TITLE: The River Boys Polka Band
SPEAKER: various performers
EVENT DATE: 06/21/2006
RUNNING TIME: 57 minutes
DESCRIPTION:
The River Boys Polka Band performed as part of the Homegrown Concert Series sponsored by the American Folklife Center.
Robert Schmer (accordion), Dave Beitz (hammered dulcimer), Jerry Hergenreder (trombone, vocals) and Steve Deines (bass, vocals) make up the River Boys Polka Band. They have played traditional Dutch Hop dance music together for 10 years. All four have performed at traditional weddings, anniversaries and other German Russian celebrations for 35 years or more in various groups.
The term "Dutch Hop" can be used generically to describe all of the traditional dance music of the Germans from Russia in Nebraska, Eastern Colorado and Wyoming. However, specifically, Dutch Hop is the name for their unique, quick-tempo polka dance that includes a slight hop that isn't present in the polkas of other ethnic traditions. That, and the inclusion of a hammered dulcimer, give the Dutch Hop its unique, lilting sound. In addition to the dulcimer, the other typical instruments in today's Dutch Hop bands are a piano accordion, a trombone and an electric bass guitar.
SERIES: Homegrown
