It’s polka time again in Cedar
By Ross Boissoneau
Sun contributor
The show must go on—and it will once again as Cedar celebrates its Polish heritage with the 42nd annual Cedar Polka Fest.
With several bands playing variants on the polka theme, plus the Scottville Clown Band putting its own musical spin on the proceedings, the town will once again be dancing up a storm from Thursday, Aug. 22 through Sunday, Aug. 25.
This year’s lineup includes Alex Meixner on Thursday and Friday; Bavarski, Friday-Sunday; Dynabrass, Thursday and Friday; Duane Malinowski on Saturday; Larry and his Larks Saturday and Sunday; and the Scottville Clown Band Saturday in the parade and again afterwards.
Lisa Rossi-Brett, the executive director of the Cedar Polka Fest Foundation, says determining the bands is always a balancing act between favorites from years past and newcomers. “We try within reason to change bands,” she says. But the presence of beloved bands from past years is always welcomed.
Such as Larry and His Larks, featuring hometown musician Larry Fleis. He grew up in Cedar, though he has called Grand Rapids home since graduating from college. The group performed at the very first Polka Fest and many times thereafter. “We played at most of the early ones, including the first,” says Fleis. In the years since, his band, comprised of family and friends, has played at venues and festivals across the Midwest.
That was then, and semi-retirement is now. Fleis says the band still gets requests to perform but turns down most of them. Unless, of course, it’s the Polka Fest calling. “It’s so fun. We get so many people from the community or who travel in who we haven’t seen in years. Cedar is special to us.”
One caveat: as the band no longer performs regularly, Fleis says they have to rehearse to make sure they still remember all the songs. “We’ve got to practice. We’ve got the mass too,” he says, referencing the annual Polka Mass on Sunday. “We have to work out those songs too and get the approval of the diocese.”
Rossi-Brett says Meixner is another big name in the polka community. Last year when a band scheduled to play was in an auto accident on the way and didn’t make it in time, Meixner filled in. “He stepped up and played all night,” she says.
For his part, Meixner is happy to play most anywhere and anytime. “I’m the fourth generation of musicians in my family. Music is in my blood. It’s a family tradition,” he says.
His great-grandfather came to this country from Austria. He formed a family orchestra, which Meixner’s grandfather took over upon his great-grandfather’s retirement. “They played popular polkas and dance music. Then it became my dad’s band. I played with my sisters in Dad’s band.
“Dad retired in 2008 and I took over. I’ve been touring all my life.”
Music may indeed be in his blood, but there’s no doubt Meixner has worked to get to where he is. He earned a degree in jazz performance on trumpet, which he still plays at performances along with his accordion, button accordion, valve trombone and hose-a-phone, a 13-foot garden hose with a funnel on one end and a trombone mouthpiece at the other. Needless to say, Meixner and his band have a good time, as they mix polkas old and new with a few other flourishes thrown in.
Not only does Meixner mix instruments, he’s been known to incorporate contemporary fare like “Crazy Train,” “Last Train to Clarksville” and even Patsy Cline’s “Crazy” into a single medley – with a polka beat, of course.
“Everything in the world is always changing. You can’t make it like it used to be,” Meixner says, whatever “it” is. “We’re always grounded in the tradition and always changing.” He explains that when traditions of any sort are not allowed to grow and evolve, people will lose interest. “Then tradition dies.”
No such worry here. Meixner mixes it all into the exuberant Central European party music that’s a family tradition, leading die-hard polka fans to enjoy and embrace the evolutions and letting the hipsters discover all there is to love in the underappreciated, often-overlooked genre of polka. “It’s real special that I make a living doing what I was made to do.”
Indeed, Rossi-Brett says the living legacy of polka and the Polka Fest bands brings together people of all ages. “They all have something unique. Even if they (audience members) aren’t dancing, at least they’re tapping their toes.”
There was no guarantee this year’s celebration would happen, as earlier this year, the Solon Township Board and the newly-formed Cedar Polka Fest Foundation were at loggerheads regarding a permit to use the town’s tennis courts, baseball fields, and other park areas that serve as the event’s home. Township board members suggested a new pay structure, increasing the fee from the nominal $1 to $5,000 or more.
In past years, the group heading up the festival was the Cedar Chamber of Commerce. Rossi-Brett says that any organization with the words “chamber of commerce” in their name cannot apply for non-profit status, which is a prerequisite for some sponsors and foundations, even individuals, who might make contributions. So the group formed the Cedar Polka Fest Foundation. Even though the members of both groups were the same, with the same goal, that wasn’t communicated to the board.
Rossi-Brett says a general misunderstanding and lack of communication between the board and the Cedar Polka Fest Foundation led to the problems, which were cleared up in time for the storied festival to once again pack the streets. “Now we need to mend some fences,” she says.
Rossi-Brett says that over the years, the Polka Fest has generated significant funding for numerous projects in the Cedar area, including township parks, ballfields, fire department, scholarships and more.
Besides that, it’s a party for the community. “It is a Polish festival, that’s a big part. The Polish food vendors are busy, Polish beer, it’s lively,” she says. “The dance floor will be full all the time.”
