In previous posts I talked about the popularity of polka music up here in north central Wisconsin. The King of American polka was Frankie Yankovic. He played what was called Slovenian Style. He released over 200 recordings including ones with Chet Atkins and the Everly Brothers but his calling was as a traveling, performing musician. He worked over 320 nights almost every year playing festivals, ball rooms, tap houses and taverns. In the 1940's and 1950's he played a dance hall called Schlief's Little City.
Schliefs was described by Ivan Kahle in an oral history of polka music in Minnesota as "going big, in the late 1940's on the south side of St. Paul".
Concertina player Elmer Scheids obituary also mentions Schliefs: The Elmer Scheid Band kept the dancing shoes on for hundreds of people at George's, the Gibbon Ballroom, Schlief's Little City, south of South St. Paul, The Prom in St. Paul, the Marigold in Minneapolis; and the Medina Ballroom in Hamel.
Here is a really cool, old letter-press style poster we have in stock. It has a few creases but the graphics are strong. It is available for purchase here
Here are some additional images of Frankie courtesy Wiki
