The French Quarter’s House of Blues is typically known for its Southern brunch food and concert hall, which is a host to a plethora of lower-key artists who come to town throughout the year. Last Friday night, bands PHASES, The Mowgli’s, and artist LIGHTS performed back to back for a night filled with upbeat music and all around good vibes.

The first band to perform out of the trifecta was PHASES, a group native to Los Angeles who made music for 10 years before they released their first album as a group in 2012. The band is made up of a lead female singer, a bassist, a lead guitarist and a drummer, each possessing his or her own eclectic style and stage presence. They performed songs like “I’m In Love With My Life” and “Cooler” from their most recent album titled “For Life.” In all honesty, though, they sounded like a kitschier version of MGMT, one who still lacked a unified image.

The Mowgli’s followed suit, acting as the second opener for headliner artist LIGHTS. All seven band members surprisingly fit on stage, wearing hipster-esque outfits that matched their bubbly, youthful stage presence very well. They performed songs like the popular “Say it, Just say it” and “Bad Dream” from both their 2013 album “Waiting for the Dawn” and “Kids in Love” which dropped earlier this year.

Because the band is so full of positive spirits, they even introduced their newest single “Room for All of Us” which they created as a theme song for the charity called the International Rescue Committee. The IRC helps people who have been displaced by natural disaster, tragedy, warfare or other similar incidents. To be in a room with all seven gracious musicians was a mood-lifting experience nonetheless.   

As more people filed into the concert hall, artist LIGHTS came on stage to wrap up the night. The Canadian singer, whose music is similar to that of Robyn’s, sang from all three of her albums including titles “Up We Go” and “Banner (Acoustic).”

All three groups preach love, heartbreak, goodness and a positive mindset in their music — virtues that are inherent to the New Orleans spirit. The crowd left the House of Blues in a better mood than when they entered, which is arguably a quintessential purpose to making music.