Adelitas Way & Gemini Syndrome at the Concourse

Seemingly unlikely duo, Adelitas Way and Gemini Syndrome, embarked on the Rivals tour on February 22nd, 2022

Though both bands have hard rock influences, their styles are quite different. After the Rivals tour was announced, most were asking what a nu-metal band from LA and a alternative rock band from Las Vegas had in common. After some digging there were some apparent similarities that stood out to me. Both are heavily interactive with their fan bases, the GS Synner Society and the AW Army. And Both bands have been involved in mental health advocacy. Adelitas Way has performed at several charity shows for suicide prevention, and members of Gemini Syndrome have openly talked about their own mental health struggles. Since Keynote’s main focus is mental health advocacy, these guys seemed like the perfect fit for our publication.

On March 3rd, the Rivals tour finally made its way to the Concourse in Knoxville. Considering the Concourse’s “Love Lives Here” motto, and their mission of being a welcoming environment for all, this seemed like a superb venue for this tour’s Tennessee stop. The night kicked off with two local bands, Another Fable and Autumn Reflection. Both support bands were different in sound as well. But they brought some killer jams to the Concourse stage and warmed everyone up with a combined hour long head banging session.

Another Fable

Autumn Reflection

The venue continued to fill as Gemini Syndrome prepared to take the stage. The LA born alternative band consists of; vocalist Aaron Nordstrom, drummer Brian Steele Medina, bassist Alessandro “(AP)” Paveri, and guitarist Miguel “Meegs” Rascon . Fans anxiously waited for them to take the stage, gasping each time they saw a glimpse of one of the members through the backstage curtain. Once they took the stage a thunderous applause echoed through the venue. They opened with their chart-topping hit “Stardust“. If you didn’t know the band previously, you might have been a bit intimidated by a group of guys covered in blood thrashing about on stage. But as a whole, they had such an infectious, positive air about them. Not only did they give a flawless performance; they made sure they spent plenty of time interacting with the Knoxville crowd. After their set, Medina even jumped down from the stage to stamp fans and snap a few photos with them. You really felt their love of performing throughout their whole set. And there’s no doubt the synner society got what they came for.

Setlist:
Stardust
Absolution
Reintegration
Die With Me
IDK
Baptized in Fire
Children of the Sun
Remember We Die

Gemini Syndrome online

Adelitas Way is no stranger to the touring game, as they have toured with some notable names like; Guns N’ Roses, Papa Roach, Godsmack, Seether, Breaking Benjamin, Deftones, Shinedown, Skillet, and Halestorm. The band currently consists of; Rick DeJesus on lead vocals, Trevor “Tre” Stafford on drums, Andrew Cushing on bass guitar & backing vocals. and Irman Xhelili (Awake at Last) filling in as their touring lead guitarist.

The 4-piece started their set off strong with “Sick” from their 2011 album Home School Valedictorian. Fans were already amped, but the bands stage presence and raw energy took the crowds screams to ear-piercing decibels. DeJesus, Cushing and Xhelili exuberantly bounced around the entirety of the stage, while Stafford held it down with some seriously animated percussion work. After a couple of songs the guys took a quick break to chat with the Concourse crowd. DeJesus asked if anyone was celebrating a birthday or anniversary so they could celebrate with them, and fans looked on in admiration of their want to personalize their show experience. After a 15-minute pause the band got right back to it, but not before asking to have the lights dimmed for their next song, “Last Stand“. To set the tone for the more acoustic feeling melody, the crowd pulled out their phones and lighters to fully illuminate the stage. Taking a breather with a more slow-paced track was nice, but it was time to kick it back up a notch with “Still Hungry“. DeJesus‘ bellowing screams mid chorus even incited a small mosh pit. Yeah, you read that right, a mosh pit!

After gifting fans with an hour and a half long set, it was sadly time for the night to come to a close, with their hit song “Invincible”. The Adelitas army didn’t disappoint and were screaming the lyrics louder than ever, while throwing horns. If you were lucky, you even got to strum away on Xhelili’s guitar as he passed it through the front row. The guys really rocked the house and gave a heavy hitting performance, that I’m sure had those that attended buzzing about for days. Though personally, I typically attend and photograph heavy metal or deathcore shows; I had a spectacular time. And I really enjoyed watching them adore and interact with their fanbase. I will undoubtedly see both bands again!