Have you always wanted to run away and join the circus? If you’re in the SF Bay Area this weekend, you can take a step towards that dream with the circus music class offered at Smythe’s Accordion Center in Oakland. Accordionist Nada Lewis will be teaching the class, which starts at 10:45am on Saturday, costs $20, and is open to all musicians (not just accordions). There will be another session next weekend (March 25th) with different music, so you can build your repertoire for that Ringling Brothers audition.

Following up on our Vancouver Squeezefest post, I found a new interview with Guy Klucevsek where he discusses his compositions, his work as part of the Accordion Tribe, and his upcoming performances this weekend at the big ‘Fest. He mentions why he thinks people are continually drawn to the accordion’s unique sound:

“I think it has sort of a connection with memory and nostalgia and melancholy… and, unfortunately, melancholy is something that never seems to go out of style. We always seem to have more and more occasions to be melancholy, the way the world is going.”

Looking for accordion excitement in the Vancouver, British Columbia, area this weekend? Check out Vancouver Squeezefest, held this Friday through Sunday at Rime. Guy Klucevsek is headlining and will be playing a solo set each night; other perfomers include Amy Denio, David P. Smith, and the Jessica Lurie Ensemble.

Drop us a line if you go and we’ll post your review here next week. We’ll also appoint you as Let’s Polka’s Vancouver bureau chief.

Were you at the Accordion Invasion at Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California on September 20, 1998? We had a huge group of accordionists gathered, playing ‘Lady of Spain’ in an attempt to be the Guinness Book’s largest accordion band.

I am looking for documentation of the event: photos, news clippings, or a copy of the news story that was on the local news that evening. If you were there and took photos, or if you recorded the news story off TV, please let me know! Thank you.