Flaw, The Color Red & Noise Therapy

Entertainment for the evening began about half an hour before the show with the antics of one gentleman who many people around me began referring to as "Drunk Headbanging Grungy Guy." I think the name says it all, so I won't bother elaborating, but apparently, he really enjoyed the music being played over the PA.
When the clock finally hit 8 PM, Noise Therapy took the stage and pounded the crowd with their heavily distorted guitars, forceful drum beats and carefully placed breaks. Normally, only mild enthusiasm can be expected of a crowd as far as opening bands are concerned, but everyone in the room seemed to be feeling the music enough that Drunk Headbanging Grungy Guy didn't look even the least bit out of place - a very good thing for Noise Therapy, because they were filming the show for a soon-to-be-released DVD. The camera set up in the back did, however, make me wonder if the stagedive the lead singer took in the middle of their set was a normal part of the show or something they just wanted to have on tape. Either way, they far surpassed the expectations of an opening band.
Next to take the stage was The Color Red, a group in the same vein as Noise Therapy, but with a few notable differences. One of the most obvious was the fact that they employed vocal harmonies more complicated than perfect fifths, giving their music a very well-rounded sound. Some of their earlier songs, however, lacked the well-placed breaks that got Noise Therapy such a good response from the audience, but everyone eventually came around and enjoyed what was definitely a great performance.
As the stage was being set up for Flaw, a recording of some guy from Anthrax came over the PA and informed us that he was going to narrate the music being played during the break. It was like listening to Movie Tunes, except with Mudvayne instead of Celine Dion. You couldn't have gotten stupider if you tried.
When the Anthrax guy finally shut up, the crowd began chanting, "Flaw, Flaw, Flaw!" Obviously, the expectations were high with two strong openers, but Flaw did not disappoint. Chris Volz gave an amazing vocal performance set against a backdrop of sonic chaos that made it nearly impossible to ignore the emotion in his words. Among the best of the set were "Whole" and "Payback," two shockingly artistic numbers that made it obvious that Flaw wasn't just about being angry and smashing things. Another highlight was that just before they finished, Chris expressed his political views as follows: "Fuck terrorism!" The crowd agreed emphatically and cheered an encore out of the band. As the night came to a close, Flaw invited everyone to come and hang out with them after the show and finished their performance just as powerfully as they had begun. One might even say flawlessly.
- Dana Hocking

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