Last Updated: 6/15/2026
Florida has no shortage of talented 80s cover bands bringing the decade’s biggest hits back to life for weddings, festivals, private parties, corporate events, and nightlife crowds. From synth-pop and new wave to arena rock and dance-floor favorites, these bands capture the sound, style, and energy that made the 80s unforgettable. Here are some of the best 80s cover bands in Florida.
Junabee
Out of Miami since 2018, Juanabe is a six-piece 80s cover band with 45-plus named venues on their South Florida resume. Their set covers the full arc of the decade: the new wave edge of The Cure and Depeche Mode, the arena stomp of Van Halen and Def Leppard, the punk-inflected catalog of The Clash, and a rotation of Spanish-language 80s rock that carries particular weight with Miami crowds.
Frontman and founder Juan Ito handles lead vocals and guitar. Robert Gonzalez plays keyboards and piano and serves as the band’s musical director, adding backing and lead vocals. Bassist Luis Beyra, rhythm guitarist Lu Lopez, and lead guitarist Albert Fortes fill out the string section, with Beyra and Lopez contributing vocals alongside Gonzalez and Ito, giving the band four active singers in the mix. Fortes is also a professional luthier, with a known focus on reproducing the tonal fingerprint of the original guitarists. Drummer Felix Rodriguez lists Neil Peart and Buddy Rich among his personal influences.
Medleys are a structural feature of their live set, not just filler transitions. The “Casbah Medley” links The Clash’s “Rock the Casbah,” After the Fire’s “Der Kommissar,” and Don Henley’s “All She Wants to Do Is Dance” in a single run; the “Sweet Dreams Medley” chains Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This),” Corey Hart’s “Sunglasses at Night,” Gary Numan’s “Cars,” and The Romantics’ “Talking in Your Sleep” without stopping. Standalone songs documented from their own recordings include Thin Lizzy’s “Boys Are Back in Town,” .38 Special’s “Hold On Loosely,” The Romantics’ “What I Like About You,” Phil Collins’ “Don’t Lose My Number,” and Soda Stereo’s “Música Ligera.”
The four-voice harmonic blend is called out across band bios, the EPK, and independent listings as the defining feature of the live performance. The band’s tagline, “We play the songs you didn’t remember you needed to hear,” signals a setlist that presses past the most obvious radio staples.
Venue credits include the Rooftop Live at the Hard Rock Guitar Hotel in Hollywood, the Coconut Grove Arts Festival, Margaritaville Hollywood Beach, Gilbert’s Resort in Key Largo, LoanDepot Park (Miami Marlins events), and Casino Miami. They opened for the B-52’s at the City of Fort Lauderdale 4th of July Spectacular and performed at the Downtown Countdown on New Year’s Eve 2022. Wedding bookings are documented at Southernmost Beach Resort in Key West and Villa Woodbine.
On Thumbtack, Juanabe holds a 5.0 from 6 reviews (rated for professionalism, value, and responsiveness). Reviewers describe the band as “well rounded,” note the crowd was kept “singing and dancing,” and one reviewer mentions having seen them multiple times (source: Thumbtack, November 2019).
Custom song requests are accommodated with four weeks’ advance notice; if a request falls outside the band’s standard instrumentation, they offer a substitution. Beyra also functions as a DJ, covering music before or between sets. Listed event types include wedding receptions and ceremonies, cocktail hours, corporate events, birthday parties, and holiday parties.
A strong fit for weddings, private parties, corporate events, casino nights, and festival stages throughout South Florida and the Florida Keys, particularly for 80s-themed events where the deeper-catalog reach across new wave, classic rock, punk, and Spanish-language material reads as an asset.
LINK: https://juanabe.co/
Careless Whisper
Careless Whisper is a Tampa Bay-based 80s cover band and the East Coast chapter of a two-coast operation run under Spandex Entertainment, covering the full spectrum of the decade: arena rock, new wave, hair metal, and dance pop all share the same setlist.
The five-piece Florida lineup is Karli K (lead vocals), JC Michel (bass and vocals), Nick T (drums and vocals), Andy R (guitar and vocals), and Freddie S (keys and vocals), with all five sharing microphone duties.
