\u201cGr\u00fc\u00df Gott!\u201d Literally, the phrase means greetings from God, or may God be with you. In everyday Bavarian and Austrian mountain lingo or slang the phrase simply means good day. The same phrase can also be a way of expressing a goodbye sentiment.<\/p>\n
I learned the phrase back in the \u201980s while free climbing a mountain that dominates the idyllic horizon of the tiny woodworkers\u2019 town of Oberammergau, Austria. The town sits just near the border of Austria and Germany and due to that, many traditions, sayings, and customs overlap.<\/p>\n
Hiking up the single track mountain path on a quest to reach the summit, touch the cross there and sign the summiteers\u2019 book there, I passed or was passed by several German and Austrian couples.\u00a0 As they approached me or passed by me in either direction they uttered a hearty \u201cGr\u00fc\u00df Gott!\u201d<\/p>\n
Thinking to myself that it had to mean something cheerful and wholesome, I began repeating it back to all I came in contact with and friendly smiles were always part of their reply.\u00a0 Being among like-minded souls, hiking along a mountain path, singing or humming a song, maybe yodeling, and feeling connected with the divine through commonality while communing in the natural world all blend together to give us what at least part of Oktoberfest celebrates.<\/p>\n
When we gather to enjoy an Oktoberfest party we become filled with a sense of well-being and contentedness. In the German language, this feeling is called \u201cGem\u00fctlichkeit.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGem\u00fctlichkeit\u201d is 100% about what Oktoberfest at the Reading Liederkranz in Lower Alsace Township represents and offers. I could share any number of virtues of the Reading Liederkranz Oktoberfest: the homemade food, the impressive array of imported beers, wines and spirits, the fanciful decorations, the legion of dedicated club volunteers, the professional and welcoming mannerisms of the paid staff, the clean mountain air up on Mount Penn where the club thrives, and the total immersion into our award-winning slice of Bavaria right here in Berks County, but others are focusing on those topics in this edition of Berks Country.<\/p>\n
I was asked by our editors to focus on the music and related activities for this year\u2019s Oktoberfest.\u00a0 Easy enough! The first thing to know is that the Reading Liederkranz, as with most German-American clubs throughout the USA and the world, was founded to keep the old-world traditions, culture and memories alive so that they can be passed down from generation to generation.<\/p>\n
Among the most important of those traditions are those of music and sport. Liederkranz literally means wreath or circle of songs. \u201cLied\u201d is the German word for a song. So, if a band leader announces that, \u201cThis next Lied is about the Edelweiss flower,\u201d he or she is saying, \u201cThis next song is about the Edelweiss flower.\u201d<\/p>\n
With music and sport as the club\u2019s founding activities, it shouldn\u2019t surprise everyone that, yes, Germans and Austrians do love their World Cup football (soccer), and that sport is certainly one that such clubs engage in, but, they\u2019ve managed to turn the act of dancing into a kind of sport.<\/p>\n
Traditional schuhplattler dancing is uniquely structured so that dance groups from various clubs can compete in competitions to earn bragging rights and top prizes. Some of the dances require great skill and athleticism. The judging is often very strict and even the slightest mistakes in a routine can cost a would-be champion the top prize. Members of the club begin working with children when they\u2019re very young to share wisdom about the various folk dances that bring joy to spectators and dancers alike.<\/p>\n
Of course, you cannot have a genuine folk dance without music. Accordion is generally the central instrument in such endeavors, but bands can range from one person up to full orchestras with dozens of musicians playing a part. I generally take a full 10-piece orchestra, with accordion and horn section, to the most important Oktoberfest parties we perform at, and certainly among those shows, there is none more important than the Reading Liederkranz Oktoberfest.<\/p>\n
Let me give you a day-by-day breakdown of the entertainment you\u2019ll be treated to at this year\u2019s Reading Liederkranz Oktoberfest.<\/p>\n
We begin next Wednesday at 5 p.m. with a ceremonial keg tapping. I\u2019m hoping to tap that first keg again this year because it\u2019s a great honor and because it\u2019s fun to try and not get soaked while doing the tap ceremony, and because everyone of age gets to sample a first beer from the actual beer brewers of Munich, Germany! This is the real stuff!<\/p>\n
Right after that ceremony, say about 6, music gets pumping with the Dave Betz Band, who\u2019ll entertain you with a rousing selection of traditional beer drinking and dancing music straight from the songbook of Bavaria.<\/p>\n
On Oct. 1, the biergarten and kitchen and dance pavilion open again with music starting at 6 from the outstanding band Doppelg\u00e4nger. This is a band that begins to blend the old with the new, so you\u2019ll be treated to traditional music of the Alps and Bavarian Oktoberfest parties, as well as modern American party songs.<\/p>\n
