Polka Music – Luegra

Tidbits #8: John Candy/Vickie Vaughn/David Mayfield Parade

I have always loved John Candy. I miss him dearly. Uncle Buck is a classic comedy, right up there with Some Like It Hot. I also treasure his cameo in Home Alone, where he plays Gus Polinski, band leader for the Kenosha Kickers polka band. Growing up around a father that was obsessed with polka music, and as a kid having to go to numerous Polish picnics and have my father talk to various band members that he grew up with, I can truly appreciate Candy’s character in the movie.

I decided to show my love and appreciation recently by ordering myself a Gus Polinski Kenosha Kickers tour jacket. Gold with red piping, the band’s logo emblazoned on back and the name “Gus” embroidered on the left breast. I ordered a 3XL through Amazon, figuring that would make it comfortable to wear. Well, when the package came a few days ago and I saw the Asian shipping address, I knew that I was going to be a little disappointed. The 3XL in Asia clothing mirrors an XL here in the US. It barely fit, and the sleeves are a bit tight. Moreover, the name “Gus” is not embroidered but is a simple patch sewn on. I did write a negative review on Amazon, but I don’t feel like going through the hassle of returning it, as I will still have to pay postage and fight the foreign company through Amazon.

Congratulations to my “kid sister” Vickie Vaughn, who this past week won Bass Player of the Year at the IBMA World of Bluegrass Awards Show for the second year! She totally deserves it, as she is a workhorse when it comes to performing live. She currently plays with both Della Mae and High Fidelity, as well as sits in with a number of other touring bands and, when she’s home in Nashville, spanks the doghouse bass on Mondays with Bronwyn Keith-Hynes at Dee’s Lounge. I suggest that you watch the Dee’s Lounge YouTube channel on Monday evenings for Bronwyn’s jam sessions.

I first met Vickie in 2014 at the IBMA Leadership Bluegrass conference. We hit it off immediately. I call her my kid sister not only because she is everything that I would have wanted in a younger sister, but that our personal lives have paralleled in many ways over the years. She knows that she can always count on me if she ever needs anything, and she stays in my heart even though our paths cross maybe once per year. Check out some of her work with High Fidelity and solo stuff on YouTube!

This past week the David Mayfield Parade (Man, I love that band!) posted a video for their single “Times Winding Up.” The Bluegrass Today website posted an article about it, stating that fans are angered by the graphic violence portrayed (https://bluegrasstoday.com/fans-outraged-at-bluegrass-bands-shocking-new-music-video/). Well, I had to check it out, and yep, I fell for John Lawless’ tongue-in-cheek review. As I stated in the comments section, DMP is a fantastic band, and I love that they did something different than the cliché bluegrass video of the band lip-syncing to the song while performing on a log cabin porch, or shots of them recording in the studio. No, this video has a storyline, and you will love it! Watch it and see what I mean.

Chew on it and comment.

Perfect Song #10: “Who Stole the Kiszka” by Frankie Yankovic

I have told my buddy Ken that there are certain songs that I want played at my wake after I pass away, and this is one of them. I was raised in a Polish-American household, and my father would constantly play polka music when he was home. That man could play with the AM radio dial and find a polka station in the middle of nowhere while we were driving in the car.

As a kid, I got tired of polka music, but this song always remained in my heart. During the 1970s, Detroit had a Saturday night horror movie host called The Ghoul on Channel 50 that used this song as his introduction. I still have to pull it up on YouTube every so often when I need a good smile.

Frankie Yankovic was like the Elvis Presley of polka music, especially in the Midwest. He was of Solvene descent and grew up in Cleveland. His polka band The Yanks were extremely popular with the first-and second-generation Polonia people from the late 1940s until his death in 1998. There wasn’t a Polish, Slovene, or Bohemian immigrant family that didn’t have at least one Frankie Yankovic record. He had a number of hits, including, “I’ve Got a Wife at Home,” “Blue Skirt Waltz,” “Just Because,” and this one. He was dubbed “America’s Polka King” in 1948 during a battle of the polka bands in Milwaukee. His music appealed to the masses, especially in cities that had a high Eastern European immigrant populations such as Cleveland, Detroit, Buffalo, Chicago, and Milwaukee. Weird Al Yankovic, although not related, paid many tributes to him in his performances.

For anyone not familiar, kiszka is Polish blood sausage, originally made with animal intestine, blood, ground meat and barley. You either love it or hate it. My parents loved it, and I hated it. I still cannot stand the smell of it being cooked, let alone the taste. Which is what makes this song so special. The singer values it so much that he is willing to give up szynka (ham), kielbasa, and pierogi for his kiszka. Fortunately, Jasu (“John” in Polish) finds the kiszka and brings it back.

From the drum beat and baritone sax introduction, one can tell that this is a happy song. Polkas have that great 2/4 beat for dancing, but this song is a bit faster than normal polkas. With that fast tempo, all of the musicians are at their peak. Then when Frankie sings that first line of “Someone stole the kiszka,” you cannot help but laugh, because who in their right minds would want to steal blood sausage?

This is a definite party song. If the J. Geils Band were a polka band, they would have recorded this song. Even non-Polonia people love to hear this classic. It has all the makings of a fun song – the fast tempo, the playful saxophone, and the hilarious lyrics. My mother told me that this song was a favorite of my grandfather, and I can understand why. It is a slight humorous slam at our Polonia background, but also makes us proud to be Polonia.

If you ever need a good smile, put this song on. It’s two minutes of pure fun!

Chew on it and comment.