The published setlist runs deep on both sides of the decade: “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Sweet Child o’ Mine,” “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” and “Jump” anchor the rock end, while “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” “867-5309/Jenny,” and “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” cover the dance floor. The band also lists custom-request learning as an option for private bookings.
Visually, the show commits: era costumes, props, costume changes, audience interaction, and a light production built to match the decade’s scale. For black-tie events, the FAQ notes the band can adapt its look while keeping the 80s aesthetic intact.
Confirmed Florida venues include OCC Road House & Museum in Clearwater, White Elephant Pub in Englewood, and Tarpon Bay Tiki Bar in the Sarasota area. The Florida chapter is newer and its third-party review trail is still forming – the GigSalad Tampa listing has no reviews yet, and the Florida Facebook page and Instagram account are early in their growth. Two testimonials on the band’s own site name Florida attendees from Sarasota and Tampa, describing the experience as feeling like a ticketed concert.
Logistics-wise, the band covers cocktail, dinner, and dance-party playlist needs between sets, provides a wireless mic for toasts and speeches, and states on its FAQ that it books a year ahead with pricing on request.
A strong fit for 80s-themed private parties, weddings, corporate events, fundraisers, festivals, and club nights where the crowd expects to know every word of every song.
LINK: https://www.carelesswhisper80s.com/eastcoast
SWITCH Back To The 80s
SWITCH Back to the 80s is an Orlando-based 80s cover band that has been building its crowd-pleasing shows since 2004. The concept goes beyond a standard cover set: think retro costumes, themed décor, on-screen videos, and celebrity look-alikes all working together to make the decade feel like it never ended.
The band can scale from an acoustic duo up to a six-person configuration with multiple singers, currently running most shows as a five-piece. For events that need lower volume during dinner or networking, there’s also “Light Switch,” a quieter version designed specifically for those situations. Individual member names and roles are not publicly listed.
The setlist covers the decade wall to wall: “Don’t You (Forget About Me),” “Hungry Like the Wolf,” “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” “Living on a Prayer,” “Safety Dance,” “Jessie’s Girl,” “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” “Walk Like an Egyptian,” “Working for the Weekend,” and “You Give Love a Bad Name” are all in the rotation, spanning new wave, arena rock, glam metal, and pop.
The show is built around crowd involvement – sing-alongs and dancing are the core, not incidental. Full production comes with it: LED light show, 4K video screens, and a crew to run it all, available as a turnkey package for Florida events.
SWITCH has shared the stage with Tears for Fears, STYX, Rick Springfield, Berlin, Loverboy, Night Ranger, and The Romantics, and since 2018 has served as a featured headliner on Norwegian Cruise Lines ships across 17 countries. Verified bookings on The Bash include the House of Blues Orlando and Universal Studios Florida; the band is also cited for performances at Hard Rock Live at Universal CityWalk. Named event-planner testimonials on the First Class Entertainment booking page include a Gaylord Palms Resort contact calling it “a great night” and “HOMERUN,” a certified meeting planner who has booked them multiple times and notes the dance floor “is always packed to the very end,” and a senior event planner who described the crowd reaction as “a ROCKING SUCCESS.” The Bash rates them 5 out of 5 stars.
SWITCH can travel up to 3,000 miles; gig lengths run 90 to 300 minutes. Starting price is listed at $2,000 on The Bash, with $3M liability insurance. Events outside Florida may require a production rider. They are represented by First Class Entertainment for cruise line bookings.
The strongest fits are corporate events, themed private parties, casino nights, resort and country club events, charity fundraisers, and weddings where the reception floor needs to stay full all night.
LINK: https://iloveswitch.com/switch80s/
Kids In America
Kids In America brings our Charlotte-based 80s tribute show to Florida events for crowds that want the decade to feel colorful, loud, and instantly recognizable. Our show covers the core sounds of the MTV era, moving from new wave and dance-pop into rock, hair metal, and power-ballad singalongs.
