Rustbelt Rock Review

By: Z.M. Delgado

Volume #243: Syntax Error, Gemini Lounge, Forced Happiness & 10,000 Bird Skeletons

May 29th 2026

Well, well, well. Just what do we have here? It appears as if another edition of the Rustbelt Rock Review has emerged. With my last several installments being big shows, it has been a while since I have been out in the Scene. It’s a good thing too, I feel like I needed it. It does me well to have nights out in my favorite spots. It refreshes my soul. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The refreshment of the soul comes later. First, let me take you back. It was Friday night, around 8, when Joha and Face scooped me up. We headed west; The Five O’clock Lounge was our destination. We arrived and parked immediately, bumping into my homies, Jessica of Stargazer Studios and Eddie the frontman of After the Apocalypse. Soon after, who pulled into the parking spot behind us? None other than Jimmy “The Dook” Fedor of Roxxxstarradio. Together we entered The 5 and began our evening. We kicked it around the bar and patio, having drinks, smoking and enjoying the weather as we waited for the first band to start.

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Up first was 10,000 Bird Skeletons. This is a four man Punk act made up of two Guitars, Bass and Drums. All members of the band had mics and they all shared Vocal duties throughout the set. This was my first time seeing 10kBS, but I had heard promising things about them around the Scene, so I was interested to hear what they had to offer. Here’s what I learned. They were hard, fast aggressive Punk Rock. As I mentioned they had a multi Vocal attack, of which each voice was rough and gritty. Their varying degrees of snarl played off each other, creating a rich pallet. This use of different voices helped to keep the songs very interesting as the set progressed. I dug their stage energy. First there was the Bass player, who appeared as a wild eyed mad man each time he addressed the mic. Next to him the lead Guitarist threw down hard, jumping around and Rocking out. His stage antics were second only to his bitchin’ riffs and solos, which impressed me right off the bat. The crowd seemed to eat it up as they plowed through their set with force. On songs like “Standard American Diet,” “Nuclear Horse Piss” and “Timmy the Terrorist” they tore up The 5. I believe they played about 11 songs before calling it a night. I thought they were intense, energetic and a lot of fun. The crowd gave up a lot of love for 10,000 Bird Skeletons as they said good night. I added my applause to the din before adjourning back to the patio. (It is also worth noting that the boys in 10kBS noticed me working and decided to gift me a merch pack. A T-shirt, patch and some stickers were all included and for that I am extremely grateful. Thanks boys!)

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As is often the case at The 5, I got caught up in conversation, and missed the first song of the second band. I heard it was a Ramones cover, but who can say. What I do know is that when I raced into the club, Forced Happiness was already underway. This was a two piece act, Guitar/Vocals and Drums, though Face told me he’d seen them before and in the past they’d had a Bass player as well. So possibly they were working shorthanded. Either way they were playing and unfortunately battling some nasty line noise. There was a crackling in the sound that was driving me nuts. Eventually they wiggled the right wires, or whatever, and the noise went away, but for the first couple songs, it was rough. None the less Forced Happiness persevered and for that I give them credit. Behind the technical difficulties, they were cranking out some hard, nasty Punk Rock. It was savage and noisy and the crowd seemed to love it. Their Vocals were shrill and utterly gnarly. They played quick and had a lot fast transitions. It wasn’t long before I got confused and lost track of the song count. So it goes. Along the way I found myself enjoying the Drumwork. Meanwhile the Singer/Guitarist was very animated and extremely expressive while he sang. They closed out with a track called “Brain Dead,” which was a fast, rockin’ buzz saw. I believe they played 10 or maybe 11 songs before calling it a night. The crowd applauded heavily and Forced Happiness took their bow.

Third to the stage was Gemini Lounge. This is a five piece monstrosity that I have a hard time classifying. After this most recent set I have decided I am calling them Psychedelic Death Punk. They are a five man operation, built from Vocals, two Guitars, Bass and Drums. They began with their enigmatic front man ranting, in a funny hat, while brandishing what looked like a riding crop. Throughout the set the singer, produced other funny hats and issued many insane speeches on a variety of subjects. When Gemini Lounge opened up they unleashed a wave of raging, Rocking, Punk Rock fire. The Vocals were wild, furious and utterly brutal. The singer left the stage and jumped onto the floor. The energy was blazing and I was enthralled. On their next track the singer literally smashed a piece of cake... smearing it all over his face and leaving wreckage across the dance floor. Meanwhile, the riffs issued forth from the Guitarists came in two layers. The first was the hard pounding riffs of the Axman to my right. Secondly we got the delirious ripping leads from the second shredder at center stage. They tore through their set in a fire of bizarre and crushing Punk Rock. On songs like “King of Evil,” “Built for Abuse” and “Pull the Plug” they battered the Five and gave the fans fits. After a lengthy speech about Christianity, and something about Jesus hunting dinosaurs, the finally closed out with “Non-Cannon.” This one brought the house down and had me banging my head for sure. I believe they played about 10 songs, before calling it quits. The fans screamed in approval and Gemini Lounge said goodnight.

Our final performance of the evening came from Syntax Error. This is a two man act, made up of Guitar/Vocals and Drums. I had no idea what to expect when these guys plugged in, but what I got I completely took me by surprise. After three bands that landed somewhere on the Punk spectrum, Syntax Error was quite a change of pace. When they opened up I was amazed to hear something akin to Blackened vocals. It was a coarse snarling rasp that issued from the speakers, combined with noisy Guitars and intricate Drumwork. There was something familiar here, and I couldn’t quite place it. It took me a while to figure it out, but in the end I decided that something about them reminded me of OG Death Metal legends Death. They roared into their set and began to impress. The riffs were solid, and there were some nice lead action. The Drum work was really nice. Mid way through the set, while the Guitarist tuned, the Drummer broke into a slick solo that had the whole crowd applauding. When they dropped into a particularly fast number, a mosh pit broke out. Bodies spun and collided with glee as the band threw down with passion. Despite the fact that they were a completely different genre, the fans seemed to really dig what Syntax Error’s vibe. They played a great set. I really dug their song “Weight of the Heart,” which apparently was about the Egyptian God Anubis. They finally closed out with “Malfunction 54” which had a bad ass riff, more elaborate Drumwork and frankly, was heavy as stone. The fans cheered and just like that, the show was over.

We wandered out into the night, said our goodbyes and were soon headed east. While my night was far from over, the portion of it that the RbRR is concerned with is now at a close. It had been a great show. Each band played hard and made for an enjoyable evening. The Five was awesome and the company was great. All in all it was a fun night. So there it is, there it was and there it is going to be. I do officially proclaim this issue of the RbRR closed. I want to thank you for reading and for always supporting my endeavors and the music that we all love. Bang your heads, hoist your horns and always wear your earplugs.

Until next time, Rock on, Rustbelt,

-Z.M. Delgado

Rustbelt Rock Review

Rustbeltrockreview.com

5/31/2026

Vol. #243: Syntax Error, Gemini Lounge, Forced Happiness & 10,000 Bird Skeletons

Vol. #242: Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band