Description
SoulJoel Presents:
PolkaFest 2023 w/ 2 Bands and Dance Lessons at The Historic SunnyBrook Ballroom
Come dance on the 11,000 square feet of ballroom, the biggest ballroom East of the Mississippi River.
Dance lessons from 3 to 4pm
Followed by 2 bands: Polkadelphia and The SwingMaster Band playing LIVE from 4 until ??
- Sunday April 23rd @ 3pm
- Doors open at 2pm
- General admission only $20
- VIP tickets only $30 (Tables Closest To the Stage and The Bands)
- 50 Sunnybrook Road Pottstown, PA 19464
About Polkadelphia:Not your ordinary oompah band, Polkadelphia plays traditional German and Polish favorites as well as more modern covers by artists as diverse as Radiohead, the Beatles, the White Stripes, and Metallica. Based in Philadelphia, they are in high demand throughout the tri-state area. Polkadelphia has been featured at Steelstacks Oktoberfest, Musikfest, Philly Bierfest, and Cannstatter Volksfest-Verein. They have performed on television at WVIA”s legendary Pennsylvania Polka, and have been immortalized as special guests on the reality tv show Worst Cooks in America.
Polkadelphia is made up of top Philadelphia musicians, with performers from such groups as the West Philadelphia Orchestra, Beatlemania Now, the Extraordinaires, the Red Hot Ramblers, Jump City Jazz Orchestra, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, and the Violent Femmes. When brought together, their diverse backgrounds make for a white-hot polka-fired engine of doom!
Whether rocking out at the local biergarten, dancing the Fliegerlied in a tent at Oktoberfest, providing a unique cocktail hour experience for a wedding, or getting your party started Polkadelphia style, they always bring the haus down.
The Swingmasters
The Polskie Swingmasters are thought of by many fans as being one of the best polka bands in the Northeastern Pennsylvania area. However, they not only play polkas, they are also recognized for a variety of other musical styling’s including their slow dance tunes, rock, jazz, country, Latin numbers, and jitterbugs.
Between 1969 and 1977, The Polskie Swingmasters recorded three albums–“Good Living Polkas”, “Out All Night”, and “Polka Jukebox.” Some original songs recorded by the band include “Mommy’s Homemade Chicken Soup Polka”, “My Old Blue Jeans Polka”, and “We’ve Got It All Together. The latter song has since been recorded by several well known polka bands including Eddie Blazonczyk’s Versatones and, more recently, by The Knewz from Buffalo, NY.
Because of work commitments, The Swingmasters disbanded in 1978.
It took over 30 years, but the band is back together again. Even after such a long break, The Swingmasters have proven that they have not lost their ability to play excellent music for their fans. They reintroduced their style of music through their latest recording “Jammin At The Cabin.”
Since regrouping, the band has played many venues, including summer picnics, clubs, and private affairs. They have traveled as far as Maryland and Connecticut, and, of course, have played many engagements in Pennsylvania. They also appeared at the Bethlehem Musikfest in 2014 and 2015. In addition, they performed for two straight years at the Maryland Polish Festival, held at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, Maryland. And, they have performed at the Polish American Festival in Doylestown, PA and, have appeared on “Pennsylvania Polka” on WVIA-TV.
Today’s Swingmasters are: Carl Simchena on bass and vocals; Denny Hardock on trumpet, sax, guitar and vocals; Dave Gonzalo on accordion; Ed Mihalik on drums; and Jim Pino on sax, clarinet, and trumpet.
