More than two decades ago, a red-maned gal named Mary Poppen was giving voice lessons in the small western burg of Ketchum. She was a trained classical pianist. One of her students was a musician named Randy Roth.
"He said I'm putting this group together, the M80s, and suggested I join," Poppen said. "I knew nothing. Nothing."
Meanwhile, at the Golden Rule grocery store on Ketchum's Main Street, two young musicians named Craig Bernauer and Matt Burbank eked out livings checking groceries. They formed a group called the Bag Boys. Another young musician, Ken Martin, had just moved to town. The stage was set for the emergence of a band called The Heaters, which enveloped all these people into one entity.
At 10 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 20, at Whiskey Jacques' on Ketchum's Main Street, The Heaters will have their first reunion in five years to celebrate Bernauer's 50th birthday.
"The Bag Boys wanted to regroup," Poppen said. "We went through several bass players until we found Rich Aguirre. Then we added a horn section. Craig had written a bunch of songs, and Rob Namer wrote a song, 'The Body Bag,' and then he also wrote 'Lebanon' that we've done forever and ever. We played whatever we all liked. Everyone had input."
As the lone female, singer and keyboardist Poppen admits it was the time of her life. "I would wish the experience for everybody. Unless you've done it, you can't imagine how much fun. Everyone you're performing for loves it and the energy is amazing."
Martin, who lives in Hailey, plays guitar; Bernauer plays guitar and performs lead vocals; Aguirre is on bass; Matt Burbank is on drums; Kent Persons plays sax; and Darrin Stubbs blows the trumpet.
"We play alternative rock, classic, Motown and originals," Martin said. "It's sweat till you drop dance music,"
The band stayed together for nearly 10 years.
Poppen formed a Sun Valley Children's Choir that still exists, and now runs a child care center called The Music Room.
"In the meantime, the guys got married and some had kids, some moved to Boise," she said. "It got hard to commute there in the winter, which is where most of the gigs were."
When the much-missed band reunited five years ago at Whiskey's, the show was packed.
"We had such a blast for Ken's birthday five years ago," Poppen said. "They sound better than ever. Matt plays in a band. Kent plays in a couple different groups. Craig has continued to write a lot of music. We're doing some of his new pieces this weekend. His voice is better than ever."
Ken Martin of The Heaters rocks Whiskey Jacques?. Photo by Dana DuGan
