A Louisville Core Triple Bill at Headliners
Headliners Music Hall opened their doors on November 8 to three of Louisville's best bands: Flaw, Outspoken and 13th Level. The 13th Level kicked off the night with a commanding stage presence and lots of energy. Their vocalist Billy combines powerful screams with both melodic and growling singing styles. He has a wild stage persona, knows how to work the crowd and keep things interesting. They have both lead (Matt) and rhythm (Eddy) guitarists, so they mix crunchy riffs with a groovy kind of rhythm for a really cool sound. Matt often added an intense energetic solo with an atmospheric touch. Bassist Marcus kept the tempo and added punch to the music with powerful riffs throughout. The almost serene look of the drummer Kevin contrasted with the intensity of his playing. (He could definitely hold his own with Fear Factory's Raymond Herrerra.) I have heard him cover a couple of Fear Factory songs and not miss a beat. If you haven't seen The 13th Level, you should definitely check them out. They are a terrific band.
Outspoken came out next and kept the crowd's energy flowing with catchy riffs and melodic harmonies. Their stage presence and performance were as commanding as they were at the Phoenix Hill on November 1. They are definitely a band to see.
Flaw is back home and headlined the show. They came out full of energy and worked the crowd like a group of old friends. Flaw has recently became a four-piece, which seemed to have enhanced their stage presence and tightened their performance (not that they had a bad one to begin with.) Chris' vocals were powerful without the need for a lot of vocal effects, with lyrics that seemed to come from the heart. Chris B., the drummer, kept his tempo and played was well as he usually does.
Flaw's music was so intense it seemed to consume the crowd. As I looked around, I saw almost everyone singing along with their music. Bassist Ryan and Lance, the guitarist didn't stop moving the whole show; you could see they felt their music. Flaw always does their best to put on an excellent show and they succeeded at this one. The crowd loved it.