The Polka Party May Be Winding Down In Chicago

Today’s Chicago Tribune profiles Eddie Blazonczyk, a Chicago-area musician who was drafted into fronting his father’s old polka band, the Versatones, when the elder Blazonczyk fell ill. The piece is a solid, if sad, read; it vividly describes the waning audience for Chicago polka–a genre that once commanded a large chunk of the city’s musical energy–even for bands that have been nominated for Grammys. But then there’s this segment, which gave us an idea that may help raise polka’s profile even more than a “Weird Al” telethon might:

One person not in the fan club is Junior’s wife, Cheryl, who struggles to embrace a dream that requires so much and provides so little to her and the couple’s two children, Cayle and Anya.

“I’m impressed that he can play so well, but I always ask Eddie, `What’s the difference between a musician and a pizza?’

“A pizza can feed a family of four.”

We certainly feel for Mrs. Blazonczyk–hey, we’ve dated musicians, too–which is probably why her put-down actually made us laugh out loud. And you know, it’s not often that we hear a music joke that a) we haven’t been subjected to before and b) is funny. Does anyone else smell a sitcom in the making?

With a hop and 3 steps, son keeps polka star’s music alive [Chicago Tribune] Eddie Blazonczyk’s Versatones [Official site]