Highball began in 1998 when high school friends Kevin Conaway, John Puro, and Shawn Casper came together and began creating music. Joe Fratena was soon added on bass guitar to complete the lineup.
From 1998 - 2000, the band played many shows arouund the Cleveland area and accomplished many feats, such as playing in the Mountain Dew High School Rock-Off at the now extinct Odeon, playing to a packed Euclid Tavern at the first Cleveland Music Festival, recieving a review in the Plain Dealer by the one and only Jane Scott, recieving a full-page write-up in the News Herald, and recording and independently releasing a full-length album titled "Last Call..."
In 2000, both Casper and Fratena left the band to persue other interests (Casper joining the band Floored, and Fratena creating the band The B-Team) and were replaced by Rob Macko and Marlon Butts (both from the band Haserot).
Highball's new lineup continued to play many shows in the Cleveland/Akron area and reached new heights. The band had the pleasure of opening for such great acts as Dream Theater, Queensryche, Sammy Hagar, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Huey Lewis and the News, Sponge, Fozzy, and Lucky Boys Confusion. The band also placed in the top five nationally in the first Shot At The Cabo Wabo Competition. The band recieved heavy airplay on the now-extinct WDUB Internet Radio station, with the song "What I Need" becoming the twelfth-most-played song of 2003 on the station.
In 2004, an injury and growing success of his other band, The Drama Summer, forced Puro to leave Highball. A temporary replacement was found in Mike Jaworske. Jaworske would leave the band in early 2005 to form Clever Dan, leaving Conaway, Macko, and Butts to continue the band as a 3-piece.
Rising schedule conflicts and frustration lead Highball to call it quits in the summer of 2005. Highball played their farewell show on July 1st, 2005, at the Phantasy in Lakewood.
The members of the band have since continued making music in and out of various projects, and have remained family over the years.
In 2007, Conaway, Macko, Butts, and Puro reunited under the name Highball for a special one-night Halloween concert.
The band also has tentative plans for a 10-year reunion show sometime in 2008.
Over the years, Highball has achieved many accomplishments and done more than any member of the band ever thought possible. They are thankful for all that has happened over the years. They are also incredibly thankful for all of the friends they have met along the way, and truely appreciate all of the loving support they have recieved.
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