A four-day visit by the Chardon Polka Band will bring polka concerts, dancing and school performances to Marshall County Feb. 25-28.
During the day, the band will perform at every elementary school in Marshall County and at Blue Valley Health and Rehabilitation Center in Blue Rapids.
The public concert and dance will be Saturday, Feb. 28, at Venue 36, 1195 Pony Express Highway in Marysville. Polka dance lessons begin at 6 p.m., led by Brian Fragel of the Marshall County Arts Cooperative board, with help from some of his siblings. The concert begins at 7 p.m.
“My parents, Juanita and Toad Fragel, took our family to a lot of dances when we were younger,” Fragel said. “We would go as a family and listen to the music and dance. My parents taught us to polka at a very young age. To this day our family enjoys a polka dance.”
Admission for the Feb. 28 concert is $10 at the door. Advance tickets are available at 617 Broadway in Marysville weekdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“The most important thing to remember when dancing the polka is to have a ton of fun,” Fragel said.
The band will also perform Thursday, Feb. 26, at the Vermillion Community Center, 107 W. Third St. Dinner will be served at 6 p.m. and the concert begins at 7 p.m. Admission is $20 and includes dinner and the concert.
Reservations are required for the Vermillion performance. To reserve a spot, call 785-382-6294 or 785-760-1445 and leave a message. A return call will confirm the reservation.
The Vermillion performance is sponsored by the Marshall County Arts Cooperative and Friends of the Vermillion Community Inc.
Dinner will include taco soup, vegetable soup and potato soup with crackers, plus finger foods including veggie platters with meat, cheese and crackers. Water, coffee and tea will be available. A freewill donation for dessert will be taken during intermission.
Based in the Cleveland, Ohio, area, the Chardon Polka Band is known for humor, variety and crowd participation. The group performs regularly at parks, festivals, parades and parties, and continues to play at local nursing homes. The band also headlines events on the fall Oktoberfest circuit.
“People think polkas are silly,” said Jake Kouwe, the band’s founder, accordionist and vocalist. “They think they’re old and honky. Polka, like anything, can have attitude. Polka is fun, energetic and irreverent.”
Kouwe founded the band in 2003. “We’re always evolving,” he said. “We’ve morphed from a high school project to a hobby to a career.”
The band plays traditional polkas reminiscent of “The Lawrence Welk Show,” then shifts into punk-leaning renditions and polka-rock covers, along with original songs.
Despite their sometimes gruff appearance, the band is friendly and outgoing, organizers said. Their public performances are family friendly.
“We’ll read the crowd to see who’s there and what they want to hear,” Kouwe said. “We tailor every performance to the audience. No matter what, it will be a high energy show.”
Those attending the Marysville concert may bring snacks. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase at Venue 36.
Band members include Kouwe, accordion and vocals; Mike Franklin, banjo, guitar and yodeling; Emily Kouwe, saxophone and flute; Joey Dahlhausen, drums; and Mitch Lawrence, saxophone.
The band’s residency is sponsored by the Marshall County Arts Cooperative For more information, call 785-859-4260 or visit marshallcountyarts.org.
