What it was like to play polka for 4000+ dancers
Cheese Days was wild.
There are few joys so pure as a sunrise over a foggy, Northwoods Wisconsin lake on a fall morning. Join me with a cup of coffee and a few friendly common mergansers as I tell you what it felt like to play polka music for over 4000 dancers at Green County Cheese Days.
Yes, I rolled out of bed to record this. And yes, there were loon calls as soon as I stopped recording.
There are NEW events added below!
If you want to see what I saw from the stage, view the full video on my Facebook page. The confetti cannon for the last song was awesome.
World’s Biggest Polka Dance media coverage
Wisconsin Public Radio
Wisconsin State Journal story
Full Wisconsin State Journal video
You can also follow r/polka on reddit and find some recent Cheese Days dance chatter
Polka Time: Where and when to listen
LIVE - September 29
Sunday, 7 p.m. - WVMO-FM 98.7 Monona
Streaming - last week’s Oktoberfest pt. 2 episode with Cheese Days recap
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.
Into the Music podcast: POLKA! The soundtrack to your favorite Oktoberfest celebration!
Back in December 2023 I made a DJ Shotski goal to be a guest on more podcasts and radio shows. Spreading the gospel of the joy of polka music during the 30th anniversary of polka becoming Wisconsin’s official state dance meant that I needed to get out of my home radio station’s studio and behind other hosts’ microphones.
I was invited to be a guest on the Into the Music podcast based in Appleton. I visited the podcast Producer and Host Rob Marnocha at the studios of The Avenue in Appleton just a few days before the city’s Mile of Music event which had everyone buzzing about the huge festival. Joining me in the studio were Ike Arumba and Frank Anderson.
Ike Arumba leads the Ike Arumba and the Infidels band and is the host of The Ike Arumba Show that airs Tuesday nights at 8:00 p.m. on Code Zero Radio. Ike’s polka connection is his time playing bass for Alvin Styczynski.
Frank Anderson host of the Wisconsinology podcast on 91.1 The Avenue. Frank has deep knowledge of the history and culture of Wisconsin music. He recorded an episode of Wisconsinology in which he argued that polka is very dead, but in our conversation I made the case that it’s poised for a comeback (see the events section below for my upcoming Nerd Nite talk).
We had a lively talk about the past and the future of polka music in Wisconsin. I think Rob, Ike and Frank left the conversation feeling positive about the possibilities of a polka revival.
Events
September 28 — Prost! Oktoberfest, Madison
The Prost! MSN street party is back! This time, we’re doing it up the Oktoberfest way. Wear your lederhosen, dirndls and best German style and join us on the Hancock Street block’s biergarten.
The street party goes from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. DJ Shotski plays Oktoberfest tunes and vintage polka from Wisconsin and the upper Midwest from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. DB Polka Express plays from 5-7 p.m.
Party is free. Brats and beer are delish. Tip your servers.
October 2, 8 p.m. — Nerd Nite Madison
Is polka poised to make its 100-year comeback? Created around 1830 and spreading in America starting in the 1930s, it feels like 2030 could be a good time for a Polka Renaissance.
DJ Shotski will make the case for a return to popularity for Wisconsin’s official state dance, and how we can be inspired by and learn from the cautionary tale of the swing dance revival of the late 1990s.
Nerd Nite is at the High Noon Saloon. You’ll find details about the October Nerd Nite on their website or via Facebook.
Saturday, October 5 — The Wedge Badger Game Day Party - Oktoberfest style.
The Wedge loves Wisconsin. The bar at the corner of Atwood and Winnebago has a true ‘Sconnie vibe. And they love polka.
The Wedge will throw their first Oktoberfest party AND a Badger football gameday event, so wear your Badger pride gear, your lederhosen and your dancing shoes.
The Wedge will open at 10 a.m., Badgers play Purdue at home at 11 a.m., and the polka party starts in the post-game 5th Quarter (around 2ish).
Party is free. Tip your servers. Spread the word on Facebook.
December 1 — Milwaukee Krampusnacht
Milwaukee Krampusnacht will be held on Sunday, December 1, 3-10 p.m. at Best Place and other businesses in the Historic Brewery District on Juneau Ave between 9th and 11th Street. DJ Shotski plays polka tunes from 5-7 p.m. in the historic Best Place hall.
Krampus is a folkloric monster of Alpine tradition. Children are told that goodly Saint Nick will reward them with treats if they are good, but if they are bad they will be visited by the hideous Krampus. Check back on the Krampusnacht website for updates. Spread the word on Facebook.
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.
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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.
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