Citizen Soldier – First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN – May 5th, 2025

Citizen Soldier with 10 Years, Thousand Below, and Nerv – First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN – May 5th, 2025

Review and photos by Kate Klaus

Citizen Soldier’s “Semicolon Tour” is more than just a concert—it’s a thoughtful journey through music and mental health advocacy. Led by frontman Jake Segura, a clinical therapist, the band transformed their performance at the iconic First Avenue in Minneapolis into a communal healing session, resonating deeply with the enthusiastic audience. 

The tour’s lineup is bolstered by artists 10 Years, Thousand Below, and Nerv, who each added elements of musicality and connection to the show.  Nerv opened the night, with a live performance that was filled with raw energy and emotional connection.  Based out of Sacramento, their music fuses elements of alternative rock, post-hardcore, and metalcore and frontman Dillon James drives the energy up with powerful vocals.  Drummer Tyler Clark was animated and situated on near the front edge of the stage, his stylistic playing added to the show.  Altogether, they have a very authentic feel and did a great job of energizing the crowd for the night ahead. 

Thousand Below were up next, showcasing their evolution as a formidable force in the post-hardcore scene. Immediately showing their ability to blend atmospheric melodies with crushing breakdowns, lead singer James Deberg’s emotive delivery resonated deeply through the iconic venue, seamlessly transitioning between haunting melodies and visceral screams.  They have an unassuming stage presence and lighting, yet the power and the music spoke for themselves, and amped up the energy of the night another notch. 

10 Years followed up next, with an even darker vibe, as frontman Jesse Hasek took the stage with his hood up and they opened their set with “Novacaine”.  Out of Knoxville, TN, they are known for their dynamic sound, and this show was no exception.  After starting the set with a song of one of their oldest albums, the rest of their set was primarily off of their newest album “Inner Darkness”, with an mid-set injection of a dark and moody cover of Nirvana’s “Heart Shaped Box”. They ended their set going back to some of their older hits, with crowd favorite “Wasteland” and “Shoot it Out” to close the night. 

Citizen Soldier closed the night with a performance that stood as a testament to the power of music as a healing force, with Segura providing candid dialogue and background to the lyrics and emotion for their songs and providing a sanctuary for fans to meet and embrace their vulnerabilities while in the company of strangers who by the default of commonality offer support.  They opened with “Talk Me Down” and set the stage for a set full of powerful and exposed connection and vulnerability.  As their set progressed there was an unmistakable atmosphere of solidarity and emotional release throughout the crowd, and even occasional tears, showing just how powerful music can be, when delivered as artfully and effectively and with true authenticity of emotion.  And while a lot of that emotion can be heavy and deep, they beautifully punctuated the set with lighter moments, from being joined on stage by Lexx and having the whole crowd follow her on Spotify, to jokes about experiences he’s had on stage.  The amalgamation of such powerful music and lyrics with such a heartfelt delivery and authentic crowd connection set their show apart as one that would be seared into the hearts and memories of their fans, leaving a lasting impact and reminding the crowd that they’re not alone in their struggles.