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3362 Surly 10%About UTCzech III

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Missed it this year but it always is good
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SOYCD and Herbie Hancock, bring it back!
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I remember back in the very beginning, they would play stuff like the opening to "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", really cool stuff.
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You gotta lot of old people set in their ways, that's usually the problem. Volunteers is always a problem, especially if you don't make it welcoming for them. Seen it many times. Lotta politics involved, unfortunately.
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Nope, not us. We've played Lodge 88 before, been a long time, they like to get the "big names" (yes, there actually are some), the whole thing is who knows who, and over there is favoritism... Tough to squeeze into these handshake deals. Have fun if you go.
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Warning - very tldr, so just skip it if you're not into the whole reading thing... Preface - I lead a Czech polka band, but we do a lot of Oktoberfests etc as well, just wrapped up our fall season. Story #1 - We were playing in Round Rock on Saturday for an Oktoberfest. There is a couple that lives in Round Rock, our band actually played their wedding reception in Austin in 1997, the woman's family is from the Czech Republic so they wanted a Czech band. Their wedding dance song was a pretty waltz called "My Darling". We run into them from time to time, usually at this one Oktoberfest we do every year, and I would always try to have that song in our book so we w could play it for them. Well, we hadn't seen them for a few years so I took it out, I do that from time to time, add new songs, pull old ones out etc. So we played a gig in Taylor back in May. Day-long festival on the town square. This couple showed up, was glad to see them but was crushed when they asked us to play "My Darling" and I realized I didn't have it in the book. I apologized and told them the next time I saw them, I would have it ready. No big deal to them, they were just happy to dance, but it bothered me. So as I was getting our books ready for our "fall tour", I made sure I put in back in the books. Sure enough, Saturday we are playing and I look up and there they are, just hanging out with their friends. Told them it was good to see them again, they danced a few songs, and then left for a little while. I was kind of disappointed, but then they came back, guess they went to get some food or something. Anyway, I told the crowd that we were going to to a song, wasn't an Oktoberfest song but our friends were here, and this is their song so we're gonna do it, and everyone else can just pretend it's a German song (nobody cared, we have great crowds that like whatever we play...). I could see the amazement on their faces when I announced it, they were not expecting it at all. So we played it, they danced, and at the end they came up to the stage and they were both crying, like tears running down their faces (big strong men...). Made me tear up as well. Just to know I could bring that much happiness and emotion to two people just by playing a song. Who knows what their lives have been like over the past 30 years, good times and bad, sickness and health and all that. So to bring that kind of joy to them, wow, made my day. Story #2 - next day, Sunday, we're playing a church picnic down in Hostyn, outside La Grange. A lady comes up and askes if we could play the "Red and White" Waltz, classic Czech waltz, everyone knows it. Said sure, so the next chance we got, we played it. As soon as we started playing it I remembered why. We play this picnic every year, but it's our only gig down that way so I don't know all those people that well. But I look out and see this woman helping up an old woman with a walker, and it hit me. This lady asks for this song every year, it's her mom's (the lady in the walker) favorite song. Once I saw her I recognized them both, it all came back. So the lady helps her mom stand up, and they begin just kind of gently scooting the walker around, "dancing". I thought, wow that is nice. So we're playing along, the next thing I see is a a guy, probably 60 or so, crazy guy, was running around all morning talking to people, had a home-made hat that he had made, took two of his favorite polka bands, cuts the hats in half and sewed them together, so a two-billed hat, like something you'd see on Hee Haw. Just a goof-ball. But a good guy, talked to him later, he has prostate cancer but is out there living his best life. Anyway, I see him walk up and talk to the lady for a minute, and the next thing, they are setting the walker aside, the gentleman cradles the old woman in his arms and they begin just rocking back and forth, again, "dancing". Holy hell. I can see the daughter is crying, I'm trying not to choke up as I'm singing. To see that level of kindness and empathy, I didn't expect that at a polka dance. TLDR: there's a lot of love and joy out there, it's just hard to find sometimes, but if you're lucky enough to see it, wow, it'll knock you down.
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Trumpet, and sing (although not very well, but somebody's gotta do it...)
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(mark cuban taking notes.gif)
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Damn straight, I wish more picnics etc would make dressing as part of the meal, the one at Corn Hill had it, damn it was good, went great with the fried chicken. Nice to have it outside of just Thanksgiving. And roast pork and sauerkraut, hell yes.
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Well yeah, besides the obvious, there's beer. Free beer. Lots and lots of free beer. For this 59 year-old, probably more than I need or want, but I can't turn it down, that would be rude. And I get to keep playing, one of the few things that keeps me sane. So mental health and all. But mainly the beer.
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Definitely. Praha, Ammannsville, Westphalia and Marak all are worth the trip as well.
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Didn’t cook this myself obviously, but damn, my favorite time of the year, church picnic season. Playing in a polka band, just some of the perks. First pic is from Holy Trinity Catholic Church fall picnic in Corn Hill; next two are from today from the Queen of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church picnic in Hostyn. Give yourself 100 internet points if you know where either of these are. Been eating good lately
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Just found out my son bought me a ticket to the San Antonio show, that should be fun. I was there when Paul opened the Alamodome back in 1993.
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