By Amanda Dyslin
The Free Press
MANKATO —
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.
Here’s a bit more about the band from Mock.
Q: Tell us about Powerhouse. What do you sound like?
A: With 10 people in the band, Powerhouse’s sound is a big, energized and exciting sound, but we can also play songs that bring it down to a whisper level. From 1960s, ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s rock, to big band swing, soul, r&b and funk.
The horns add a full, rich, colorful sound to the band that other area bands just can’t imitate or produce. Add to that mix Brenda and Lynda (sisters) — beautifully blended voices with big smiles and choreographed moves on stage, as well as their occasional trips out into the audience during any given song to either create audience participation or sit on an audience member’s lap while singing a song.
As the core of the band, the rhythm section pulls it all together with solid drums and a bass guitar line (the foundation and glue that holds the entire band together) that allow the lead guitar and keyboards to come alive with blistering solos and fills that create that total Powerhouse sound.
Q: What have you recorded?
A: The band has talked about recording a CD from time to time. We have a few songwriters in the bunch, but we have just not taken the time to get serious about it.
Time is always tight when working with 10 people’s schedules. Most of us have families, kids, grandkids and full-time jobs, so time is our biggest obstacle. As a band we enjoy being together and have a bond of respect and friendship for each other, and when we perform on stage, something magical happens between us that is difficult to describe but is very obvious to us and the audience.
We truly enjoy what we do. Many times, people in the audience will comment that “you all seem to be having so much fun when playing.” They are right — we have a lot of fun and are always sharing the center stage with each other and bantering back and forth with each other as well as the audience.
Q: What’s a good night on stage like?
A: A good night on stage is exhilarating to the mind and spirit. A euphoric high that cannot really be explained but any performer can attest too. I guess that is why most performers (musicians, actors, artists, etc.) continue to do it and miss it if they quit.
Q: You’ve developed quite a following. What’s the secret to your success?
A: I don’t know that we have any special secret or even how successful we are. We are doing the type of music we enjoy, and I suppose it shows because when we have fun and are enjoying it, the people pick up on that vibe and have fun as well, either by just watching us or participating on the dance floor.
Q: You play mostly covers, right? How do you pick your songs?
A: With 10 people, we have a wide variety of musical tastes, but we try to pick songs that are danceable and recognizable and fit with our style.
Q: Who are some of your influences?
A: Beatles, early Chicago, Rolling Stones, Hendrix, to name a few. Many artists from the 1960s to the 1990s have been influences on each of us in the band.
Q: What’s the chemistry like among the bandmates, and what effect does that have on your music?
A: For the most part, the chemistry is surprisingly good, especially on stage. Obviously with 10 people there will be some differences of opinion about this or that, but in general we get along with each other. We respect each person’s opinion and try to reach a compromise.
Generally, at our age we are just happy if everyone in the band remembers where we are supposed to be, that we all get to the gig, and that people still want to listen to us.
Q: Is there a common thread that runs through many of your songs?
A: YES — the common thread is that hopefully we all remember how to play the song.
Q: If you ever made the cover of Rolling Stone, what other bands would you want to be compared to?
A: I think we would have a better chance of making a Playboy cover. If we ever made the cover of Rolling Stone I would think they would compare other bands to us.
Is Rolling Stone still in publication? Maybe they would cover our “Old Geezer Wheel Chair Tour.”
Q: Where’s your favorite place to play in Mankato and why?
A: We love playing outside festivals. Our favorite place to play is anywhere that will have us.
Q: How do you unwind after a show?
A: Six-pack, sex and a smoke.
Q: Any interesting band rituals?
A: I wish we could get our sax player to change his socks more often. When the stage lights get hot, his socks begin to throw off steam, and I have to stand right next to him (whew).
Lynda loves to eat beans before we go on stage. (Ya’ll know what that does.) One of our trumpet players chews tobacco while performing. (Don’t dance in front of the trumpet player, as the wads of tobacco come flying out the front of his horn).
You can find our Piano man crawling around under the stage at various times throughout a performance. (We don’t have any idea what he’s doing under there.)
