Meet the Band

Rain Kings, formerly ILL-Gotten Booty

2010-07-16T08:35:00.000-07:00

Inducted: July 2010

Time may have changed what the Rain Kings band drinks before a show, and also what time they go to bed after one. But its effect on the music has been less calming.
After more than a decade playing together in another form — ILL-GottenBooty — the band has gone in a new and fresh direction, performing now as the Rain Kings and experimenting with new sounds.
The band, about a year old now, consists of Clint Eaton on guitar, vocals and harmonica; Scott Helgerson on guitar, vocals and piano; Jason Olson on stand-up bass, guitar and vocals; and Gregory Lee Spear, on guitar and vocals.
Catch them at a variety of places in the area. Here's a video of the band at Midtown Tavern in Mankato.

To keep up on shows, visit the band's website.
Here’s more about the band from Spear.

Q: Tell us a little bit about your band. What’s your sound like? What genre of music would you say it fits into?
A: Like the bio on the website states, we are a musical evolution of ILL-GottenBooty (IGB). We scaled it down to an all acoustic Americana/blues band (with a hint of old-school country).
After 13 years as a rock band in southern Minnesota, it was time to venture into something new and fresh. The live music climate changed drastically around us over that time, and we found that in order to continue to perform the music we wanted to play, something had to give.
So, we changed the music style and changed the name but kept the essence of what being in a band is all about: having fun and creating good music. If you are lucky enough to have people want to spend their time at ashow and you get paid at the end of the night, it’s even better!
Like many other acoustic acts, we’ve taken some of our more fan-favorite cover songs and originals from the IGB days and changed the arrangements to make something new out of them. And, of course, we have added many new songs to the repertoire.

Q: Do you play original material or covers? A mix of both?
A: At the moment it’s a mix of both, leaning more heavily toward the cover side.

Q: When you write music, what’s your inspiration? Political? Observational? Spiritual?
A: We certainly are not political. Perhaps a few of our originals come from observing something, but I think most of our original songs comeout of some experience one of us has had at some point in our lives. The most obvious is from the trials and tribulations of relationships.

Q: Does your band have a signature song? Something your fans have to hear at every show? If so, how did that come to be?
A: I believe we do have a signature song. I’m not sure if our fans want to hear it at every show, but it is the source of the band name. The song is “Rain King” by the Counting Crows which was taken from the novel “Henderson and the Rain King” by Saul Bellow, which I have yet to read. Scott has an original 1959 copy.

Q: When you cover, how do you choose songs for your repertoire?
A: If we like the song and if we feel we can come up with a great arrangement, then we add it to the list. Of course, there are times when we go through all the work and then look at each other after the first time we play it and we never play it again. That’s one of those “oh well”moments.

Q: What’s a good night on stage like?
A: Almost every night is a good night. Some start off a bit shaky, but we recover (and vice versa). When you can see the audience actually engaged in a song we are playing, either by singing along or just watching us, that is a good night. You know for that moment you have their full attention.

Q: What do you love about performing?
A: I can’t speak for the rest of the guys on this one because it’s such a personal experience, but for me it’s all about the music and evoking an emotion out of people. That is a great feeling.

Q: Who are some of your influences?
A: That is a very large list. Counting Crows, Tom Petty, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Ryan Adams, Keb Mo’, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Allman Brothers, Robert Johnson, James Taylor, etc.

Q: If you ever made the cover of Rolling Stone, what other bands would you want to be compared to?
A: While it would be a great honor to make the cover, I don’t believe we would want to be compared to anybody else. Being in the same genre as “xyz” or even influenced by “xyz” is fine, but I don’t think people would want to hear or see another “xyz.”

Q: How do you unwind after a show?
A: Well, back in the day it was a shot of cocaine and snort of whiskey. Now, we just pack up the guitars and go home. It must having something to do with age at this point. I just can’t put my finger on it. (Insert smiley face here.)

Q: Any interesting band rituals?
A:Tequila was once the shot of choice prior to starting the show, but again, the age thing has crept up on us. We’re typically still tuning guitars whenit’s time to start. We do bring a lot of them to a Rain Kings show!!

69 Cents

2010-06-07T14:21:00.000-07:00

Inducted: June 2010

WhenThe Free Press launched the Meet the Band blog — a central location tosee, listen to and read about all the bands in the Meet theBand family— we had an uptick in nominations.

Local music fans e-mailed to saywe were crazy if we didn’t induct bands like City Mouse and Powerhouse,the ones that have been playing in Mankato’s music scene for years andyears.

No band, however, received as many nominations as 69 Cents.The rock band’s fans have spoken ... again. They did, after all, beatout CityMouse, the Murphy Brothers, Home Free and Fish Frye for secondplace in The Free Press Readers’ Choice awards this year. (Hairball tookfirst.)

So, loyal 69 Cents listeners, we hear you. And thoseunfamiliar with the Mankato band, now’s your chance to listen up andlearn a few things about the 13-year-old band from guitarist andvocalist Dale Wolters.

Q: Tell us about your band.
A: Well, weall have similar tastes in music, and being together so long, we haveplayed nearly every style you can imagine. It has changed over theyears, but we pretty much try to stay current with most of thestuff onthe radio.
You could say we fit more into the active rock genre. Ithink we each have our own unique style, but being in a cover band, wepretty much stick to the sound we are covering. Although, we do add ourown personality to the music.

Q: Do you play original material or covers? A mix of both?
A: Mostly covers. We have some original stuff but don’t play most of it due to member changes and such.

