FP: What are your favorite tunes to play?

AO: I’m sure each of us has our own favorites. Luckily our set list is so varied that there’s usually something for each of us. As the token drummer, I love the variety, but I say the noisier the better. Also, I can play in nearly any key signature.

FP: Do you do any covers?

AO: Maybe 20 percent of our songs are covers. They’re usually chosen because they’re funny or nostalgic and likely to be popular with our audiences.

FP: Who writes the music, and where does the inspiration usually come from?

AO: Just about everyone has written something, but the majority of our original music comes from Pete. Most of the inspiration comes from personal experience and relationships, first with girlfriends, then wives and now children. Sometimes a good deal of inspiration can come from food. We all like a really good meal. Yum.

FP: What’s a really good night like on stage?

AO: A great concert happens when we’re relaxed and the songs and jokes flow easily from one to another without any awkward pauses or anyone sticking their foot in their mouth. We have lots of great stories about when things are said out loud that sounded much better in our heads. When that happens, we all try to act as if nothing’s happened and then we make a running joke out of it.

FP: Where’s your favorite place to play in Mankato and why?

AO: Martin Luther College is always great and Bethany Lutheran College is another yearly favorite of ours, as are Songs on the Lawn and the Rock Bend Folk Festival. It’s always great to receive an energetic audience reaction, and these are the places where that’s likely to happen for us.