Gemini Syndrome at Hipps Pub

Just waking up this morning after another Eau Claire, WI road trip, this time to catch national recording artists Gemini Syndrome with special guests Good Guys Wear Wolf and City of the Weak. After a couple of challenging weeks, it was good to relax and just focus on enjoying some great music with great people!

I got to Hipps Pub in Eau Claire in time to check out the crowd and catch up with a good buddy of mine. We were engaged in a good conversation when the first band, Good Guys Wear Wolf, started the show. My friend described them as Led Zeppelin meets lumberjack/redneck working class people, and I think that's fairly accurate. Great melodies and some death metal screams worked very well for this quintet. I made a mental note to check them out later (although it took a while for me to find out the actual band name).

The next act were Minneapolis natives City of the Weak. I'd seen them before at the Ashes from Stone CD release show at the Myth in Maplewood, MN in June, so I was familiar with their music. Just as I was thinking how they kind of sounded like No Doubt, the band launched into a cover of No Doubt's hit single "Just a Girl." The growing crowd was feeding off the band's energy, and they did a good job of warming up the audience for Gemini Syndrome.

Shortly before 10 pm, Gemini Syndrome launched into a heavy rendition of their song "Pleasure and Pain" from their debut album Lux. I was literally in striking distance from frontman Aaron Nordstrom, as the crowd around me gathered quickly towards the front of the stage. This was my second time seeing the band play live and the first time I'd seen them as a headliner. I really enjoyed hearing some classics from the debut, as well as new songs like "Eternity" from their upcoming album. The band closed with my favorite Gemini track "Stardust," leaving the crowd still wanting more as the road crew was taking down the set.

I bought a Gemini T-shirt after the show, got to chat with Aaron and get a pic with him, and had some good conversations with drummer Brian Steele Medina and new guitarist Chris after the show too. Hipps Pub is a nice small venue where you can have intimate conversations and interactions with musicians, which is part of the reason why I keep coming back! Another great rock show!

That's all for now folks - until next time, have a great weekend, everyone!