Lustige Leute Newsletter August 2022

Howdy Friends!  And welcome to our new Friends! 

Where has the summer gone?  Here in Houston, the temperature has dropped from 103 to 78 (first big rainstorm for the whole area in months is happening right now!), and the kids are going back to school already!!  Oh my, it's been a while since we visited.  We didn't have much time to spend on the computer while in Europe, or on the Road Trip in the US, and I've been very busy playing catch-up.  We apologize for not being in touch for so long! 

After being gone for a while, we now have a couple of weeks worth of rehearsals and a few performances scheduled, all ramping up for Oktoberfest. 

August performances: 

-- Sauer Kraut Grill; 734 Crabb River Rd, Richmond, TX; 
Thursdays August 11 & 25; 6pm - 8pm; The Duo plays Stubenmusi 

-- Grapevine on Main, 5120 Main St, Chappell Hill, TX; - come check out this brand new venue! 
Friday August 12, 7:30 - 10:30; Wein, Alphorn und Song 

-- Krause's Cafe, 148 S. Castell Street, New Braunfels, TX; 
Sunday August 14, 2pm - 5pm; Valina is celebrating her 50th birthday! The Trio with Ross, Kelsey and Valina. 

The homepage of our website reflects every performance except the private ones.  Often when we're on the road, we don't have access to update our facebook pages, but will always (as long as my cell phone works) update the home page on our website if there is a last minute change.  You're always welcome to give us a call or send a text if you want to make sure we're going to be where our calendar shows we're going to be.  

It's never too early to think about hosting that Christmas party!  Call us for pricing and availability if you have something to celebrate this winter!  We can play for you as a duo unplugged, or we can bring the sound equipment and specialty folk instruments.  We have a repertoire of about 30 Austrian, German and American Christmas favorites, even a couple of Christmas songs on the Alphorn and cowbells! 

Looking ahead: 

-- Walburg Fest, Walburg German Restaurant, TX; free admission 
Friday  - Sunday Sept 2 - 4; The 4 piece with Ross, Robert, Rick and Valina. Schedule TBD 

-- Krause's Cafe, 148 S. Castell Street, New Braunfels, TX; 
Wednesday Sept 7, 6pm - 9pm; The Duo 

-- Sauer Kraut Grill; 734 Crabb River Rd, Richmond, TX; 
Thursday September 8; 6pm - 8pm; The Duo plays Stubenmusi 

-- Grapevine on Main , 5120 Main St, Chappell Hill, TX; 
Friday September 9, 7:30 - 10:30; Wein, Alphorn and Song 

-- Addison Oktoberfest, Addison, TX;  
Thursday - Sunday Sept 15 - 18;  
     Valina also serves as MC at the Musikzelt 
All shows are at the Musikzelt with the 4 piece band: Das ist Ross, Robert Herridge, Michael Bahan and Valina Polka. 
Thursday; 7:45 - 9:15 (Thursday Free admission) 
Friday; 7:15 - 8:15  tickets required 
Saturday; 2:00 - 3:45 & 7:15 - 8:15  tickets required 
Sunday; 2:00 - 3:45 (Sunday Free admission) 

-- Oktoberfest Ft Worth, Fort Worth, TX; tickets required 
Friday and Saturday Sept 23 & 24; 
     Valina also serves as MC Thursday - Saturday 
All shows are in the Spaten Halle with the 4 piece band: Das ist Ross, Robert Herridge, Eric Miculka and Valina Polka 
Friday; 6:30 - 7:45, 9:45 - 11:00 
Saturday, 3:00 - 4:00, 5:00 - 6:30, 8:00 - 8:30 

-- Oktoberfest at Das Manor Haus, The Houstonian 111 N. Post Oak, Houston, TX    All inclusive package, reservations required 
Sunday Sept 25; 3pm - 7pm with the 4 piece band; Das ist Ross, Robert Herridge, Rick Weiss, and Valina Polka.  See the website for ticket information. 

