Joe Stanky & the Cadets providing polka favorites for over 25 years
By JAMES
LUFT
For Times Leader-Greater Nanticoke
Sept 2000
For over 25 years Joe Stanky & the Cadets have been performing to audiences all over the country. Whether playing their famous polkas in their home town of Nanticoke, or up and down the eastern seaboard, every show gains the band some new fans. Leader and founder Joe Stanky has been playing music his entire life. Beginning with classical violin, his passion for music took him through Wyoming Seminary and Wilkes University. Stanky's first band, the Trailblazers, were a country and western band that enjoyed some success and recognition, but Stanky yearned for more. Shortly thereafter he struck out on his own and formed a new band with talented musicians all hailing from Nanticoke as well. Mike "Mag" Magdan, owner of Magdan Music store, plays the drums; Bob Smurlo, who teaches music in the Luzerne County School system, plays the keyboards and piano; Ken Boback, a professor at Penn State University, plays the accordion and concertina and Billy "Kup" Kupchunus, who has his own record label which Stanky & the Cadets record on, plays the trumpet and all wind instruments. Along with all five band members sharing the responsibilities of managing themselves, Corrinne Stanky also plays a supporting role in helping her husband's band cater to the polka-loving world. Since its creation in 1975, Stanky & the Cadets have not only managed to stay on top of their genre, but accomplish several impressive feats as well: Six compact discs with mostly original and some cover songs Six videos that features the band and their music Over 200 one-night shows, covering 18 states Awards and honors from various supporters and fans including a plaque from Gov. Tom Ridge in appreciation of their music Benefits and free concerts for institutions such as Mercy Health Center in Sheatown. If all the honor and prestige weren't enough, then having one of their original songs on a Grammy winning CD would have to do. The polka band BraveCombo won a Grammy last year for their latest CD which also included the song "Polka Dancer" which was written by Stanky & the Cadets. "I was honored to have one of our songs on BraveCombo's CD. It felt great to watch them win that Grammy," said Stanky. Not only did Stanky enjoy some success with "Polka Dancer," he also created a polka craze with his famous song "The Dancing Mouse." The song not only caused thousands of polka fans to get up and dance, dance, dance, its success also prompted Stanky to write a sequel to the song, "Return of the Mouse," which is on his new album "Sing Me Back Home. "Home is actually the one place that Stanky & his Cadets are rarely at. Playing over 200 dates, the band purchased a GMC 4106 passenger bus and modified the vehicle to suit their purposes. Now the bus is a tour bus complete with seating for eight, a lounging area, private bunks for the band and all of the luxuries of being home. The band also has two drivers at their call when they have some long road trips to such locales as Florida or Texas. On one memorable trip to Pasadena, Texas, the band played at Mickey Gilleys where the film Urban Cowboy was filmed starring John Travolta. According to Stanky, touring is the favorite part about what he does. "It's nice to see the fans all the places we go. They're kind of like an extended family. Over the years, people have been extremely generous to us. My Christmas tree is full of ornaments that fans have either given to me or have sent me in the mail," Stanky said. The future of Stanky & the Cadets has as much prestige and potential as their career did when the band started. In 1999 the band released a new CD, "Sing Me Back Home," which is doing well, and also has a new video slated to be available before Christmas. "I'd like to keep everything status quo. I don't want anything to change if I can help it. The band is doing really well with no signs of slowing down," Stanky concluded.