We’re back from vacation and ready to squeeze! Let’s start by checking out this week’s accordion calendar:
Festival International de Louisiane (Wed-Sun in Lafayette, LA) This huge, free festival celebrates the French cultural heritage of southern Louisiana with food, arts and crafts, and LOTS of music. This year’s lineup includes Beausoleil, Los Texmaniacs, Rob Curto’s Forro for All, Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, and many more.
Walter Ostanek (Monday in Franklin, WI) Canada’s Polka King brings his legendary Cleveland-style polka stylings to the Milwaukee Accordion Club.
Muenster Germanfest (Fri-Sun in Muenster, TX) Every year thousands flock to Muenster for sausage, strudel, and the sound of polka. Performers include Brave Combo, Alpenfest, and the Polka Kings.
And there’s a lot more — including Geno Delafose and Chris Ardoin in New Orleans, the “American Irish” band Solas in Texas, and One Ring Zero in New York City. As usual, let us know if there we’ve missed any accordion happenings in your neighborhood.
Accordion Pops: Concert of Hope (Saturday in Philadelphia, PA) The Accordion Pops Orchestra presents their third “Concert of Hope” to benefit the ALS Hope Foundation. Listen to the East Coast’s only professional accordion orchestra perform the works of Tchaikovsky, Verdi, Mancini, and more, for a good cause.
Los Reyes De La Calle Seis (Saturday in Austin, TX) Relive the glory days of Austin’s famous 6th Street in the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s, with the musicians who were there. Features a special guest appearance by Grammy winner, Flaco Jimenez.
Polka Melodies Appreciation Dance (Sunday in Muskegon, MI) Party with Tom and Mary from the Polka Melodies radio show in Michigan. Performers include the Steve Meisner Band, Diddle Styx Polka Band, Ray Watkoski Family Band, and the Grabinski Orchestra.
Into every life a little rain must fall… and such is the forecast for San Jose tomorrow. As a result, the Conjunto/Tejano Accordion Jam scheduled for Saturday in Kelley Park has been cancelled. I’ve taken it off our calendar, but spread the word if you know anyone who was planning on attending. Sorry!
As it happens, Anna and I will be in the Boston area this weekend and we’re hoping to swing by the festival on Saturday to hear some music and pass out a few Let’s Polka stickers. If you’re going to be there, send us an email or leave a comment on this post and we’ll keep an eye out for you.
In Poland, Easter Monday is known as Dyngus Day — a holiday celebrating Polish heritage and traditions following Lent. Here in the United States, in cities like Buffalo, Chicago, and South Bend, it’s the perfect occasion to indulge in some kielbasa and polka music. LOTS of polka music.
Eddie Blazoncyzk’s Versatones (Monday in North Liberty, IN) Just outside of South Bend, Eddie Blazoncyzk’s Versatones will supply the tunes for Dyngus Day at the Crumstown Conservation Club.
John Stevens’ Doubleshot (Monday in The Villages, FL) Dyngus Day festivities… in Florida? You bet!
Vagabond Opera (Various dates in Northern California) Klezmer, gypsy, tango, jazz… the Vagabond Opera is all this and much, much more. The Portland band brings its eclectic, bohemian cabaret style to Northern California for a string of shows this week.
Los Tigres del Norte (Saturday in San Jose, CA) Hot off a win at last month’s Grammys, the norteño legends (and San Jose residents) headline a hometown show. Their latest album, Detalles y Emociones, was released last week.
As usual, this is just a small sampling of the events listed on our accordion calendar this week. Check the listings for more events, and let us know if there’s any we missed in your area.
Over the past 24 hours, I’ve been beseiged by phone calls, emails, and homing pigeons from concerned friends and family, most of them asking the same question: “Are you insane? How could you forsake the accordion for the banjo?” Few put it as eloquently as this email from one of our readers:
“I play music with a banjo player, but those guys have plenty of sites and publicity. We Accordion-Americans and our co-accordionists around the planet need an ACCORDION site.”
With those words in mind, I’m abandoning the now-infamous “banjo plan” and returning Let’s Polka to its regularly scheduled programming — all accordion, all the time. Our brief national nightmare is over, and I hope we can move on with a greater appreciation for both instruments. After all, where would Cleveland-style polkas be without accordions and banjos?
(For those who missed the hullabaloo, see my last post and a screenshot of what the site looked like yesterday.)
I have a confession to make: there’s a new instrument in my life.
It started innocently — one day, I was just sitting on the couch, picking on the banjo that I bought Anna for Christmas last year. Next thing you know, I’m filling my iPod with Tony Trischka albums and hunching in front of the TV to play along with “The Ballad of Jed Clampett.”
So starting today, April 1st, we’re switching our focus from the accordion to the plucky banjo. Instead of polka and zydeco, we’ll be discussing bluegrass, proper clawhammer technique, and Scruggs tuners.
To get things started, here’s one of my favorite clips featuring five banjo greats — Earl Scruggs, Tony Ellis, Charles Wood, Pete Wernick and Steve Martin, calling themselves “Men With Banjos Who Know How to Use Them” — playing “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” on the Late Show with David Letterman:
Ivan Milev Band (Tuesday in New York, NY) Bulgarian accordion legend Ivan Milev plays rousing Balkan folk music with virtuoso technique. Watch this clip and try to keep up with his fingers.
Rice and Gravy Cook-Off (Saturday in Lafayette, LA) Mmm… the Louisiana Beef Council’s Rice and Gravy Cook-Off promises free rice and gravy samples, plus zydeco music from Kevin Naquin and the Ossun Playboys, Terry and the Zydeco Bad Boys, Donnie Broussard and Louisiana Stars, and more. First 500 people get a 1 lb. bag of rice!
Jason Webley (various dates) The charismatic, tomato-lovin’ singer/songwriter/accordionist continues his East Coast tour this week with dates in New York and Massachusetts.
In other news, our calendar is no longer limited to North America — we now list events in the United Kingdom and (soon) the rest of Europe. So if you have an accordion event coming up soon, even if it’s across the sea, let us know.
Lenny Gomulka and Chicago Push (Thursday-Sunday in Florida) Lenny and his band leave chilly Chicago for a week of shows in sunny Florida. Think of it as spring training for polka musicians.
T. Broussard and the Zydeco Steppers (Sunday in New York, NY) Laura Selikson and Let’s Zydeco (no relation to Let’s Polka) have been bringing the biggest and best zydeco acts to New York City for years. This week, T. Broussard goes North for a hot show at Connolly’s on 45th.
Remember, if there’s an accordion event in your area and it isn’t on our calendar, tell us about it!
