Jeffrey Palastro and his band mates play a style of music that, he admits, is a dying art form.
The Carnegie resident is music director for the Western Pennsylvania SNPJ Button Box Club, which specializes in Slovenian-style folk music.
"We play polkas and waltzes. Octoberfest is the biggest time of year for this style of music -- the second week of September through Halloween. We play two jobs a weekend during that time period," Palastro said.
"It's an energetic style of music and (for) people who know how to dance it ... it's a great workout. We do this because we enjoy it. Nobody gets paid to do this."
The club received national attention in fall after being named "Button Box Club of the Year" for 2008 by Cleveland's National Polka Hall of Fame.
"I was actually stunned," Palastro said. "I know we're a pretty good group, but I didn't think that we would be remembered for all time as the Button Box Club of the Year for promoting polkas and waltzes. There are some really good groups in the Polka Hall of Fame, and it's an honor to be included with those groups."
The club, which has appeared on television twice and hit the recording studio four times in its 30-year existence, continues to play church festivals, Octoberfests and community events, but Palastro admits the long-term outlook is bleak.
"It's a dying art. We haven't recruited a new member in six years. We don't worry about nationality. We look at the fact that people can play the accordion and are willing to play the stuff we play," he said.
"The younger generation hasn't taken an interest in it. The whole industry has been dwindling over the past 10 years. Now, maybe there is one dance on a Friday night or a Saturday night. In the 1960s and 1970s, there may have been three or four different dances on a Saturday night."
The club may not play big-time Pittsburgh venues, such as Kennywood Park, anymore, but it still has a place at events such as Canonsburg's Octoberfest.
"There are so many places we played. We still do roughly 26 jobs a year. Half of the weekends, we're performing," Palastro said.
Additional Information:At a glance
⢠The Western Pennsylvania SNPJ Button Box Club was founded in 1978.
⢠Within the first two years of existence, membership increased to the largest for any club of its type.
⢠The nonprofit group started with the intent of preserving and continuing the Slovenian tradition of polkas and waltzes throughout the Western Pennsylvania region and beyond.
⢠The size of the group has fluctuated from 75 members to its current 23.
