This month's polka news

POLKA NEWS

Belting Biegaj Brings Brilliance to Buffalo

by Jen Pijanowski

When I was just being introduced to polka music, I vividly remember listening to certain CDs, and even more specifically, certain tracks on those discs. One of those first recordings that I played repeatedly was Crusade’s In Your Face. :Pod Nogi” continues to be a standby song that I put on to get me motivated or bring a smile to my face. So, when Crusade announced they would be making a rare appearance in Buffalo, I made certain that I could attend.

Although several members of Crusade have changed throughout the years, the band maintains the high energy, entertaining stage presence that fans have come to love. Eddie Biegaj’s distinct and unforgettable vocals are synonymous with Crusade, and he has mastered captivating his adoring fans. The band’s return to Potts Banquet Hall was a celebration of those treasured hits that polka fans love to hear live. “Pod Nogi,” “Cajun Girls,” “All the Girls,” and “Momma’s Boy” had everyone up front dancing alongside the washboard girls.

While Friday night dances usually end early because people are tired from the work week, that was not the case. Calls for “one more time” rang out until the band replayed a few favorite numbers. Of course, the night could not end without Eddie belting out his trademark vocals of the national anthems. His love of music and vocal range is brilliant and puts such a unique spin on polka music. We look forward to the band returning to Western New York on October 2nd when they will appear at Batavia Downs Gaming to tape episodes of Polka Buzz.

The annual Christmas Party for Buffalo Polka Boosters had a record-breaking year, hosting close to 200 for an evening with dinner and dancing. John Gora & Gorale provided the music for the holiday affair. Guest were treated to family style meal at Polish Falcons, Depew, with dancing afterwards. Members love it when John plays an event for the club, as he has such a gift for engaging with others. Playing polkas, polo disco, obereks, waltzes, alongside some great standards allows even those not that comfortable to dance a few times. Whereas John is quite a showman, he is selfless in welcoming others to share the stage with him. He brought up other musicians in attendance to sing or play alongside him and his talented band. The compliments from all the members and guests that attended were stellar, praising the band and enjoying the guests on stage. I am so proud to be a part of this local Western New York polka club that continues to grow month after month. John has always made it a priority to come and entertain our club members; it is not a surprise that it is always our most attended event.

Thanks to everyone who supports Buffalo Polka Boosters, we look forward to a fruitful 2025.

REMINISCING TIME. Happiness is infectious when you walk through the doors of Arty’s on the East side of Buffalo. This corner tavern is Buffalo’s version of Cheers and even if people don’t know your name, they will welcome you like they do. Each year, Buffalo musicians join members of Buffalo Touch to spread holiday cheer and sing koledy. Shoulder to shoulder patrons pack into Arty’s to enjoy the day’s festivities while spreading holiday cheer. Each year it is a different ensemble of musicians, and this season welcomed Sue Howard on accordion and Kyle Kohan on clarinet (it was great to see some female musicians entertaining the jam-packed bar alongside the many male musicians in the Buffalo area).

I was happy to see so many new faces this year. Friends from Rochester, Dunkirk, and Syracuse made their way to spend an afternoon getting into the Christmas spirit. Al and Donna Piatkowski stopped on their way to attend a “Forgotten Buffalo” bus tour where Al was providing the music for the touring group. The Kwiatkowski family has opened their arms and hearts to the Polish community since 1972 and this is one of our favorite celebrations of the holidays.

We look forward to many more years of packing into Arty’s and sharing shots of krupnik while kolędy sing-alongs echo in the background.

NEW YEAR GALA. After a long hiatus, 2024 brought back Val Bakowski’s New Year’s Eve Celebration at M-Hotel in Cheektowaga. With an all-inclusive price of under $300.00 per couple, attending this polka new year’s gala was a no-brainer for us. Bakowski has been a long-time polka promoter in our area and supporting his efforts was just another motivational factor for us. Roughly 200 people attended the event, which included a cocktail hour with appetizers, a five-course dinner, open bar, music, overnight accommodation, and breakfast the next morning.

Before dinner, folks were already hitting the dance floor ready to get the party started. Polka Country Musicians provided the music with their signature country flair keeping the ambiance upbeat. Special Delivery was the ideal complement for entertainment. Although the band was hired to play American standards, polka fans insisted Special Delivery performed some of their most-requested polka tunes.

A balloon drop and champagne toast at midnight and dancing into the morning hours rounded out the night. We had an enjoyable time ringing in 2025 with our polka family. Thanks to all the polka fans from Canada, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Central New York, Connecticut and beyond who made the trip. Hopefully Val will keep this event going in Western New York and we can ring in 2026 in polka style once again.

DYNATONES IN LUDLOW. The 19th Annual IPA Hall of Fame Benefit Dance will be held on March 8 and 9th, 2025 at the Ludlow Polish American Citizen Club, 355 East St. Ludlow, Mass. The fun kicks off on Sat., March 8, with music by the Dynatones from 7:00–11:00 p.m. Saturday’s admission is $20. The IPA will honor the music of the G-Notes on Sun., March 9 from 2:00 - 9:00 p.m. The event will pay a special tribute to Johnny Karas and feature Lenny Gomulka, Piatkowski Brothers, and The Baltic Boys. Sunday’s admission is also $20.00 For tickets, please contact: Ernie Daigle: (413) 519-7014 or Peter Danielczuk: (203) 231-1819.