Pumped and ready to go, Fritz’s Polka Band, the first-ever polka band to jam at Woodstock, will be running the North Syracuse Family Festival stage from 4 to 6 p.m. May 29 during the day’s festivities.
FPB was formed in 1978 by lead accordionist, the late Fred Scherz Sr., and his then eight-year-old son, Fritz, for whom the band was named.
The five-man band performs an eclectic mix of musical styles, including modern polka, country, fox trot, waltz and more. The polka players include Fritz Scherz Jr., piano accordion, button-box accordion, vocals; Gabe Vaccaro, bass guitar, guitar, vocals; Tom Campbell, guitar and vocals; Frank Nelson, guitar and vocals, and Mike Faraino on the drums.
“The guys in Fritz’s Polka Band love to take our music to venues you might not expect to see a “polka” band and we’re always looking for new venues to perform at,” said Scherz Jr. “We love being the only polka band sponsored by Jagermeister.”
The band had played across the country and has shared the stage with Grammy winning artists several times. No matter what stage FPB has played, the band has always worked to tailor its performance to its audiences, Scherz said.
“This is our first time playing at the North Syracuse Family Festival,” Scherz said. “We’re looking forward to it. What we hope to bring to the stage is our unique style. We break the “polka” stereotype and appeal to all ages, as we’ve literally had people in the audiences ranging from kids to 100 years old.”
Reflecting on a recent concert in Buffalo, the audience members were mostly in their 20s, so the band “played a lot of rock, modern polka, modern country and were rather loud, but that’s what they wanted…and they loved us,” Scherz said.
For now, FPB plans to play some rock, country, modern-style polka, and maybe a blues tune or two.
“We encourage people that haven’t seen us perform before to come on out and give us a listen,” Scherz said. “I’m not sure how many other polka bands have a drummer that utilizes a double bass pedal nor guitarists that can go from playing polka to country to rock to blues and back again.”
The unique dynamic and family atmosphere has made Scherz “thankful” for each member of the band.
Because the band is still “keeping on,” after the loss of Scherz’s father Nov. 14, 2009, there will be some definite tributes to the many songs he wrote over time, including some stories behind each song. Concert attendees can be sure to learn a lot as the band begins a new song during the FPB set, Scherz said.
After the festival, the band continues on a year-round tour that includes several other community festivals such as the Syracuse Polish Festival and Old Home Day in Vernon Center, to name a few.
“We do many county fairs and we’ll be back again at the New York State Fair, too,” Scherz said. “We’re fortunate enough to play as many gigs as we do.”
FPB will have played 100 shows by the end of this year, which Scherz said is a lot when “20 gigs in a year was considered good” for the band.
Knowing that family, friends and fans are spending money on gas, food and other expenses to see them play, means the world to each member of the band, Scherz said.
“The fact that so many do choose to come out to see us makes us very, very thankful and appreciative,” Scherz said. “We’re blessed to have so many friends. Thanks does not do justice for the way our friends support us.”
