Wednesday, December 14, 2011
What's going on / Music Thursday To-Do: Brave Combo
Posted by Robert Bell on Wed, Dec 14, 2011 at 1:58 PM
BRAVE COMBO
8 p.m. Stickyz. $10.
Call me crazy, but with the exception of being at some sort of German beer garden — kielbasa in one hand and the afternoon's third massive stein-full of beer in the other — I've never really dug polka. But one exception might just have to be Brave Combo.
The Denton, Texas, outfit got started in the late '70s, doing polka-fied covers of rock classics and by the late '90s/early aughts, Brave Combo was winning Grammys for Best Polka Album (1999 and 2005) and being featured on The Simpsons — a sign that you've made it if ever there was one.
The band's polka version of "Must Be Santa" from 1991's "It's Christmas, Man!" even resonated with Bob Dylan, who included a nearly identical arrangement of the song on his own Christmas album, 2009's "Christmas in the Heart." Dylan told Street News Service that he "first heard that song years ago on one of those 'Sing Along with Mitch' records. But this version comes from a band called Brave Combo. Somebody sent their record to us for our radio show. They're a regional band out of Texas that takes regular songs and changes the way you think about them. You oughta hear their version of 'Hey Jude.'"
High praise from Blind Boy Grunt himself? Hey man, good enough for me.
More by Author
-
Friday: Lacuna Coil
Lacuna Coil plays Juanita's Friday night.
- May 3, 2012
-
Holy Shakes debut album out May 25
The Holy Shakes debut album is out May 25.
- Apr 24, 2012
- More »
Event Calendar
-
Re: The dude from 'Twilight' is making a movie about 'The Band'
You hear that noise??.......it's Levon spinning in his grave.....this has the thieving Robbie Robertson and…
- on May 25, 2012
-
Re: Willie Nelson to Johnny Cash Music Festival
Yes, good point Pygface. I'll inquire about all that and give an update when we…
- on May 24, 2012
-
Re: Willie Nelson to Johnny Cash Music Festival
Or don't buy your ticket yet if you want to ride the bus as last…
- on May 24, 2012
Top Commenters
Blogroll
Slideshows
-
Pictures from the rocker's first ever performance in Arkansas on April 21 at Verizon Arena.
-
Barefoot in Arkansas, performing for rabid fans in Hawaiian shirts.
-
Fins to the left, fins to the right.
Site Index
News
Cover Story / Arkansas Reporter / The Week That Was / Smart Talk / The Insider / The Observer / Editorial / Max Brantley / Ernest Dumas / Gene Lyons / Bob Lancaster / Words / Guest Writer / Letters
Entertainment
A&E Feature / To-Do List / In Brief / Movie Reviews / Music Reviews / Theater Reviews / A&E News / Art Notes / Graham Gordy / Books / Media / Dining Reviews / Dining Guide / What's Cookin' / Calendar / The Televisionist / Movie Listings / Gallery Listings
This Week's Cover
Quick Links
Special Publications
RSS
Facebook
Twitter
Comments (0)