Gemini Fiction

The sign reads Back to the Grind a place for all to come together, to leave all labels outside.
Stepping into Back to the Grind, I found myself trying to wiggle into the crowd and unfortunately missing out on the strong aroma of coffee because I was sick.
When I finally man- aged to take a seat, the band Gemini Fiction took the stage.
Although there was another band downstairs, I did not find out until sev- eral bands had played.
You can enjoy the show from either down- stairs or upstairs where framed art pieces are dis- played all over the walls and some even hang from the ceiling.
The signs and artwork did a great job in adding to the presence and positive vibes of the coffee shop.
The employees were easy going, vibrant and great conversation starters, adding to the homey feel of the environment.
“As soon as I walked in, I felt welcome and the atmosphere in there made me feel almost like I was at home,” said sophomore Enrique Sanson.
“Everyone treated me warm heatedly and because of this I will surely be com- ing again in the future!” continued Sanson.
They don’t treat you like a customer, they treat you like you’re part of the family.
I fell in love with the sound of Gemini Fiction. They had their own twist on alternative rock with a talented guitarist keeping a nice, rough, head-bobbing rhythm throughout their original songs.
The singer was a young lady with a voice that was softly layered over the songs’ rhythms.
I was impressed over- all by how much local tal- ent was there, but the band that stood out the most to me was again, Gemini Fic- tion.
They caught my eyes and ears early on in the show and really opened me up; instead of just dis- missing local and unsigned artists as I usually do, this experience made me real- ize that there are artists out there worth giving a listen.
The band had a good mix of soft and hard songs. “The bands sounded
great. They all seemed very talented and everyone downstairs was rocking out,” said Joseph Castane-
da, a third-year student.
“I could tell that every- one in the crowd was hav- ing a good time; they were usually cheering and they all had smiles on their face, including me,” Castaneda
continued.
The show was a great
time overall, I ended up en- joying myself more than I had originally anticipated.
Though Back to the Grind’s specialty is coffee, I found that they did sell some good sandwiches and that it was vegan friendly.
The menu also includ- ed a small variety of pizza, salads, soups and bagels. They had a little bit of ev- erything to satisfy you, no matter what you’re craving.
Some of the different events at Back to The Grind included poetry readings, Open Mic, Chess Night, and live DJs.
The coffee shop is open every day of the week and is located in Down- town Riverside. - Coyote Chronicle | Written by JOSE ALVAREZ