As the French philosopher, Henri Bergson once said, “To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly.”
With a new year comes a big change for us, folks. Our long-time friend and drummer, Michael Register is now moving on from the group in hopes of furthering his career in marketing. Mike is going on an extensive 10 month tour around the U.S., and possibly for longer, for a promotion company. This is a huge opportunity for Mike to further himself and to delve head on into his dreams.
Michael has been the cornerstone of Downbeat Switch since its founding in 2002. He has added more than just his creative input and drumming to the music. Mike has helped guide this group through its many ups and downs, and has really helped shape the band’s future to come more than even he knows. His rhythms and dynamics have made this group’s sound what it is. It’s sometimes hard to imagine how a band can keep going after such a loss. Until recently, we’ve been asking ourselves that same question.
But with Mike’s recommendation and wholehearted support, we welcome Rob Reardon to Downbeat Switch. Rob is a veteran rock drummer in the Richmond area and a long-time close friend of the band. With Rob’s diverse drum skills and creative outlook on music, we find him to be the perfect fit for the group. If anyone can fill Mike’s shoes, so to speak, this guy can do it!
Rob has played with various groups in and around the Richmond area for the last 10 years and is well versed in the lore of Downbeat Switch. Most of the members have known Rob since pretty much the beginning of the band. We look forward to playing old and all new tunes with Rob as we move forward into the new year. Rob is excited to be part of the DbS family and is ready to help create a new imagining of the music with us. Rob also understands the importance of our old material to us and our fans, so he is working with Mike and us to keep the sounds of the music of the past as it is.
Looking forward, we can’t help but look back on the great times we’ve shared with Mike as our drummer, our partner, and our friend. No one could ever replace him in that regard. We thank Michael for all that he’s shared and given to us, and we wish him well in his journey towards his dreams of furthering himself and his career. You will be greatly missed, Mike!
Due to these circumstances, we’re forced to cancel our first “Last Saturdays” show with City Dogs on February 26th in the Fan of Richmond. We’re sorry to have to postpone the start of this soon to be regular event, but we want to be fully confident with the new member when we take the stage again. We’ll keep everyone posted.
As always, we appreciate everyone’s love and support though out all the years. We look forward to playing out with our new drummer very soon. Stay tuned for updates and shows coming your way!

~DbS~