White Reaper Crushed a Great Set at Delmar Hall Saturday
–by Laura Tucker
On Saturday night there was a full house at Delmar Hall where the fans of rising stars White Reaper descended on the intimate venue to get up close and personal with the band while they still had the chance. This is one of those “I saw them when” moments.
Getting plenty of airplay on Sirius XM’s alternative stations, they are building a solid fan base as they take to stages across the country. Their last show at Headliner’s Music Hall in their hometown of Louisville is already sold out! For more info, head on over to whitereaperusa.com
But as with any show, you always have an option to get there early, get a good parking spot and score your perfect seat by watching the first, and even second bands perform. And sometimes, a band really gets your attention when you least expect it.
Up first, Taipei Houston. This two man band, that sounds like at least four, absolutely rocked the house! With Layne on bass and vocals, and his older brother Myles on drums, somehow, they managed to fill the air with such full-bodied sound that I found myself looking for the guitarist. Was he behind the curtain? This can’t just be a bass. Can it? I watched his fingers dance on the lower end of the bridge, rather than the space reserved for picking.
They set a pace that never let up while sharing their debut single, “As the Sun Sets” and a unique rendition of The Beatles’ classic “Eleanor Rigby”. These guys are killing it, I thought. Then, it all began to make sense when about half-way through the riveting performance, a fellow concert-goer shared with me that “these are Lars Ulrich’s boys.” Metal royalty offspring. While I wouldn’t call them metal, I would definitely call them incredibly talented.
But they don’t seem to be riding on the coattails of their famous dad, Metallica’s drummer. They never mentioned his name and stood at the back of the house signing autographs and posing for pics like any other band just starting out. They couldn’t have been any nicer or more gracious.
Narrow Head came out next. These five guys from Texas brought a vibe that was reminiscent of the Smashing Pumpkins or Papa Roach. There was a certain something to the melodic rock and soft vocals that came across almost as hum, paired with guitars that juxtaposed the overall sound.
A few songs in, they seem to just cut loose and really bring the raw rock vibe of 90’s grunge. Lead singer, Jacob Duarte stands his ground on stage with a “take that” stance, bringing the experience to the next level.
Just as we decided that there was no escaping the assault on our senses, they brought it back down with echoing guitars and a steady drum beat to round out the set.
At 9:30 White Reaper took the stage to an audience that grew exponentially over the course of two hours. As I looked around, I found the fans to be a very cool mix of young and old, giving a hint to the variety in their appeal.
This band also came out swinging, loud and rowdy and got the crowd amped up. Lead singer Tony Esposito and the gang delivered exactly what was expected of them. They have a style or sound that is a bit hard to nail down. At times, it was hard rock and then seemed to be more of a radio-friendly pop sound with songs like “Pages”, which is sweet as candy. The back-and-forth mix made for an interesting show and they worked the stage like pros.
White Reaper have made their way to number 1 on the Adult Alternative charts with “Pages” of late and “Might Be Right” from 2020. Both had the audience engaging and it was clear that they were enjoying the time spent with the band.
The energy was non-stop and intense throughout the evening with each band giving it all they had. Small venues like Delmar Hall are just the best place to catch a show. The laid-back atmosphere and close-up and personal touches of getting to be right next to the stage and meeting the band is an experience that just can’t be beat for the true music lover.
If you missed the show you still have another chance to see them soon. White Reaper will back in town at Pointfest on May 27. Tickets are on sale now HERE.
