100 people packed in to polka.
My most polka-riffic weekend yet.
This week in the Shotski Lodge, I’ll share recaps of the Sunday Afternoon Polka Dance which was way bigger than I anticipated, as well as why the Fat Badger Pub & Grill at the Monroe Golf Club should be on your “great patios for Wisconsin day trips” list.
This Sunday night’s live episode of Polka Time with DJ Shotski will include some spring songs and a couple of dedications: a Six Fat Dutchmen song for Lilah and her polka-loving two year-old, and a couple of Elmer Sheid tunes for Aaron from WRJQ who has original sheet music.
I’m getting excited for summer when Polka Time with DJ Shotski goes to summer camp. I’m getting those encore episodes organized and ready to play. The first Sunday in June will be a Roger Bright tribute show with lots of songs played by or produced by the legend from New Glarus, Wisconsin. That will be the warm up for the Roger Bright Memorial Polkafest on June 13 & 14 in downtown New Glarus. I never miss this festival.
I’m also thinking more about sharing my favorite community radio stations over summer in the Shotski Lodge. I think we should be sharing more about the volunteer-powered programs we can stream live or on demand.
New merch!
Want people to play more Wisconsin polka? Me too. That’s why I made a sticker that says just that. Find the Play More WI Polka square sticker and lots more polka-centric goodies in the Shotski Shop.
Polka Time: Where and when to listen
LIVE - May 3 spring polka songs and other favorites
Sunday, 7 p.m. - WVMO-FM 98.7 Monona
Streaming - Rebroadcast of last week’s all-Minnesota encore
Saturday, 8 a.m. - WHYS-FM 96.3 Eau Claire - support WHYS
Saturday, 3 p.m. - WRJQ Goodtime Radio - support WRJQ
Saturday, 6 p.m. - WPCA-FM 93.1 Amery - support WPCA
Saturday, 7 p.m. - WVMO-FM 98.7 Monona - support WVMO
Sunday, 7 a.m. - WOJB-FM 88.9 Hayward - support WOJB
Sunday, 8 a.m. - WILW-FM 96.3 Waupaca
Sunday, 9 a.m. - WOCT-FM 101.9 Oshkosh
Sunday, 4 p.m. - WLSP-FM 103.5 Sun Prairie - support SPMC
Thanks to these community and volunteer-powered stations for keeping vintage polka on the air waves.
Events
Saturday, June 8 - Trek 100
Since 1990, Trek bicycle company has been hosting a charity ride, raising over $22 million for the MACC Fund. Bike riders take on beautiful, rural Wisconsin trails and rest at party stops along the way. One rest stop will be a polka party with DJ Shotski!
Sign up for the event or send this link to your friends who love a long country bike ride: https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/trek100/
Saturday, September 13 - Gemütlichkeit Days
Jefferson County, Wisconsin has thrown a party to celebrate its German heritage since 1971. This year will be no exception as the community gathers for polka music, dancing, games and the welcoming spirit of Gemütlichkeit.
Join DJ Shotski in the GDays biergarten for vintage polka from Wisconsin and the upper Midwest from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Dancers welcome.
The event is held at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds at 503 N. Jackson Ave., Jefferson, WI. In the event of rain, the event will move inside a fairgrounds building. Thanks to generous local sponsors, GDays is free.
Saturday, October 11 - Rosemount, MN Oktoberfest
Rosemount, Minnesota will host its second annual Oktoberfest celebration with music, games, local brews in a pop-up biergarten, and food trucks on the beautiful green lawn of Central Park in front of a wooden amphitheater. DJ Shotski will provide vintage polka music in the afternoon.
Readers like you keep the Shotski Lodge open
The Shotski Lodge is a reader-supported publication. Support from subscribers like you gives me the confidence to pursue my mission to get more people to listen to vintage polka and vinyl records, including through this free e-newsletter.
Become a Shotski Lodge member - Substack offers paid subscriptions for people who want to be patrons of the Lodge’s mission.
DJ Shotski’s Venmo - skip the subscription and give via Venmo where transaction fees are lower.
Hire me for a gig! - your community needs a polka party. Email me at djshotski@gmail.com if you have a venue or an event that needs a vinyl DJ.
Donate records - the answer to free records is always “yes,” though I’m backed up on processing donated records at the moment. I hope to be caught up by late spring 2025. Email me at djshotski@gmail.com with a description of what you have to share.
Want to connect? Drop me an email.
I’d love to hear from you at djshotski@gmail.com
In the Shotski Lodge, only paid subscribers can leave comments on posts. That’s by design. I want to connect with listeners in a better, more direct way than in a comments section. We’ve been leaving comments on social media apps for twenty years and it’s a real mixed bag whether it’s brought us more connection or left us feeling more disconnected from each other.
So drop me a line. Tell me what polka music means to you. Or ask me for some community radio show recommendations. Let’s connect outside of social media.