One of the best parts of attending a polka
dance is listening to the band. I love going to the
old-timers’ (sorry) area at the Illinois State Fair and
listening to the bands. They don’t jump around too much or
amplify beyond what is necessary, and they are actual studied
musicians who are proud of their craft and respect the music
they’re creating. That’s not to say that this
isn’t the case with other bands, but to me there is something
more schooled, more thoughtful, and more musical about a band that
plays music made before rock & roll came to town. That said, allow me to suggest a Sunday
(April 23) afternoon visit (2-6 p.m.) to the Riverton Knights of
Columbus Hall and the monthly dance sponsored by the Illinois
Chapter of Po. L. K. of A. (217-414-1198). That acronym stands for
Polka Lovers Klub of America, a national organization of
polka-loving folks who have banded together to show their undying
love for this once hugely popular and now slowly disappearing
dance. Polka (the dance itself), I learned from the group’s informative Web site
(www.illinoischapterpolkofa.org), originated in Bohemia in the 1830s
from a tune written by a young girl who later died in poverty as her
song and dance went on to huge international popularity. How about that
for a tragic tale in the music business? On a lighter note, Trio Freddi, this
month’s featured group, comes to us from St. Louis. According
to a Web site featuring St. Louis polka bands, Trio Freddi
comprises three regulars — Freddi, Jim, and Harold —
joined by “special artist Mary Ann, and her button box
accordion.” The group performs polkas, waltzes, big-band
songs, Central European and Hawaiian tunes, and even some country.
That sounds hard to top, but the best treat of all is in the last
sentence of the profile: “Music is augmented with the latest
electronic sounds and effects.” I’m not sure how or why
that works, but it’s certainly worth an investigation. Brave
Combo is
tentatively scheduled for an appearance at UCT in July. Polka on!
This article appears in Apr 13-19, 2006.
