Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Defunct Local Band Profile Series: 415E

It's now time for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile! This monthly feature ends its 2024 run by looking at another randomly selected local band who is presently inactive or defunct, but deserves a modern spotlight for current readers, and we're back in Sault Michigan to look at a long-running (if video-deficient) hard rock band that many E.U.P. concert goers of the 2010s will remember well. Here's what you should know on them!

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415E


Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

Genre: Hard Rock

Lineup: (Members not in their last full lineup are in italics)

Dave "Sonny" Menard (Dirty Musky), vocals
Chris Hubbard (Rhythm & Brews), guitar
Brett Blackwood (Dirty Musky), bass
Jason VanLuven (Unfortunate Sun), drums

Jack Slater (The Highest Of Fives, Unleashed), bass
Mitch Goetz (The Highest Of Fives, Hoist The Sails), bass
Devin Anderson (The Highest Of Fives, Free Refill), drums
Tony Hubbard (Splitshot, Stonewall Creation), drums

Audio/Video:  415E initially claimed to have finished an entire original album upon their September 2012 launch, and would play their own songs live at least into mid-2013, but the album was never visibly released. They were reticent to publically post videos of their shows or jam sessions online, possibly to encourage fans to actually see them live, but the band covered the likes of Shinedown, Godsmack, Ozzy Osbourne, and Volbeat in their early shows, with Chris also being noted for his Van Halen fandom and covering them thusly here. Dave & Brett's current band Dirty Musky will hold obvious musical comparisons to 415E, as will Chris' work in bands like Nixxon Dixxon, Splitshot, Trail's End, and (presently) Rhythm & Brews. Here's 415E's sole known public video, of their original lineup covering The Stone Temple Pilots' "Interstate Love Song" in their live debut!

Info/Analysis: Publically launching at The Hubbard-Menard Band, former Splitshot bandmates Dave Menard & Chris Hubbard soon added Jack Slater and Devin Anderson to their lineup, and took the name 415E (police code for a noise disturbance from a concert or party) in October 2012. Debuting to open for Sebastian Bach in January 2013, they began playing headlining concerts on the weekend nightclub circuit that spring, primarily at Kewadin Casino lounges, including road trips to Manistique. After a spell of shorthanded gigs (some as a duo), Dave & Chris added Mitch Goetz and Chris' dad Tony in the fall of 2014, with this era of the band running into mid-2017. 415E returned after a year+ hiatus in December 2018 with Brett Blackwood & Jason VanLuven as their new rhythm section, but shows became increasingly sporadic, and they were last seen at The Hilltop Bar on Sugar Island in October 2021.

I wish I could say more on 415E as a band, but given their elusive nature re: public videos, I'm limited for direct thoughts. Their STP cover was well done, and they always had a talented lineup, with Chris always showing considerable skill on guitar, so I'm sure that any videos from their heyday would be worth checking out if uploaded belatedly. Do check out Dirty Musky, Rhythm & Brews, and Unfortunate Sun to see what band members of their last lineup are up to nowadays, and R.I.P. Tony!

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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profile! This series will return on or around January 10th as we kick off 2025 in this series for another randomly selected profile, and next month, we're looking at 2010s Sault Ontario grindcore/death metal duo Rotopsy! Look for that then, and for weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone!

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