The Polkamaniacs are out of this world! They are not just a band but a whole different dimension of music entertainment as we know it. Founding member and front man of the group Mike Zombo said, “I wanted to put together a band to play the party at the end of the world. Basically, trying to bring a good time to folks during bad times. Polka music, at least my take on it is unbridled joy coming out of a melancholy time period. Roots akin to blues, but with a strict denial Of pathos.”
The Polkamaniacs came to be in 2016 and have been on a nonstop tear ever since and were named by the Pittsburgh City Paper as the Best International band of 2024. They have just released their fourth album Meat the Polkamaniacs and have just signed a booking deal with the Atomic Music Group. “A national booking agency that handles Rev Horton Heat, Marshall Crenshaw, The Blasters, Fear, The 5678s, and a whole roster of some of my favorite bands. We will start touring regionally in 2026 and see where we go from there.” Simply, Post Polka. Its roots are in Polka and we do just enough classic tunes for Polka fans, but we bring Rockabilly, Punk, Ska, Klezmer and Vaudeville into the mix. Musical influences include Brave Combo, They might be giants. Southern Culture on the Skids. Spike Jones and The Hoosier Hot Shots.”
The Polkamaniacs include Michael “Zombo” Devine on vocals, guitar; Daisy Pepper on vocals, accordion; Francine Pepper on Vocals, Trombone; Beau Squeeze on Accordion, vocals; Yudgie on lead guitar; Dr. Hiram Buzzoli on Trumpet, Wolfie on bass and Carrie Furnace on drums. Wolfie, aka Julie is Zombo’s wife! And yes, they hail from Pittsburgh, Pennyslvania, where they ignite the ethnic roots to their music and style! Michael Devine, known by his stage name Zombo, is the energetic frontman and accordionist of The Polkamaniacs not only delivering an awe inspiring show but also bringing forth his background in stand up comedy and as a radio personality of Zombo Radio that stretches back over several decades. Zombo brings a whole new dimension to fronting a band and with wild abandon.
“The idea of an outrageous, yet modern polka band came to me. I envisioned it to be able to cross generational and culture divides. It took about 2 years to get other musicians involved. Most were skeptical, and a good handful of folks came and went. But I kept writing catchy and humorous songs in a variety of styles but having them rooted in Polka. The idea of loud blue plaid outfits gave it a nice visual splash. Lots of cool logos and design work as well as guerilla marketing made us hard to ignore. We made our debut just as the shadow of COVID-19 hit the world. We took that time and via computers and clever engineering from our sax player Eric Singer recorded our first Album. “Never Mind The Bolsheviks Here’s the Polkamaniacs”
Zombo said that the band takes performaning to a whole another level, more than just a show. “We find it important to break the fourth wall with the audience. Meaning to not just perform music, but to actually engage the crowd. With my background in stand up comedy and the rest of the group willing to go merrily into the audiences while we are playing it is rewarding to see the surprise that folks get. Its hard to get folks to dance and interact if you don’t pull out all the stops and give them an experience.”
The Polkamaniacs music is acording to Zombo, “Simply, Post Polka. Its roots are in Polka and we do just enough classic tunes for Polka fans, but we bring Rockabilly, Punk, Ska, Klezmer and Vaudeville into the mix. Our fourth record just came out, Meat the Polkamaniacs and it features The Pepper Sisters. Our female vocalists that give our sound classic and tight harmonies. It branches into some reggae, Calypso and Latin. Quite a few songs are about meat!”
“I hear a lot of music today that’s very serious. Its contents are either sad, philosophical, sexual, material or political. What we strive for is to find the core inside us all that is still childlike and a far distance from the dark place the world has become. More or less making a crazy island of fun in a turbulent ocean of troubles. Getting all involved a break for a bit.”
And when it comes to a live show, you can expect untamed Polkamania! “Everything from passing a 9 foot kielbasa around to a sausage Limbo contest. The band going out and playing mariachi style in your face. Conga lines. And having folks ride Polka Mountain with us.”
Speaking about the band, Zombo said, “Its a 50/50 mix of male and female members. Two accordion players. A killer trumpet dude. A wild Trombone Gal. Each show has a unique twist. I love to keep the band entertained as well as the audiences. We have been called “Brave Combo” on steroids and “The Dropkick Murphys” of Polka. ” He added, “Its finding the fearless imagination of a 10 year old kid and bringing it to an adult mind without any inhibition.”
The Polkamaniacs are purly a great time of wild and untamed insanity that needs experienced and you need to take in some polkamania as soon as possible and let the madness unleash the untamed youth of polkamania that is in your soul. Be sure to catch the buzz thery create like no one else in the music world and take you on a journey to their roots of polka punk madness. You will never be the same once you experience it and if you do not experience it you do not know what you are missing so don’t miss out on the Polkamaniacs!
You can find out everything about the Polkamaniacs on their website:
www.thepolkamaniacs.com