The Chardon Polka Band
The Chardon Polka Band | |
|---|---|
Chardon, OH, USA | |
| Genres | Polka |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Members | Jacob Kouwe, Emily Kouwe, Mike Franklin, Mitch Lawrence, Bob Young |
| Past members | Joe Dahlhausen, Paul Coates, Paul "Pops" Magooch |
| Website | http://chardonpolkaband.com |
The Chardon Polka Band is an American, Ohio-based,
reality show named Polka Kings on Reelz in 2015, even though the show was quickly cancelled.[4][8][9][10][11][12][13] The band currently plays over 200 shows a year and has grown to be one of the Cleveland music scene's most recognizable performers playing at a mixture of festivals, schools, nursing homes, and bars, but also tours nationally and headlines many of the nation's top folk festival and Oktoberfest celebrations, playing a mixture of original music, classic polkas, and covers of pop songs.[1][3][8][14][15] The band was also one of the founding members of the Cleveland revival of Dyngus Day.[16] The band has released ten full-length albums, all independently, four of which were nominated for a Polka Hall of Fame
award for either the album or one or more songs.
Band members
- Jacob Kouwe - Lead vocals and Accordion
- Brian Brazier- Tuba
- Mike Franklin - Lead and backup vocals, Banjo, and guitar
- Mitch Lawrence - Saxophone, Clarinet, flute
- Bob Young - drums
Seasonal Member
- Michael Grkman - Upright Bass, Bass Guitar
Past members
- Paul Coates - Sousaphone/tuba, electric guitar
- Paul "Pops" Magooch - Drums
- Joe Dahlhausen - Drums
- Emily Kouwe - Saxophone
Awards and Media coverage
- The Polka Hall of Fame has nominated the band in 4 separate years, and the International Polka Association has nominated them in 2016.
- In 2011, the band's first single Free Beer Polka was nominated for best Best New Original Song.[17]
- In 2013, A Fistful Of Polka & Bring Me More Beer were both nominated for Best New Original Song and the band was nominated for Band of the Year.[18]
- In 2016, You Can't Drink Beer In Outer Space was nominated for Best New Original Song and the album World War Polka was nominated for recording of the year.[19] and "You can't take my Polka from Me" was nominated for Song of the Year.[20]
- In 2018, the album Old Time Tent Revival was nominated for recording of the year.[19]
- The band created a pilot for a variety program called “Lights! Camera! Polka!” in 2017. The show is an assortment of performances, humor, and education.[21]
- The band was the subject of a 16 episode
- The band has produced over a twenty music videos. A few of these videos: Squeeze Box, O Tannenbaum, The Krampus Song, and Jingle Bells were made in a clay animation style by superdaddytv.com, the latter three of which were included in a 30-minute Holiday Special.[22]
- The band was featured nationally on Here and Now (NPR) in 2015.[23]
- The band was on and episode of Trip Flip (Travel Channel) named "Ohio: Polka Plane Plunge" in 2015.[24]
- Jacob Kouwe was named one of Cleveland's Most Interesting People 2015 due to the success of the band.[9]
- The band produced the documentaries Polka Across America and A Polka Christmas with The Chardon Polka Band which both aired on PBS Western Reserve and was rebroadcast on other PBS stations cross the country.[25][26][27]
Discography
- Pirates, Women, and Beer (2009)
- A Fistful of Polka (2013)
- This is Oktoberfest (Recorded Live at the Helen, Georgia Oktoberfest, 2014)
- Polka Round the Christmas Tree (Christmas album, 2015)
- World War Polka (Released Dyngus Day, 2016)
- Old Time Tent Revival (A collection of hymns, 2017)
- More of the Same… and Probably Worse (Live album, 2017)
- Pony in the Backseat (Kids album, 2018)
- OH NO! NOT AGAIN! (Covers and live album, 2020)
- A Very Polka Christmas (Christmas album, 2020)
References
- ^ a b "Ain't too proud to polka: The really cool people are dusting off their accordions and having a wunnerful, wunnerful time". Cleveland.com. 2010-03-26. Retrieved 2016-02-18.
