5th Hammer performed from 7-10 p.m. at the 2 Roots Art & Wine Gallery on April 24. 2 Roots Gallery opened in 2023 and showcases local art and artists behind its doors. 

Sean Chambers and his fiancée own 2 Roots Gallery. Chambers said they had previously been running the 200 Main Art and Wine Gallery, which opened in 2021, before rebranding and moving to the new location. 

Outside of art and wine, the venue, of course, hosts live music. A Rochester medical student, Roma Sonik, came to Eau Claire for a week to learn about pediatrics and said she was encouraged by a friend to attend the event. 

Sonik said she came to get work done and thought it would be nice to do so while listening to live music. 

“I listen to a wide array of music, but I would say this is the kind of music I would prefer to relax to,” Sonik said. 

5th Hammer is a band that was started by Robert Wojnoski. He said he moved to Eau Claire in 2018 and connected with other musicians in the area. 

Next, Wojnoski said he connected with Greg Farley and played gigs for Chambers at their previous location for the 200 Main Art & Wine Gallery. 

Now, Wojnoski plays at the new location with Farley and other 5th Hammer members such as Jamie Bowers, Allen Perkins and Todd Bartlett. 

“5th Hammer is my project, and we do a variety of tunes that resonate with me,” Wojnoski said. “We do tunes by Bob Dylan, by Steve Earle, by John Hiatt, and then we also do some other standard jazz tunes.” 

Wojnoski also said they perform original tunes like “Many Roads” and “A Woman’s Work,” which he wrote. 

Wojnoski said this was the first time they’ve had the whole group together, as most members are part of other bands and work part-time. 

The 5th Hammer concert was one of five events hosted at the 2 Roots Gallery this past week, four of which were live music with one social group. 

“We try to have music Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and then sometimes on Tuesdays we’ll host ‘Ask A Scientist’ or we’ll have a wine presentation or an author reading,” Chambers said.

Chambers also said they host ‘Wine Education’ events where people can try wines from different regions. 

The location has self-serve taps with over 100 selections of wine from around the globe. To use the taps, you insert your card into the machine and then select either a one, three or five-ounce pour. 

In addition, Chambers said they have a wide selection of non alcoholic beverages, beers, whiskeys, sakes and more. 

“We have accounts with almost all distributors in the area,” Chambers said. “We try to find wines that you don’t see everywhere and we try to find wines from regions that you might not know make wine.”

Some of these uncommon locations, Chambers said, are Greece, India, Switzerland, Georgia, Lebanon and Macedonia. The location also serves dishes such as pizzas and charcuterie boards. 

The 2 Roots Gallery also displays art for sale, and Chambers said they try to display a few new pieces each week. 

“The business started off as an art gallery first and then the wine came about second,” Chambers said. 

The next event for 2 Roots will be a performance by Driftwood on April 30, while the next 5th Hammer concert will be at 2 Roots on June 19.

Curtin can be reached at [email protected].