For some Ducks, their time is spent not only being students, but rock stars. On weekends, student bands turn porches into stages, backyards into mosh pits and residential homes into concert venues. Bands turn their amps all the way up and blare anything from indie, punk or psychedelic-rock music to loyal fans.
This spring, concert patrons are reluctantly saying goodbye to a top-billed act: Mommy.
Made up of five UO seniors, Mommy has accomplished what many student bands dream of: opening for a Grammy Award-nominated artist, releasing a debut album with over 30,000 streams and having over 50 shows under its belt.
Graduating in one short week, Mommy’s time in Eugene is coming to a close. The band’s members are not grieving, but reflecting on the stages of their four-year evolution; their origins in COVID-19, their favorite gigs and the legacy they leave behind in the house show community.
Rhythm guitarist Sam Gaylen and drummer Asher Loewenstern were both in bands in high school. Upon coming to UO in 2020, they found each other in the basement of Hamilton Hall. The two began playing together for fun. “There wasn’t really any intention behind it,” Loewenstern said. Later on in the year, they invited Milo Brosamer and Patrick Walker to these impromptu practices. Brosamer and Walker play bass and lead guitar, respectively.
Casual jam sessions were not without challenges, as COVID-19 restrictions stopped students from gathering in groups. They enjoyed making music together, but without a place to practice or perform, the idea of starting a band was just that.
When they returned their sophomore year, Galyen and Loewenstern moved into a house together. Social distancing rules had dissolved, and suddenly the idea of forming a band became a reality. But Mommy wasn’t official until the boys recruited singer Martina Hemstreet in the spring. “That’s when things really kicked on,” Loewenstern said.
Quarantine in dorms made students eager to connect with one another, and when restrictions were lifted, the house show scene came back to life. “Once we had a way to bring everyone together, we were so excited to do it,” Galyen said. Concerts in backyards ramped up again, and events that were once invite-only were now a tell-all. Loewenstern said the word was spread rather haphazardly, “Every person you met in the dorms, you’d tell them to come.”
Both Galyen and Loewenstern have the same favorite gig: their performance at the Blue Dragon in sophomore year. Houses give themselves names for ease of communication, Blue Dragon is among venues like Monster House and Alpha Tau Omega.
“That show was totally the pinnacle,” Galyen said, “We were the band that our friends knew and wanted to come see.”
Their popularity continued into junior year, and Mommy hustled to play nearly three shows a week. From bars, to sorority events, to UO club fundraisers, Mommy did it all. Junior year, the band “was like our whole lives. It was everything,” Galyen said.
This dedication paid off in the spring, when UO students voted on what band should open for Aminé, a Grammy and BET Hip Hop award nominated artist, at an annual ASUO-funded concert in Matthew Knight Arena. Mommy won the vote, followed by another student band, Common Koi, who would both open the concert.
Knowing they would be playing in a basketball arena to over 6,000 people felt surreal. “In those months leading up to it, I’d be in the shower or about to go to bed and think about it,” Galyen said. Loewenstern felt similarly, “It was f*cking insane.”
On the day of the show, Mommy rose to the occasion and played their hardest. There were some slight nerves, but they had the mindset of “once we get to the arena, we’re just gonna play,” Galyen said. They kept their usual house-show routine: a half-hour set of all original songs.
One year later, things are wrapping up as the members of Mommy prepare to go their separate ways. “It definitely has felt like, kind of a transition period. Leading up to not being and not playing as a band together anymore,” Galyen said.
As they play their last gigs, Mommy reflects on what performing at house shows means to them.
“You’re one of the main cogs turning behind these big, fun events. It gives you a sense of belonging,” Galyen said. “You’re using your skills to do something that matters to a lot of people.”
As they became a headlining act, Mommy changed the sound of house shows. They had inherited a scene that was primarily alternate-rock, and with the songs on their March 2024 album, “Villard Street,” Mommy transformed it into a place of indie-pop.
Mommy isn’t only leaving an impact on the music played at house shows, but the culture around them. Pre-COVID, shows were tight-knit, and addresses to venues weren’t available unless you knew someone who knew someone. During their freshman year, shows felt like, “another party on campus you can’t get into,” Lowenstern said. Now, house shows are open to anyone who wants to go, “It’s a scene, and not a social circle,” Loewenstern said.
Opening up the invites for house shows was an important priority for Mommy. They wanted to make sure that anyone who wanted to share and listen to music had the opportunity to. “We achieved what we set out to do. We had a vision at the beginning, and that has come to fruition,” Galyen said.
Mommy leaves big shoes to fill. Verb8im, a band made up of four second-year students: Aidan Wright, Lucas Vega, Tripp Repp and Will Martin, hopes to follow in their footsteps. As Verb8im practices and performs, the members of Mommy are teaching them the ins and outs of booking, performing and advertising shows. “I see myself in them a lot,” Galyen said, “I do feel like I can kind of take them under my wing.”
Bassist Wright remembers the ecstatic feeling of Mommy following Verb8im’s Instagram account, “I still have the screenshot,” he said. Verb8im played their first gig opening for Mommy at a St. Patrick’s Day show in 2023. Since then, the bands have formed a mentor/mentee relationship. Loewenstern, a producer at Sprout City Studios, helped Verb8im put out their debut EP, “Ask Again Later.”
Wright worries about the future of the house show scene, “I think about this in bed with the lights off looking at the ceiling, often. It’s like, what is it gonna be like next year without them?”
Galyen and Loewenstern have faith in the boys of Verb8im to continue to spread their inclusive values and create meaningful music. “That’s the band that’s going to be carrying the torch,” Galyen said.
After graduation, most of the members’ plans don’t include music. Galyen is taking a business administration job in Eastern Oregon. Lowenstern is moving to Portland and seeking work as an audio engineer. Hemstreet will be pursuing a career in forensics in Los Angeles. Brosamer is sticking around Eugene and playing bass in his other bands, while working in the restaurant industry. Walker will stay at UO to finish his degree in popular music.
The impending hiatus isn’t a surprise, as they never had a plan to continue the band post-grad. “The writing has totally been on the wall the whole time,” Galyen said. The members always had a mindset of enjoying the moment. “Let’s just conquer college, and have fun here,” Galyen said.
News of the split disappointed some fans, though there is an understanding of the decision. “Of course, they want to be rock stars, who doesn’t? But they have their own careers, and I think they’re all proud of what they’ve accomplished,” Wright of Verb8im said.
Members of Mommy are walking away from college with a plethora of memories, photos and songs to remember their time in Eugene. While there will undoubtedly be many other indie bands and freshmen that practice in Hamilton Hall, no one can replicate the sound or feeling of a Mommy show.
This isn’t goodbye forever. Galyen and Loewenstern emphasize that they aren’t breaking up, and allude to the idea of a reunion show. “We’re not breaking up. We’re just not going to be in the same place. If we’re physically together, we can play.”
