GEMINI SYNDROME Announces Summer Tour and Festival Appearances

Los Angeles alternative metal band GEMINI SYNDROME has announced that after a lengthy, multi-year absence from touring that they will be returning to the road this summer, joined by A Killer’s Confession, Ovtlier and Pushing Veronica, with Eva Under Fire also on a select number of shows.

“We’re very excited to get back on the road this summer with some great friends,” says vocalist Aaron Nordstrom. “After all that the world has been through, it will be nice to be part of the communion of synners once again. See you all soon!”

Drummer Brian Steele Medina continues, “It’s great to get back out and visit with our brothers and sisters again. Now more than ever we could all use music and human contact to balance out the pandemic, murder hornets & Pentagon UFO videos.”

VIP packages are available for all shows at SynnerSociety.com.

GEMINI SYNDROME is touring in support of their recently released singles “Die With Me,” “IDK,” “Reintegration” and their forthcoming new studio album. “Die With Me” is currently #35 on the national Active Rock radio charts and Top 20 at Sirus/XM’s Octane. Watch the music video HERE and purchase/stream the track HERE.

“23, Shakespeare, The divine wedding of yin and yang… ‘Die With Me’ is an invitation for the listener to come along on the journey of self-discovery with us, which ultimately leads to the death of the lower self and the resurrection of the higher self,” says Nordstrom. “Lao Tzu said, ‘The one created the two, the two created the three, and then came the 10,000 things.’ 2 and 3 respectively correspond to the male and female energies. 2 being a single line and 3 being a triangle or vessel. Therefore 23 signifies the merging of the seemingly opposite energies of male and female.”

Drummer Brian Steele Medina adds, “In our life we have many deaths, and many reincarnations, and these experiences transform us into a more complete version of our true self… Though while we’re going through it, it’s often uncomfortable, painful, and we tend to avoid these spiritual growth spurts because we’re more comfortable sitting in our pain and shit, than walking through it. So, after we’ve walked through enough of these challenges, we might seek out that person, or tribe whose combined experience could help each other traverse that path to transmutation.”

“Our video for ‘Die With Me’ is designed for the watcher to be exposed to certain signs and symbols and evoke a spiritual experience. It depicts a young initiate performing a ritual at her sacred altar. The blindfold symbolizes that her quest for truth must begin within. She contemplates time, and she laments death and learns that time is an illusion. She scribes the language of her heart as she cries out to the Universe, (Uni-Verse = The One Song.) And we’re all dead, so that’s cool too.”

Nordstrom says, “The video for ‘Die With Me’ shows a different side of death than we’ve shown before. Even though we’re all fatally wounded in some way, we’re still performing and extending our invitation. Maybe the girl is performing a ritual to help our souls cross the river styx? Or to keep us animated in our now, dead state.”

“Die With Me” sets the stage for the band’s third album, scheduled for release later this year via Century Media. GEMINI SYNDROME spent the better part of 2018-2019 writing the final installment of their long-planned trilogy. They retreated to Brian Steele Medina’s Las Vegas home studio, where they meticulously crafted song after song, relentlessly reworking and rearranging the musical arrangements until they were fully satisfied. After an exhaustive writing process, GEMINI SYNDROME relocated to Good Sounds Studio ion Tempe, AZ, where producer Matt Good would help realize the collection of songs. Medina recalls, “We absolutely loved working with Matt and he completely understood where we wanted to take this album creatively and what it was going to take to bring the third chapter of this trilogy to light. Our actual collective blood, sweat and tears went into its creation.”

“Die With Me” follows the release of “IDK” and “Reintegration” and is the band’s first new music since the release of their sophomore album Memento Mori (2016), which hit #1 on Billboard Heatseakers Chart and spawned five singles “Eternity,” “Anonymous,” “Alive Inside,” “Sorry Not Sorry” and “Remember We Die.”

