Catch Your Breath Leave Melbourne Breathless at 170 Russell

On May 21, Melbourne witnessed one of those rare moments when emotions clashed with pandemonium as the Texas-based genre-bending giants Catch Your Breath launched their first Australian headlining tour at 170 Russell, where they played to a frenzied, excited audience ready to explode with anticipation. With two very impressive openers in Outloved and Heartline, it was clear that the evening would not only be memorable but would transcend the ordinary metalcore gig. Instead, it would become an authentic exploration of post-hardcore at its rawest. Honestly, big props to Catch Your Breath for keeping it homegrown for us Aussies and grabbing two amazing Australian bands to open for them!

The show kicked off with Outloved playing yet another show right in their backyard, with the band from Naarm/Melbourne themselves, and boy does Frontman Jaydon Colvin know how to move on a stage and command a room, quickly setting the tone for the night's electric energy. With their mix of sweeping ambient music, emotionally poignant lyrics, and anthem-like choruses, while still keeping the heaviness of their songs, as a long-time fan of the band, I have seen them do this countless times. Outloved got right into the heart of the matter from the very first song. Their poise and confidence suggested that they were far more than an opening act and that they were sincere in all of their music. It became clear early on that Outloved wasn’t just setting the stage, but that they had laid down the groundwork for the entire night ahead.

Then Heartline took the mood in a completely new direction, introducing a darker, much more intense presence that pervaded the whole venue. There was an explosion of guitar riffing, drumming, and hook-laden melodies as the music shifted from making the crowd anticipate to making them move, culminating in the first true mosh pits that formed almost instantaneously. Despite having such energy and intensity in the music, Heartline didn’t sacrifice melody for power, but included both to create songs that resonated with emotion and would move you despite the craziness going on around you. It was clear that, throughout the performance, the crowd at 170 Russell was about ready to explode, just like the band was doing. And I know, personally, that I will forever be a fan of the Adelaide-based legends; their sound is right up my alley.

As Catch Your Breath finally came into the limelight, the response was almost instant, as if the people crammed into the room could not hold back their applause amid the deafening sounds. From the very start of their performance, they brought an energy that seemed impossible to contain. This post-hardcore band from Texas brought an overwhelming stage presence, blending emotion and perfection for one hell of a show. Lead vocalist Josh Mowery ruled the stage effortlessly, shifting from soothing clean vocals to screaming at the top of his lungs, while the other members of the band provided a musical backdrop that perfectly matched the quality of their songs. The song titles such as “Savages”, “Lost”, and “Deadly” got everyone moving, and as each chorus began playing again, everyone became louder than before.

This pivotal experience came in a very visceral way while listening to the song "Dial Tone". It was then that the connection between the artist and the fans was palpable. Everyone there found their voice and sang along. There was an obvious shift from simply attending the concert to actively participating on an individual level. Even though the room itself was spacious enough, there wasn't a sense of distance anymore.

After the last song of the setlist, "Shame On Me", Catch Your Breath exited the stage to overwhelming cheers. All the people there looked both tired and excited, clearly showing how much this concert had impacted everyone. Although this was only the beginning of an Australian tour for them, there was nothing introductory about this show at all. Quite the contrary, it seemed to prove once again why Catch Your Breath is considered one of the best acts in modern-day post-hardcore music.