It's time for our first Defunct Local Band Profile of 2026, and we're starting the year with a bang, as this month's randomly selected band is a high profile E.U.P. group who just broke up last fall after two eventful years together. Here's what you should know in our latest look back at the run of a past local metal, hard rock, or punk act!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exit 808 (previously known as Double Jack)
Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
Genre: Hard Rock
Lineup: (Members not in their last full lineup are in italics. Exit 808 were increasingly known for enlisting guest musicians in concert as band member availability fluctuated, but these performers are not listed here. Also, note that the band did imply that bassist Brad Pringle was a new member during their last concert, but he wasn't credited as such in the Facebook post announcing their breakup)
Amy Beach (Shift, Wild Fate), vocals
Dillion Semasky (Infathom, Half A Man), vocals
Nathan Webber (Crush, Tarnished, Lift The Broken), guitar/vocals
Alex Zimmerman, guitar
Blaze Beairl (Heavy Lies The Crown), bass/guitar
Jackie Moon (Molly & The Other Guys), drums
Melvin Willis (Stoned Ape Evolution), guitar
Will Robbins, guitar
Isaac "Iggy" Royer (Crush, Tarnished), bass/vocals
Myke Young (Division Of Sanity), bass
Audio/Video: A covers-only band under either of their names, Exit 808 were well filmed across their two year run, with dozens of live videos featured on their Facebook page. Once Dillion joined, the two singer format was juggled with songs featuring him and Amy sharing or alternating vocals as song needs dictated, with acts like AC/DC and Joan Jett to Evanescence and Volbeat to even Eminem & Rihanna and Tone Loc! Videos from their debut gig can also be seen on guest singer Molly Escherich's YouTube channel, while a studio cover of Black Sabbath's "N.I.B." was also recorded and posted online on April 1st, 2024. Here's one of the better quality videos of Exit 808 live with both Amy and Dillion, of them covering Seether's "Gasoline" with (I believe) Spun's Bob Libick on guest bass at 2024's Rally In The Valley in Ewen!
Info/Analysis: Debuting as Double Jack in November 2023, their original lineup (Nathan, Isaac, Melvin, and Jackie) claimed third place in that month's inaugural Lake Superior State University Battle of the Bands, but lineup turnover would quickly follow, and by the spring of 2024, only Jackie was left from who we saw at the Arts Center. They also changed their name to Exit 808 that March (due to an existing cover rock band named Double Jack downstate). Unique among local rock bands for having two dedicated lead vocalists of different genders, let alone the wide age ranges in their lineups (Amy is Blaze's mom!), Exit 808 would begin regularly playing local shows along with gigs in the central and western U.P. by the summer of 2024, including some in the Lower Peninsula, and they networked well with bands on these tour runs, with some of their members often filling in with them.
Despite Nathan's return to the band last year, live dates for Exit 808 got more sporadic by the summer of 2025 due to members' outside commitments, and they opted to amicably disband after their Halloween concert at The Back Bay Grill & Games in Brimley. A strong band with some unique covers and a lot of collective talent, Exit 808 trekked a lot of miles in their two years together, and they delivered a familiar sound with distinct visual and sonic touches to help them stand out among their local cover brethren, while also making fans and friends while touring out west. Hopefully everyone lands in new bands when able, and/or reunites when the time is right!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I hope you guys liked this month's Defunct Local Band Profile! We're heading north to Sault Ontario for the first time in this series next month, and we have a heavy hitter to get randomly selected next, namely 2007-2015 local hard rock quartet Garden Of Bedlam, so look for that on or around February 10th, and for more news and notes this week! Thanks everyone!
No comments:
Post a Comment