http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/ Upcoming accordion events from the Let's Polka calendar en-us Setting up two great squeeze shows in as many months, Accordion Noir presents an exciting and varied bill again! * Vancouver's Creaking Planks are the house band of the venue and the house organ of Accordion Noir, being squeezingly fronted by the hairier of the two AN co-hosts. (That's fronted, not frotted!) The goal of this jug band of the damned is to take an array of old-timey instruments and confront you, repeatedly, with the music you are /least/ expecting to hear come out of them. * Ghost hobo Jeff Andrew is so hot on the fiddle, we will willfully overlook his failure to play accordion of any kind. (His album, Vagabonds and Wastrels, does feature local squeeze thang Larissa Ardis rocking the squeezebox, so his membership is honorary.) * Ottawa's Marie-Josee Houle (artwork by Amanda Wong) sings a sultry mixture of French jazz and gypsy tunes as fiery as her hair. She tours in support of Monsters and Our Lady of Broken Souls. * Jason Webley has been relentlessly throwing himself to the forefront of a Tom Waits-ian gritty cabaret revival. He keeps his busking roots close to his heart through percussive use of a vodka bottle filled with coins from around the world, and has mastered the fine and subtle art of charming crowds not expecting accordion performance. Sun, 31 Jan 2010 21:07:24 -0800 http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/02/28/another-night-of-pleasing-squeezing http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/02/28/another-night-of-pleasing-squeezing Come celebrate the 25th anniversary of Polkacide! Founded in 1985, Polkacide was originally organized to play a one-night stand for the Deaf Club in San Francisco. The Deaf Club (an actual club for deaf people) had been hiring punk bands to perform. When it was suggested that some did not want a punk band, an inspired band leader and founder Ward Abronski, along with his long term girlfriend and Polkacide's first drummer, Hayok Kay, formed a "really loud polka band" to play. When the gig was cancelled (ironically for noise abatement), Ward realized it was too good of an idea with too many great musicians, to just let die. He booked the band for San Francisco's punk club The Mabuhay on February 8, 1985. Unfortunately, the Mab misspelled their names on the flyers but the rest, as they say, is history. Since then, Polkacide has played with such diverse groups as Sun Ra, Primus (Basa guest with his ocarina at The Fillmore), Brave Combo, k.d. lang, The Dead Kennedys, and many, many more. Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:14:42 -0800 http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/02/13/polkacide http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/02/13/polkacide Corn Mo played in a jazz band. Then a country band. Then did a recording session for a Kentucky Fried Chicken song contest in another country band. Then a rock band called Illusion. Then a metal band called Without Warning. Then another metal band called Tiruth. And then, he found the accordion. And then he joined a juggling troupe and provided the soundtrack. And then he played with another fellow named Mauve Oed. And then Mauve Oed left. Then, he joined an art rock band called The Dooms UK. And then he left. And then he started 357 Lover which became the band of what he tried to do solo. And then decided to keep doing both. And then he joined a sideshow circus called The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus. And then he started touring and having adventures. And then he joined the Polyphonic Spree and toured with David Bowie. And then he left the Polyphonic Spree. And then he did shows with David Cross, Ben Folds, and They Might Be Giants. And its been awesome. And it keeps getting better. Sun, 24 Jan 2010 09:28:10 -0800 http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/01/25/corn-mo http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/01/25/corn-mo Cajun-Creole band Sauce Piquante plays Southwest Louisiana dance music – waltzes, two-steps and an occasional shuffle – all of it drawn from the traditional repertoire and all of it sung in French. They strive to appeal to contemporary dancers while honoring the spirit of the past, playing music to move the heart as well as the feet. Inspired by the late accordionist Danny Poullard (who suggested the band’s name, a spicy Louisiana stew), Sauce Piquante is accordionist-singer Blair Kilpatrick (who started the band in 1999), fiddler Steve Tabak, guitarist-singer Robert Richard, bassist-singer Kathy “KP” Price and drummer Kathy Dodge. The