Wish I had been on vacation.......

EDT Folk Orchestra 2011, photo by Stefan Iwaskewvcz
Near to Far: Tim O'Keefe, Jim Parker, Scott Keever, Dee Langley, Katrina Mundinger, Kim Salisbury

.......I certainly haven't been either far from home or relaxed!  This is a picture of the show "Then and Now" opening tonight at the Ritz Theater in Minneapolis presented by Ethnic Dance Theatre. One of the hallmarks of performing with the EDT Folk Orchestra is that you have to be willing to try new things in music.  Note that I'm playing a large frame drum way....look almost to the back of the photo.

Ethnic Dance Theatre presents THEN and NOW, its 37th Annual Spring Concert Series featuring the music and dance of Bosnia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Iran, Norway, Sweden, and Turkey at the Ritz Theater in NE Minneapolis.

One of the most compelling elements of a people's identity is its folk culture. EDT is known for the authenticity it brings to interpreting ethnic music and dance for the stage, and is respected for its work in promoting ethnic music, dance, and costume as art. The first half of the show--THEN--demonstrates our signature performance style at its best.

Laps, Chairs and Behind the Bar at Walker Ethnic Fest

from Natalie's cell phone: Dee and new friend

Last month I promised to publish some pictures from the Walker, Minnesota Ethnic Fest.  Here's my absolute favorite, it should be titled 'How to Play the Accordion While Sitting on a Lap of Someone You Do Not Know'. The answer is, smile!


OBI has told stories both in person and on the radio of our night in Walker at the American Legion Post sitting on laps, standing on chairs and performing behind the bar.

from Legion website: Katrina on chair

We think the fine folks in northern Minnesota enjoying pull-tabs, beer, great food and good friends didn't quite know what to do with us in our costumes playing Balkan music until we let it be known we'd take beer as a tip for playing.  In a flash we had never-ending pitchers of excellent beer and a whole room of new friends. During one rousing Albanian tune Katrina played her solo standing on a chair to cheers from the crowd.

from Legion website: OBI behind the bar

And just in case you think Katrina and I were the only ones having all the fun here's a picture of OBI behind performing behind the bar while the Post Commander took this picture and made a video of us to be shown on the Legion Post's big screen TVs throughout the year. Hmmm.....I think Colleen (violin) was sitting on the edge of the sink.

I have one thing to say about the evening........Spencer-Ross American Legion Post 134 in Walker, Minnesota you are the BEST!

Aerobic Balkan Band OBI

Sometimes you just gotta be there......

Photo by Shelly Campbell

Last night Orkestar Bez Ime played their every third Thursday of the month gig at Black Dog Coffee & Wine Bar in Lowertown of downtown St. Paul, Minnesota.

This picture was taken by our photographer, Shelly Campbell, during an accordion intensive Bulgarian tune called 'Daichovo' which is in 9/16. For those of you counting Bulgarian rhythms with the aid of Mexican food, 9/16  is taco - taco - taco - burrito.

In this pic you can witness my adoring band mates adding their own personal comment on this complex meter during my accordion solo...oh my....!

(l to r) Natalie Nowytski with leg in the air, Colleen Bertsch with sideways violin and Scott Keever with upside down and backwards mandolin.  Behind me is Katrina Mundinger only visible by the clarinet bell growing out of the top of my bellows.

Na zdrave (to your health)!

What does it mean to 'play in a band'? I truly think 'play' is the important word here. In my last post you saw OBI very proper and quite serious. Um...these pictures are not very serious, unless you consider our intent to start the party after our last show at Minnesota's Renaisance Festival last year.

The weather was cold and dreary last October but that didn't stop us from having a good time. Natalie started the day of fun for us in full character with an Eastern European accent and sentence structure which proved so authentic that it compelled people to talk very simply, slowly and with sign language to her so she would understand they wanted to buy a CD. OBI (minus Colleen who had another gig and plus Sarah who fleeced the crowd for tips) created such a stir in the little open pub during performances that none of us had to spend our own money for drinks the rest of the day....and Natalie kept up her character's performance until we were all locked in the van and driving out of the parking lot. Na zdrave (to your health)!

Orkestar Bez Ime

One might ask themselves, who is this 'band' she's talking about?

An excellent question.

Yes, even though I'm totally accordion-centric and encouraged to be so, I spend most of my musical life working with musicians that don't play the accordion. This is Orkestar Bez Ime, which means 'Orchestra without a name' in Bulgarian. The group has it's beginnings within Ethnic Dance Theatre's The EDT Folk Orchestra. EDT is a fine dance company in Minneapolis/St.Paul whose mission is to foster understanding and awareness of world cultures through the re-creation and presentation of traditional ethnic dance and music. http://www.ethnicdancetheatre.com.

Members of OBI work with EDT whenever possible from a small ensemble of dancers and lone musician (me) for Young Audience shows in Minnesota elementary schools, to larger productions in the Spring with the full company of 24 dancers and 9 musicians.

However, year round the six inhabitants of Rogaria (OBI's home country) perform together at festivals and dances throughout the Midwest. The members are L to R seated, Colleen Bertsch (violin), Katrina Mundinger (clarinet), Natalie Nowytski (vocals and percussion), Scott Keever (guitar, mandolin), L to R standing, Dee Langley (accordion), Matt Miller (bass).