The Mission River Band "Mission Statement":

Some people like to listen to classic rock & roll and blues. Some love to experience it at live performances. Others enjoy owning and collecting the music and the memorabilia. Still others want to re-create it…

The Mission River Band plays the great music from the “golden age of rock” - The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Clapton, The Eagles, Van Morrison, Led Zeppelin, The Allman Brothers, Santana, Neil Young, Tom Petty, and some interesting “deep cuts” as well a few classic R&B favorites.

MRB evolved from the friendship of a group of guys - all busy in their professions, dedicated to their families, and active in the community – who got together to play simply for the joy of making music with people they liked. After a number of months of informal rehearsing on a semi-regular basis, in 2006, Mission River tested the performance waters, playing out at some private parties and local taverns. The response was more than the guys expected, and positive feedback fueled the desire to improve the performance and tighten the sound.

As the friendships deepened, the musicianship improved, and the repertoire expanded, the “mission” of Mission River also evolved. MRB is unique in that the band’s inspiration and motivation comes from performing in support of causes that are important to the group’s members. MRB has performed in support of fundraising events for organizations including Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Lumen Christi Parish School, the Boerner Botanical Gardens, Guitars for Veterans (G4V), Special Olympics, ABCD (After Breast Cancer Diagnosis) and the Retinal Research Foundation.

Come on out and join The Mission River Band in a celebration of the music we love, in support of causes we believe in. What’s better than Classic Rock, except Rock for a Reason?

The Mission River Band is, Richard Phalen, bass & vocals; Jim Lopina, keyboards & vocals; Bernard ('Bud') Bobber, guitar & vocals; John Yadgir, lead guitar, Dave Karp, guitar & piano; &  Lou Marino, drums & percussion.

The 2011 playing season is at an end. We wrapped things up playing at Winterfest on December 22, 2011. Look for some cool pics and videos coming soon from the gig. We had a great playing season. We helped raise money for Special Olympics, Big Brothers & Sisters, Make a Wish Foundation and ABCD (after breast cancer diagnosis), among many other worthy organizations. We played more gigs this year and deeper into the end of the calendar year than ever before. We also played to larger audiences and look forward to even bigger things in 2012.

There are a few surprises coming  in 2012.  We have some special 'music shows' lined up. Our former lead guitarist, John Yadgir will be re-joining our band. We are already in the planning stages for events in 2012, including a few of our main staples of events we have historically played during the last several years.

We are on a short break now over the holidays to relax, but we will be back in early 2012 ready to Rock for a  cause!

Thank you to everyone who helps support our mission.

The Mission River Band.