We perform as a six-piece live band, giving the show a full stage sound instead of a thin nostalgia act. Shannon Remley leads vocals, Ray Hartsfield sings lead and plays guitar, Doug Grabowski handles bass and vocals, G K Via brings lead guitar and vocals, Rob Bowser covers keyboards and synths, and Mike Graci drives the set on drums and electronic percussion.
Our setlist is made for quick recognition and a busy dance floor. Published song examples include “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” “Burning Down the House,” “Come On Eileen,” “Footloose,” “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” “Like a Prayer,” “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” and “Take On Me.”
We shape the show as a full 80s experience, not just a string of cover songs. The performance blends live vocals, harmonies, guitars, synths, drums, electronic percussion, costumes, props, teased hair, spandex, and crowd participation, with no reliance on backing tracks.
Our event history includes The Fillmore Charlotte, Cohoes Music Hall, Orlando World Center, Tybee Island Post Theater, Don Gibson Theatre, botanical gardens, and Matthews Alive Festival. Gig Heaven states that we have been active for 9 years, average about 100 shows per year, and have performed about 1,000 shows.
Our booking profiles give Florida planners useful proof points. The Bash lists Kids In America at 5.0 from 7 reviews, with 12 verified bookings, membership since 2017, and 3 awards/badges. Entertainers Worldwide lists us at 5.0 from 8 reviews and 2 confirmed bookings.
For event logistics, we can provide 3-hour coverage with a 30-minute break, flexible 2-hour straight sets, covered outdoor performances, optional sound and lighting, and formal attire when the event calls for it. The Bash lists travel up to 500 miles, while Gig Heaven and Entertainers Worldwide note broader worldwide availability.
We are a strong fit for Florida 80s theme parties, weddings, corporate events, fundraisers, casino nights, theaters, festivals, class reunions, and private celebrations where synth hooks, rock guitars, and big chorus moments can carry the room.
LINK: https://kidsinamericaband.com/
The M80s
The M-80s are an Orlando-based 80s cover band with a lineup that reads less like a local pick-up group and more like a central Florida all-star roster. Guitarist and lead vocalist Kurt Frohlich has toured with Marky Ramone, Faster Pussycat, and Riley’s LA Guns, and done a one-off with the Goo Goo Dolls. His three bandmates – Paul Smith, James Woodrich, and Matt Bloodwell – hold alumni credits from 7 Mary 3, Blue Man Group, and Sheers Disney. The band has been together since 2016 and operates as a companion identity to The Spazmatics Orlando, drawing on the same roster but swapping the Spazmatics’ signature nerd-costume concept for a more direct 80s rock and pop format.
Their catalog covers the MTV era in full: “Walk Like an Egyptian,” “Whip It,” “My Sharona,” “Centerfold,” “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” “Sunglasses at Night,” “Take On Me,” “Jessie’s Girl,” “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll,” plus material from Duran Duran and Devo – new wave, bar-rock, power-pop, and the big singalong anthems in between.
The clearest credibility marker is Disney World’s EPCOT, where The M-80s have performed on the America Gardens Theatre stage as part of the Garden Rocks Concert Series during the Flower and Garden Festival, with confirmed dates in 2021, 2024, April 2025, and May 2026. That series places local and regional acts alongside nationally touring legacy artists; landing it across multiple consecutive seasons points to a band that can hold a festival crowd night after night.
A January 2025 concert review covering the same musicians (performing as The Spazmatics at The Floridian Social in St. Petersburg) noted “a hit parade of 80s classics, each song executed with energy and precision,” with the audience dancing and singing along throughout the night. GottaGoOrlando.com named The M-80s among the most popular retro bands in Central Florida in a September 2025 festival preview. No ratings were found on wedding or booking platforms for this specific act.
LINK: https://www.kurtfrohlich.net/
80s Icon Band
80s Icon Band is a Southwest Florida 80s tribute act built specifically for private events, with a catalog that runs the full decade without favoring any one corner of it. Arena rock from Van Halen, Def Leppard, and Bon Jovi sits alongside new wave from Duran Duran, Blondie, and The Cure; pop anthems from Madonna, Whitney Houston, and Cyndi Lauper share space with hip-hop floor-fillers from the Beastie Boys, Salt-N-Pepa, and Young MC; and both Michael Jackson and Prince each receive multi-song spotlights. Their published list runs 90-plus songs totaling over four hours of material.