Q: When you write music, what’s your inspiration?
A:When we do write, it is mostly good-time rock music. We don’treally follow any one particular thought process. We have had theopportunity to write some backing tracks for a TV show several yearsback and recently did some tracks for a hip-hop artist based outof Philadelphia. That project is an ongoing work in progress, shall wesay.

Q: How do you choose songs for your repertoire to cover?
A: We try to stay with what is currently on the radio. Stuff that we enjoy and is on the charts.
We will try to sneak in some of our personal favorites, too, but mainly stick to what is happening at the time.

Q: What’s a good night on stage like?
A:When the energy is flowing and everyone is having a good time, it makesthe night so much better. We always enjoy a good crowd and really takein their vibe, which really helps our performance tremendously.Thegreat time really becomes contagious.

Q: What do you love about performing?
A:Mostly being out with our friends. We have met so many cool people overthe years, and it is neat to see our friends become like a family. Welook forward to our shows to see everyone. It’s a cool job.

Q: Who are some of your influences?
A:We all have our personal influences, of course, but collectively,we really like bands like Buck Cherry, Shinedown, Styx ... . Thelistcould go on and on. We also enjoy listening to funk and someR&B. I guess we have tons of influences.

Q: If you ever made the cover of Rolling Stone, what other bands would you want to be compared to?
A: Ha, ha. That is a tough one. The Bee Gees, of course.

Q: How do you unwind after a show?
A: We tend to mingle with our friends, enjoy some cocktails.

Q: Any interesting band rituals?
A:A couple of our guys really like to do a shot or two before we go on.I’m not sure if it is a ritual or not, but it helps set the mood. We dosome weird things, but I would not consider them ritualistic-ish.

NiteRail featuring Mike Fugazzi

2010-05-26T14:20:00.000-07:00

Inducted May 2010

NiteRail featuring Mike Fugazzi is definitely one of the established bands intown. They’re good at getting their name out there, and then they backup the hype with a good show.
A blues-funk band that formed in 2004, NiteRail has recorded two albums, “Back and Forth” in 2005 and this year’s “Splittin’ at the Seams.”

Here’s more about the band from Fugazzi.

Q: Describe your sound for someone who might not have caught a show yet.
A: We’re a five-piece band in our 20s (Fugazzi — vocals andharmonica, Korey Hicks — guitar, James Schneeberg — drums, Konr Ness — bass, and Zach Sershon — keys).
The best way to describe our sound is roots-rock. Our stuff is really accessible to anyone not obsessed with current top 40 radio, and our fans tend to range from college kids tobaby boomers.
We are blues influenced, but we aren’t a straight blues band. There are strong influences in our sound from rock, funk and jazz as well. I don’t think a lot of local bands try to do what we do and that makes us pretty unique.
We have really fantastic instrumentation without getting too jammy and really cover a wide range of music, including originals. I don’t think anyone in the area, regardless of age or genre, features the harmonica the way we do, and Korey Hicks is legitimately one of the top guitarists in the state and is only 28.

Q: Do you play original material or covers? A mix of both?
A: We play a mix of both. For a club gig we typically do original material for a third to half the show. We’re pretty selective about covers and making sure we put our own spin on them.
We tend to stay away from “bar rock,” but we balance stuff people are familiar with and covers off the beaten path. Really, we use the covers to help engage the audience and take them through a musical journey, so we try to avoid doing the same stuff as the cover bands in town. We have stuff on the setlist from the ’50s through today and continually throw in new material.

Q: When you write music, what’s your inspiration?
A: Lyrically, I’ve handled the bulk of the duty. The band collaborates on the music end with groove being the biggest inspiration. Korey and James tend to come up with most of our initial ideas, and Konr and Zach really come up with these amazing layers to add. We try to then balance really strict arrangements with tunes we can jam out.
Most my inspiration for lyrics comes from direct experience. I try to use writing as a way to evolve and share some of my life observations.
Most tunes areabout really specific events and episodes from my life. I try really hard not come off as jaded or whiny in any of our songs. If anything, I want others to feel inspired or hopeful after hearing a NiteRail song.
Songs like “Gotta Keep Movin,” “Leave Your Light On” and “Hungry Ghosts” really capture where I am coming from lyrically.
It can be pretty unnerving to really put yourself out there and maybe expose some things that make you feel defensive or vulnerable, so people avoid it. But that’s what you have to do. You have to be real with yourself and write about what you know. The melody and lyrics are the easiest pieces of a song for a listener to relate to and are the most important part of a song.

Q: What’s a good night on stage like?
A: It is extremely liberating. You get a break from the endless chatter in your mind, and you just do your thing. It is an amazing feeling to share music with other people and have them accept it.
They don’t even need to like it necessarily, but being respected for laying it all out there and making at least a few people happy during your set is wonderful. You can make a difference not only for yourself but others. It is a win-win.

Q: What do you love about performing?
A: I love pushing myself. I love the improvisational aspect and really just living for the moment. The whole performance aspect is extremely profound to me. That really comes from the interaction with other people, whether it be band members or the audience.
The connection music brings is extremely unique to the fine arts. Nothing other than family has ever topped being on stage for me. When the audience applauds, dances or chats with us between sets it is extremely humbling. We’ve made some amazing friends and fans from all walks of life. It also brings out the absolute best in people. We’re all just there to share a good time together, anyway.

Q: Who are some of your influences?
A: As a band the Fabulous Thunderbirds are probably our biggest blues influence. Otherwise, Eric Clapton and his work with Derek and the Dominoes is a huge influence.
Korey and I talk all the time about covering the whole “Layla” album for a set. You can hear the same vibe Santana brings in a lot of our tunes as well. The Derek Truck Band is our biggest contemporary influence, and I think we need to mention Blues Traveler for the simple fact they are the only major act featuring the harmonica in such aunique context like we try and do.