band released its debut CD in 2003, “Sauce Piquante Live...Vieux Temps Passé.” Sun, 24 Jan 2010 09:25:46 -0800 http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/02/02/sauce-piquante http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/02/02/sauce-piquante Cajun-Creole band Sauce Piquante plays Southwest Louisiana dance music – waltzes, two-steps and an occasional shuffle – all of it drawn from the traditional repertoire and all of it sung in French. They strive to appeal to contemporary dancers while honoring the spirit of the past, playing music to move the heart as well as the feet. Inspired by the late accordionist Danny Poullard (who suggested the band’s name, a spicy Louisiana stew), Sauce Piquante is accordionist-singer Blair Kilpatrick (who started the band in 1999), fiddler Steve Tabak, guitarist-singer Robert Richard, bassist-singer Kathy “KP” Price and drummer Kathy Dodge. The band released its debut CD in 2003, “Sauce Piquante Live...Vieux Temps Passé.” Sun, 24 Jan 2010 09:25:32 -0800 http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/01/24/sauce-piquante http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/01/24/sauce-piquante Isle of Klezbos first emerged as an organic offshoot of New York's Metropolitan Klezmer. Formed in 1998, the frolicsome six-piece women's band soon became an acclaimed, dancing-in-the-aisles hit at a wide variety of venues from coast to coast, and made their European debut as the final feature for Vienna's first KlezMORE festival. A versatile, neo-traditional ensemble, the group plays imaginative versions of eclectic Eastern European-rooted Jewish folk music, Yiddish swing and tango, plus an ever-expanding repertoire of vibrant originals. This is the first show together for two astute, amusing, amazing and genre-defying bands. Isle of Klezbos, the fun-loving, soulful powerhouse women's klezmer sextet, joins The Lascivious Biddies, an all female cocktail pop quartet. Both bands are based in NYC, both perform musically tight shows with humor, chops and heart, and both share the talents of bass player Saskia Lane. Sat, 23 Jan 2010 22:08:13 -0800 http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/03/14/isle-of-klezbos http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/03/14/isle-of-klezbos Isle of Klezbos first emerged as an organic offshoot of New York's Metropolitan Klezmer. Formed in 1998, the frolicsome six-piece women's band soon became an acclaimed, dancing-in-the-aisles hit at a wide variety of venues from coast to coast, and made their European debut as the final feature for Vienna's first KlezMORE festival. A versatile, neo-traditional ensemble, the group plays imaginative versions of eclectic Eastern European-rooted Jewish folk music, Yiddish swing and tango, plus an ever-expanding repertoire of vibrant originals. This is the first show together for two astute, amusing, amazing and genre-defying bands. Isle of Klezbos, the fun-loving, soulful powerhouse women's klezmer sextet, joins The Lascivious Biddies, an all female cocktail pop quartet. Both bands are based in NYC, both perform musically tight shows with humor, chops and heart, and both share the talents of bass player Saskia Lane. Sat, 23 Jan 2010 22:07:06 -0800 http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/03/13/isle-of-klezbos http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/03/13/isle-of-klezbos Isle of Klezbos first emerged as an organic offshoot of New York's Metropolitan Klezmer. Formed in 1998, the frolicsome six-piece women's band soon became an acclaimed, dancing-in-the-aisles hit at a wide variety of venues from coast to coast, and made their European debut as the final feature for Vienna's first KlezMORE festival. A versatile, neo-traditional ensemble, the group plays imaginative versions of eclectic Eastern European-rooted Jewish folk music, Yiddish swing and tango, plus an ever-expanding repertoire of vibrant originals. This is the first show together for two astute, amusing, amazing and genre-defying bands. Isle of Klezbos, the fun-loving, soulful powerhouse women's klezmer sextet, joins The Lascivious Biddies, an all female cocktail pop quartet. Both bands are based in NYC, both perform musically tight shows with humor, chops and heart, and both share the talents of bass player Saskia Lane. Sat, 23 Jan 2010 22:06:12 -0800 http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/02/14/isle-of-klezbos http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/02/14/isle-of-klezbos “I want to drag klezmer music kicking and screaming back into the bars.” That’s the goal of Vancouver singer-songwriter-accordion player Geoff Berner. His