Folkway Feature – Meet the Artist Joe Grkman Jr.

Joe Grkman Jr. has played the accordion for most of his life. Grkman credits much of this to his father, Joe Grkman Sr., a renowned polka musician. “He’d have a friend come over to play guitar along with him,” said Grkman, a Westmoreland County native living in Venetia. Joe Sr. and his friend would play polka tunes, and, in 1967, his son and two cousins joined him and formed a polka band, starting with gigs at the former Slovenian ballroom in Herminie.

Today, Joe Jr. and his son Mike are both part of the house band at Hofbrauhaus in Pittsburgh’s South Side, playing old and new polka music for crowds of all ages with several groups housed at the “Grkmania” website. Joe frequently performs with at least two generations of family, but at one time had four. Joe and Mike lead the western Pennsylvania-based family band, founded over 50 years ago. Button and piano accordions join with bass, guitar, banjo, drums, keyboards, clarinet and sax to create their version of the “happiest sound around,” Slovenian or Cleveland-style polka.

Something so notable during our interview was Joe’s confidence in the genre. From our talks, he shared how polka has changed how its relevance appeared socially, from being at every hall and bar around in the 60s, to weddings in the 80s and 90s, and now being reserved to Oktoberfest-themed events. This doesn’t worry Joe. He doesn’t think the genre will die out— he’s wise enough to know that there is no such thing. It’s evolving. It’s still here, just different than before. 

One way that he is aiding in this shift is by sharing the genre with younger generations, especially within his family. From our conversations, it is clear to me that one of the leading factors, if not the sole reason, behind the band is family. Founded by Joe Grkman Sr, the youngest of six children born to an immigrant coal miner and his wife. Joe was shy in his youth, except when it came to music. He loved singing songs from the old country with his large family, which shared its Slovenian roots. Joe Sr. followed in his father’s footsteps down into the mines of Western Pennsylvania, but always felt passionate about music.

Joe Grkman bought his first accordion, a used Italo American Special when a strike at the mines gave Grkman time to learn how to play, and before long folks were inviting him to entertain at parties. He had no trouble getting gigs. Living within a region dubbed “the polka belt,” with many Slovenian immigrants. Once, Grkman was paid $10 to play at a New Year’s Eve party. Usually he was paid nothing, except friendship and laughter and fun. But that didn’t matter to Grkman. “It was my enjoyment just to be among them,” he said.

Until his retirement in 1982, Grkman Sr. labored in the mines by day, but his real vocation was music. He was especially known for renditions of Slovenian songs that his parents had taught him. According to Joe Jr., people identified with more than just the songs. “They identified with the idea of being proud of one’s heritage and being proud of one’s family.”

Today, Joe Grkman Jr. upholds his family tradition of Slovenian-based polka. The group has performed all around the US, and internationally, including special spots like the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Click this link to listen to the full interview:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0z4so4Kvcs6hU8ywIBesc9?si=0194a502019643c6

To learn more about Grkmania and their upcoming performances, head to https://www.grkmania.com