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Grant Kozera, the director of the group, has been playing polka music in the Frank Yankovic style since he was 7 years old. He first met Frank at an engagement in Milwaukee in 1965. Yankovic, known as “America’s Polka King”, the biggest record selling polka artist of the 20th century, invited Grant & his toy Guitar up on stage to sit in with the “Yanks.” That gave him the inspiration to take accordion lessons and to pattern his music the way Frank had. Little by little Grant progressed till he was a teenager and started playing with Frank & the Yanks on a semi-regular basis.Grant and the boys have traveled with Frank Yankovic as his “Milwaukee Band” throughout the U.S. In 1984, Frank recorded “Beer Barrel Polkas” with Grant’s band. The recording was re-released on CD in 1998. Although Frank passed away in 1998, Grant hopes to carry on the sound and style Frank created. It is a “crossover” sound that appeals to many different types of people, even those who do not usually listen to polka music. It is an “American” polka sound all its own.
The Brewhaus Polka Kings perform German, Slovenian and other “standard” folksongs along with the Yankovic tunes to create a unique repertoire. Old dance band standards and novelty songs are worked in as needed to round out the musical program.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
700 W Lexington Blvd, Glendale, WI, United States, Wisconsin 53217, 700 W Lexington Blvd, Milwaukee, WI 53217-4912, United States, Whitefish Bay
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.