     Valina also serves as MC 

-- Oktoberfest at Union Kitchen, Houston, TX;   All inclusive packages, reservations required 
Tuesday Sept 27; 6:30 - 9:30; The Duo; Kingwood Location: 23918 US-59 North, Houston, TX 
Wednesday Sept 28; 6:30 - 9:30; The Duo; Memorial Location: 12538 Memorial Dr #10, Houston, TX  
Thursday Sept 29; 6:30 - 9:30; The Duo; Katy Location: 9920 Gaston Rd #100, Katy, TX 

-- Saint Arnold Brewery Oktoberfest, Saint Arnold Brewery, Houston, TX 
Friday - Sunday Sept 30 - Oct 2; The 4 piece band and dancers; Das ist Ross, Robert Herridge, Rick Weiss, Valina Polka and dancers from Tanzenfest 
Times and admission information TBD 

Hosting our trips:  We just returned from Wisconsin and the Germanfest!   We had a lot of fun (with Ross and Valina in the driver's seat) of a luxury 15 passenger Mercedes Sprinter! We ate at 3 amazing German restaurants, 2 Dutch restaurants, lots of regional fast food places, a few classic Route 66 diners, and had some good festival food too.  We saw a one of kind Bone museum and met the curator who started it all when he was very young.  We toured the history in the Steamboat Arabia museum in Kansas City, Popped around Pella checking out all of the Dutch heritage that has been preserved there, had a pizza party surrounded by pipe organ music, relaxed and learned about Hermann, MO, had an adventurous ride to the top of the Gateway Arch, Drank pure German craft brews made right here in the US, flash mobbed the KC Bier Co,  and saw the Schurzenjager up close and in person at the Milwaukee Germanfest!  The Alex Meixner Band was also there, and rocked the house.  It was fun to see his northern fans and make some new festival friends. Even though we were there for 3 days, we barely got to see everything.  We even had some fun stopping along old Route 66 to check out the tourist traps.  There are a few photos attached below.  We are planning to go to Germany and the Czech Republic in June of 2023 if health restrictions on travel stabilize and are dependable.  The trip is going to be about 15 days on the ground in Europe.  Stay tuned! 

If you'd like to join us for travel in the future, we'd love to hear from you!  There have been requests to return to Austria, The Netherlands, requests to do a Christmas Market tour, and interest in expanding our travel to different places around the US.  We tailor these trips to your wishes!  You can even ask us to organize and host a private trip for you and 15 - 20 guests!  

Website:  You can always find out what's happening with us at http://www.prostyall.com.  We update our calendar as information becomes available, and always keep the upcoming gigs and last minute changes on the home page.  The shop page https://www.prostyall.com/shop has koozies! (they fit party cups, pint glasses and Wurstfest cups!)  The famous "Prost Y'all" sign is in stock and available for sale too!  Won't that look awesome on the wall of your favorite relaxation spot!  We also have shirts; including the brand new "Das ist Ross" shirts!  Hat pins, and CD's that can make lunch at the office a little more like a Biergarten! Who doesn't love a 45 minute escape mid-day?  

Social Media:  You can find us on Facebook, and Youtube.  You can subscribe to our Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/valinapolka , friend us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/valinapolka  "like" us on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prostyall/  We have an instagram, but don't know how to use it.       

Behind the scenes:  Ross and I are finally beginning to catch up on the piles of paperwork that have built up over the summer while we were gone.  Our trip to Europe was a fact finding trip, but also a family reunion.  There was a lot of time spent unplugged just being with cousins and making fun memories together with people we hadn't seen in far too long.  The stories of all the adventures are just too much to try to share here, so I will direct you to drop in on our social media where we have already shared a few stories and photos.  When I have a day to spend gathering a lot of the information to put in a blog on the website, I will, but it could take a while.  I am attaching a few photos below though!  Rehearsals with various drummers who will be working with us this fall start next Wednesday.  Some rehearsals will be at our home, and others will be in San Antonio and Austin.  Also next week, I'm turning 50!  Since my birthday falls on Tuesday the 16th, we're celebrating on Sunday the 14th at Krause's Cafe in New Braunfels.  We're playing from 2 - 5.  Kelsey is joining us on horns.  We got a hotel room so I can drink a few after the show, then maybe float the river on Monday.  We hope you can come join us for the party! 

That's all for this newsletter.  Your support and friendship means a lot to us!  We hope you had a good summer with loved ones and some leisure time to rejuvenate for the festival season.  Stay healthy, stay safe, share a smile with a stranger.  We hope we get to "prost y'all" sometime soon! 

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