Q: If you ever made the cover of Rolling Stone, what other bands would you want to be compared to?
A: The Derek Trucks Band, the Allman Brothers, Derek and the Dominoes, Blues Traveler, Santana and John Mayer would be pretty sweet to be mentioned alongside.

Q: Where’s your favorite place to play in Mankato and why?
A: We’ve been fortunate to have pretty much played everywhere in town a full band can fit, but our sound is really geared toward a place like Buster’s. They get a wide range of ages in there, have a full stage and plenty of dance room, and when Don is running sound, we could never sound better. A more intimate place like Pub 500 is also a great change of pace for us, too. It lends itself to doing more blues and playing with a wider range of dynamics.

Q: How do you unwind after a show?
A: Someone always has to commute, as I am in Mankato and the rest of the guys are in the Cities. So after spending some time chatting with fans, we hit the road and tune into talk radio … maybe get something to eat. Everyone other than Zach is married with kids, so nothing too wild and crazy!

Q: Any interesting band rituals?
A: Full band we have some official NiteRail dialect between the band before and after shows that is pretty sophomoric, and you’ll always see me and Konr standing next to each other on stage.
From a performance standpoint, I quote a lot of Will Ferrell movies onstage, and you’ll always see a Buddha statue on my amp. We always do some “team drinks” with the audience and get them to sing along to some of the songs. But our biggest ritual is to always try and push each other and melt as many faces as possible … and make fun of Konr.

Read more about the band here.

The Five Count House Band

2010-05-14T07:39:00.000-07:00

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.

Milo Bobbins and the Budget Boys

2010-04-23T13:29:00.000-07:00

Inducted: April 2010

Unless you’ve never met Pete Steiner, or maybe just have seen him quietly taking notes at a City Council meeting, you’d never describe him as a man of few words.

He’s on the radio every day, for one thing — talking is his job on KTOE. He also writes a column for Mankato Magazine every month in which he reminisces about times and places past, usually at length, and readers eat it up.

So, when we sent him a few questions via e-mail to answer for the Meet the Band series, we certainly didn’t expect him to get straight to the point. Surprisingly, answering for the eight-year-old Milo Bobbins and the Budget Boys, that’s exactly what he did. (The Budget Boys are Billy Steiner on harmonica and vocals, Dave Pengra on bass and vocals, and Ron Arsenault on guitar and vocals. But mostly Pete plays alone.)

So: Meet Pete Steiner, the man of few words. But don’t worry, the music speaks for itself.
Check out music samples and buy the band’s albums, “The Struggle to Free Milo Bobbins” and “Just Enough Money for Beer,” at their Web site.

Q: Tell us a little bit about your band. What’s your sound like? What genre of music would you say it fits into, if I could be so bold as to categorize?
A: Folk, blues, gospel.

Q: Do you play original material or covers? A mix of both?
A: About 50-50.

Q: What’s your inspiration for the music you write? Political? Observational? Spiritual?
A: Observational, occasionally political.

Q: If you cover, how do you choose songs for your repertoire?
A: Songs we like; usually NOT hits, lyrics important.

Q: What’s a good night on stage like?
A: When we remember all the words.

Q: What do you love about performing?
A: Transports you to a special place.

Q: Who are some of your influences?
A: Dylan, Emmylou Harris, John Prine, Hank Williams, Tom Paxton.

Q: If you ever made the cover of Rolling Stone, what other bands would you want to be compared to?
A: Afraid to even dream about that.

Q: Where’s your favorite place to play in Mankato and why?
A: Intimate spaces preferred — Coffee Hag, Wine Café, used to love McGoff’s (before it closed).

Q: How do you unwind after a show?
A: Probably with a cold one or two.

Q: Any interesting band rituals? (Don’t change your socks for days before a gig? A shot of whiskey before you take the stage?)
A: Picking out a favorite hat to wear.

Powerhouse

2010-04-08T15:23:00.000-07:00

Inducted: April 2010

This year, at Hickory Street RibFest, Powerhouse will make its ninth RibFest appearance. The band debuted at the Kato Ballroom in July of 2002 and were asked to perform that August at RibFest. Since then, it’s been a summertime tradition and one that Powerhouse is happy to keep up.
One of the things that make Powerhouse a unique Mankato band is its sheer size: 10 members, including two female singers and a horn section. Here’s the breakdown: Brenda Kopischke, vocals; Lynda Kiesler, vocals; Howard Mock, bass guitar, vocals; John Kajawa, lead guitar, vocals; Scott Helgerson, piano, vocals; Brian Jentges, drums, vocals; Dan Corbett, trombone; Chuck Olsen, trumpet; Jeff Kaul, trumpet; and Kevin Ward, saxophone.
That’s a lot of musicians to coordinate on stage and put together a cohesive sound. As seasoned musicians, they’ve managed just fine.

To read a Q&A with Powerhouse, click here.

Nosmo King Band

2010-04-01T07:54:00.000-07:00

Inducted: March 2010

There were a few Nosmo Kings in history, including a few bands, a popular English variety artist (birth name H. Vernon Watson) and a movie with that name from 1995. It’s even the name of an anti-smoking children’s activity book.
“Nosmo King” is a funny play on words, after all, constructed from the words “No smoking.” And, considering their wit and good sense of humor, it’s the fitting name of a Mankato band formed in 2006 by longtime area musicians.
The Nosmo King Band — made up of Don Waylett, keys; Steve White, guitar and vocals; Jim Siatsis, drums and vocals; Carl Rosendale, bass and vocals; and Tim Secott, guitar and vocals — plays blues-rock music at area bars and clubs. And they are the newest addition to The Free Press’ Meet the Band family.

