Kaufman is no stranger to the limelight. He and fellow Lawn Wranglers drummer, Jeff Powers and bassist, Justin "Shaggy" Long were 75 percent of the punk-rock band The Big Crap Scare. After the loss of a drummer, switching Powers from guitar to drums and adding Pereira on acoustic guitar, the Lawn Wranglers were created.
"Dan was unenthusiastic about joining the punk band, so we started something a little more his speed," Kaufman said.
Changing from punk to this mix of mandolin-led folk ballads and acoustic rock songs was extremely drastic, but not that turbulent, Powers said.
"We knew how to play punk, but we weren't punks. Shaggy didn't even listen to punk music," Powers said.
Kaufman agreed that the switch felt natural.
"We realized that you don't have to rock out so hard on stage to have fun, sometimes you can just stand there and sway," Kaufman said.
Having fun is what seems to be the center of the lawn wrangling universe. Even the derivation of their name is rooted in playfulness. It comes from the 1996 college-comedy Bottle Rocket, about a group of landscapers who take particular pride in their craft. Kaufman said that they also adopted their motto.
"It's more then just mowing...it's landscaping," he said.
So the slogan is not entirely about music, but neither is being in a band, Kaufman said. He added having a sense of humor is one of the most important things in life.
"We want to have fun playing. We're fully conscious of the fact that we suck ass," Kaufman said.
The good news is that not everyone shares the same pessimistic opinion of the Lawn Wranglers. They recently won a battle of the bands held at I-Diehl Novelties, 318 E. College Ave., with more than 15 other contesting bands.
It also happened to be the first show for the band, whose birth occurred just a week before in the first practice, Kaufman said.
"The fact that we didn't crash and burn in front of people we know was comforting," he said.
Though they have not attempted to break the bar scene in State College, members of the Lawn Wranglers think that they will be in for a rough time if they get around to doing so. Besides their claimed domination of the open mic industry, the band has been held to playing at small head shops around the area.
Powers said they like the small crowds and the chilled-out ambiance of smaller venues anyway.
"I only like to play shows with 30 people or less. It's cool to have people show up and hear us," he said.
The bands sound is a cornucopia of folk, classic rock, funk and polka Kaufman said, but Powers added that the polka was not as prominent.
Pereira, who pens most of the group's songs, said there isn't really a message he is trying to convey in his songwriting. It's just whatever is on his mind at the time.
"I bring songs to the band and everyone just makes up [stuff] and goes along," Pereira said.
Though the future of the Lawn Wranglers is uncertain, the members are still not worried.
Kaufman noted that the dream has basically already been achieved.
"I was never in a band before college, but then I came here and now its my favorite thing to do. We just want to play in college, not necessarily make it. Our real goal is to get a once a week bar gig somewhere, but realistically we are just hoping not to get kicked out of open mic nights," Kaufman said.
The members of Lawn Wranglers know that making it in this town and being so distant from mainstream music will be a long lawn to mow, but they seem to be fine with living the high life in each other's company in the basement, at least for now.
The Lawn Wranglers will playing at 9 p.m. Monday at the Tall Shiva Hookah Lounge, 224 W. College Ave.
9 p.m., Monday
Send an 