A Facebook video tags at least seven or eight musicians by name: female vocalist Lyli Wiley (performing as “Lyli Ann”), Clint Wiley, Joe Fernandez, Luis Brito, Chris Blood, Jeremy Carter, and Kevin D. Clark, plus at least one additional member. Multiple vocalists across that lineup give the genre-hopping setlist real range in execution, not just on paper.
The band has maintained a web presence since at least 2014 and holds a listing with EastCoast Entertainment, a national booking agency operating since 1976. They often tour the Naples, Fort Myers, and the surrounding Gulf Coast market.
They fit best where guests want to dance through the whole decade in one night: corporate 80s theme events, private parties, class reunions, and weddings where the couple wants “Billie Jean” and “Pour Some Sugar on Me” at the same reception.
LINK: https://www.80siconband.com/
Bedrock 80s Cover Band
BedRock, the Jacksonville-based 80s and 90s hard rock tribute, has been active across Florida since founding bassist Pete Rivera assembled the band in April 2013. Rivera had spent the 80s and 90s touring the East Coast and Southern states with multiple acts, opening for Warrant, Night Ranger, and Sam Kinison before he started BedRock. He passed away in September 2021, but the group has continued under the same banner.
The current six-piece is anchored by Gary Cellucci on lead and rhythm guitar, who has been with the band since January 2017, trained at the Berklee College of Music, and studied privately under Alex Skolnick. Debra Bouley handles lead vocals (joined November 2024), Timothy Sprague fills the second guitar slot (joined May 2026), David Scoby plays bass (joined November 2025), James Washington is on drums (joined January 2026), and manager Chrissy Simmons Rivera contributes backing vocals in a temporary capacity.
The setlist is a broad sweep through the hair metal and arena rock catalog: “Cherry Pie,” “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” “Dr. Feelgood,” “Enter Sandman,” “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” “Still of the Night,” “Crazy Train,” “Rock You Like a Hurricane,” “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Home Sweet Home,” and “Nothing But a Good Time” are among 60-plus titles. A Halloween-specific set including “Dragula” and “Monster Mash” is also in the repertoire.
The band’s stated approach is to skip the wigs and costumes and let the songs do the work. Sets flex lighter or heavier depending on the event, which gives planners some programming control without hiring a second act.
Venue credits span a meaningful range: VIP Pre-Game Reception at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena for the Jacksonville Icemen’s Military Appreciation Weekend, the Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center at World Golf Village in St. Augustine, repeat bookings at Arnold’s Lounge in St. Augustine, and a Bike Week slot at Saints and Sinners Pub in Ormond Beach. The band is listed in the Visit St. Augustine official musician directory.
A practical fit for corporate events, casino nights, fundraisers, outdoor festivals, and private parties built around the 80s hard rock catalog. The ability to dial the set heavier or softer also makes them a workable option for country clubs or weddings where the crowd skews rock but the volume question is still open.
LINK: https://bedrockband.net/
Stereotomy
Stereotomy is a Fort Lauderdale six-piece that built its reputation since 2010 working South Florida’s corporate events, private parties, and club and restaurant residency circuit, staying squarely inside the New Wave and Retro Rock catalog of 1979 to 1989.
Vocalist and guitarist Brad Raker brings road credits opening for Van Halen, Cheap Trick, Joan Jett, Cyndi Lauper, and Robert Palmer, plus original recordings that charted on Billboard and Dance Music Authority. Lead vocalist Heather Davis spent years as a backing vocalist for Sammy Hagar, Robby Krieger, Richie Sambora, Stephen Stills, Joe Bonamassa, Debbie Gibson, Belinda Carlisle, and Brad Paisley, and has been featured in Rolling Stone, on the CW Network, and on AXIS TV. Drummer Jeremy Lechner carries 30 years in original and cover bands; guitarist Mike Elmore completes the four members currently listed on the website. The band’s own site describes the full configuration as a six-piece, with bass and keys rounding it out.