To read a Q&A with the band, click here.

Dirty Rain

2010-04-01T07:52:00.000-07:00

Inducted: February 2010

We kicked off the Meet the Band series a couple of years ago with the hope of introducing Mankato to some of the hard-working musicians playing in area bars and clubs.
With each band introduced, a new layer is added to the series. We’ve heard from yodelers, hard rock bands, reggae artists and many shades in between. Some have recorded, played at major venues and developed a significant fan base. Some play in their basements and count their moms as No. 1 fans.
The point? You don’t have to go to the Cities to hear decent music. We’ve got it here. You’ve just got to know where to look.
The series continues in 2010 with the latest addition, Dirty Rain. The band — David Sandersfeld (guitar, vocals), Nate Rossow (bass, vocals) and Paul Collier (drums) — describes their sound as part rock, grunge, funk, reggae and psychedelic, among other flavors.
Dirty Rain has performed its eclectic mix of music since June 2009 and recently hit the studio to record a demo to be released in March.

Here’s more from the band.

Q: How would you describe your sound?
A: We are a very original-sounding band, with sounds from many eras of music. If you’re listening, chances are you’ll hear a wide variety from anything from rock and roll, to grunge, to funk, to reggae, to experimental/fusion/psychedelic.

Q: Who are some of your influences?
A: First and most importantly, we are influenced by each other and all the bands around us making their way up. As far as bands go, we are heavily influenced by Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam, Wilco, The Butthole Surfers, Primus, Queens of the Stone Age, The doors, The Beatles, Britney Spears, New Kids on the Block, INXS and Pink Floyd.

Q: Do you play covers or do you write your own stuff?
A: We play mostly originals. We write them together, but usually someone will come to the band with a song idea, and we work together on structuring the piece of music or idea together.

Q: What’s the chemistry like among the bandmates, and what effect does that have on your music?
A: The chemistry is very good. Before we started this thing we knew that we were all passionate and talented musicians who have been playing for a long time. We have a very strong sort of energy that you can tell the crowd feels. We get along well and all strive for perfection.

Q: Is there a common thread that runs through many of your songs?
A: Yes, most if it is personal and all people can relate to it, whether it’s political or about love or about pain, maybe a bit of confusion.

Q: Have you recorded, and are you working on anything new?
A: We are always working on new material and figuring out how to make the previous material better. It’s getting easier and easier every day. Sometimes the music just sort of rights itself. As far as recording goes, we pretty much do that every chance we get, whether or not it’s worth keeping, because sometimes you just can’t remember how that one lick or jam went, but you know it had potential.

Q: If you ever made the cover of Rolling Stone, what other bands would you want to be compared to?
A: We would really hope that if we ever made that cover we wouldn’t need to be compared to any band at that point; we want it to be hard for a writer to compare us to anyone.

Q: How do you unwind after a show?
A: The adrenaline we get after a show kicks in, and we find ourselves partying with other bands, or at our house in Mankato. Or if we are out of town, we party at the crash spot with whoever we are staying with.

Q: What’s a good night on stage like?
A: Any night on stage is a good night for us. There is nothing this three-piece band wants to do more but play a show. We actually have never had a bad night on stage and feed off of the energy we get from the crowd.

To hear an audio sample, click here.

The Body Politic

2010-04-01T07:50:00.000-07:00

Inducted: July 2009

The cost of acquiring a self-titled EP by The Body Politic? Free.
But don’t confuse generosity with poor quality. The band simply wants to reach as many people as possible with their music.
Having been together for about a year, the band — Trent Fast, vocals/guitar, Wes Gad, guitar, Mike Kaduce, drums, and Lou Just, bass — describe their music as death-disco. “Death metal vocals over heavy disco beats,” they say. “It’s somewhat controversial.”

Here’s some more about the band.

Q: Where’d you get your band name?
A: From Gorvidal’s “Decline of the American Empire,” a book Wes bought for $8.95 on half.com like five years ago.

Q: Working on any new material?
A: We’re always working on new material. It’s best to be pushing ourselves and our creativity to places we’ve never been before. We’re very open to experimentation and trying anything at least once — so as to keep things from becoming formulated and stale.
For the past couple of months we’ve been recording what is to be our first full-length record. Hopefully it will be done some time in the fall.

Q: What’s the chemistry like among the bandmates and what effect does that have on your music?
A: As a band, each member is allowed the freedom to play on their own. Everyone has the ability to contribute to each other’s parts.
With that being said, the song writing is mainly handled by Trent and Wes. From there the ideas are brought to Mike, drums are added and structures are decided upon. Finally, we have a full practice with Lou on bass, where we play the new material over and over and over, while he comes up with his bass lines.

Q: Why music? Why not accounting, or car sales?
A: Good question ... I can see it now! Mike would definitely have one. Something like, “EZ Mike’s Certified Pre-Owned Extravaganza” ... or something.

Q: Is your songwriting personal? Political? Satirical?
A: Most songs are about various types of fruit. We’re currently working on a series themed around Polydrupes.

Q: If you cover, who/what do you cover?
A: We wanna cover that song by Nazareth. “Hair Of The Dog” I think it’s called. It’s really unfortunate we haven’t gotten around to learning it yet.

Q: Who are your influences?
A: We’ve got plenty. Bands like Fugazi, Black Flag and the Minutemen all have a huge influence on the way we make music. All the good Minneapolis stuff from years past like the Replacements, Husker Du, maybe a little Suicide Commandos anyone?!?!
Wes likes quite a bit of jazz, stuff like John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, all your classic heavy hitters. Oh yeah, a couple other big ones would be bands like Shellac and the Jesus Lizard. It’s all just good music.

