The Five Count House Band

Inducted: May 2010

Most bands would kill for a little airplay. The Five Count House Band wants more.
With band members as hosts of “The Five Count” radio show on KMSU 89.7 FM, getting some airtime is pretty easy. In fact, playing on the air is all the band has ever known.
Any musician knows that’s not enough. Sure, you’ve got listeners, you’ve got fans. But they’re all on the other side of the constricting walls of the radio station, somewhere far away where their cheers and applause simply cannot be heard by The Five Count House Band — Dustin Wilmes (bass, vocals), Juston “Ton” Cline (guitar, vocals), and Alex Carlson (drums, vocals).
Not for long. The band is aiming to branch out and play live gigs. After six years together, it’s about time.
There may even be an album in the works. After all, they have “numerous hit singles featured on their website” already.
Click here to listen to a few of these hit singles. Or, listen to the band’s anniversary performance 11 p.m. June 12 on 89.7 FM.

Here's what the band had to say.

Q: Tell us a little bit about your band.
A: Wilmes: The band was initially created to help celebrate “The Five Count” anniversary shows every summer, but eventually we started writing music for the website and getting more serious about the idea of actually playing out. Our music knows no sound or genre boundaries.

Q: Do you play original material or covers?
A: Cline: We play a mix.

Q: If you write music, what’s your inspiration? Political? Observational?
Spiritual?
A: Cline: Mostly emotional, like pain or happiness.
Wilmes: I like to write songs about girls and fast cars.

Q: When covering, how do you choose songs for your repertoire?
A: Wilmes: We usually choose songs with a killer groove and vocal parts way out of our ranges.

Q: What’s a good night on stage like, or in your case, on the air?
A: Cline: Anytime it feels fun and natural.
Carlson: When I come back with all the appendages I started with.
Wilmes: And when all the technical stuff works right. It’s hard to run the boards on a band you’re playing in at the same time. Know any good sound guys?

Q: Have you ever thought of playing area venues? Bars, etc.?
A: Cline: We’ve all played out separately. I would like to work on playing out with this band.
Carlson: I played at Pachyderm Studios in Cannon Falls. I used the same bathroom as Dave Grohl.
Wilmes: I foresee us being booked solid after this article comes out.

Q: What do you love about performing?
A: Cline: The feeling, being in a groove with other musicians.
Wilmes: And the free food.
Carlson: And being shirtless.

Q: Who are some of your influences?
A: Cline: Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix, Dimebag Darrell, Zack Wylde.
Wilmes: Flea, Les Claypool, Dee Dee Ramone, Geezer Butler, Bootsy Collins.
Carlson: Thomas Pridgen, Brad Pemberton, Abe Cunningham, Danny Carey, Phil Collins.

Q: If you ever made the cover of Rolling Stone, what other bands would you want to be compared to?
A: Cline: Don’t know, don’t care.
Carlson: Wham!
Wilmes: King Diamond.

Q: How do you unwind after a show?
A: Carlson: I usually put my clothes back on and watch a few reruns of “Days of Our Lives.”
Cline: I prefer to rock until the sun comes up.
Wilmes: And then for breakfast the next day we like to eat eggs that were hard-boiled from the power of our amps.

Q: Any interesting band rituals?
A: Wilmes: We always make it a point not to practice until a few days before a show. We’re very superstitious like that.
Carlson: I once wrestled a snake. It was a hognose.