POP EVIL Along With DEVOUR THE DAY and ONI Throw Down at the Mercury Ballroom in Louisville, KY

BY: EVAN J. THOMAS

Saturday night (May 17) at the Mercury Ballroom in Louisville Kentucky was the place to be not only due to the incredible weather outside but the throwdown that was about to happen inside.  The Mercury Ballroom was a new venue for me to visit and I loved every bit of it, from the quaint feel of the main stage to the swanky balcony seating area giving you a different perspective from above.  

First up was ONI, ONI is a metalcore band formed in Canada by singer Jake Oni.  Oni ripped through their 30+ minute set with ease as they lathered up the masses with precision guitar rifts and a crunching tracks.  

Next up and the support band was the boys in DEVOUR THE DAY, the hard rock band hailing from Memphis, Tennessee and featuring vocalist Blake Allison and Joey "Chicago" Walser who both were formerly in Egypt Central.  Allison has a feverish on stage persona as he's thrashing about the stage, hopping up on to the riser from side to side of as he belted out "Respect," "Killing Time," "Empty" among others.  DEVOUR THE DAY is a tight knit band on stage as they feed off of each other while Allison interacts with the masses.  DVD just looks like they are having fun up there while entertaining us floor dwellers.

POP EVIL, fresh off their newest album release "What Remains," headlined the evening making their way on stage to kick off their set with the anthem "Eye Of The Storm".  Fun little fact, DEVOUR THE DAY members Allison plays drums while Walser rips on guitar for POP EVIL as they pull double duty on the tour.  POP EVIL vocalist Leigh Kakaty intently strolls about the stage with his imposing look as he belts out hit after hit.  Knocking out "Trenches," "Skeletons," "Waking Lions" on the nearly one plus hour set, the boys in POP EVIL take a few minute hiatus as the waiting crowd chants "ENCORE, ENCORE."  They got their wish as the stroll back onto the stage for the three final songs culminating with "Footsteps."  I was looking out at the masses during the set seeing them smiling and singing back their favorite POP EVIL songs. 

When the house lights came on I had the pleasure to wander down the dank basement stairs to hang out with DEVOUR THE DAY, shooting the shit with them and reminiscing with Joey "Chicago" about our hometown as we grew up one town over from each other.  What a fun night and another venue to knock off my list.  

ONI

DEVOUR THE DAY

POP EVIL