latest album, “Klemzer Mongrels”, is the ultimate expression of his aggressive kind of klezmer. It's a klezmer punk folk dance album about mixed-breeds of all kinds. Berner's message is evident in songs like "Half German Girlfriend", "Luck in Exile", and the ironic "Authentic Klezmer Wedding Band". The music and lyrics are a raw assault on purity that will make listeners, laugh, bang their heads, cry, and feel absurd, all at the same time. After numerous international tours, festival appearances, airplay on national radio in 7 countries, and slots on tour with artists such as Billy Bragg, Kaizers Orchestra, Balkan Beat Box and the Be Good Tanyas (who covered his song "Light Enough to Travel", selling over 100,000 copies), he's garnered critical acclaim and a cult following for his sharp songwriting and cabaret performance style. Sat, 23 Jan 2010 22:05:19 -0800 http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/02/27/geoff-berner http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/02/27/geoff-berner “I want to drag klezmer music kicking and screaming back into the bars.” That’s the goal of Vancouver singer-songwriter-accordion player Geoff Berner. His latest album, “Klemzer Mongrels”, is the ultimate expression of his aggressive kind of klezmer. It's a klezmer punk folk dance album about mixed-breeds of all kinds. Berner's message is evident in songs like "Half German Girlfriend", "Luck in Exile", and the ironic "Authentic Klezmer Wedding Band". The music and lyrics are a raw assault on purity that will make listeners, laugh, bang their heads, cry, and feel absurd, all at the same time. After numerous international tours, festival appearances, airplay on national radio in 7 countries, and slots on tour with artists such as Billy Bragg, Kaizers Orchestra, Balkan Beat Box and the Be Good Tanyas (who covered his song "Light Enough to Travel", selling over 100,000 copies), he's garnered critical acclaim and a cult following for his sharp songwriting and cabaret performance style. Sat, 23 Jan 2010 22:04:33 -0800 http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/02/06/geoff-berner http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/02/06/geoff-berner “I want to drag klezmer music kicking and screaming back into the bars.” That’s the goal of Vancouver singer-songwriter-accordion player Geoff Berner. His latest album, “Klemzer Mongrels”, is the ultimate expression of his aggressive kind of klezmer. It's a klezmer punk folk dance album about mixed-breeds of all kinds. Berner's message is evident in songs like "Half German Girlfriend", "Luck in Exile", and the ironic "Authentic Klezmer Wedding Band". The music and lyrics are a raw assault on purity that will make listeners, laugh, bang their heads, cry, and feel absurd, all at the same time. After numerous international tours, festival appearances, airplay on national radio in 7 countries, and slots on tour with artists such as Billy Bragg, Kaizers Orchestra, Balkan Beat Box and the Be Good Tanyas (who covered his song "Light Enough to Travel", selling over 100,000 copies), he's garnered critical acclaim and a cult following for his sharp songwriting and cabaret performance style. Sat, 23 Jan 2010 22:03:49 -0800 http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/02/05/geoff-berner http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/02/05/geoff-berner “I want to drag klezmer music kicking and screaming back into the bars.” That’s the goal of Vancouver singer-songwriter-accordion player Geoff Berner. His latest album, “Klemzer Mongrels”, is the ultimate expression of his aggressive kind of klezmer. It's a klezmer punk folk dance album about mixed-breeds of all kinds. Berner's message is evident in songs like "Half German Girlfriend", "Luck in Exile", and the ironic "Authentic Klezmer Wedding Band". The music and lyrics are a raw assault on purity that will make listeners, laugh, bang their heads, cry, and feel absurd, all at the same time. After numerous international tours, festival appearances, airplay on national radio in 7 countries, and slots on tour with artists such as Billy Bragg, Kaizers Orchestra, Balkan Beat Box and the Be Good Tanyas (who covered his song "Light Enough to Travel", selling over 100,000 copies), he's garnered critical acclaim and a cult following for his sharp songwriting and cabaret performance style. Sat, 23 Jan 2010 22:03:09 -0800 http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/02/04/geoff-berner http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/02/04/geoff-berner “I want to drag klezmer music kicking and screaming back into the bars.” That’s the goal of Vancouver singer-songwriter-accordion