<\/a><\/div>\n
Photo of On Probation performing. Photo retrieved from On Probation.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n On Probation, a nine-member band, is building a reputation in the local La Crosse music scene for its energetic live performances and heavy sound.<\/span><\/p>\n The group includes Owen Foster, guitar; Aidan Hawkins, guitar; Neil Clyne, bass and trumpet; Jacob Sabir, drums; Josh Craft, guitar; Ben Bakkum, guitar; Josh Horman, bass; Ben Powell, vocals; and Thomas Giere, vocals.<\/span><\/p>\n Formed in October 2024, the band draws primarily from rock and grunge, but their sound resists being defined by a single genre. That flexibility comes directly from the members themselves, each bringing their own musical background into the mix.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe all kind of bring our own thing to the band. There are a lot of different musical influences in what we play,\u201d Hawkins said.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe cool thing about being a cover band is that we don\u2019t have to stick to one genre,\u201d said Giere.<\/span><\/p>\n With so many members contributing ideas, the band sees its size as a creative advantage rather than a limitation.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s cool that we have so many members because we all have different influences. It allows us to play a lot of different stuff and do what we want,\u201d said Hawkins.<\/span><\/p>\n That openness translates directly into their live shows, which have become the band\u2019s defining feature.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not as tight as other bands, but we definitely make up for it in the performance,\u201d Hawkins said.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe music is secondary, we just like putting on a show,\u201d Foster said.<\/span><\/p>\n On Probation has performed at venues including the Alpine Inn, the State Room, Cavalier Theater and the Popcorn Tavern.\u00a0<\/span>However, the group says its favorite setting is house shows. Less formal, and all about making live music more accessible.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPreferably house shows, the crowd is better, you can go more crazy,\u201d Clyne said.<\/span><\/p>\n In those smaller, packed environments, the band leans fully into its identity. Loud, unpredictable, and centered on crowd energy. Their shows often include mosh pits and moments that blur the line between performance and party.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s going to be a party regardless,\u201d said Foster.<\/span><\/p>\n For On Probation, technical perfection isn\u2019t the goal, connection and chaos are.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe try to not be bad,\u201d Giere said.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re just good at riling people up and acting a fool,\u201d Hawkins said.<\/span><\/p>\n This resonates with their audience, many of whom come specifically for the release and intensity of the experience.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPeople yearn for the pit,\u201d Hawkins said. \u201cThey yearn to get rowdy,\u201d said Giere.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThere are a lot of parallels between the youth of this generation and the youth of the late 1960s. There\u2019s a lot going on in the world that we can\u2019t control, so we use music as a way to express ourselves. I think that\u2019s coming back in a big way,\u201d Hawkins said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The band\u2019s origin story began not with a formal plan, but with frustration at what they felt was a lack of energy in the local scene.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBasically, [the band] started because Thomas and I were at a party, and we heard a band play \u2018Killing in the Name\u2019 really badly, like an indie version, and we were really pissed off,\u201d said Foster.<\/span><\/p>\n That moment pushed them to create the kind of music experience they felt was missing.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe started it because we didn\u2019t like the bands we were listening to. We were like, \u2018We\u2019ve got to do it ourselves,\u2019\u201d Foster said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The entire group shared similar frustrations, especially with what they saw as an oversaturation of softer indie sounds in college music spaces.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sick of every college band playing indie. We want to bring back hard rock,\u201d said Clyne.<\/span><\/p>\n On Probation got its name from when a few of the members lived in Eagle Hall, the UWL campus dorm, and appealed a wrongfully given alcohol violation.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe wrote a lot of essays and emailed a lot of people; we appealed it and won the appeal. We didn\u2019t have to pay anything, we didn\u2019t get in trouble, but we remained on probation in the dorm,\u201d said Giere.<\/span><\/p>\n Despite the band\u2019s large size, its formation came together more naturally than expected, thanks to a shared interest in making loud, energetic music.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe kind of lucked out and had connections with a lot of people who wanted to play instruments or already had some experience,\u201d Foster said.<\/span><\/p>\n On Probation has also found itself part of a growing and supportive local music community in La Crosse, something the group says has played a key role in its development.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThere are a lot of people involved in music, the culture is pretty healthy here. You go downtown, and a lot of those bars have music venues. They want live music. It\u2019s nice being able to take that opportunity and play,\u201d Foster said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The band has had support from other La Crosse music talent, who gravitated towards them because they also value performance.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got some big influences. We\u2019re tight with Tommy Vote [guitarist in Self-Titled] and he\u2019s played with us before, including at our first show at Popcorn,\u201d said Foster.<\/span><\/p>\n They also mentioned Eric Jorgenson as a mentor figure, known locally as the \u2018blue jean cowboy\u2019 who is the frontman of the Juiceneck band, and lead guitarist of BT band.<\/span><\/p>\n Both influences have impacted On Probation, by offering advice, technical skills and helping the group with networking.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201c[They helped] open up a lot of opportunities for gigs with their bands, and that\u2019s really how we got our game,\u201d said Foster.<\/span><\/p>\n Since then, On Probation has continued to grow its presence locally, fueled less by polish and more by raw energy, something both the band and their audience seems to crave.<\/span><\/p>\n For those interested in keeping up with the band and their upcoming performance dates, be sure to follow On Probation on Instagram<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/theracquet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/OnProbation1-600x597.jpg\")
![\"OnProbation4\"](\"https:\/\/theracquet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/OnProbation4.jpg\")