Music & Dance Music-Dance News July-Aug '19 | Page 6

Music & Dance News July/August 2019 Mike Wendolek continued My family attended either a birthday party or anniversary party in the basement of the au- ditorium in Silver Lake, MN. There was a lo- cal musician, Bill Ma- kovsky, better-known in the area as “Happy Bill” (Wee Willy and August Makovskys’ father), who was playing concertina, entertaining the group. I don’t remember how Bill was approached, but that afternoon I set up my snare drum and played along with Happy Bill. That experience was the start of my interest and beginning of my dance band career. I had a couple engage- ments with Happy Bill Page 6 Mike and Chris Wendolek playing at Shady Lane in 1968. after that. We played the Corner Bar in Win- sted, MN and a few local places that summer. I always tried to bal- ance work, school, and family with my music career. Duncanfest 17th Annual Duncanfest Community Ballroom in Duncan, Iowa Located On Hwy 18 Between Garner & Britt, IA Saturday, Sept. 14 Malek’s Fishermen Band • 12-1:30 & 3-4 pm Adam & The Jolly Jammers • 1:30-3 & 4:30-6 pm Leo Lonnie Orchestra • 6-9 pm Sunday, Sept. 15 Polka Mass, Malek’s Fishermen Band, St. Wenceslaus Church • 8 am Breakfast buffet at ballroom • 9-10:15 am Leo Lonnie Orchestra • 12-1:30 & 3-4:30 Brian & The Mississippi Valley Dutchmen • 1:30-3 & 4:30-6 Saturday • $15 Sunday • $12 2-day pass • $25 18 & under free with adult admission Garner, IA Garner Inn/Suites [phone] Clear Lake, IA Best Western [phone] Microtel Inn [phone] Americinn [phone] Super 8 [phone] Air Conditioned Ballroom Hardwood Dance Floor Free Booths/Car Parking Full Bar & Meals Camping Forest City, IA The Lodge [phone] Super 8 [phone] Algona, IA Americinn [phone] Super 8 [phone] Brookstone Lodge/Suites [phone] For more info: Eric [phone] • Bob [phone] • Ballroom [phone] • [email protected] • www.duncanballroom.com he and I started playing house parties and other social gatherings. The social atmosphere was much different back then. People socialized more often as a group than they do today. There was always a birthday party, wedding anniver- sary, house party, card party, or for-no-reason- at-all other than to have a party with live music and friends. Places like Sherman Station, Ernie and Bev Svandas’ school house, Shady Lane, Silver Lake Auditorium, and Bielkes’ Barn were regular loca- tions. We played in ga- rages, sheds, or in peo- ple’s homes. Around this same time, I played with Da- vid Lamott, a young concertina player from the Lester Prairie, MN area. We played similar venues. His parents, Marcell and Annette Lamott, would take us to New Ulm, MN during its Pol- ka Days celebration. I remember seeing bands set up all along main street playing at various times. It seemed every bar and beer joint in town had an old-time band or musician’s jam session going on where- ever we went. Dave and I were young kids at the time. Marcell would talk to the bar owner or musicians to see if the two of us could sit in and play a few num- First trap set, uniforms, more gigs My first trap set was purchased from Mont- gomery Wards catalog. My parents helped pur- chase it, along with mon- ey I made from helping the neighbors bale hay. I purchased a 22” Zildjian ride cymbal from Wally Pikals’ mu- sic store, which I still use today. It’s hard to believe I have been banging on that cymbal for 55 years. Stanley and Verna Pilarski of Silver Lake were avid music fans. Stan (Stosch) loved the Polish style of music. His wife, Verna, was a seamstress. Verna made my first set of soft vinyl drum cases and she made some of our band uniforms, as well. She was a very tal- ented lady when it came to fabricating costumes for the band. My cousin, Chris Wen- dolek, who was a year younger than I, played Continued on page 7 the concertina. Together,