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Polkacide was a band based in the San Francisco Bay Area that played a unique style of polka that they called "punk polka". They appeared on the Doctor Demento television show and made several recordings.[1] After 32 years, they announced and played a farewell concert called "The Last Polka" on October 8, 2017.[2][3]
Band history[]
Polkacide, founded in 1985 by Ward Abronski, was originally organized to play a one-night stand for the 50th anniversary of the Deaf Club in San Francisco.[citation needed] The Deaf Club (a club for deaf people) had been hiring rock and punk bands to perform for them because they were so loud that club members could dance to them. It was suggested[clarification needed] that some of the more elderly members did not want a punk band for the anniversary show.[citation needed] This inspired Abronski to form a "really loud polka band" for the occasion. None of the original members (12 in all) were polka musicians at the time,[citation needed] but they had varied backgrounds in music, including classical, rock, punk and jazz. Clarinetist Neil Kaitner, a.k.a. Neil Basa,[citation needed] came up with the name for the band and also designed the band logo, which features a skull and crossed sausages.[citation needed]
Band members were recruited, costumes made (black leather lederhosen with spikes, etc.[citation needed]) and a repertoire of classic polkas learned in a three-month period leading up to the Deaf Club's 50th anniversary party. One week before the performance was to take place, it was cancelled due to noise abatement orders from local authorities[citation needed]. Rather than let their band not be able to play, the band decided to play at least one performance in a punk show at the Mabuhay Gardens in San Francisco.[citation needed]
