Shalerpalooza IX
When: 7 p.m. Feb. 18
Where: Mr. Smalls Theatre in Millvale
Details: Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Advanced tickets can be purchased at the high school activities office or on Mr. Small's website. For more information, contact Dale Mangold at mangoldd@sasd.k12.pa.us
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Updated 17 hours ago
The annual Shalerpalooza concert has become an outlet for Shaler Area musicians and performers to share their talents with the world.
“It's almost like becoming a rock star for the day,” said singer Kellie Milligan, a junior at Shaler Area.
This year's fundraising concert, scheduled Feb. 18, will feature 15 Shaler Area High School student bands, solo artists and performers. Shalerpalooza, in its ninth year, begins at 7 p.m. at Mr. Smalls Theatre in Millvale.
Proceeds from the show benefit class funds for each grade in the high school to help keep down the cost of senior year events like prom, yearbooks, graduate caps and gowns, said organizer Dale Mangold.
The concert started in 2009 when Mangold, a musician with the local band Tobacco Road and custodial staff member at Shaler Area High School, booked a concert for his band to play at Mr. Smalls Theatre. He thought it'd be good to have student bands open the show to get some exposure and get a taste of being on the big stage.
It was a hit and now more than 300 students and adults attend the show each year and Mangold said they've raised more than $20,000 for class funds in the past eight years.
Each band or performers will get about 20 minutes for a set to perform covers of songs or original music. Solo artists are backed by Mangold's band Tobacco Road for their sets.
The concert has become a showcase and launchpad for many Shaler Area musicians. Mangold said about half of the performers are in the school's instrumental or vocal music program and a lot of students continue on with performing in public after they graduate from high school and college.
“It's a very good feeling to see a lot of Shalerpalooza alumni out there playing on a professional basis or as a hobby,” Mangold said. “I hope I was able to be of some help to them, to give them this opportunity.”
Milligan said she'd love to make music her career after school and tries to get in all the practice she can. This is her third year singing at Shalerpalooza.
“Once you get on stage and the first note plays, it's like a dream,” she said. “It's like a dream come true.”
Junior Savanna Scholl, a singer, said she enjoys performing on stage, although she was nervous during her first performance three years ago. She draws inspiration from her mother, Kim, a singer with a local band.
“It's definitely scary at first, but it is a rush because of the energy from everyone in the audience,” Scholl said. “To have other people from my school support me and jam with me is really awesome.”
This is the third year for senior Tyler Owens to share his unique blend of music.
This year he'll add rapping to his high energy performance, he said. Owens said he fell in love with performing at Shalerpalooza because it allows him to share his music with friends and the world around him.
“It shows you the potential. Music can take you places,” Owens said.
Rachel Farkas is a Tribune- Review contributor.
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