We're closing this issue with a huge thank you to so many of you who are making a difference
in the lives of others every single day.
This includes volunteers with the Keep Wisconsin Warm Cool Fund.
It works to keep the heat and power on for those in need across the state.
And it's assisted 90,000 homes in crisis, often a senior citizen, a veteran or young family.
There are two annual events coming up in support of the fund and one is in Northeast Wisconsin.
Both created by a musician who believes in helping others.
Here's Terry Barr with Eric Chelland of the mascot theory.
He shares how you can get involved after one of the band's most popular songs, Fast Car
Get Away.
And at the end, will you expect it there to be a slow decay?
Sometimes the story gets an ending,
where the bass can't get away.
Take a bow, take a bow, take one last look around.
Take a bow, take a bow, take one last look around.
You were listening to this song,
the fast, hard, getaway.
It's by the Wisconsin-based band, the mascot theory.
And I feel so lucky to have joining me today,
lead singer and guitar player, Eric Chellen.
Thank you for having me, so excited to chat with you.
What is fast, hard, getaway about it?
Fast, hard, getaway is kind of like every now and then,
you're not going to have an option,
you just got to get out for whatever reason.
And I think that's what this is about.
And on a macro level, I'm sure there was something specific
or a few specific things that I was probably personally thinking about.
When I wrote it, but I tend to kind of leave it a little more generic,
lyrically, because I want people to be able to step inside of it
with their own situations.
The mascot theory has really a very long history of great music.
You've won tons of awards as well.
But tell us more about the band.
What makes you proud of the mascot theory?
I think overall the fact that we're still going,
because we didn't plan to be a long-term band.
It was a total accident when the band got started 13 years ago,
I think now it was a makeshift coffee house gig.
I think I had just a couple years prior started having kids
and realizing that the bar band things,
staying out till three in the morning, not working for that schedule.
So I had kind of semi-retired from that full band stuff
and started doing these little coffee house gigs.
And there was one point where my friend couldn't make it.
So Nick Fry, the bass player for the mascot theory,
who I had been in a band with now fast forward 13 years.
Still doing music, still writing music.
And now we've gone through a couple different iterations of the band
and some different guitar players.
And the one that we're in right now is just so much fun.
We're still doing this.
We understand how lucky we are to still be able to make music
and have support from fans.
And the creation of the music is the big thing.
We love playing together as a band,
but the other thing is I'm a writer,
so I'm always writing new stuff.
Creatively we're all working together really well.
Really fun.
That's the best part.
Yeah. No plans to let up either.
You and the band have always believed too
that there's something about supporting others
and making a difference.
Why is that important to you?
In anything that you do and especially music.
So if you want to build a scene,
you really got to work with other bands.
You really got to help them out vice versa
and just find ways to collaborate as much as you can
and just build that network.
You bring every year annually for flannel fest
a bunch of amazing bands together.
So anybody can go see that and support flannel fest.
But tell us about flannel fest.
Obviously you bring the bands together,
but it's also for a really good cause.
This will be our 11th year this year.
And which seems crazy.
Beth Killian, I.
11 years ago sat down probably in the spring time
or something and decided,
hey, we should get our bands together.
Masked out theory and Beth Killian band.
We should make a charity event out of it.
And that sounded great.
And we kind of looked into a lot of these different charities around.
What we liked when we did find
the Keep Wisconsin Warren Cool Fund
is that they are so homegrown.
Like it's literally Wisconsin.
So we know all the money that's raised
goes right to our neighbors in need.
They're seeing the results.
They're seeing that these people are getting helped veterans, elderly,
all these folks that need help.
And it's just amazing to be able to see that.
Overall, the whole point of it was
how can we make this great event that's good for everyone.
Plano Fest has been able to do that for 11 years now.
It seems like a perfect partnership actually.
So for people who are listening,
how can they attend Plano Fest?
Get me all the details.
Cool.
So the best place to go for all details.
PlanoFest.com.
PlanoFest.com.
So lots of information on there.
November 15th.
That's a Friday night.
We'll be up at Tanner's grill and bar.
And Kimberly Wisconsin,
which is like right next to Apple 10 Wisconsin.
So that's the 15th of November.
Then the very next night, 1116,
the Saturday night,
we'll be at the Barrymore Theater.
Love it.
And again, flannelfest.com for all the information.
Just in case people are thinking,
ah, should I go to flannelfest?
Well, here is a song you just might hear at flannelfest.
It's Shy Ones by the mascot theory.
Eric, what is this song about?
This song is kind of,
there's parts of it that's kind of about my father
who passed away.
Who is Shy Person.
And I think I'm very similar to him.
And it's just basically saying,
you don't really know what's going on on people's heads.
So you just never know.
Well, here it is.
Shy Ones by the mascot theory.
Eric Kellan, lead singer and guitar player.
Thank you so much.
Thank you, Terry.
And I get,
me and I,
the mind and soul,
chat to some of the past.
And we would talk about,
how we'll make the legacy last.
Here's a shout to your heavens
or a bone to the map.
The Shy Ones said,
all things must pass.
Here's a Shy Ones.
Only speak,
and there's focus too.
Here's a Shy Ones.
I can read what they're going to do.
Let me down.
I was born with the calculator,
sharp, sharp, sharp voice,
with a microphone that could be
all the definite noise.
Every song is a fast train
to the never tracks.
It's a one way trip.
And the kids go back.
Here's a Shy Ones.
Only speak,
and there's focus too.
Here's a Shy Ones.
I can read what they're going to do.
Thank you for being a part
of New Esca Weekend.
It's your look at stories
and issues facing Northeast Wisconsin.
New Esca Weekend is produced
and written by Terry Barr and Lisa Hale.
Our executive producer is Todd Michaels,
directed by Lisa Hale.
Our lead correspondent is Terry Barr,
with features by Conrad Krieger,
Brittany Merlot, Melissa Kay,
and Pete Chwaba.
Our commentator is Amanda Nimmer,
special appearances this week
by Pete Buttigieg,
John Mino, and Jim Schmidt.
If you have a story you'd like to hear covered,
please feel free to email it anytime.
Lisa.Hale at civicmedia.us
or you can contact us through the Civic Media app.
I'm Civic Media Northeast
Wisconsin Bureau Chief Lisa Hale
for 98.3 WISS
and 97.9 WGBW News.
Be Unstoppable.