Q: What’s the best place to play in Mankato and why?
A: It’s hard to say. In the past, some of the best shows have just been in basements, for handfuls of people. But it seems like these days people are less willing to put themselves at risk by hosting these types of get-togethers.
There was a house over on Range Street in lower North awhile ago that would put on some of the more interesting shows, but I think the cops have since put a stop to that.
Surprisingly, we’ve had a couple successful shows at the What’s Up Lounge, and there’s a new all ages venue down on Front Street called Stardock, which we’re looking forward to playing in the near future.

Q: What’s a really good night on stage like?
A: The best nights usually end with the audience begging for mercy.

Q: How do you unwind from a show?
A: Mike and Trent watch Minnesota Twins re-runs on FSN-North. Wes listens to Merzbow and Sunn O))). Lou knits sweaters for his grandchildren.

Q: What’s on your iPod?
A: What’s an iPod!?!?

Q: If you made the cover of Rolling Stone, what other bands would you want the writer to compare you with?
A: Probably U2 or the Jonas Brothers.

To hear an audio sample, click here.

Chance

2010-04-01T07:49:00.000-07:00

Inducted: August 2008

Ahhh, the '70s, such a great time for music.
Carol King, Carly Simon, Janis Joplin, the list goes on. Why write songs when there are so many good ones to cover? That’s the philosophy of Chance, a trio made up of Barb Dunker, keyboard and lead vocals, Wayne Danberry, electric bass and vocals, and Marv Topp, drums and vocals.
“We’re not in this to do original material,” said Dunker. “There are so many wonderful songs that we’d love to sing. Why do battle with a Muse that may be inferior?”
The group also covers Billie Holiday, Little Richard, Patsy Cline, Jim Croce, Stevie Wonder and many more. They’ve been performing together for two years, and their next show is at the Sugar Room Friday night.

Here’s more about the band from Dunker.

Q: What’s the chemistry like among the bandmates and what effect does that have on your music?
A: Great chemistry! We’re pretty much on the same page when it comes to selecting material and planning arrangements. As well, the three of us have worked as musicians long enough to have enough ego to state what we’d like to do yet be very considerate of each other’s talents, ideas and suggestions.

Q: Why music?
A: We’re musicians. We enjoy performing.

Q: Is there a common thread that runs through many of your songs?
A: For the most part, our material is that with which people are familiar: cover tunes that are accessible, entertaining, danceable and enjoyable.

Q: Have you recorded and are you working on anything new?
A: Not as a group. We’ll think about that in the future

Q: What’s the best place to play in Mankato and why?
A: For us? The Sugar Room. We are catering to a somewhat more sophisticated crowd than one finds at some of the local watering holes. The Sugar Room caters to the same style of clientele.

Q: What’s a really good night on stage like?
A: If it seems that we have enhanced the evening for the crowd just because we are playing, then it’s a good evening. It’s even better when I don’t “botch” anything that I’m singing or playing.

Q: How do you unwind from a show?
A: Packing up the band, going home and unloading the equipment. After that, a cup of coffee, play with the cats for a few minutes then hit the sheets. I’m pretty much a home body.

Q: What’s on your iPod?
A: Anything that I need to learn for a performance or teach to a student, i.e. Elvis Costello, Sandi Patty, music from Broadway shows, Big Band. I have an eclectic collection.

Q: If you made the cover of Rolling Stone, what other bands would you want the writer to compare you with?
A: We won’t and I wouldn’t.

The Tony Flynn Project

2010-04-01T07:47:00.000-07:00

Inducted: July 2008

Playing about 70 percent original material, The Tony Flynn Project often can be found gigging around Mankato.
The band — Tony Flynn (rhythm guitar/lead vocals), Aaron Kastning (drums), Travis Domeier (lead guitar/vocals), Ben Marti (piano/synth/vocals), Nate Rossow (bass) — has played an “acoustic funk rock blues blend” together for three years. And they’ve recorded a four-song EP at Two Fish Studios.

Here’s a bit more about them.

Q: What’s the band’s chemistry like?
A: Chemistry is EVERYTHING. We’ve all known each other for years, but we all come from different musical backgrounds, and that’s what makes us so unique. Tony comes from a huge influence of Dave Matthews, Jack White has had a large influence on Travis, Aaron comes from a big funk background, Ben is influenced by Frank Zappa, and our bass player throws his hands up to John Paul Jones. But We all love music.

Q: What’s your creative process like?
A: Well, as much as we don’t like to say it ... it all starts with Tony and Travis sitting in the living room drinking a 40 ounce.

Q: Why music?
A: We’ll use a Marley quote on this one: “When the music hits you, you feel no pain.” Where would this world be without people like us?

Q: Is there a common thread that runs through many of ours songs?
A: Our songs are based off of most of ours lives. Personal Experiences for sure.

Q: What’s the best place to play and why?
A: The Aboveground, hands down. When you have 500-plus people packed in that place, it gets real fun. That’s going to be the hottest place in town for live music this fall. Be on the lookout for sure.

Q: What’s a really good night on stage like?
A: When the crowd’s good and we are feeding 100 percent off them and vice versa.

Q: How do you unwind from a show?
A: We tare down, and hit the town.

Q: What’s on your ipod?
A: The Black Crows, Beck, Rocco Deluca, Raconteurs, ALO, JJ, Dr. John, Robert Johnson, Blind Willie McTel, Citizen Cope, Zepplin, Eric Lindell, Ben Harper, Root City, Nathan Miller. The list goes on.