player Geoff Berner. His latest album, “Klemzer Mongrels”, is the ultimate expression of his aggressive kind of klezmer. It's a klezmer punk folk dance album about mixed-breeds of all kinds. Berner's message is evident in songs like "Half German Girlfriend", "Luck in Exile", and the ironic "Authentic Klezmer Wedding Band". The music and lyrics are a raw assault on purity that will make listeners, laugh, bang their heads, cry, and feel absurd, all at the same time. After numerous international tours, festival appearances, airplay on national radio in 7 countries, and slots on tour with artists such as Billy Bragg, Kaizers Orchestra, Balkan Beat Box and the Be Good Tanyas (who covered his song "Light Enough to Travel", selling over 100,000 copies), he's garnered critical acclaim and a cult following for his sharp songwriting and cabaret performance style. Sat, 23 Jan 2010 22:02:27 -0800 http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/02/02/geoff-berner http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/02/02/geoff-berner “I want to drag klezmer music kicking and screaming back into the bars.” That’s the goal of Vancouver singer-songwriter-accordion player Geoff Berner. His latest album, “Klemzer Mongrels”, is the ultimate expression of his aggressive kind of klezmer. It's a klezmer punk folk dance album about mixed-breeds of all kinds. Berner's message is evident in songs like "Half German Girlfriend", "Luck in Exile", and the ironic "Authentic Klezmer Wedding Band". The music and lyrics are a raw assault on purity that will make listeners, laugh, bang their heads, cry, and feel absurd, all at the same time. After numerous international tours, festival appearances, airplay on national radio in 7 countries, and slots on tour with artists such as Billy Bragg, Kaizers Orchestra, Balkan Beat Box and the Be Good Tanyas (who covered his song "Light Enough to Travel", selling over 100,000 copies), he's garnered critical acclaim and a cult following for his sharp songwriting and cabaret performance style. Sat, 23 Jan 2010 22:01:31 -0800 http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/02/01/geoff-berner http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/02/01/geoff-berner “I want to drag klezmer music kicking and screaming back into the bars.” That’s the goal of Vancouver singer-songwriter-accordion player Geoff Berner. His latest album, “Klemzer Mongrels”, is the ultimate expression of his aggressive kind of klezmer. It's a klezmer punk folk dance album about mixed-breeds of all kinds. Berner's message is evident in songs like "Half German Girlfriend", "Luck in Exile", and the ironic "Authentic Klezmer Wedding Band". The music and lyrics are a raw assault on purity that will make listeners, laugh, bang their heads, cry, and feel absurd, all at the same time. After numerous international tours, festival appearances, airplay on national radio in 7 countries, and slots on tour with artists such as Billy Bragg, Kaizers Orchestra, Balkan Beat Box and the Be Good Tanyas (who covered his song "Light Enough to Travel", selling over 100,000 copies), he's garnered critical acclaim and a cult following for his sharp songwriting and cabaret performance style. Sat, 23 Jan 2010 22:00:39 -0800 http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/01/31/geoff-berner http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/01/31/geoff-berner “I want to drag klezmer music kicking and screaming back into the bars.” That’s the goal of Vancouver singer-songwriter-accordion player Geoff Berner. His latest album, “Klemzer Mongrels”, is the ultimate expression of his aggressive kind of klezmer. It's a klezmer punk folk dance album about mixed-breeds of all kinds. Berner's message is evident in songs like "Half German Girlfriend", "Luck in Exile", and the ironic "Authentic Klezmer Wedding Band". The music and lyrics are a raw assault on purity that will make listeners, laugh, bang their heads, cry, and feel absurd, all at the same time. After numerous international tours, festival appearances, airplay on national radio in 7 countries, and slots on tour with artists such as Billy Bragg, Kaizers Orchestra, Balkan Beat Box and the Be Good Tanyas (who covered his song "Light Enough to Travel", selling over 100,000 copies), he's garnered critical acclaim and a cult following for his sharp songwriting and cabaret performance style. Sat, 23 Jan 2010 21:59:18 -0800 http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/01/30/geoff-berner http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/01/30/geoff-berner “I want to drag klezmer music kicking and screaming back into the bars.” That’s the