Friday, March 21, 2008

Level Nine

City: Miami
Years Active: 1995 - 1997 (roughly)
Type of Music: Hardcore
Myspace or Website: n/a

Level Nine was one of the first local bands I ever saw and man were they awesome live. They really had a stripped down Rage Against The Machine feel but with less technicality, more chug breakdowns, and some rapping. As I got a little older and started going to more and more shows I kinda drifted away from them and got into other things, eventually just passing them off as a rap rock band. Later on, I got a copy of their demo as mine had been lost and man was I blown away. I thought about the energy they had live and how John commanded the stage when he was up there. I can look back now with fond memories and enjoy both demos. They broke up in 1997 (if I remember correctly) and had been talking to some label (Tommy Boy I think) but nothing ever happened. Joel went on to play in School For Heroes and Endo and Eddie played guitar in Darwin's Waiting Room.

Level Nine - Demo

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=P04PA006

Level Nine - Demo 2

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=AQ2OHY4F

5 comments:

Meli said...

i remember wearing a level 9 tshirt in school and no one ever knew who they were and they would make up some joke about what it meant. they were the first band i ever saw at cheers. i went with my friend ivonne who ended up with joel for a long time. i think they're still together if i'm not mistaken.

anyway it was cool to see them on the list! :)

Anonymous said...

I remember Level 9 being around (and quickly disappearing) just as I was entering the scene. On some level the fact that their singer was black made me feel that I could be accepted within the scene. Unlike Miami proper, the old scene definitely had an element of openness to it... Too bad I never got to see Level 9 play.

Thanks for bringing back the memories...

Unknown said...

Reading this gives me chills! They were also one of the first live bands I ever saw (at cheers) when I was 13 and 14 years old. I don't have a clue how our parents were ok with dropping us off there or letting us take metro rail. That's also where I was introduced to the mosh pit and nearly 20 years later I still can't get enough mosh pit therapy. We used to pay bums across the street to get us cigs, and quarts of schlitz malt liquor. Puke! I'm going to a Hardcore show tonight in Minneapolis and will definitely bash around the pit thinking of these guys tonight. I really wish I still had my signed cd I got from them at specs (I think) in coconut Grove.

Unknown said...

Reading this gives me chills! They were also one of the first live bands I ever saw (at cheers) when I was 13 and 14 years old. I don't have a clue how our parents were ok with dropping us off there or letting us take metro rail. That's also where I was introduced to the mosh pit and nearly 20 years later I still can't get enough mosh pit therapy. We used to pay bums across the street to get us cigs, and quarts of schlitz malt liquor. Puke! I'm going to a Hardcore show tonight in Minneapolis and will definitely bash around the pit thinking of these guys tonight. I really wish I still had my signed cd I got from them at specs (I think) in coconut Grove.

MatandoGueros said...

can someone PLEASE reupload the demos?