Flaw formed in Louisville, Kentucky, in the mid 1990s, brought together when lead vocalist Chris Volz answered an ad in a local paper placed by guitarist Jason Daunt, who was looking for a lead vocalist for his band, with Volz bringing a demo tape containing some examples of his recorded vocals . The pair clicked immediately, and the two started the writing process for Flaw material that night, completing their first song, "Inner Strength," the next day . The band's rhythm section took shape over the following years, and the lineup was solidified in 1996 with the additions of Ryan Jurhs on bass, Lance Arny on guitar, and Chris Ballinger on drums . Working in the raw, hard-driving nu metal and alternative metal style that defined the late 90s underground scene, the band self-released a string of independent records, including "American Arrogance" (1996), "Flaw" (1998) and "Drama" (2000) , building a local following in Louisville before catching wider attention.
Those independent releases caught the ear of a major label, and it was the songs on these recordings that garnered the attention of Universal Republic Records, who signed the band and released the breakthrough album Through The Eyes in 2001 . The album, produced by David Bottrill and released that October, became the band's defining moment: it topped the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart and peaked at No. 119 on the Billboard 200 chart , driven by the singles "Payback" and "Whole," both of which did fairly well on radio stations, with both tracks getting accompanying music videos . The record's opening track also found a home outside the band's own fanbase, as "Only The Strong" was included on the successful soundtrack for The Scorpion King . The band toured heavily behind the album, including a spot on the 2002 edition of Ozzfest, cementing the classic lineup of Volz, Daunt, Arny, Jurhs and Ballinger as the version of Flaw most fans associate with the band's commercial peak.
Following the success of "Through the Eyes," the band spent time crafting a follow-up, largely because, as Chris Volz explained, the fairly lengthy delay between the release of Through the Eyes and Endangered Species was the result of 18 months of touring and, sequentially, the band's desire to not hastily release an album without being happy with its contents . That sophomore major label record, "Endangered Species," arrived in 2004 and debuted at #42 on the Billboard 200 chart , but the momentum proved short-lived. Soon thereafter the band went through personnel changes and ended their relationship with the label , leading to a breakup later in the decade. The band would not stay silent for long, however; in 2006, Flaw reunited with four of the founding members, Chris Volz, Jason Daunt, Lance Arny, and Chris Ballinger, and recruited bassist Alex Cando, formerly of Five.Bolt.Main . This reunited lineup played its first show back on March 11, 2007, at Headliner's Music Hall in Louisville, Kentucky, sharing the stage with Powerman 5000 before heading out on their own reunion tour .
Flaw has continued to work in fits and starts in the years since, with Chris Volz remaining the band's only true constant through a revolving cast of collaborators. From 2015 to 2017, the band reformed with three of their core members to tour and write music, releasing their third studio album, Divided We Fall, in 2016, and a fourth studio album, Vol IV: Because of the Brave, in 2019 , followed by an album of cover songs, Revival, in 2022 . Though Flaw never became a mainstream household name, the band remains a respected name from the early 2000s nu metal wave, remembered for the emotional rawness of Volz's lyrics and the genre-defining sound of "Through the Eyes," an album still regarded by longtime fans as the group's high water mark.
Flaw's road-worn history of touring makes them a fitting subject for this archive. Wayne Dennon, the concert photographer whose work this site preserves, followed the band across 16 different shows between the early 2000s and 2009, capturing them in 9 cities across 5 states as they toured through their major label years and into their first reunion. Those nights are documented in 476 photographs housed here, images that have drawn 395,758 views from archive visitors over the years, a testament to both Wayne's dedication behind the lens and the enduring pull of a band that spent nearly a decade and a half chasing the stage.
