Electric Dream Machine. This was their debut show, and also the return of Tucker Jones of Lovesick Radio (and formerly of The Forty) to the spotlight as a front man. Though he would tell me later on that the set was a challenge to get through after a hiatus from doing vocals for a whole set (most of his time these days are spent on the road as a guitarist and backing vocalist) I didn’t get that impression. In fact, I was struck by the casual camaraderie displayed onstage. The band displayed a bit of retro flamboyance in appearance and swagger, but didn’t deliver their performance in a pretentious way at all. Though it was the band’s debut show, an old favorite from The Forty, “That Way”, made an appearance and was definitely a fan favorite. All in all, though some of those first show jitters were present everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.

Girl Fox provided the direct support for the evening and had the densest crowd of the night. Taking cues from acts like Interpol, Franz Ferdinand but adding a sun-drenched pop flair, the quartet owned the stage with a consistent, driving show of force. Their display was one of professionalism and charisma and you could tell they were a seasoned band.

This evening was my first time experiencing Cellar Dwellar live and was personally my most anticipated act of the night given their prominence in the new generation of Columbus DIY culture. Their sound is perhaps the most difficult to classify of the four bands of the evening. Imagine taking grunge bands, adding a dash of emo, and mixing in some of the chaotic energy of the Chariot. At times you might be confused. At all times you’ll be entertained. If you don’t enjoy the set at first stick with it – the band can be an acquired taste, and it will quickly become apparent everything is deliberate.

Courtney From Work kicked off the night, wasting no time playing song after song of their trademark “BBQ rock.” Hearing “Dream Girl” live for the first time was a personal highlight for me. If you ever wanted to see three dudes deliver straightforward no-frills wholesome rock bangers over and over again, this is the band for you.

All in all, I found this to be a formidable lineup of emerging rock acts.