By Molly Snyder Senior Writer Published Nov 29, 2002 at 5:32 AM

If the Fuel Café were to have a house band, it would be Wrecker.

This three-grrrl posse celebrates and trashes the merits of punk rock with a cranky-loud, fun sound steeped in heavy bass and speedy drums. Just as it says in their press kit, Wrecker is indeed "a welcome departure from the wimpy-ass sounds of the college train to successville."

Recently, the band -- made up of self-taught musicians Carolina Pfister, Jessi Knopf and Jenny Kilken -- signed with Latest Flame Records, a new, independent record label in Milwaukee. This weekend, they will perform a benefit show for the label with three other bands, Troubled Hubble, the Response and Speak to Sway.

Pfister, a visiting Brazilian film student, started the band with Knopf two years ago. Later, they talked Kilken into joining the band, after Mistreaters' drummer Christian left the group. Today, the three lively rockers live in Cudahy and are friends as well as bandmates.

Wrecker has toured from the Midwest to the West Coast and has performed at the popular, prestigious Ladyfest music festivals in both Michigan and New York. They have also played locally at The Cactus Club, Onopa Brewing Company, The Riverwest Commons and The Globe.

Between rounds of jumping jacks, Wrecker answered OMC's questions with the same sass and sincerity that make this band a success.

OMC: Why do you play the instruments you play?

Carolina (bass): Years ago, in another country, in another band, a bass player quit on us, so I picked it up.
Jessi (guitar): I picked it up when I was 16. Why do we do a lot of things when we are 16?
Jenny (drums): After watching many amazing bands with kick-ass drummers, I thought I would give it a try. I had a couple of amazing drummer friends that really inspired me and I felt as if I needed to move some energy within me. Basically, I think I needed to hit something and I thought drums would be better than just getting in bar fights all the time.

OMC: Where do you practice? Any practice rituals?

Carolina: By the train tracks ( on the wrong side!)
Jessi: (Rituals?) Jumping jacks.

OMC: How would you describe your music?

Carolina : Rock. But to be more specific, how about the Spice Girls meet Celtic Frost.
Jessi : Or bass, heavy-mall rock.
Carolina: Or sociable, intelligent, inventive, romantic and easy to live with. Yeah, that's it.
Jenny: OK. How about just rock.

OMC: What bands inspire you the most, both locally and nationally/internationally?

(All of our friends bands locally and nationally/internationally inspire us for various reasons. Kudos to them all! Also...)
Jessi: Zeppelin, Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Sabbath, Pixies, Lemonheads, Joan Jett, Guns -N- Roses, Melvins, Prince, Devo, Madonna, Milli Vanilli.
Carolina: Motorhead, Zeppelin, Chico Buarque, Minor Threat, Plebe Rude, Descendents, Sunny Day, Sabbath, Sun Ra, Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, Joan Jett, Bikini Kill, L7, The Who, Los Crudos, Spitboy, 7 Seconds, The Cure, X-ray Specs, Devo, Bjork , Cyndi Lauper, Les Ethiopiques, Dinnosaur Junior, Sonic Youth, Missy Elliot, etc.
Jenny: Articles of Faith, Unsane, Meatjack, Slayer, Sonic Youth, Killing Joke, Joy Division, Peter Hammill, PJ Harvey, Jeff Buckley, The Who, Heart, Johnny Rivers, Joni Mitchell, Al Green, Run DMC, Sugarhill Gang ... Too many others to list.

OMC: Do you think Milwaukee is a good place to be in a band?

Jessi: Yes , I think Milwaukee is a good place to be in a band. Practice spaces are cheap, cost of living is cheap. You generally can save up enough money here to do the things you like such as music, touring, buying equipment, etc.
Jenny: Milwaukee is less pretentious than many other places, it's more about the music and less about the presentation.
Carolina: Yeah, take, for example, electroclash ....

OMC: Where's the best place to play in Milwaukee?

Jessi: The Cactus Club.

OMC: Worst?

Jenny: None so far.

OMC: In your opinion, what is wrong with mainstream music?

Carolina: The mainstream.

OMC: What is your creative process like?

Jenny: Usually Jessi and Carolina get together to set the foundation of the song then we all jam.

OMC: What do you get/hope to get from the band experience? Fame? Fortune? Fun? Free beer?

Jenny: Free beer of course!
Carolina: To rock the stress out. And free beer.
Jessi: All of the above but mostly the free beer.

OMC: Where have you toured lately and how do you like life on the road?

Jenny: We just toured in August. We basically went out east for a few weeks. I would have to say that we all LOVE touring and the whole experience. It is one of the best things about being in a band.
Carolina: The free time is weird. Suddenly, there is nothing else but rock. No other immediate obligations. It feels good ... You tackle the books that have been waiting, fill notebooks with projects, there's drunken Wrecker bonding and you end up collecting tons of inside jokes. Have you ever noticed bands on tours, specially long tours, how they seem to have their own language?
Jessi: I love being on the road in my trusty van, Lita FORD (e150).

OMC: What is your favorite gas station snack?

Jenny: Gummi peachy rings.
Carolina: I do not like gas station food. Or fast food. It's a drag to be a hungry me on tour. All those gas stations and chains, all gloomy plastic. Yuk.
Jessi: Cornnuts.

OMC: Tell us about your recording projects, both past and future.

Jenny: So far we have a 7" called "Gladiator School" (on Red Swan Records) and "A Split With Infect" (from Brazil, on Kill You For a Dollar Records). We are currently working on new material for our full length. This will be out in the spring on Latest Flame Records.

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OMC: What do you like about being in an all-girl band?

Jenny: We like playing music!
Jessi: Yeah.
Carolina: Yeah.

OMC: How many tattoos do you have collectively?

Jessi: Who's counting?

OMC: Is there anything else you would like to say to Milwaukee?

Wrecker: Nope. Oh, you can talk to us at wreckerrr@hotmail.com

Wrecker plays Sat., Nov. 30 at The Globe East, 2028 E. North Ave. Troubled Hubble, the Response and Speak to Sway will also perform.


Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.

Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.