goal of Vancouver singer-songwriter-accordion player Geoff Berner. His latest album, “Klemzer Mongrels”, is the ultimate expression of his aggressive kind of klezmer. It's a klezmer punk folk dance album about mixed-breeds of all kinds. Berner's message is evident in songs like "Half German Girlfriend", "Luck in Exile", and the ironic "Authentic Klezmer Wedding Band". The music and lyrics are a raw assault on purity that will make listeners, laugh, bang their heads, cry, and feel absurd, all at the same time. After numerous international tours, festival appearances, airplay on national radio in 7 countries, and slots on tour with artists such as Billy Bragg, Kaizers Orchestra, Balkan Beat Box and the Be Good Tanyas (who covered his song "Light Enough to Travel", selling over 100,000 copies), he's garnered critical acclaim and a cult following for his sharp songwriting and cabaret performance style. Sat, 23 Jan 2010 21:57:44 -0800 http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/01/29/geoff-berner http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/01/29/geoff-berner “I want to drag klezmer music kicking and screaming back into the bars.” That’s the goal of Vancouver singer-songwriter-accordion player Geoff Berner. His latest album, “Klemzer Mongrels”, is the ultimate expression of his aggressive kind of klezmer. It's a klezmer punk folk dance album about mixed-breeds of all kinds. Berner's message is evident in songs like "Half German Girlfriend", "Luck in Exile", and the ironic "Authentic Klezmer Wedding Band". The music and lyrics are a raw assault on purity that will make listeners, laugh, bang their heads, cry, and feel absurd, all at the same time. After numerous international tours, festival appearances, airplay on national radio in 7 countries, and slots on tour with artists such as Billy Bragg, Kaizers Orchestra, Balkan Beat Box and the Be Good Tanyas (who covered his song "Light Enough to Travel", selling over 100,000 copies), he's garnered critical acclaim and a cult following for his sharp songwriting and cabaret performance style. Sat, 23 Jan 2010 21:57:05 -0800 http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/01/28/geoff-berner http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/01/28/geoff-berner Motown's own reinterpration of classic Gypsy swing incorporates musette, new orleans and bop idiom. with Evan Perri - guitar; Julien Labro - accordion; Carl Cafagna - saxes & clarinet; Paul Brady - rhythm guitar and Shannon Wade - bass. The fibrous accordion tones of Labro, a native of Marseilles, France, links the Detroit quintet to the French musette style from which gypsy jazz partially sprung, while Cafagna's robust saxophone work introduces bop and post-bop elements to gypsy jazz. Sat, 23 Jan 2010 21:52:19 -0800 http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/02/27/hot-club-of-detroit http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/02/27/hot-club-of-detroit Jelena Milojevic is one of the foremost female classical accordion performers of today. Her performances have been acclaimed as "an explosion of cosmic sensuality" and she has been praised for her "brilliant virtuosity". She had the privilege to be a student at two famous accordion centers, Music Academies in Pula (Croatia) and Kragujevac (Serbia). During her studies she had intensive collaboration with some of the world's leading accordionists, such as A. Skliarov, Y. Shishkin, P. Soave, J. Crabb, D. Modrusan, O. Murray, M. Vayrynen, R. Tomic. Jelena Milojevic is a versatile musician with extensive performing history, both as a soloist and chamber musician, in Canada, USA and Europe. Her appearances include highly recognized venues, such as Vancouver (Christ Church Cathedral, Ubc Recital Hall), New York (Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall), Pula, Croatia (Arena), Belgrade, Serbia (Kolarac Hall). Her New York debut was the first classical accordion solo-recital in the last thirty years, in Carnegie Hall. She has won numerous international accordion competitions one of her greatest successes being named a winner of one of the largest international competitions for accordion artists, World Trophy 2003, in Italy. In 2007, Jelena moved to the West Coast of Canada, where she is promoting and establishing classical accordion as a performer as well as a teacher. She is currently teaching at Vancouver Community College and her CD "The Art of Accordion" will be released this fall, followed by a Canadian tour. Sat, 23 Jan 2010 21:50:33 -0800 http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/02/04/jelena-milojevic http://www.letspolka.com/calendar/2010/02/04/jelena-milojevic