Q: If you made the Rolling Stones cover, who would you like to be compared with?
A: The Black Crows, Ben Harper, or DMB.

To hear an audio sample, click here.

Ocho

2010-04-01T07:46:00.000-07:00

Inducted: March 2009

Everything about Ocho is quintessential folk.
The long hair, the scruffy beard, the acoustic guitar and, of course, the folk-rock he makes with it. “Light songs on heavy subjects,” he said.
Ocho, addressed as David O’Connell on his mail, has been playing music in the Mankato area for the past eight years. He grew up in Pierre, S.D., before moving to Ashland, Ore., and later to Mankato.
He plays a couple of shows a month, usually at the Coffee Hag and the Sugar Room. And he practices every day in his bedroom, he says.
Home-grown albums include “Chicken Soup for the Chicken” (2003), “How to Make Everything Perfect” (2004), “GorillaBuddha!” (2006), “Let’s Get ‘em!” (2007). He also covers the Dead Kennedys, They Might be Giants, REM, Misfits, Old ’97s and Van Morrison.

To read a Q&A with Ocho, click here.
To hear an audio sample, click here.

Lonesome Ron, King of the Valley Yodelers

2010-04-01T07:43:00.000-07:00

Inducted: June 2008

To describe his sound, Lonesome Ron, King of the Valley Yodelers, quotes a line in “Blues Brothers.”
There are two kinds of music, the line goes: country and western. “I play western music — the kind performed by the Sons of the Pioneers, the songs you hear in an old cowboy movie when they’re singing around a campfire,” said Ron Affolter, a solo performer.
About a third of Affolter’s material is original western songs. He plays mostly guitar, but adds a banjo or mandolin on occasion. He also plays jazz with the Mary Guentzel Quintet or folk music with the Cats.
During his 30-some years as a musician, he has performed with Donna Douglas of the Beverly Hillbillies and Jean Shepard. When he was part of the East Side Pharaohs, he opened for Jan & Dean, Boxcar Willie, The Kingsmen, Gary Lewis and Marie Osmond.

Here’s a bit more about Lonesome Ron.

Q: What’s your creative process like?
A: Inspiration for a song can come from almost anywhere, whether it be something that happened to you, a story you heard or a feeling you get when looking at the open country.
One idea was inspired by letters that a Civil War soldier from Mankato had written home to his family. I read transcripts from several of the letters and composed a song.
The inspiration from “They Were Sent To Stillwater Jail” came from newspaper articles about local robberies committed around the time that the Jesse James gang raided Northfield. These criminals were not well known like the Younger Brothers, but they all ended up in the same place.

Q: What do you cover?
A: Years ago, I started doing the yodel songs of Jimmie Rodgers. Since then I’ve been playing and singing the music made famous by Gene Autry, Don Edwards and the Sons of the Pioneers.
Yodeling came to me in an interesting way. While in the East Side Pharaohs, I sang songs that required a falsetto voice. After a few years I figured I could take this ability and apply it to yodeling.
It can be therapeutic to yodel. Like any other art, it’s similar to painting a picture or planting a flower garden, you get a feeling of accomplishment. Yodeling can also be used to keep stray cats out of your backyard.

Q: Why music?
A: When a person starts working on something they enjoy, such as music, they continue with it. Had I started with water colors I’d probably be painting pictures right now.
Like most people, I’m involved in other activities. I also teach mathematics, build Web sites and enjoy gardening.

Q: Is there a common thread that runs through many of your songs? Are they political? Observational? More on the personal side?
A: The songs I write are usually historical. The ones I cover are the traditional cowboy tunes and songs from the singing cowboy movies of the 1930s and 1940s. I don’t write or sing anything real deep or intense, just a lot of fun songs. One historical song, “My Deep Valley Home,” was based on the Betsy-Tacy books of Maud Hart Lovelace, and I based the song “The Plum Trees Will Bloom Forevermore” on the writings of Laura Ingalls Wilder.
I wrote “House of Dakota Rose,” “Idaho Belle,” “Molly,” and “Biscuit, the Burro” from hearing about the antics of Old West re-enactors I’ve worked with at festivals.

Q: What’s the best place to play in Mankato and why?
A: I’ve played at the Rasmussen Woods Nature Center a couple of times and find it to have a nice, peaceful, intimate atmosphere.

Q: What’s a really good night on stage like?
A: A really good night is when the audience is truly interested in what the songs are saying. For instance, Bob Nolan, who was a member of the Sons of the Pioneers, wrote songs that painted a musical picture of the west.
It’s great when people listen to the words and really “get” what he was writing about. It’s also fun to play for unusual events. Last year I was performing in Missouri for a Jesse James conference and, by request, I sang a birthday song for the great-granddaughter of Jesse James. Song writing festivals are fun, too. Some of my music was selected for competition in contests sponsored by The Minnesota Folk Festival and the Highway 61 Folks Festival. These are great opportunities to observe how other songwriters create their songs.

Q: How do you unwind from a show?
A: Mostly I’ve performed at Wild West shows and festivals. There’s not much time to unwind because sometimes I’ll be playing two or three shows during the course of the day. Usually, time between shows is spent socializing with the other participants.

Q: If you made the cover of Rolling Stone, what other bands would you want the writer to compare you with?
A: Well, if they were to do an “On the Road” type of feature that took them to the Minnesota River Valley, I’d prefer a comparison to Michael Martin Murphy and Tom Russell. Michael Martin Murphy because of the traditional cowboy songs he sings and Tom Russell because he writes a lot of good songs with historical themes.