GEMINI SYNDROME tour dates:
7/9 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Royal Bar
7/10 – Grand Junction, CO – Mesa Theater
711 – Colorado Springs, CO – Sunshine Studios Live
7/13 – Lincoln, NE – The Royal Grove
7/14 – Iowa, City, IA – Wildwood*
7/16 – Grand Rapids, MI – Upheaval @ Belknap Park**
7/17 – Cadott, WI – Chippewa Valley Music Festival**
7/18 – Belvidere, IL – Apollo Theatre
7/20 – Des Moines, IA – Lefty’s Live Music
7/21 – Joliet, IL – The Forge
7/23 – Westland, MI – The Token Lounge
7/24 – Marietta, OH – The Adelphia Music Hall
7/25 – Rochester, NY – Montage Music Hall
7/27 – Clifton, NJ – Dingbatz* 7/28 – Pittsburgh, PA – Crafthouse*
7/30 – Stroudsburg, PA – Sherman Theater
7/31 – Harrisburg, PA – Stage On Herr @ H-Mac
8/1 – Baltimore, MD – Sound Stage
8/3 – Ft. Wayne, IN – Pierre’s Entertainment Center
8/5 – Columbus, OH – The King of Clubs
8/6 – Akron, OH – The Empire Concert Club & Bar
8/7 – Louisville, KY – Diamond Concert Hall
8/8 – Nashville, TN – The Basement East
8/10 – Tulsa, OK – The Shrine
8/11 – Oklahoma City, OK – 89th Street Collective
8/12 – Lawrence, KS – the Bottleneck
8/14 – Denver, CO – The Oriental Theater
8/15 – Albuquerque, NM – Launchpad

  • Fozzy headlining, no Pushing Veronica
    ** Festival, no A Killer’s Confession, Ovtlier, Pushing Veronica
    *** Eva Under Fire is direct support, no Ovtlier

GEMINI SYNDROME is:
Aaron Nordstrom – Vocals/Keyboards
Brian Steele Medina – Drums,/Programming
Alessandro “AP” Paveri – Bass
Meegs Rascon – Guitar
Nicholas Paul Arnold – Touring Guitar

GEMINI SYNDROME online:
www.facebook.com/GeminiSyndrome/
www.instagram.com/geminisyndrome/
https://twitter.com/GeminiSyndrome
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE8ahxIvVScV2EJpwCbm_bQ

JUDAS PRIEST ANNOUNCE RESCHEDULED 50 HEAVY METAL YEARS TOUR

One of heavy metal’s all-time greats, Judas Priest, will finally get the opportunity to celebrate their 50th anniversary this year with the launch of a North American tour this fall. The 50 Heavy Metal Years Tour will also feature Sabaton as openers and is being fueled by the highest charting album of Priest’s career, ‘Firepower,’ which peaked at #5 on the Billboard 200.

Produced by Live Nation, the North American tour – which will run throughout September (kicking off on September 8th in Reading, PA) and November (concluding on November 5th in Hamilton, Ontario), will feature a variety of special effects, which will undoubtedly enhance the might of Priest’s metal.

Rob and Andy on stage

Tickets for the newly announced dates will go on sale beginning this Friday, June 11th at 10am local time at http://Ticketmaster.com

Tickets for the previously announced tour dates are available now.

“Defending the heavy metal faith for fifty years, the Priest is back!” – Rob Halford

“Time to don the leather and studs and roll out the Priest Machine – celebrating our 50 Heavy Metal Years!!” – Glenn Tipton

“After the horrific year of restrictions we’ve all had to endure, what better place to break free, than the land of the free – the USA!” – Ian Hill

Judas Priest originally formed in 1970 in Birmingham, England (an area that many feel birthed heavy metal). The original nucleus of musicians would go on to change the face of heavy metal. Throughout the 70’s Priest were responsible for helping trail blaze metal with such classic offerings as ‘Sad Wings of Destiny’ (1976) ‘Sin After Sin’ (1977) and ‘Hell Bent for Leather’ (1978) as well as one of the genre’s top live recordings ‘Unleashed in the East’ (1979) among others.

It was during the 80’s that Priest conquered the world, becoming a global arena headliner on the strength of such all-time classics as ‘British Steel’ (1980) and ‘Screaming for Vengeance’ (1982), as well as being one of the first metal bands to be embraced by the then-burgeoning MTV, plus performing at some of the decades biggest concerts (1980’s Monsters of Rock, 1983’s US Festival, and 1985’s Live Aid) and being the first to exclusively wear leather and studs – a look that began during this era and would eventually be embraced by metal heads throughout the world. Priest’s success continued throughout the 90’s and beyond with the addition of drummer Scott Travis, as evidenced by such additional stellar offerings as ‘Painkiller’ (1990) ‘Angel of Retribution’ (2005) and ‘A Touch of Evil: Live’ (2009) the latter of which saw Priest win a Grammy Award for a killer rendition of the classic ‘Dissident Aggressor’.

