Paloma

We're not your father's oompah band!

Paloma started out in 1977 as a 3 piece band with the founding members still in high school. We played many dances for the German clubs in Chicago as well as weddings for second generation Germans. The group consisted of Erich Freiberger on accordion, John Gunther on drums and John "Goose" Gurnig on guitar. In 1978 Fred Mueller joined the group on bass guitar. Our reputation grew as a band that could play the favorite German songs the older generation enjoyed but we could also rock the younger generation. 

Over the years some of the members have changed but the core of the group, Erich and Goose have remained. Our current members are Albert Mende (formerly of the Epics) on drums, and Terry Leary on keyboards.

We play songs from all over the various regions of Germany such as jodeling polkas from the south of Germany featuring Erich our master jodler to Karneval songs from the Rhine River region to Seeman's Lieder (sailor's songs) from the north.

Another addition to our musical ability is Erich & Goose play musical cowbells on such favorites as Edelweiss, Das Kufstein Lied and Der Alte Peter. We even have a version of “House of the Rising Sun” on cowbells. 

Paloma performs a wide variety of classic German songs, new German hits, oldies, country and classic standards. We love having the dance floor full and we encourage our audience to get involved in songs like the Fliegerlied, Ein Prosit, Sweet Caroline, the Too Fat Polka and the Zigge Zagge polka. We also have some reworked versions of songs such as “Let's Go Beer Drinking” and “Sharp Dressed Man”. On occasion, audience members have an opportunity to join us on stage and take part in what we like to call cowbell school, where they learn how to play bells in real time with the band. We believe in getting our audience engaged and involved to guarantee a great time had by all. 

 Come on out and hoist a stein with us!

 

 

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