Volume 12 – #8 – August 2009

The Brave Combo 30-Year Saga Continues. In 1979, our first-year performance calendar included appearances at Benny’s, The Usual Place, Crossroads and Captain Nemo’s Beer Garden in Denton, Poor David’s Pub, The Festival Theatre and The Stoneleigh P. in Dallas, The Hip Pocket Theatre, Tootsie’s and Yesteryears in Ft. Worth and a bunch of wedding parties, festivals and mental institutions (seriously). Once we started playing, we really started playing. I don’t think I was wondering at that time if there was an actual future in this. We were just propelled by the concept and wanted to see what would happen. In a big-picture way we’ve never really been in competition with anyone. We’ve just done our thing and tried to make it available to interested ears. We do what we do. We have a sound. And that’s about it. In 1979, we were just happy that people were listening.

OPPOSITE OF HAPPY. Sadistic animal torturer and murderer, Michael Vick, is once again gainfully employed and living the high life among the general population. Some people are ready to forgive him and some never will. I personally feel that human beings who once enjoyed inflicting pain and fear on defenseless creatures (animals and children) would be difficult to trust.

Whatever, here’s a funny joke I made up.

ESPN Guy: Well, Michael, are you sorry for what you did?
Michael Vick: Yeah, I’m sorry. I’ll never do that again.
ESPN Guy: Since being released from prison, how are you spending your leisure time?
Michael Vick: Well, I recently bought a bunch of roosters.

I’m not going to harp on this. All the angles have been thoroughly covered by myriad means of information-spreading media. In the current age of news broadcasting we all know that sensational stories are good stories and the fall of Michael Vick was nothing if not sensational, especially in this sports-crazy land. Hmmm. I wonder what his I.Q. is. He comes off pretty simple, as in simpleton. Perhaps he will, someday, become enlightened just enough to begin to understand the horror of his actions. As an animal rescuer, one who spends an enormous amount of time taking care of and comforting lots of dogs and cats, the actions of Michael Vick and his ilk make me want to take the leap to the next level. You either know what I’m talking about or not. Enough said on this downer topic.

GOOD NEWS. We are now officially releasing the live Brave Combo/Mesquite Symphony Orchestra album, SYMPHONIC POLKAS. It was recorded at the orchestra’s amazing facility in Mesquite, Texas in early 2008. You have to hear this! It’s us with a big ol’ symphony, performing a bunch of BC polka classics and favorites, including, “Do Something Different,” “Flying Saucer,” “The Mystery Spot Polka,” “Golden Opportunity” and “Nothing Earthly.” We thought this might be a Polka Grammy contender, but, oh well. Check it out at our on-line store. We hope to do more of these performances in the future, so if you own a symphony and are interested in our sound, let’s get down in the concert hall. We have scores ready to go.

Brave Combo has been touring with a vengeance and I can tell you that road construction and repair is happening from Portland, Oregon to Portland, Maine, clogging all routes to everywhere. Yes! And the intense Texas heat, which we usually look forward to leaving behind as we go north (and up in elevation) every summer, has been following us relentlessly. Yes! We performed in Seattle on the hottest day ever recorded in that non-air-conditioned city. That’s kinda special. And the East Coast was also hot (plus steamy), including NYC, Westport, Connecticut and even Lake George, New York, in the Adirondacks. Hot AND humid! That said, we’re having a grand time and the audiences have been amazing; covered in sweat and determined to get their groove on. And, it’s been an added thrill that so many of my polka heroes have been popping up at shows, including Hank Guzevich (Polka Family), Larry Chesky (polka legend), Johnny Prytko (another polka legend), Ray Zalokar (The Casuals), Eddie Biegaj (Crusade), Alex Meixner and Joe Oberaitis, who was just inducted into the IPA (International Polka Association) Hall of Fame. Hank and Alex joined us on stage at Musikfest in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania for some psychedelic trumpet mayhem and Joe O. sat in with us at the fabulous Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland. Generally, the fun factor has been pretty high this summer. And, speaking of fun, we will soon be rocking San Francisco and the surrounding area, including the mysterious Strawberry Festival (hidden away somewhere near Yosemite National Park) and then returning immediately to Texas for (drum roll) Westfest 2009, our annual central Texas beer-and-sweat-soaked polka orgy. It signals the beginning of polka season. Check our itinerary to see if we’re playing an Oktoberfest or something similar near you. Polkas, polkas and more polkas. Pretty exciting, huh? Grab a partner and jump in.

And speaking of polka heroes, one of the first polka records I bought, shortly before forming Brave Combo, was called BIG BAND POLKAS by one of the legends mentioned above, Larry Chesky. And one of the first polkas we attempted to play was “The Satellite Polka,” from that LP. We’ve probably played it a few hundred times over the years (I mean decades) and performed an abbreviated version of it for him at our recent Iron Horse show in Northampton, Massachusetts. Quite a thrill! And, that’s also the night the other polka legend, Johnny Prytko, attended. He’s been a Brave Combo supporter for years, as has his family, and he’s known for thinking progressively when it comes to promoting the music. In 1986 we included one of his songs, “The New Drummer Boy Polka” on our first Rounder release, POLKATHARSIS, though we changed the title to “The New Mind Polka” (Mitch didn’t like drum solos, so we dropped in bizarre, trippy stuff, where the drum fills should be). We played a snippet from that song, as well, at the Iron Horse. Whatever, the polka love was flowing free and easy that night.

BIG AND UNUSUAL NEWS. We, Brave Combo, have recorded a song that will appear, as a hidden track (shhh), on the new album by our pop-star Denton buddies, Bowling For Soup. The album is called, SORRY FOR PARTYIN’ and the song is one of their standards, “Belgium.” All I know is that one day, Jane (my wife) and I were admiring guitarist Chris Burney’s new puppy at Petsmart and then suddenly we’re making plans to shoot a video with these guys. I may be a little biased, but the track sounds incredible. The release date is September 29, I think.

Don’t forget, you can follow our antics on Twitter and Facebook and new “on-location” videos are being added to YouTube regularly by conscientious fans. So, keeping up with Brave Combo should be as easy as pie. That was the name of one of my first piano books when I was little. EASY AS PIE. I remember the drawings of happy children practicing the piano adorning the pages of the music book. And, indeed, that book was pretty damn easy. Just like life. Easy as pie. Have a virtual pie day tomorrow. It will virtually taste good. Then zone out.