In 2011 new guitarist Richie Faulkner came in to replace the previous guitarist who had left in 2010 – the move seemed to have reinvigorated the band, as evidenced by a show-stealing performance on the ‘American Idol’ TV program that also served as Faulkner’s debut performance with the band (also in 2011 was the release of a new compilation ‘The Chosen Few’ which included Priest classics selected by some of metal’s biggest names) and the ‘Epitaph’ concert DVD in 2013.

Priest’s next studio effort would arrive in 2014 ‘Redeemer of Souls’ which was supported by another strong tour. In 2017 (and again in 2019) Judas Priest received a nomination for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and got ready to unleash their latest studio album ‘Firepower’ (produced by Andy Sneap and Tom Allom) which received global success and critical acclaim. In 2020, a fully official and authorized photographic book, ‘Judas Priest: 50 Heavy Metal Years,’ was issued.

Few rock or metal acts remain as much of a must-see live attraction as Judas Priest. Having been forced off the road for over a year, Priest will soon make a most-welcomed return to metalheads coast to coast, with the 50 Heavy Metal Years Tour.

Get tickets here https://www.ticketmaster.com/judas-priest-tickets/artist/807246

CONFIRMED TOUR DATES:

9/8/2021 Reading PA Santander Arena*
9/9/2021 Virginia Beach VA Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater+ 9/11/2021 Orlando FL Central Florida Fairgrounds^# 9/13/2021 Charlotte NC PNC Music Pavilion 9/14/2021 Raleigh NC Red Hat Amphitheater
9/16/2021 Grand Rapids MI Van Andel Arena*
9/17/2021 Youngstown OH Covelli Centre^
9/19/2021 Detroit MI Fox Theatre*
9/20/2021 Rosemont IL Rosemont Theatre*
9/22/2021 Milwaukee WI Miller High Life Theatre^
9/23/2021 Minneapolis MN The Armory*
9/25/2021 Maryland Heights MO Saint Louis Music Park
9/26/2021 Louisville KY Louder Than Life Festival^#
9/29/2021 Denver CO The Mission Ballroom^
9/30/2021 West Valley City UT Maverik Center*
10/2/2021 Everett WA Angel Of The Winds Arena*
10/3/2021 Portland OR Moda Center*
10/5/2021 Oakland CA Fox Theater^
10/6/2021 Los Angeles CA Microsoft Theater^
10/8/2021 Las Vegas NV Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood
10/9/2021 Phoenix AZ Arizona Federal Theatre
10/12/2021 San Antonio TX Freeman Coliseum^
10/13/2021 Cedar Park TX HEB Center Cedar Park^
10/15/2021 Irving TX The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
10/16/2021 Oklahoma City OK The Zoo Amphitheatre^
10/19/2021 Independence MO Cable Dahmer Arena*
10/21/2021 Nashville TN Nashville Municipal Auditorium*
10/22/2021 Alpharetta GA Ameris Bank Amphitheatre*
10/24/2021 Charleston WV Charleston Civic Center Coliseum*
10/25/2021 Philadelphia PA The Met*
10/27/2021 Newark NJ Prudential Center*
10/28/2021 Oxon Hill MD The Theater at MGM National Harbor
10/30/2021 Mashantucket CT Foxwoods Resort Casino – Grand Theater^
10/31/2021 Lowell MA Tsongas Center At UMass Lowell*
11/2/2021 Halifax NS Scotiabank Centre*
11/4/2021 Laval , QC Place Bell*
11/5/2021 Hamilton ONT First Ontario Centre*

Vinyl Review-Tiffany – Hey Baby

Today was a good day , not every day is a good day , but today most certainly was ,the reason you ask ? I got a package in the mail and it was an awesome package . Legendary 80’s icon, Tiffany, has just released her new single “Hey Baby” which is taken from her forthcoming album, ‘Shadows’. Tiffany says about the new single, “Hey Baby is a little wink to the retro 80’s punk flare with the modern production of today. This song is quickly becoming one of my favorites to perform. It’s flirty and fun.” “Hey Baby” is out now digitally and also available on a limited 12” Vinyl picture disc along with the re-record of her #1 Hit “I Think We’re Alone Now” and I have a copy !