The catalog runs to more than 80 titles. New Wave floor-fillers include “Hungry Like the Wolf,” “I Ran,” “Tainted Love,” “I Melt With You,” “Just Like Heaven,” and “Don’t You Forget About Me.” Rock-leaning singalongs cover “Jump,” “Livin’ on a Prayer,” “White Wedding,” “Love Shack,” and “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” Deeper cuts like “The Warrior” (Scandal), “Policy of Truth” (Depeche Mode), and “Words” (Missing Persons) push the set well past a hits-only approach.
The show is entirely live, performed on instruments from the era with no backing tracks, no sequencers, and no lip-syncing. The band performs in period-correct 80s attire and carries its own PA and lighting.
The strongest venue credit is the Hollywood Beach Bandshell at Margaritaville Resort in Hollywood, Florida, where Margaritaville Hollywood Live’s own Facebook page posted by name: “Stereotomy tearing up the Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Bandshell! The crowd was going crazy!” Other documented public dates include Shooters Rock The Dock in Fort Lauderdale and JP Mulligans in Pembroke Pines.
When active, Stereotomy has targeted weddings, corporate events, private parties, bar and club nights, class reunions, and themed 80s celebrations.
LINK: https://www.stereotomy.net/
ONE80BAND
ONE80BAND is a Naples-based 80s tribute act aimed squarely at the MTV era, the kind of set where neon pop, guitar-radio hooks, and dance-floor choruses all live in the same night.
The posted lineup is a four-piece: Trista Lane on lead vocals, Scotty Walsh on bass and vocals, Jim Minix on drums, and Joey Kodak on lead guitar and vocals.
Their public song trail leans familiar and party-ready, with clips and listings tied to “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Just What I Needed,” “Funkytown,” “You Keep Me Hangin’ On,” “Pour Some Sugar,” “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” “Karma Chameleon,” “Hungry Like the Wolf,” “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” and “Tainted Love.”
For planners, the appeal is straightforward: a compact live band built around recognizable 80s dance and rock hits rather than deep-cut tribute theater. That makes them a practical fit for crowds that want the hooks fast and the floor moving.
Cavo Lounge in Naples is the strongest public venue proof I found, with additional listings connected to Seed to Table, Sea-Craft Waterfront Tiki, and Sneaky Pete’s Bonita. The official site also notes drummer Jim Minix as one of the band’s original members since 2019.
The official booking page lists corporate events, parties, festivals, weddings, music venues, holiday events, and fundraisers, with a quote form for event inquiries.
Best fit: Florida weddings, corporate parties, fundraisers, festivals, class reunions, casino nights, and 80s-themed private events where familiar MTV-era songs matter more than a formal concert-tribute format.
LINK: https://www.one80band.com/
On the Roxx
On the Roxx is a West Palm Beach cover band that works two ways: as a full-range party act with a deep 80s core, or as a self-contained tribute show – scalable from 4 to 8 pieces to fit the room and the budget.
Bandleader and lead singer Diane DeNoble comes out of Philadelphia with a resume that spans Broadway, Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Bali, and multiple engagements aboard Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas. She fronts a four-piece core that includes Mike “Big Dog” Hundley on guitar and vocals, Paul Lee on bass and vocals, and Rob Stevenson on drums and vocals – three additional singers who make the decade’s stacked call-and-response moments land correctly.
The 80s catalog reaches across the pop and rock spectrum: “Jessie’s Girl,” “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” “Tainted Love,” “Love Shack,” “Walk Like an Egyptian,” “99 Red Luftballoons,” “I Ran,” “Boys of Summer,” “Billie Jean,” “Time After Time,” “Straight Up,” and “Don’t Stop Believin'” are all on the official songlist. For events that want a tighter format, the band packages “Straight Up 80’s!” – a 60 or 90-minute self-contained tribute act built around Madonna, Michael Jackson, Joan Jett, the B-52s, The Clash, and Blondie, usable as a theater-style booking or festival mainstage slot.
