Photos by: Lucinda Scott
Words by: Mitchell Patrick
Thursday night was absolutely packed for the Texas alt-metal heavyweights Catch Your Breath inside 170 Russell; it was buzzing from the very beginning, with fans eager to witness a stellar lineup that also featured Adelaide’s Heartline and local champions Outloved. It promised to be a masterclass in modern alternative rock, and from the moment the first band stepped on stage, the night delivered on every single front.
Kicking things off with a massive surge of adrenaline, Outloved took to the stage and immediately proved why they are one of the hardest-working bands in the local scene. Their energy was infectious from the second they walked out, with every single band member moving constantly, utilizing every square inch of the 170 Russell stage to connect with the early crowd. The level of tightness in their performance was incredibly impressive, especially considering a wild behind the-scenes detail that emerged during the set.
heir guitarist, Russ, had only been given three days to learn the entire setlist before stepping on stage. Watching him play, you never would have guessed it; he locked into the rhythm flawlessly alongside the rest of the band. The emotional peak of their set came during their final song, when the band asked the crowd to light up the dark basement. In an instant, the room was filled with a sea of glowing phone torches, creating a beautiful atmosphere that perfectly complemented the performance of my personal favourite track of theirs, Never The One, to close out a triumphant opening set. Outloved setlist highlights included Never The One.
Following that impressive opening, the room was primed and ready for Adelaide’s Heartline to take things to the next level. They made their presence known immediately, walking out to an incredibly cool, heavy dubstep intro that sent a wave of bass vibrating through the floorboards and instantly captured the room’s attention. Heartline brought massive energy and exceptional crowd interaction throughout their entire set, but their performance also featured one of the most impressive displays of live professionalism I have seen in a long time. Mid-set, a sudden mishap saw their playback laptop literally fall over on stage. In a split second that would have caused most bands to freeze or pause the show, their guitarist kept his cool, continuing to play his riffs flawlessly with one hand while simultaneously leaning down to pick up and fix the computer with the other. It was a seamless recovery that kept the momentum alive without missing a single beat. The crowd absolutely lost it when they broke into a massive, heavy cover of Paramore’s classic anthem Misery Business, which had the entire room screaming along to every word.
They closed out their high-octane set on a high note, dedicating their final three songs to their own original material. This section of the set included a highly personal and incredibly cool moment when they dedicated their powerful track, Dead Batteries, specifically to anyone in the audience living with ADHD, autism, or BPD. It was a beautiful touch of real solidarity that clearly resonated with a lot of people in the room, showing just how closely connected the alternative community is. After that brilliant moment, they wrapped up their performance, leaving the crowd thoroughly warmed up and buzzing for the headliner. Heartline setlist highlights included Synthetic, Misery Business, Dead Batteries, and Scarlet Threads.
Finally, the moment everyone had been waiting for arrived as the lights dimmed and Catch Your Breath took command of the venue. The energy shift in the room was instantaneous and immense, with the crowd surging forward to greet the Texas quartet. The band’s crowd engagement was on another level, keeping the venue moving and shaking from the very first note. One of the absolute highlights of the night came when the frontman Josh Mowery spotted a fan in the crowd wearing a full banana suit. Singling him out on the mic’, the band commanded the banana-clad fan to lead the charge, successfully sparking a massive, chaotic circle pit in the centre of the floor that kept the room’s energy at an absolute fever pitch.
What truly set Catch Your Breath’s performance apart, however, was the profound emotional depth they brought to the stage. Before almost every song, an atmospheric spoken-word track would play over the sound system, serving as a heartfelt monologue that shared the personal backstories, struggles, and inspirations behind the lyrics we were about to hear. This gave the songs a whole new layer of meaning, transforming the concert from a high-energy rock show into an incredibly intimate, shared experience between the band and the audience. Hearing those raw, recorded stories echo through the venue in the dark made tracks like Dial Tone and Shame On Me hit twice as hard, leaving the crowd completely captivated. By the time they wrapped up their massive seventeen-song set, there wasn’t a single person in the room who wasn’t sweating, smiling, or deeply moved. Catch Your Breath setlist highlights included Blood Money, Savages, Dial Tone, and Shame On Me.
GALLERY
OUTLOVED
HEARTLINE
CATCH YOUR BREATH