Tiffany Live On Stage

I listened to it several times already today , it just grows on you . I was lucky enough to see her perform in 2011 and it was an amazing performance and show , I cant wait to see her again and so should you with a new album to be released it .

“Hey Baby” is an ode to punk pop with some nitty gritty thrown in and you can hear the Nashville influence in her voice .It is just a fun song and makes you smile .She is doing s summer tour with some heavy hitters to help her out . To help deliver this rocking sound, she has enlisted current L.A. Guns members Johnny Martin and Scot Coogan to join her as her rhythm section on the ‘Shadows’ tour . Visit Tiffany’s site for a full list of current tour dates and stay up to date on more shows being added.

You can hear it here https://youtu.be/V9pyYw6LapU

You can order it here https://www.merchbucket.com/collections/tiffany

To keep up with all things Tiffany check out the official site https://tiffanytunes.com/

Tommy Amato Rock Relief 2021 -A Tribute To Helping Others !

The annual Tommy Amato Rock Relief benefit was held over the weekend at Slim and Chubby’s in Strongsville ,Ohio this past Sunday .The annual event chooses a local musician in need every year as its recipient, usually due to a medical condition .Now in its 17th year( 2020’s was cancelled due to the pandemic ), this years recipient was famed drummer Don Kruger of Beau Coup . The event brings together some of the best artists around and this year show, tribute was the name if the game musically along with a host of celebrity items up for auction .

Some of The Items Up for Auction

One of the bands performing was” The Diamond Project” , a Neil Diamond tribute and you would swear he was right on stage , They were that good ! This is a must see if you ever see them coming to a venue near you !

The Diamond Project

Up next reliving some Tom Petty was ” Shadow Of A Doubt” and I would have thought Pandora was playing on the radio they were that close .

Shadow of a Doubt

One of acts I was extremely excited to see was the” Best of Times ” a Styx tribute band and to say they did not disappoint is an understatement, They channeled JY, Tommy, Lawrence and Dennis. The drummer even hit every signal fill and beat Todd does live . Get to a show right way and see this band !

Best Of Times

Last of the evening but not least was ” Straight On” a Heart tribute act and the vocals were near perfection …. You could feel the magic in the air .

Straight On

All in all , a great time was had by all especially the fans of live music who came out after 16 months of hibernation and showed they still love to rock and help one of our own .It was nice to see Don Kruger out and about , you could tell he was very touched by the out pouring of support from the community, until next time see you in front of the stage .

Album Review -Styx Crash of the Crown -out June 18th

As I write this I have had a couple of weeks ( and several listens ) to preview the latest album by the legendary Styx . This is the 17th studio release by the group and in it one of the best .

Styx live on stage

The album opens with the track” The Fight of Our Lives ” and it tackles head on all the thoughts everyone has had in 2020 / 2021 . Basically about overcoming obstacles and never giving up . I try not to do a song for song detail review because if I do then It will spoil the magic but I will highlight some of my favorite parts .But I do really like the bridge in ” A Monster ” The drums and lead guitar work really shine on this track .Lawrence’s vocals take it up a notch in ” Reveries ” Touching and thought provoking, ” Hold Back The Darkness ” is a song that gets more serious as you listen more and more . It does remind me a little of Pink Floyd at times in certain spots . A rockin tune , ” Save Us From Ourselves ” reminds us that Styx is a rock band and with this they get back to their roots .The title song ” Crash of The Crown ” is perfectly named in these trying time . The duel lead guitars and vocals and is a little reminiscent of Queen but this is destined to be a classic .One of my favorite of my songs of theirs .

On a positive note is ” Our Wonderful Lives ” It just makes you smile and think of great times of the past and of the future . A really awesome song . I thought Styx went industrial via Terminator on ” Common Ground ” intro but that is Styx , they can put anything in a song and make it gel and blend together and sound natural .

There is 15 tracks on this album and it is a fluid transition from their previous effort “The Mission ” I rarely do this but I give it four stars out of four stars . If you are a rock fan and want some new music to listen to then this is the album for you .Its available in just 10 days so mark you calendar and reserve you copy. To learn more about the band and all things Styx check out the official page at https://styxworld.com/

Ricky Phillips, James Young and Tommy Shaw of Styx