- ^ "Chardon Polka Band to star in new reality TV show this January". Cleveland.com. 2014-09-18. Retrieved 2016-02-14.
- ^ a b "Chardon Polka Band - Wurstfest". Wurstfest. Retrieved 2016-03-31.
- ^ a b c d Lange Mosser, Tami (2015-03-28). "Long live polka: Band popular in Wooster getting its own reality TV show". www.woosterweeklynews.com. Retrieved 2016-02-18.
- ^ Bonchak, Jean (2014-02-14). "The Chardon Polka Band to star in reality TV show on Reelz". News-herald.com. News-Herald. Retrieved 2016-02-14.
- ^ "Chardon Polka". Bestpolkabands.com. Retrieved 2016-02-14.
- ^ "The Unlikely Comeback of Polka". ideastream. NPR. 2015-01-27. Retrieved 2016-02-18.
- ^ a b c "polka fever: how hip new bandleaders are keeping traditional music alive and well in c-town". Cleveland - Freshwater Media. Retrieved 2016-02-18.
- ^ a b c "Most Interesting People 2015: Jake Kouwe". ClevelandMagazine.com. Cleveland Magazine. 2014-12-19. Retrieved 2016-11-28.
- ^ a b "Geauga's Jake Kouwe rejuvenates polka: My Cleveland (photos, video)". Retrieved 2016-03-28.
- ^ a b Traciy Reyes. "Polka Kings: The Chardon Polka Band New Show Season Premiere Tonight On Reelz". Inquisitr.com. Retrieved 2016-02-14.
- ^ a b "Live Music – Chardon Polka Band from Cleveland". Hofbrauhaus Newport. 2015-03-20. Retrieved 2016-02-14.
- ^ a b Rich Heldenfels (2015-04-02). "The HeldenFiles: Chardon Polka Band ready for its TV closeup - Rich Heldenfels". Ohio.com. Retrieved 2016-02-14.
- ^ "Cleveland Invasion!". polkabeat.com. Retrieved 2016-02-18.
- ^ "Chardon Polka Band | Cuyahoga County Fair". Cuyfair.com. Retrieved 2016-02-14.
- ^ "Cleveland's first annual Dyngus Day". polkabeat.com. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
- ^ Tomsick, Joey (Summer 2011). "Polka Quarterly" (PDF). Vol. XXII, No. 4. Retrieved 2016-03-25.
- ^ "Nominees/Winners 2013 - Polkas.nl". Polkas.nl. Retrieved 2016-11-28.
- ^ a b "Nominees / Results - ClevelandStyle.com". ClevelandStyle.com. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
- ^ "I.P.A. 2016 "International Style" Album of the Year Submissions - IPApolkas.com". IPApolkas.com. Retrieved 2017-11-28.
- ^ ""Lights! Camera! Polka!" : Excerpt from episode 101 (pilot) - YouTube". YouTube.com. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
- ^ "TheChardonPolkaBand - YouTube". YouTube.com. Retrieved 2016-11-28.
- ^ "A Polka Revival In Cleveland". hereandnow. NPR. 2015-03-13. Retrieved 2016-02-18.
- ^ "Ohio: Polka Plane Plunge". Travel Channel. 2015-07-15. Retrieved 2016-02-18.
- ^ "PBS Western Reserve - Regional Productions: Arts Specials". PBS Western Reserve. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
- ^ Mark Meszoros (2021-01-08). "The Chardon Polka Band released two albums, made TV-bound documentary in 2020". News-Herald.com. The News Herald. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
- ^ "The Chardon Polka Band's Holiday Extravaganza debuts Thanksgiving weekend". PBS WOUB-TV. 2021-11-23. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
External links
- Official website
- The Chardon Polka Band's channel on YouTube