Scrubby and the Dynatones

Dynatones Stormy Clouds Polka Frm the 80's


This clip features Scrubby Seweryniak and the Dynatones, one of the best ever polka bands, from just down the road in Buffalo New York. If this stuff starts your engine, allow me to recommend the CD Vintage Dynatones. From the opening track, a blistering live version of what might be my all-time favourite polka Zosia, to Buffalo is a Polka Town, Down at the Friendly Tavern and some sizzling obereks, Vintage Dynatones is fantastic. If I could only own one polka CD, this might be the one. The instrument Scrubby is playing is the Chemnitzer Concertina, also known as the German Concertina. These instruments are more closely related to the Argentinian instrument, the Bandonion than to the accordion. They have a distinctive sound that I'm going to call thin, or reedy compared to an accordion, and are very effective working with a brass section in a polka band. Check out this excellent article about the history of this unique intrument.

Pass the pierogi, please....and turn up that polka!

By the way, watch the accordionist in the video - he is totally involved in supporting the pulsing rhythm of the song by shaking the bellows in and out. This 'bellows shake' is an important technique in the polka accordionist's arsonal.