Since its inception in the 1800s, Oktoberfest music has been in a constant state of evolution and yes, the familiar sound of traditional oompah music will always be a part of these parties, but other enjoyable styles of pop music have entered into the overall Oktoberfest songbook. It is now common to hear lively Latin rhythm-based songs, American oldies and rock and roll songs, German and Euro-Techno songs, Electronic Dance Music, (EDM), and who could forget a few of the most popular Oktoberfest anthems all over the world over the past decade, \u201cSweet Caroline,\u201d \u201cCountry Roads,\u201d and \u201cWho the Heck is Alice\u201d?<\/p>\n
Line and structured dances for the average gal and guy, girl and boy, will be played in abundance so be sure to wear your most comfortable dancing shoes. You have to dance at Oktoberfest! It\u2019s a tradition!<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Chicken Dance\u201d still leads the pack as far as songs that bring people up onto the dance floor.\u00a0 Following a close second is a song called \u201cFliegerlied\u201d or \u201cThe Flyer Song,\u201d and right after that are songs like \u201cThe Austrian Wedding Dance\u201d (\u201cZillertaler Hochzeitmarche\u201d), \u201cThe Twist,\u201d anything with a conga line, and let\u2019s not forget American country music. Number one in that category is \u201cCotton Eyed Joe.\u201d My band will be doing an extended country line dance portion of a set including \u201cCotton Eyed Joe\u201d and \u201cCountry Girl Shake it For Me.\u201d\u00a0A bit more obscure are dances that have crept on like \u201cChicken Banana\u201d and \u201cThe Bobsled Song.\u201d<\/p>\n
Also on Thursday night in between dance sets the club will feature its second annual Beer Stein holding competition. (Yes, that\u2019s another sport at German-American clubs.) Then at 8:15 the beloved G.T.V. Edelweiss\/Auerhan Schuhplattlers will put it all together when they feature a series of their award-winning traditional dances set to traditional music. This is one of the most popular features of entire festival and they really put on a not-to-be-missed fantastic and spirited show.<\/p>\n
On Oct. 2, things open at 5 and then at 6 the Texas Tornado, Alex Meixner, and his band roll into the fest to take the stage, and from the moment they do, the crazy train is set in motion. For anyone who thinks that Oktoberfest music is some sort of quaint, but archaic style, you\u2019ve not yet seen the Alex Meixner Band and the literal mosh pit that they create in front of the stage.<\/p>\n
People stand there dancing in place for hours. As I look out over that crowd and scene, because my musical friend and colleague Alex often call upon me to come up and sing a few songs with his band, what appears to a be a sort of happy, joyful zombie apocalypse is occurring. I have to laugh out loud here because what I describe is true. Not in the way of monster zombies, but zombies who are focused on just a few things \u2026 ALEX!\u00a0 BEER!\u00a0 MAKING NOISE!\u00a0 BEER!\u00a0 MUSIC!\u00a0 JUMPING UP AND DOWN IN PLACE!\u00a0 ALEX!\u00a0 MAKING NOISE!\u00a0 BEER!\u00a0 (Did I mention beer?)<\/p>\n
Alex will play all of his fest favorites and those include a lively mix of traditional and anything else he can think of. I\u2019ve performed live with him many times and you never really know where his active brain is going to take you. We\u2019ve already transitioned from polka music to Led Zeppelin to Ozzie Osborne, to Guns N\u2019 Roses and back to polka music within the space of a seven-minute jam or medley. This is part of what makes Alex and his band so exciting.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a feeling of an impending energy explosion throughout his shows. What a great way to blow off some steam from the work-a-day world. Adding to the fun this year, Alex, myself and the lead guitar player in my band, Dave Lewis, have just released an album worldwide called Kline, Lewis & Meixner, \u201cThe Oktoberfest Album.\u201d If you like fun, you\u2019ll love this album and we\u2019ll be playing some of the songs during Oktoberfest at the Reading Liederkranz.<\/p>\n
The G.T.V. Schuhplattlers will also be performing in between Alex\u2019s sets and they\u2019ll get just as crazy with things like their whip dance!<\/p>\n
The fest opens at 11 a.m. on Oct. 3, and when that day rolls around it\u2019s my wedding anniversary, and thank you dear for 45 years of marital bliss, but it\u2019s also my time on the main stage with Dave Kline\u2019s Mountain Folk Oktoberfest Band from noon to 4 p.m., preceded by our good friend and master accordionist and entertainer, Dr. Squeezebox Kermit Ohlinger. This man is literally a one-man band and a pro at keeping folks smiling and engaged.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, with our band, we\u2019ll start very traditionally and as the afternoon rolls on we\u2019ll be doing more contemporary music with line dances and lots of opportunities to do as our band slogan suggests, sing-along, chant-along, dance-along, stomp-along, drink-along! We\u2019ll be playing songs from the new Oktoberfest album and, in fact, this will be our official album release party and we\u2019ll have plenty of free CD copies of the album to gift to lucky attendees who get up off of their derrieres and out onto the dance floor.<\/p>\n
Saturday is a huge day at Oktoberfest. During our Mountain Folk Band sets we\u2019ll be hosting the second annual waltz contest. Inside information here, we\u2019ll be playing the famous \u201cSchneewalzer\u201d (\u201cSnow Waltz\u201d), so you can get ready by finding a version of that tune and practicing your waltz dance moves at home before showing the world your stuff at the actual party.<\/p>\n