Exoerro — 5 August 2020 on Rocket Shop Radio Hour
Chris, Kai, Preston, and Evan
Exoerro joined host Tom Proctor on ‘Rocket Shop‘, Big Heavy World’s weekly local Vermont music radio hour on 105.9FM The Radiator. Catch up with them at facebook.com/exoerro
On Wednesday, August 5, a bunch of good-for-nothing kids came into the studio and terrorized our volunteers with their infernal racket. Just kidding. It was actually Exoerro, and they may just be the best young band in Vermont.
Evan Jennison plays lead guitar and vocals, Chris Wolak is on rhythm guitar, Kai Pasciak is on bass, and Preston Connel bangs on the drums. These talented adolescents performed for three years under the name Squid Hearts, and recently switched to Exoerro after the introduction of Wolak. That introduction occurred just this past spring, while the band was practicing in the isolation of Jennison’s basement due to COVID. Their performance on Rocket Shop marks their first live show since playing for Radio Bean in March, which is a good sign for Jennison, who says his parents aren’t always stoked about the noises erupting from their basement: “[My parents] get sick of it sometimes, but they support us.”
Young bands like Exoerro often struggle to produce diverse sounds and engaging lyrics. They simply haven’t spent enough time honing their sound, nor have they had enough life experiences to touch upon the spiritual contradictions we all struggle to resolve. But, surprisingly, Exoerro seems to come as close to achieving these things as some of the more established bands we've seen.
Their music, first of all, dances around genres. Their opening song, “Head Space,” incorporates both funk and rock influences into a cohesive piece of art. Jennison owns the stage with his poise behind the microphone, as well as with his talent on the guitar: fingers dancing over the strings like a spider racing across the floor. It’s an oddball analogy, but you’d understand it if you saw him play.
Their next song, “Close My Eyes,” removes the funk and replaces it with a dreamy, spaced-out alternative sound, filling the empty air with reverberating arpeggios. And their final song, “Warfront,” hints at a taste for ska and reggae. So whether it’s funk or synth rock or reggae, these kids know how to play it.
Jazz should also be included in that list, now that we think about it. Many of the members perform in Middlebury High School’s jazz band, honing their talents under tutelage. So although they’ve demonstrated talents beyond their age, they’re still learning. And that excites us, as it makes us wonder just how good they can become.
At the moment, their musical careers are quiet. They’ll be playing on the Bristol Town Green this Saturday, August 8 at 7:30, but beyond that they have nothing but free time. School will restart eventually, but for most of the band that means online classes and still more free time, which they’ve utilized well so far: penning new songs and practicing. But eventually we expect things to open up, and for Exoerro to start taking stages with a purpose (they’ve already played Higher Ground, by the way).
At the moment they’re looking for safe venues to play. Masks, safely distanced, and all that. These teens are a talented bunch, and they don’t want COVID to ruin their potential.
If you’re interested in contacting them, Instagram is their most active account, although they do have a Facebook as well.
Text by Luke Vidic.
Photo by James Lockridge.