The City of West Palm Beach booked them for the Clematis by Night public concert series in January 2025. The booking history listed on Diane DeNoble’s calendar page also includes the Wellington Amphitheater, Harbourside Amphitheater in Jupiter, CityPlace Outdoor Stage, the Breakers Hotel Palm Beach, and Mardi Gras Casino. Their profile on The Bash dates to 2011.
On WeddingWire, they carry a 5.0 out of 5 from 2 reviews. One wedding client reported the band learned the couple’s first-dance song and adjusted break timing during the reception to keep momentum going. The Boca Hotel and Resort and Aristotle International (Washington D.C.) both appear in the band’s testimonials; Aristotle used them for destination corporate events in Palm Beach one year and Miami the next.
The band handles cocktail-hour sets, ceremony music, reception, and rehearsal dinner, and carries its own sound and lighting. Custom song requests are accepted. Air travel is available. The Bash lists a starting price of $1,200 per event, though that figure may reflect older data.
The “Straight Up 80’s!” format, the multi-decade songlist, and the 4-to-8-piece flexibility make them a reasonable fit for weddings, corporate events, resort functions, outdoor festivals, and themed 80s celebrations.
LINK: https://ontheroxxband.com/
Chemistry
Chemistry is a four-piece 80s synth-pop-rock cover band out of Port Saint Lucie, Florida, built to cover the whole decade from new wave to arena-rock. Their range isn’t a marketing line; the setlist proves it, moving from Duran Duran and A Flock of Seagulls to Pat Benatar and Def Leppard without flinching.
Lead vocalist Ronnie Wildermuth trained in opera and classical music before fronting a wedding/all-occasion band and a traveling cabaret show, and her background shows in a setlist that demands real range. Jeff Wildermuth handles guitars, bass, keyboards, and all the sequencing and programming that give 80s tracks their texture; he also has a background as a recording engineer and studio operator. Bassist Mike Lettera brings more than a decade of live experience across Florida. Drummer Evan Jacobson, who joined in 2025, holds a master’s degree in music and wrote his 1995 graduate thesis on combining electronic triggers and MIDI with acoustic drumming – a technique he puts directly to work reproducing 80s production sounds live. The band occasionally performs as a power trio.
The 60-plus song catalog hits the decade’s most-requested moments: “(I Just) Died In Your Arms,” “Don’t You (Forget About Me),” “Hungry Like the Wolf,” “I Ran,” “Take On Me,” “Rio,” “The Safety Dance,” “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” “Heart of Glass,” “Working for the Weekend,” and “Only the Lonely,” alongside deeper cuts like Missing Persons’ “Walking in L.A.” and A Flock of Seagulls’ “Space Age Love Song.”
Shows skew toward dance party energy. The band encourages 80s dress, and their Treasure Coast crowds appear to take the suggestion seriously.
Listed on The Bash since 2021, Chemistry has built a consistent regional circuit with repeat bookings at Charlie’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill in Stuart, Hop Life Brewing in Port St. Lucie, and Capt Hiram’s Resort in Sebastian. They have also appeared on the Riverside Theatre’s Loop Kitchen & Bar free concert series in Vero Beach, the City of Port St. Lucie’s River Nights outdoor series, and are booked for the 54th Annual Sebastian Freedom Festival on July 4, 2026. Private event bookings include multiple active adult communities in the Port St. Lucie area.
Sets typically run three hours. Chemistry travels up to 100 miles from Port Saint Lucie and starts at $500 per event per The Bash. A technical rider and EPK assets are available on the website.
Good fits include 80s-themed dance parties, outdoor festivals, private community and club events, class reunions, and bar or club nights on the Treasure Coast and surrounding South Florida markets.
LINK: https://www.chemistry.band
Section 8
Section 8 is a pure 80s hard rock and hair metal party band based in Fort Myers, Southwest Florida, with roots going back to the Atlanta club scene in 2003. They built their early catalog at Georgia venues before relocating to SWFL, where they’ve worked steadily through the regional bar and festival circuit.