Q: Any recordings?
A: In 2003 I wrote music for a Jesse James documentary, “The Ninth Man,” based on the book by John Koblas. So I wrote the theme song and recorded two traditional tunes for the soundtrack.
The documentary won an award in California. These songs are available on the CD, “The Riverboat Cowboys,” which serves as a companion to the DVD. My version of the “Ballad of Jesse James” was selected by a film company in Wales for a Jesse James documentary. Also, in 2006 I was commissioned to yodel for a Detroit Pistons radio spot.

To watch video clips of Lonesome Ron, click here.

Shirts & Skins

2010-04-01T07:42:00.000-07:00

Inducted: May 2008

Think of Blondie, add in some Guns N’ Roses and a dash of Stevie Wonder for soul. That’s how Shirts & Skins describes their sound.
Actually, their full description is “Blondie mixed with Guns N’ Roses meets Stevie Wonder when he broke up with Pat Benatar who hangs out with Bob Marley who used to date No Doubt with the attitude of Pink who used to kick it with Janis and Jimi.”
Maybe that’s why their short description is a high-energy variety band. Variety is about right. They cover everything from Hendrix to Amy Winehouse.
The band — Vollmer (lead vocals, harmonica), James Grose (lead guitar, vocals), Jesse Hailstone (drums, vocals) and Mike Wolfram (bass, backup vocals) — has been together 18 months and plays at Buster’s about once a month. The guys live in Burnsville, and Vollmer, originally from Nicollet, lives in Minneapolis.

Q: What’s the dynamic of your band?
A: The boys have known each other for years so they have always gotten along great. When I came in, there was also an instant bond with all of them. They are like my brothers. We have only gotten in one band fight (knock on wood).
We are high energy, and we feed off of each other. We jump into the audience, and we are constantly moving.
We are not the kind of band you see standing still. It always makes each set and each show fun and different. We always mix it up, so its a different show every time. We all love live music and know what it takes to be engaging to an audience.

Q: What’s your creative process like?
A: So far, we have done everything separate. They have given me music, and then I am writing lyrics. We will see how that turns out. We all have a sweet spot in our hearts for classic rock. It could be reminiscent of that era.

Q: Why music?
A: Music is a passion for all of us. We all do other things on the side, but music is what makes us tick! We can all bond on that level.

Q: Is there a common thread that runs through many of your songs? Are they political? Observational?
A: More on the personal side? I am not sure the direction we are heading so far. We are definitely all opinionated, but we are also really laid back and love to have a good time with people at all of our shows. They will probably start off just observational and the situation we are currently living in. Nothing too heavy to start.

Q: What’s the best place to play in Mankato and why?
A: We have only played Buster’s, and we love it there. The staff is great, owner is nice, and the sound guy rocks (which is key).

Q: What’s a really good night on stage like?
A: When three hours of playing seems like a half hour and you can have four shots all night and not feel a thing because you sweat it all out.

Q: How do you unwind from a show?
A: Usually listening to more music, hanging out with fans and having a beer. It depends if the locals invite us to stay or not.

Q: What’s on your iPod?
A: Everything from Bach to Ben Harper — a good current and old school party mix and all the playlists we are currently learning for shows.

Q: If you made the cover of Rolling Stone, what other bands would you want the writer to compare you with?
A: Janis Joplin, Led Zeppelin, No Doubt, and Jimi Hendrix (would be a good start ;) )

To hear an audio sample, click here.

Missed Opportunity

2010-04-01T07:40:00.000-07:00

Inducted: June 2008

If a band doesn’t play their own music, they’re just a bunch of jerks contributing to the death of art. That’s how Joe Vampire of Missed Opportunity sees it, although “jerks” is subbed out for his expletive.
For Vampire’s seven-year-old band — Aaron Domeier (drums), Stewart Hunt (lead and rhythm guitars, backing vocals), Brendan Quinn (bass and vocals) and Vampire (rhythm and lead guitars, lead vocals) — 97 percent of the music they play is original rock and roll with a punk edge.
“Really, what’s the point of being in a band if all you’re going to do is play somebody else’s music? There isn’t any as far as I’m concerned ...,” he said. “Stop it right now and get off the stage.”
Missed Opportunity has recorded three albums, “Everything we Learned the Hard Way” in 2004, “The Long Nights” in 2006 and “Missed Opportunity (A Rock Opera)” in March 2008, recorded at Old Blackberry Way in Minneapolis and mixed at Orbit Audio in Seattle.

Here’s a bit more Vampire had to say about the band.

Q: How would you describe your sound?
A: We play Northern Rock — 100 percent pure Northern Rock. If you want to know what that sounds like, it’s basically rock and roll with a punk edge played with sincerity and urgency, but with well-crafted songwriting and a tongue firmly planted in cheek.
This is music made by people who deal with the reality that living in the Midwest is grim and frostbitten and know that life will never be as great as they were told it would be. But throughout it all they know that there are three things that will always be there for them: their music, their friends and whiskey.

Q: What’s the band chemistry like?
A: It’s been awhile since I broke out my knowledge of chemistry, but I believe that it would go something like this: CH3-CH2-OH + C19H28O2 + C8H10N4O2 + C9H13NO3 + C8H11NO2 = Missed Opportunity’s chemical breakdown. This combination means that we really like to play rock and roll the way it should be — fast, loud, and powerful.

