Casey O’Leary
A chat with Casey O’Leary of Almost Made the Mixtape
Meet the Band!
Casey [vocals and guitar]
Todd [bass and backup vocals]
Daren [drums]
This year’s SOLD OUT 10[ish] Year Fanfare took place on February 7th at The Crofoot, located in downtown Pontiac Michigan.
Surrounded by music lovers, I had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Casey O’Leary, the singer and guitarist from Almost Made the Mixtape.
The 10[ish] Year Fanfare is a show where bands select an album to perform that is at least 10 years old.
Almost Made the Mixtape chose Green Day’s 2016 album Revolution Radio.
How did you decide on this album?
I actually messaged Boys of Fall, they’re the ones who put this on every year and they’re a big pop punk post hardcore band. Like local top of the charts. So I personally reached out to one of the guys and said we’d love to be a part of it if you have room.
And he told me we have a 10ish Year Fanfare so you could do something from 10 years ago or 20 years ago. And to be honest we kinda got in late so a lot of the choices were already gone. But to be honest with you, Revolution Radio was still at the top of my list.
It’s the most underrated Green Day album. It’s incredible! They’re at their finest, and it’s like American Idiot 2.0. It feels like people really don’t embrace it for what it is, so if I could convince one person that this album is worth listening to, then I’ve done my job.
What is your favorite song from the album?
“Bang Bang” hands down, that’s one of my all time favorite Green Day songs. It’s so good - it’s so fast paced, I love the lyrics, I love everything about it. It is like quintessential Green Day.
If Green Day wasn't available, what other band would you have covered?
For me it would’ve been Blink 182. Our friends in One Up already got them and they deserved it. They absolutely killed it as Blink 182! But that would’ve been my second choice.
Fun Fact: Casey actually had a guest spot performing with One Up during “First Date”
FORM A CROWD, STAY LOUD whistles at their merch table.
Photo taken from their Instagram story
Casey, Todd, and Daren hanging out before their set at 10ish Year Fanfare
This is the 10[ish] Year Fanfare. So if you could go back in time 10 years, what would you say/do?
10 years ago I would say that whoever voted for the people that we have in power right now to please before it’s too late, because it’s too late for our timeline, but for the love of god do something in yours to make sure this person is not elected. ‘Cause Donald Trump has fucked us over, bro. Everyone in his administration has.
So, if people could step the fuck up and make sure that that doesn’t happen in some other timeline, I’d be happy, personally.
Performing at 10ish Year Fanfare 2026
While we’re going back in time, let’s go back to 2018 when the band started.
How did the name Almost Made the Mixtape come about?
I actually came up with that years ago, probably when I was around 19-20 years old.
I’ve always been obsessed with pop punk music and I wanted a name that was really catchy, fun, and unique. But I also wanted it to be self deprecating?
I grew up listening to bands like Bowling for Soup and they were always teasing themselves, and I wanted to do that with our name. So I wanted to do 'Almost Made the Mixtape’ ‘cause I thought it was a catchy name and it's kinda goofy. Like we almost made the mixtape, but we weren’t good enough to do it.
But have you made a cassette tape?
Yes I actually have and it’s terrible, awful, and I love it.
My good buddy Andy was the first person I ever wrote songs with and we actually recorded our first demos on a cassette tape. I still have those demos to this day, just listening back to it is so special to me.
Describe your band in one sentence:
Catchy and fun, but also trying to make a point.
Like no matter what our song is, like if it’s about relationships, politics, or growing pains, really anything we want to make a point and we want to be heard in a fun way where people can sing to it, dance to it, or mosh to it if they feel like it.
Speaking of making a point, Almost Made the Mixtape doesn’t hide their feelings on the current state of the world. When I went to their merch table I noticed that they had free whistles and information on what to do if you spot ICE in your area.
FUCK ICE. Abolish ICE.
ICE is younger than me, they formed in 2003 and I was born in 1992.
I don’t know what the fuck they’re doing here but they clearly do not belong because they cannot control themselves. They never really have been able to, but it’s much more apparent under this administration
So yeah, fuck ICE, abolish ICE - get them the fuck out of here!
Anything else you’d like to say?
I just wanna say to anyone reading, please check out my band AMTM and also fuck Trump, fuck ICE, and FREE PALESTINE.
Find Them Online!
Almost Made the Mixtape performing at 10ish Year Fanfare 2026