25 years in lederhosen: Elk River German Band

The Elk River German Band, in its 25th year, led by Vern Draxler, continues to entertain and help keep a tradition alive.

Elk River German Bad members including (from left) Diane Pederson, Vern Draxler, Warren Hudson, Jim Acers, and Jason Martin performed in a Riverfont concert July 20. (Photo by Bruce Strand)

by Bruce Strand, Arts editor

Vern Draxler worked his way through college in the 1950's by playing in a polka band. At 71, he's staying true to his roots.

Draxer is the leader of the Elk River German Band, currently in its 25th year. The nine musicians and singer Diane Pederson, who is Vern's daughter, delighted a Riverfront crowd on July 20 and a family reunion in Wisconsin last weekend, and have several more gigs lined up.

"One of my goals is to help keep this kind of music alive," said Draxler. "It's really a shame when a form of music dies out. You don't see many Dixieland bands any more, or big jazz bands. So we want to keep this going."

At left, Mike Roe (right), Dave Mantini and Marilee Johnson on the horns. At right, Lee Dummer, former Army Band member, rises for euphorium solo. From left are Jason Martin, Dummer, Marilee Johnson, Dave Mantini, Mike Roe, with drummer Gordon Myers in back. (Photos by Bruce Strand)

Another goal is to enjoy themselves, and the group always meets that one.

"I just love music, that's all. I've played since I was 12 years old," said Warren Hudson, 79.

"We have a pretty wide range here, from age 31 to 80, but we have so much fun together," said Pederson.

The traditional lederhosen outfits are always worn by the band. That’s Deutsch for “leather breeches” and their dedication to authenticity comes with a price. “They can get pretty warm,” grinned Hudson.

The band has three of its original 10 members. They are Draxler and Hudson, both clarinet players who live in Elk River, and Mike Roe of Becker, who plays trumpet. And Pederson has sung for ERGB for all but the first year, when she was away at college.

Two of the band’s younger fans, Victoria Hudson and Angelina Lang, felt like dancing. (Photo by Bruce Strand)

Other members are Dave Mantini of Brooklyn Park on fluegelhorn, Marilee Johnson of Minneapolis and Lee Dummer of Crystal on euphonium, Jason Martin of Fridley on tuba, Jim Acers of Ramsey on French horn, and Gordon Myers of St. Paul on drums. Dummer was a member of the U.S. Army band for 20 years.

Acers, Martin, Dummer and Johnson have been with the group around 20 years each. The current lineup has been intact for about six years.

During college, Draxler played clarinet for John Czech, a well-known polk band in central Wisconsin, while attending Stout State.

He then went into the Army, and during that time Uncle Sam paid the way for him to study Physics at the main Wisconsin campus in Madison. He had a career in the defense industry, mostly at Honeywell.

After being out of music for 20 years he joined the Elk River Community Band, and then the German band, which was actually started by Al Hopper, who was deacon of St. Andrew's Catholic Church.

"The church was going to have a music festival, that's why Al started it," said Hudson, a retired teacher of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning at Hennepin Tech. "Vern and I had been with the community band together, and this came along just when that was fizzling out."

Mert and Lloyd Brutlag applauded the Elk River German Band, whom Mert said they have enjoyed at many peformances. (Photo by Bruce Strand)

Diane joined, at her dad's behest, after graduating from Boston Conservatory of Music, and has never left or sung with another band. A mother of four, Pederson gives voice lessons through Community Education and serves as a substitute teacher. She was St. Andrews' music director for a few years when she returned from Boston.

The ERGB, which always been a brass and clarinet band, with no saxophone and no accordion, has a repertoire of about 150 songs. They play German and Bavarian folk songs polka's, marches, Dixieland fare. Always popular are old standards like "Eidelweiss" and " "Beer Barrel Polka" and "Lichtensteiner Polka" and "Tiger Rag" and "When the Saints Go Marching In." They have made two cassettes or CD's and are planning another, with some new music.

The group operates pretty much on automatic pilot. They're not big on rehearsals.

"We tell people, Sure, we have regular practice — once every four years, like clockwork," laughs Draxler. "When I get some new music, then we practice."

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Hudson said he'd like to rehearse but it's not practical: "Half these guys don't live around here and a lot of them are still working. So it would be hard to get together regularly."

Perhaps the highlight of their 25 years together was a 1994 trp to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Czechoslovakia. They played at a festival in Fuchl, Austria, and had several smaller concerts lined up. Draxler recalls that one concert was an "Equinox Celebration" at some burg along the Rhine River.

One day in Switzerland, they overheard a local fellow say: "Oh, they're just another good German band." The remark was meant as lukewarm praise but, as Draxler reflects, with a chuckle: "The guy figured we were from Germany, so we'll take it. That was probably the best compliment we ever had."

Elk River German Band
upcoming appearances

Aug. 28: Stistungfest at Norwood-Young America
Sept. 17: ALS Society fundraiser, Wabasha Street Caves, St. Paul
Sept. 25: Octoberfest, Mill City Farmers Market, Minneapolis
Oct. 2: Octoberfest, Cold Spring
Oct. 3: Church festival in Brooklyn Park
Oct. 9: Octoberfest, Elk River Legion (tentative)
Oct. 10: Octberfest at senior center in St. Cloud
Oct. 17: church service at Elk River Lutheran, ELCA