Most Interesting People 2015: Jake Kouwe

WHY HE'S INTERESTING: He isn't your grandfather's polka-band frontman. With long hair held back with a bandana, the Burton resident energetically leads his quintet through a repertoire that includes classics such as the Frank Yankovic hit "Just Because" to a straight-up version of tropical-rock icon Jimmy Buffett's "Margaritaville" and an oompah-pahed rendering of rapper Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby." In October, the Chardon Polka Band finished taping the first season of their reality show, Polka Kings, set to premiere on ReelzChannel this spring.

MAKING THE ROUNDS: The Chardon Polka Band plays everywhere: elementary schools, churches, senior centers, small-town parks, big-city bars and Oktoberfests throughout the country. Kouwe tailors the set to suit each audience, often right onstage if he's playing to a party crowd. "I'm not afraid to be experimental, and neither is my band." As a result, the group draws 90-year-old traditionalists, middle-aged punk rockers, 20-something hipsters and children.

FATHER FIGURE: Kouwe's father was a fire chief and played in a band, MC AXE and the Fire Crew. The troupe of singing-and-dancing firefighters from Fishers, Indiana, staged their fire-safety routine of rap, skits and video shorts at venues ranging from school auditoriums to business grand openings. They even appeared on the Indianapolis PBS affiliate. "Dad was doing things that I very much actually did want to do. But it wasn't running into burning buildings — it was going around to schools and performing music for people."

A BOY AND HIS ACCORDION: As a 14-year-old, Kouwe asked his mother to buy him a thrift-store instrument after seeing "Weird Al" Yankovic play one in a VH1 special. "Maybe it was the fact no one else [I knew] played it. But in my mind, it was literally just that connection: I saw one on TV and went, 'I want to do that. That guy looks like he's having a lot of fun.'"

FINDING INSPIRATION: Kouwe traces his passion to a polka festival he attended with his mother shortly thereafter. He was mesmerized by an accordionist who entertained the audience between bands by telling jokes and playing songs such as "In Heaven There Is No Beer." "I thought, This guy doesn't even have a band. He just gets up there with his accordion, and everybody loves him. It was fascinating to me! I remember going in and telling my accordion teacher, 'I don't want to work on Christmas music. I don't want to work on tangos or whatever. I just want to work on polkas.' "

A PIECE OF CAKE: The band's shot at TV stardom arrived in its spam folder in January 2013. Fortunately, Kouwe took the time to read the email from Cake Boss producer High Noon Entertainment. During initial talks, a High Noon rep voiced her desire for a traditional polka band. Kouwe sold her by describing his group as the polka version of the Cake Boss crew. "I sell, baby — that's what I do. When you're in a band, you've got to sell or else you don't get gigs."

POLKA MEETS SITCOM: Kouwe describes Polka Kings as a reality show version of Full House. "There's always some sort of problem. There's hijinks, and then there's a resolution." In one episode, he plays an accordion while submerged in a 7-foot tank of beer at Flannery's Pub to drum up publicity and build the band's fan base. "That was great fun. I drove home smelling like beer. I was like, Man, I hope I don't get pulled over by the cops."

BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION ABOUT HIM: "People think I'm a stoner. But I don't do drugs. I drink beer, but I try not to mess with my mind at all. I'm a fan of it because it got me this far."