While there may not have been any crowd surfing or mosh pits, Cashton High School’s Rock Band, also known as Mom’s Casserole, experienced life under the limelight, or hot lamp, during a special performance on Thursday, April 23.
Mom’s Casserole opened for two nationally touring bands, POET the Band and The Almas, at the Cashton Community Hall in front of a crowd of over 50 attendees.
For guitarist, vocalist, CHS student, and aspiring performer Ethan Everhart, he had been looking forward to playing underneath all the lights and said it was a motivating experience.
“Watching the other people was inspiring,” said Everhart. “Especially when they said they don’t care about the money, they’re just doing it for the art.”
Brian Anderson and son Gavin Anderson of ThunderBox Sound & Light donated their services to the event and coordinated the bands. Brian said it all came about after seeing Mom’s Casserole perform at the holiday concert this past December. He approached the Cashton Fine Arts Boosters and together they worked to promote the show while Anderson coordinated the bands.
The show in Cashton served as the first on the Dying Poets Tour, which would take The Almas and POET The Band to Rockford, Illinois the next day, Fort Wayne, Indiana that day after that, and then Hamtramck, Michigan the day after that. The tour will take them through New York, down to Georgia, and as far west as Abilene, Texas in just the span of a month.
After POET’s set, and while introducing the headliners and Wisconsin natives The Almas to the stage, Anderson spoke about the dedication it takes to tour around the country to play music. His message to the crowd, and especially to the children, was clear: you can’t play or perform well while abusing substances.
“A band like this doesn’t play 26 out of 30 days getting hopped up on smack, smoking stuff, or drinking every day,” said Anderson. “It’s about the music and the art. Not about acting like clowns.”
Anderson said he chose these bands because he knows just how hard they work.
After the show wrapped up, The Almas’ guitarist Frank Slifka said that he’s been sober for 9 years because of the music.
“You have to follow your dreams and all these things are going to hold you back,” said Slifka. “So don’t screw it up.”
“It’s easier to work harder and keep a clear head and focused when you aren’t on substances, when you aren’t getting into crowds you shouldn’t be,” said Crystal Teigland, vocalist for The Almas. “There’s a lot of fun to be had without any of that.”
Frontwoman Teigland said this was the first time they’ve ever played for kids and with a high school rock band. Slifka said it brought him back to high school because that was when he first performed in front a people, so it was a “full circle moment.”
“Seeing kids doing that, it really brought me back,” said Slifka.
POET The Band’s Aiden Shaw thought that it was “really awesome” that the Cashton community is so supportive of their homegrown rock band. He said he’s been playing music since he was 14 while growing up in a small town in Tennesee.
His advice for the kids was to “just keep at it”.
“If you learn to enjoy what you’re doing and enjoy the moment of it, you’ll always feel rewarded by it no matter what happens,” said Shaw.
Cashton’s own School of Rock opened their set with “Rock Got No Reason (Teacher’s Pet),” a nod to the 2003 movie of the same name.
Nathan Oleson traded vocal reins with Everhart to front “Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival. Gabe Martin then stepped out from behind the keys and took up microphone duties for “Take the Money and Run” by Steve Miller Band.
Everhart returned for “Summer of ‘69” by Bryan Adams, which he says was his favorite to perform that night.
“Me and some guys from school had a band and we tried real hard,” sang Everhart.
In total, Mom’s Casserole was on stage for around 15 minutes, bringing some truth to the adage about the fleetingness of fame, but in the hearts and minds of their fans, they’ll be famous forever as Cashton’s first high school rock band.
In addition to Everhart (guitar, vocals), Oleson (bass, vocals), and Martin (keyboard, vocals), other members of the high school rock band include Kylie Balto (guitar, vocals), Alexa Kabat (drums), Miguel Perez Martinez (guitar), Malachi Goede (lead guitar), and Aiden Brown (bass).
