Theodore started the night off with a folksy twang.

Fronted by singer-songwriter and guitarist Justin Kinkel-Schuster, the quartet played much larger than its size would suggest, everything from lap guitar to trombone to accordion to upright bass — showcasing 12 instruments in all.

Theodore is on a mini-Midwestern tour that includes two shows with local sensation Frontier Ruckus.

Theodore also had LPs and CDs on sale in the back, and the audience seemed tempted.

Bird Dog took the stage next, and with them came the dimming of the overhead lighting and the projection of a Lite Brite laser-light display.

By then the (SCENE) Metrospace floor was packed and moving.

The band, consisting of two guitars, synthesizer, bass and drums, seemed to garner an impressive following of dedicated fans — one of whom grabbed the microphone stand at one point to sing along with Bird Dog frontman Alex O’Dell.

Between sets, the lights came back on and attendees admired the artwork and atmosphere of a venue Bird Dog bassist and history junior Michael Carman fondly spoke of.

“This is our first show here as a band, but I’ve been to shows here before and the
vibe is really good,” Carman said. “It’s really clean and open.”

Loune finished off the evening with a six-song set that included a lyricless intro and a cover of Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up.” The band also performed songs from its self-titled debut EP, which is an entirely digital release.

Stickers and cards with Loune’s Web site and download code were on the band’s merchandise table.

In an attempt to get their music into as many ears as possible, the band hopes people will enjoy their music and relay the code to their friends.

“CarlWinslow,” the father-figure from “Family Matters,” can be entered at the newly launched lounemusic.com. The code makes it possible for fans to download the EP in its entirety, free of charge.

As for the reasoning behind the unconventional release, Loune guitarist and computer science junior Shawn Adams said logic played a factor.

“People don’t like to pay for music — that’s common knowledge,” Adams said.

As the show concluded, the audience — many of them holding their custom-made “CarlWinslow” code cards — filed out of (SCENE) with smiles on their faces from the show.

“It was very soothing music at times, and at other times it was really catchy,” said Jenny Piwonski, a physiology and psychology junior. “The lighting was nice and the energy was upbeat.”

For Loune vocalist and guitarist Dave Suchanek, who graduated from MSU last year, Wednesday night represented the type of atmosphere Michigan needs more of.

“It’s important for the Michigan music scene. Lansing’s the capital and center of Michigan, so it’s a really important spot for music to be happening,” Suchanek said.