The four-piece lineup features Pony Girl on vocals, C.C. Bones on guitar, Peter Hard on bass, and Bobby Thunder on drums. All four perform under stage names that lean into the decade’s leather-and-smoke identity without apology.
Their documented setlist targets the hair metal canon: “Paradise City,” “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love,” “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’,” “Round and Round,” “Cherry Pie,” “Talk Dirty to Me,” “Metal Health,” and “T.N.T.” are confirmed titles, with artists including Guns N’ Roses, Van Halen, Judas Priest, Ratt, Poison, Quiet Riot, and AC/DC among the covered acts.
The show travels with its own infrastructure: full PA system, dedicated sound engineer, lighting rig, and fog and smoke effects. Gallery photos from regular appearances at Buddha Live and Jack’s Seafood Bar and Grill in the Fort Myers area show the smoke cannons in use mid-set. GigSalad describes the package as including “entertaining humor” and period-appropriate stage looks.
Section 8’s Atlanta-era credentials include documented live recordings at the Variety Playhouse, a 1,000-capacity Atlanta concert venue, with several of those recordings hosted directly on the band’s official site. In Southwest Florida, they appeared on the main stage at the April 2022 Rock the Arches benefit festival at Lani Kai Island Resort on Fort Myers Beach, a multi-act outdoor event covered by Fox 4 News.
Creative Loafing, Atlanta’s long-running alt-weekly, reviewed the band during their Georgia years and wrote that each song was delivered with “equal helpings of energy and excitement.” A second notice in the same publication called out the eclectic range and intensity of their hard rock material.
Section 8 is built for club nights, outdoor festivals, corporate parties, class reunions, and 80s-themed events where a self-contained, full-production hard rock show anchored by a female lead vocalist is the central attraction. The production setup also makes them viable for events where the venue cannot supply a full sound and lighting rig.
LINK: https://www.thesection8band.com/
The Scream Machine Band
The Scream Machine Band is a Tampa-based 80s arena rock tribute act with a documented run going back to approximately 2010, covering the power-chord catalog of Motley Crue, Bon Jovi, Van Halen, Journey, AC/DC, Poison, Metallica, Billy Idol, Foreigner, Rush, Ratt, Pat Benatar, and Guns N’ Roses across the Tampa Bay region’s clubs, breweries, and benefit stages.
Publicly available lineup information dates to 2013, when the band was a four-piece: Jay Hajj Jr. (guitar, lead vocals), Brad Keith (bass), Del Westcott (drums), and Craig Johnston (guitar). Johnston has been referenced in more recent Facebook content; current roster configuration is not documented in any public source.
Confirmed covers include Van Halen’s “Eruption” and Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” (both documented as Facebook video titles), with Quiet Riot’s “Metal Health” and “Wanted Dead or Alive” referenced in booking site copy alongside a broad catalog of anthems from the above artists.
The OCC Roadhouse described the band as delivering “powerful renditions,” and typical sets run roughly three hours, consistent with the 8:00pm to 11:00pm booking slots documented across multiple venues.
Scream Machine’s show history includes the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa (a first responders benefit concert, August 2013) and Jannus Landing in St. Petersburg (the Our Fallen Heroes Benefit Concert). The band traces its origins to a charity fundraiser for fallen police officers’ families at Gaspar’s Grotto in Ybor City. Return bookings at Motorworks Brewing in Bradenton, the OCC Roadhouse in Clearwater, Woody’s River Roo in Ellenton, the Gator Club in Sarasota, and the Toasted Monkey in St. Pete Beach document consistent activity across the full bay area.
Motorworks Brewing named the band “one of our most successful live music artists” following a January 2024 appearance, and noted a prior show had “packed our biergarten” (motorworksbrewing.com; sarasotaeventscalendar.com, 2023-2024). A March 2025 Meetup listing called the band “very popular” and noted that the OCC Roadhouse “gets quite a crowd for their concerts.”
Scream Machine fits naturally on bar stages, brewery patio nights, outdoor festival lineups, 80s-themed events, and charity or benefit concerts across the Tampa Bay region.