Q: What’s your creative process like?
A: We’ve got the creative process down to a fine art after all these years. The general pattern is as follows:
Somebody (usually myself or Brendan) comes to practice with a few different chord patterns or riffs that flow together to make up the meat of a song. We then usually add an introduction, a bridge and an outro with a similar theme.
After that, we then each make our own little flourishes here and there (lead lines, guitar solos, polyrhythmic drum patterns) and end up with a pretty solid song. Either myself or Brendan will then add lyrics around this time, depending on who’s feeling the vibe of the song (or isn’t feeling too lazy to write words). Once everything is in place, we then add or trim fat as necessary, tighten everything up, and constantly refine — even if we’ve already recorded the song, we might change it up a bit.

Q: Why music? Why not watercolor or used car sales?
A: Because watercolor and used car sales don’t get you girls.
Then again, neither does rock and roll. Most women are too smart to fall for that these days. It does at least get you into some good shows for free, plus you can get free booze, which is always a plus to a musician.

Q: Is there a common thread that runs through many of your songs?
A: We just recorded a concept album about the year in the life of a guy who climbs his way out of his depression, only to screw up horribly and end up exactly where he started at the beginning. With that said, this newest album was a semi-autobiographical portrait of my life with many of the events taking place at some time over the last couple years.

Q: What’s the best place to play in Mankato and why?
A: Well, it seems as though the only place for a band like ourselves to play at is the What’s Up Lounge. I obviously mean that in the best possible way. I love Aaron and all the guys there.
The problem is that this city, itself, doesn’t seem to want to foster musical creativity and the people seem all too content to hear bar bands playing songs that can be heard on commercial radio at any time. People need to take a chance on rock and roll again and stop playing it safe.

Q: What’s a really good night on stage like?
A: You know, I’m not too sure on that one. Those are the nights that I usually forget, but I’ve been told those are the best that we play. The water of life can indeed be an enchanting muse.

Q: How do you unwind from a show?
A: There are three parts to life: sex, drugs, and rock and roll, correct? Since one of those matters had just been finished, one must then focus on the other two. Since one of those probably won’t happen (see answer about why not watercolors or used cars), it’s generally more booze-ahol for me!

Q: If you made the cover of Rolling Stone, what other bands would you want the writer to compare you with?
A: That magazine is still around? Oh well, it’s probably just as relevant as the band bearing the same name.
Yeah, I just ripped on the Rolling Stones for not being musically relevant for nearly 30 years.
Prove me wrong.
Anyway, were I to be interviewed by the USA Today of the music press, I’d hope they’d be so far off the mark as to compare us to My Chemical Romance, Good Charlotte, Fallout Boy or any of that new pseudo-punk so I could at least get a laugh out of it. I would also accept being compared to a man with a tracheotomy singing karaoke.
Of course I’d much rather have my music be compared to Social Distortion, Guns ‘N Roses, the Replacements and the Bouncing Souls, but with a tinge more old-school goth thrown in for good measure.

To hear an audio sample, click here.

Captain Standish

2010-04-01T07:38:00.000-07:00

Inducted: April 2008

Head-banging rock music — Mankato knows it well.
Choppers and the What’s Up Lounge have welcomed area hard rock bands to play loud and rev up the crowds.
Captain Standish has added to that scene for the past three years. The band — Trent Fast (guitars and vocals), Jake Willaert (bass and vocals) and Josh Willaert (drums) — plays in Mankato about once a month and has recorded two self-released albums, “Prepare For Pain” and “From Above So Below Me.”
They describe their music as “100 percent, all-original, Grade A, Midwestern rock and roll,” which they practice in the basement of their drummer in St. Peter.
“Whether you love to throw up the horns and head bang or if you’d prefer to do the twist, you’ll find yourself moving in one way or another to the music,” the band wrote.

To read a Q&A with the band, click here.

To hear some music, click here.

The Iron Lotus Band

2010-04-01T07:37:00.000-07:00

Inducted: February 2008

Our second spotlight in the “Meet the Band” series also features a fairly new Mankato ska/rock jam band.
But like The Homegrown Unknowns, The Iron Lotus Band has made a lot of progress in its six months together, practicing often at the “laid-back lair of rhythm guitar player Andy Rotchadl’s house,” as the band describes him.
The guys — David Kruse (lead vocals and guitar), Brandon Wolters (bass and backup vocals), Rotchadl (rhythm guitar and backup vocals) and Dave Hansen (drums) — average about two or three shows per month in Mankato and have plans to record a first album in April in Cannon Falls. They started with all covers of bands such as Pink Flloyd, The Beatles, Tom Petty, Sublime and Phish, among others.

To read a Q&A with the band, click here.

To hear an audio sample, click here.

The Homegrown Unknowns

2010-04-01T07:34:00.000-07:00

Inducted: January 2008

So, yes, The Homegrown Unknowns are a new band.
They formed in the summer of ’07, which, for many budding bands, would mean they have a name picked out and maybe a song or two that they play over and over again at open mics.
Not these guys. The Unknowns have enough material for a full setlist. They’re already regulars at The Sugar Room and McGoff’s Irish Pub. And they have their sound pretty much worked out: funk- and jam-inspired rock and roll.
Of course, it helps that the members — Scott Yonke (bass/vocals), Pat Dalton (drums/vocals) and Pete Wagner (guitar/vocals) — play in other bands, as well, and are no strangers to writing or performing. Dalton plays in Choice Chooses, and Scott and Pete have made their three-piece, 3 in a Tree, known in the region for its quirky blend of rock, blues, reggae, twang and funk tunes. Not to mention all the improv that goes on, which can stretch their songs up to 30 minutes each.
The Unknowns are the inaugural members of the Meet the Band series, launched in the Currents section of The Free Press to bring more attention to local music.

To read a Q&A with the band, click here.

To hear an audio sample, click here.