The Polish Kid

[electra225]

I had lost track of this band. This is one of the best polka bands nobody ever heard of. I spent one of the hottest days of my life when I was introduced to this band. He has an especially good tone for a polka band. When I saw the band, there was a lady playing drums. The Polish Kid is named Don-something with a last name I can neither pronounce or spell. I am not familiar with the town in Michigan this video was shot. I am surprised there are no good polka dancers in this video. I was introduced to the band at a 50th wedding anniversary celebration, held in August in a non-airconditioned building in Maple City, Michigan. Lots of beer and good polka dancers in the audience. This video was shot at the same approximate time I was introduced to the band. There is a good story involving this escapade, perhaps for another day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYGFYEBoJ0Q

[TC Chris]

Frankenmuth is 21 miles from Bay City, where I grew up & where the Chevy lives. It's a celebrity town--famous for being famous, settled by German immigrant farmers. Maple City is 17 mi. from where I live now. Maple City is 3 mi. from Cedar, MI. Cedar is the home of an annual polka festival. Lots of Bohemian immigrants over there.

Chris Campbell

[Firedome]

OK inquiring minds would like to know just WHY is Frankenmuth famous then? this better be good... wink

We have a lot of Polka here with all the E European immigrants in Scranton coal country and the big shoe factories that provided a decent living for them here once.
A local PBS station has "Let's Polka" every Sat PM for an hour. This wild guy comes to play on it quite often, a native of Allentown PA, he's kind of a Wild Man of the accordion:
https://alexmeixner.com/

[electra225]

The Polish Kid had all his instruments amplified. He played a squeeze box much like the one Frankie Yankovic played where he could make all kinds of sounds. There is a brass player, played trumpet, trombone and sax. A lady drummer who did what a good drummer should do, keep time without being obnoxious. They had a bass guitar player and good speakers. The participants of the celebration we attended were predominantly farmers, but, man could those folks kick up their heels. They could polka like Bobby Burgess. Polka is happy music, makes you want to kick up your heels. Much on the order of square dance or clogging is to country music. It takes a lot of room to do a good polka. You can't have 50 people on a dance floor and expect them to do it right. Maybe a half-dozen couples at a time. You can't cry in your beer listening to polka music or watching people doing it correctly. There is not much prettier dance than the polka. Good polka dancers don't move anything above their knees. These folks were predominantly Bohemian and even the little kids, five, six years old could polka like a pro. IT seemed like a family activity like playing euchre.

[TC Chris]

OK inquiring minds would like to know just WHY is Frankenmuth famous then? this better be good... wink

I have always wondered the same thing. When I was a kid, it was a regional drive-to center for Zehnder's chicken dinners. You'd put on the Sunday best and sit down at a white-tablecloth setting for chicken, potatoes gravy. It was a big deal and not at all a common occurrence for my family. Later a second big chicken place opened up, a relative as I recall, Eventually they figured out that the tourism thing was a money-maker. There's a place that sells Xmas decorations year-round (spare me), and a water slide, and all manner of tourist-trap creations now.

Or you can drive north of Bay City to Sterling, MI and eat chicken at Iva's, without all the frippery.

https://www.ivaschickendinners.com/

Or even better, on the subject of no pretense, just a tiny bit north of Bay City in Kawkawlin there is the Turkey Roost, dinners guaranteed to be served withing 3 minutes or ordering.

https://www.turkeyroostrestaurant.com/

The photos do not do it justice in all its pink-ness. My sister did take-out there a week ago and reported that the line stretched don the highway on the shoulder. Your choices are senior (small), regular, or extra (large) turkey plates; white meat, dark meat, or both.

Chris Campbell

[TC Chris]

I forgot, since the subject is "Polish Kid," to mention Krzysiak's in Bay City, the town's premier Polish restaurant. Bay City had regions--the Polish section, the German section, the French section. Lots of each.

https://www.krzysiaks.com/

You will note that to of the three laces I've listed are converted old houses. No pretense.

Chris Campbell

[Motorola minion]

OK inquiring minds would like to know just WHY is Frankenmuth famous then? this better be good... wink

We have a lot of Polka here with all the E European immigrants in Scranton coal country and the big shoe factories that provided a decent living for them here once.
A local PBS station has "Let's Polka" every Sat PM for an hour. This wild guy comes to play on it quite often, a native of Allentown PA, he's kind of a Wild Man of the accordion:
https://alexmeixner.com/

Northeastern PA is about the last place we can find this culture, of which the food music and people are the celebration in tradition. My folks always went to festivals, even when we lived in Texas, which has BIG ones in Munster and New Braunfels.

Being mostly German with some Czech, I feel the lower part of the East half is losing this culture sadly. We have lost local venues, restaurants, etc.

Sometimes the only hope you have is a church event like St Vladimirs in Lopez PA, near our camp, where the food could not be more authentic.

[William]

And on the West coast of Michigan there is this Polish restaurant:

http://www.legsinn.com/#modern-organic-thai

Bill

[Ken Doyle]

My parents went to polka dances here in northern New Jersey back when they were dating in the late 1950s. The polka scene here is pretty much gone now. Around here we had "east coast style" polkas, which are a bit different than the bands west of here. I still play my dad's old polka records, along with some more I picked up on Ebay. Artists like Ray Henry, Frank Wojnarowski, Gene Wisniewski, Ted Maksymowicz, and Bernie Witkowski (the Polish Benny Goodman!). Of course the neighbors think I'm nuts!

[Firedome]

We have an authentic Polish restaurant right here in Endicott, run by folks who left when things opened up in Poland circa 1990.
One of my younger son's friends here grew up as a native in Poland and she has declared it authentic. I always try a different Polish beer each time, so far they're all good, and so is the food!! They do play authentic Polish music too, old & new.

[walyfd]

I'm Polish on both sides. Even belong to the Polish church....

You can have all the pierohi, the herring, the peas and sauerkraut and kielbasa. Only thing I like and make is kolachi. I do like our borscht and cruzchiki which I need to learn to make. Mom made batches and batches for church picnics.

As for Polka, well... "It started in Scranton and now it's the rage..."

[TC Chris]

And on the West coast of Michigan there is this Polish restaurant:

http://www.legsinn.com/#modern-organic-thai

Bill

It has gone from being a dive bar to an elevated affair. Last time I was there my friend almost got into a testosterone-fueled bar fight. I don't think that happens much any more.

Chris Campbell

[William]

Chris, it definitely is not a dive bar anymore, it's not what I would call elegant either, or no matter what you want to call it, I find the food delicious.

Bill