Thank you for visiting the online home of The Klancnik & Friends Band and Ranch Recordings. Here you will find the latest information about the KNF band, our CDs available for purchase, and updates regarding projects that are currently in production. With an eye to the future, our mission continues to be the preservation and further development of American polka music. If this genre interests you, please take the time to learn more about who we are, and what we do.
We are happy to announce that the Klancnik and Friends Band has been nominated for "Band of the Year" by the voters of the National Cleveland Style Polka Hall Of Fame. The show will be held on November 27, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. in Euclid, Ohio. In addition to the nomination, three of our members will be performing in the Awards Show All-Star Band. The KNF Band will also be making an appearance at Tony Petkovsek's 49th annual Polka Party on November 25th at the Marriott in Cleveland.
We have uploaded several photos from our recent shows in Regina, Saskatchewan and East Lansing, Michigan. Please click here to visit the Klancnik and Friends Photo Gallery page to view the images.
On October 15, 2005, my father and I were forced to abandon an outdoor project due to a rainstorm. Since I was already set up to do some banjo tracks, we decided to record several of the songs that he had been playing live with his band. Our plan was to pick a few of them to put on what was supposed to be his final CD (which we were going to start working on after Christmas). As many of you know, Gaylord was lost on
December 19,
2005 in a tragic automobile accident.I
As a tribute to my father, I produced his final project around the 16 accordion tracks he did that day, in addition to some other ones most people had never heard before. There are numerous musicians on this album which include the members of the Klancnik and Friends Band, Joey Miskulin, Adam Bell, Alex Meixner, and several Nashville session players. It is unfortunate that Gaylord never got to hear his final project, because it is easily his finest release. To purchase this CD, please click here.
Brian O'Boyle’s passion for music was sparked by his grandfather Richard, who played the accordion at parties and family functions. As a child, Brian was mesmerized by his grandfather's playing. He would watch him for hours and, using a toy accordion, would mimic his every move. Richard eventually bought Brian a real one, and he started taking lessons when he was seven. A few years later, Brian’s first exposure to Slovenian and German music came when he started button box lessons with Fred Stubert. After only two years, his performing career began by becoming a regular member of Fred’s group, Die Lustige Musikanten.
At the age of 14, Brian O'Boyle began studying with renowned accordionist Henry Doktorski, who taught him the importance of tastefulness and expression in music. It was Doktorski’s instruction that inspired Brian to take the accordion seriously and practice hard, which enabled him to develop and progress as a musician. After searching for another group where he could play the accordion and button box, Brian’s parents convinced him to join Slavjane Folk Ensemble, an eastern European music and dance group for children under the age of nineteen.
As fate would have it, Jack Tady, whose daughter also performed with Slavjane, heard Brian play and became interested in his talent. Jack approached Brian with three pieces of music written by George Staiduhar and asked him to learn them. Brian was immediately attracted to the music, and his love for Cleveland Style polkas began. He started playing with Jack Tady’s band and became friends with Fred Gregorich, Jack’s accordion player at the time. Fred spent a great deal of time with Brian teaching him the true feeling and technique that makes Cleveland Style music unique.
After High School, Brian’s involvement with Slavjane Folk Ensemble led him to audition for the world-renowned Duquesne University Tamburitzans. After being accepted, he performed over 320 shows in four years and played eleven different instruments on stage. Even with his demanding performance schedule, Brian maintained a full course load and made the Dean’s List every semester. While at Duquesne, he earned a bachelor’s degree in Music Technology with a focus on Sound Recording. He also went on to earn a master’s degree in Multimedia. Currently, Brian is an audio engineer for MediaQuest, a live event, staging and production company in Pittsburgh. He also records music in his home studio, Dynamic O Productions.
