some Zither music

Hope your March is going okay! Here's some pleasant Bavarian-style Zither music performed by Ludwig Kalbrunner.

Erpfenhauser Dorfmusikanten

So sorry to have no Oktoberfest celebrations this year, but on the bright side, here's Erpfenhauser Dorfmusikanten! What a good group!

It started in Scranton!

It started in Scranton, it's now No 1
It's bound to entertain you
Everybody has a mania
To do the polka from Pennsylvania

Musikantenstadl exists in our world

Happy Oktoberfest season! Let's turn our thoughts now to Musikantenstadl! For better or worse.

An Oktoberfest favorite

US Marine Band

What an excellent ensemble!  It's the excitement of a circus, a crowd, a festival. For me, this is fantastic and joyous music that isn't merely 'patriotic'.

The complete Sousa marches are available as free MP3 downloads:
https://www.marineband.marines.mil/Audio-Resources/The-Complete-Marches-of-John-Philip-Sousa/

Many of these videos play with full scores:
https://www.youtube.com/user/usmarineband

I'm trying to learn Semper Fidelis as a concertina solo - - it's going to take me a while!

Mariechen Waltz

This was Whoopee John's theme song for many years. For me, it has a musical depth not often associated with polka music.

Here's the Whoopee John band under the direction of Vern Steffel. I'm guessing that means it's after Willfahrt's death in '61:

Here's a version that I am guessing predates Whoopee John's:

Here's one from 1909, maybe the oldest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUh9I4ynFv8

A slow one for Steirische Harmonika students https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjNn3gukWNU

nice longhair Steirische solo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XXjuxF4ysQ 

another Steirische version with lyrics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XWX2F8-ekY

Wayne Ripke band: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvEcoifWOsE