Thank you Andrea Ney

I want to sincerely thank Andrea Ney. She is the fanclub leader of the Axel Becker fanclub "Amore Amore" in Germany. She was kind enough to publish my Axel Becker Cleveland performance report on her fanclub website and all the pictures. She published it in "English" just the way I wrote it, but she also translated the whole piece into German. She did a fantastic job. Andrea, thank you so much!!!

Take a look at her website. She is a very talented writer and has a lot of pictures at her site if your German is a little rusty. She features concert reports that are very detailed and interesting to read. Stay in touch with what this popular German entertainer is doing. Axel received standing ovations everywhere he

appeared in the US and Canada. If you have the opportunity to see this singer, don't miss it.

On December 26, Axel Becker was back in

Germany and performing in Bad Fussing for a Christmas concert. Andrea was there and took pictures that are great which include the Chicago favorite, Romy, and here is also a link to her concert report. CLICK. If you go to my Links page, I have added Andrea's link under the heading "Friends of the Stimmung Stunde" ... check it out.

Frohe Weihnachten from Oberallgaeu Musikanten

I received an e-mail from Michl of the Oberallgaeu Musikanten. This band joined forces with the Widderstein Buaba this summer when they appeared at German Fest.

Michl was very happy to report that they will again be at the 2010 German Fest in Milwaukee. I am sure all their fans will be happy to welcome them back. They have been at German Fest twice and their next appearance will make it three.

Michl would like to send wishes to Milwaukee for a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year.

Christmas Show in Cleveland was a hit

On Friday we traveled for 7 hours to see this fabulous German Christmas show. Gisela Lewis of New Jersey organizes a German Christmas tour every year. The closest it came to Milwaukee was Cleveland. So I made my reservations months ago and finally the day came to travel to Cleveland. It was held at the Donauschwaben house in Cleveland and it was nice to see some old friends again. There were about 350 people in attendance. If you look at my other post on this website you can see a complete list of where they will and have appeared. I am so happy we were able to attend this show. It was one of the best I have every seen.

The headliner was Axel Becker, who is a big star in Germany. It is amazing that Gisela was able to land a big name like Axel, but even more amazing was his voice. Axel Becker has the most beautiful voice I have ever heard and is also quite the showman. He had the crowd in the palm of his hand and at the end of each set, he received a standing Ovation. Although, Axel was clearly the star, he was gracious to his fellow performers and brought them up on stage to share the thunderous applause.

The beautiful Styrina was also on the bill. Many people in Milwaukee remember this charming young girl from Austria with her long flowing blonde hair. This little "firecracker" really brought energy and excitement to the floor. She had traditional songs in her first set and changed into a glittery red dress for the 2nd half that made her shine like a red diamond. Styrina told me later she really enjoyed her time in Milwaukee and would love to return again.

Filling out the program was a band from Austria, Kristall. They had only 3 members of their band with them. We saw them in May in Austria when we were on the bus tour with Gisela Lewis. They were a lot of fun and some very talented musicians. The trumpeter, Werner George, was very talented and even sang a few songs.

This was clearly a top notch Christmas Show. Now I really feel in the festive mood. If you still have an opportunity to see this show while they are still in the states, please do not miss it. I have a slideshow below with pictures I took that evening. If you would like one of the pictures, just click on view all images and it will take you to the slide website. Click gallery view, then find the photo you want and right click to download. It's free.

Claudia & Alexx are headliners at 2009 Christmas Show in Milwaukee

On December 4th, Robert Deglau, host of the Continental Showcase German radio show, sponsored the 2009 German Christmas Show coordinated by Chicago radio host, Armin Homann. This year the headliners were Claudia & Alexx. They are 2 young and energetic entertainers that are often compared to Marianne & Michael. Perhaps because Claudia is from Niederbeyern & Alexx is from the Steiermark in Austria. Claudia has the more dominant voice and what a voice it is. She is a very talented singer and always has a quick smile for the camera. Alexx's voice blends beautifully with Claudia and was more the moderator of the two.

This was their first visit to the US and they were busy with performances as soon as they landed. Armin Homann had them lined up at many locations to sold out crowds. Although Claudia & Alexx are young and relative newcomers to the

Volksmusik scene, they have had several successful attempts at the Grand Prix der Volksmusik. In 2006 they placed 3rd at the finale with their song, Siebsehn Sommer and last year they were again in the finale with Mama Danke. I found them both very charming and really enjoyed the evening.

Also performing that night was Chris Holzer. I was not familiar with this singer, however, was pleasantly surprised at the quality of his voice. He has a strong voice

and it was very evident when he sang Ava Maria. He chose a nice group of familiar songs and encouraged people to sing along. As usual the first half of the show featured the songs that the performers are best known for and the second half was strickly Christmas music. Often people joined right in and got us all ready for the holidays ahead. As is tradition the last song was everyone's favorite, Silent Night.

After the show, the duo, M & M, played some great dance music for the people who had enough of sitting in one spot so long and welcomed the chance to dance the rest of the evening. The Bavarian Inn was a great place to hold this event and hope Robert will be able to host other German artists there in the future. If we want to continue to bring talent from Germany to Milwaukee to entertain us, we need to attend these events when they are available. It is really nice to see these entertainers up close and live. I encourage you to attend the next time there is a show in town and show support to Robert who works hard to get these artists to Milwaukee.

Christkindl Market in Chicago

Date & Time
November 25 - December 24, 2008

Ticket Info

Admission is Free

Hours -- Sundays - Thursdays: 11 am - 8 pm

Fridays & Saturdays: 11 am - 9 pm

Description
The 14th Annual Christkindlmarket in Chicago starts the day before Thanksgiving Day, November 25, through Christmas Eve, December 24. For more details go to their website: http://www.christkindlmarket.com/ or call their information line: 312-494-2175.

There will be 42 vendors this year from both the US and direct from Germany. There will be beautiful linens, Christmas ornaments, wood carvings, and lots of good things to eat. Here are just a few of the vendors that will be there: Bethlehem Nativity Products, Frank's Bavarian Gift Shop, Bayrische Glasstrasse, Black Forest Cuckoo Clocks, Lenk & Sohn, Der Lindwurm, and, of course, Kathe Wohlfahrt. I cannot wait for the hot Gluhwein that they serve there.

Also, a group from Milwaukee will be entertaining the crowd on December 19. Again, for a complete list, please visit their website.

Location

Daley Plaza (across from what used to be Marshall Fields) - Washington, Clark & Dearborn Streets

Click on the map to the left to get a closer look.

New Website for Maria Olliges

Those of you that are past listeners of the Stimmung Stunde remember that Maria Olliges was our Talent Coordinator in Germany who arranged all those fabulous interviews with German singing stars. For the past few years she has organized several music concerts and now she has her own webpage, Schlagertreff.

Although they all take place in Germany, you may be interested in the photos she has posted of the stars such as Vincent & Fernando, Marc Pircher and Armin Stoeckl, who was here in Milwaukee in 2008 for a Christmas tour.

Also, if you plan to go to Germany next year in September, check out where her next concert will be playing. You will not be disappointed.

Fabulous Christmas Show coming to Milwaukee

Robert Deglau of the Continental Showcase radio show has put together a fabulous Christmas Show. Robert enjoys bringing German entertainers here to Milwaukee and hopes all the listeners of his radio show will be there.


It will feature the well-known duo, Claudia & Alexx. These rising young stars have already had several accomplishments in their short carreer. In 2006, they competed (representing Germany) in the Grand Prix der Volksmusik, singing Siebzehn Sommer.

If you click on the link below, you can see/hear it for yourself on YouTube.


In 2008 they won the prestigious Herbert Roth Preis and went on to make numerous appearances on television & various tours. This year, they again competed in the Grand Prix der Volksmusik with the song, Mama danke. If you would like to see/hear their performance, go to the Continental Showcase webpage; Robert has a YouTube link at his website.

Claudia & Alexx are very popular in Germany and it is really great that we will be able to see them LIVE here in Milwaukee. Please remember that if you want to continue to get German entertainment to Milwaukee, you can show your support by comming to this event. Click on the link to Claudia & Alexx's homepage and sign their Guestbook. Let them know you are looking forward to seeing them here in Milwaukee.

Also, Chris Holzer, will be enteretaining you that night. Singing old favorite German Christmas songs and some of his popular recordings like, Wenn du ein Engel bist. The M & M Musikanten will again be playing for your dancing pleasure after the show (just like they did last year).

This is a great opportunity to talk to some German singing stars right here in our city. You do not have to travel to Germany to see some fabulous entertainers. I hope to see you all there.

Date: December 4, 2009 (Friday)

Time: 6:30 pm

Tickets: $18.00 - call Peter Saemann,
.262-252-3431

Bavarian Inn & Heidelberg Park (Map)
700 W. Lexington Blvd, Glendale, WI 53127

If you want to continue to have German entertainment here in Milwaukee, be sure to come and support this evening.

20th Anniversary - Fall of the Berlin Wall

It has been 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall. This was a historical event, but it meant so much more to the German-American community. Here are some links to some related stories:

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,3982751,00.html

http://www.berlin-wall.com/

http://www.sefermpost.com/sefermpost/2009/11/berlin-wall-merkel-germans-celebrate-20th-anniversary.html

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28677157/

http://gogermany.about.com/od/historyandculture/tp/berlin_wall_fall.htm

Weihnachts Show tour presented by Gisela Lewis

Gisela Lewis is again presenting a fabulous Weihnachts Show tour in the USA and Canada. It starts on November 27 and continues through December 19. Gisela has brought entertainers from Germany for many years and this year's show looks like it will again be a stand out. Check out the list below to see if there is a show near you. It is bound to be an evening to remember.

The stars for this year's tour are: Axel Becker, Styrina, and the Kristall band.

We saw Axel Becker perform live in Germany back in 2006. He puts on a great show and is often on Volksmusik TV shows in Germany. He has many hits through the years and he is looking forward to his first trip to the US. When I listen to his voice the word "velvet" pops up in my head. Take a look/listen yourself and click on this link to YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBCK5qMzXa4

Styrina was at this year's German Fest in Milwaukee and this beautiful girl with her long flowing blond hair aquired many new fans here in Milwaukee. I ofen hear people describe her performance as a little firecracker. Take a look at this YouTube link to see Styrina in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qAHHuNmDTY. We also saw Styrina in Austria when we went with Gisela Lewis and Peter Matthai (leader of the Sandler band) on the Bus Tour they organized in May this year. By the way, they have another tour planned for May 2010 and I will be bringing details of that trip soon. On that same Bus Tour, we saw the band Kristall perform and you will not be disappointed with this talented band. Here is a link to YouTube to see Kristall perform: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCjzT3_CzlI. They made great music and their humorous antics will have you laughing out loud.

Click on the poster to the right to enlarge the image. It gives details of this fabulous tour coming to the US.

Nov 27 - Deutscher Club of Clark, call 908-756-1783

Nov 28 - Delaware Saengerbund, Newark, DE, call 302-366-4710

Nov 29 - Franklin Square, NY, call 516-333-4710

Dec 1 - German-American Soc of Trenton, Yardville, NJ, call 609-585-5593

Dec 2 - Evergreen Country Club, Reading, call 610-944-7501 & 484-797-3528

Dec 3 - Germania Park, Dover NJ, call 732-557-0670

Dec 4 - Cannstatter Volksfest Verein, Philadelphia, PA, call 215-332-0121

Dec 5 - Schulverein Walpole, Boston, MA, call 508-586-0982 & 781-320-9940

Dec 6 - Schutzenpark, North Bergen, NJ, call 917-680-3942 & 718-821-7337

Dec 8 - Carpathia Club, Sterling Heights, Michigan, call 586-781-6734 or 586-822-2366

Dec 9 - Deutscher Sportverein, Ft. Wayne, IN, call 660-338-1234 & 260-248-2282

Dec 10 - Donauschwaben Society of Cincinnati, OH, call 513-451-6452

Dec 11 - German-American Culture Center Olmsted Falls, Cleveland, OH, call 440-235-2647

Dec 12 - German Family Society of Akron, Ohio, call 330-923-7947 or 330-336-7127

Dec 13 - Schwabenverein, Toledo/Oregon, OH, call 419-536-9942 or 419-691-4116

Dec 14 - Club Lorelei, Hamburg, NY, call 716-875-1064 or 716-633-1044

Dec 15 - Club Rhein-Danube, Leamington, ON, Canada, call 519-326-3740 & 519-326-1779

Dec 16 - Concordia Club Kitchener, ON, Canada, call 519-745-5617

Dec 17 - Association of Danube Swabians, Scarborough Toronto, ON Canada, call 416-290-6186 or 416-282-4021

Dec 19 - Blobs Park, Baltimore, MD, call 410-799-7130

Spielmannszug - Crowning

Date & Time
November 7, 2009 - Time: Doors open at 6 pm, Crowning festivities begin at 7 pm

Ticket Info
Ticket Cost: $12 in advance and $15 at the door
Call: 414-476-2806
Be sure to call for advance tickets and save $3.00. This is a popular event so get your tickets soon.

Description

Who will be the next royal couple presiding over the 2009 – 2010 Karnival season. Come to this annual event and join in the fun.

Music : Johnny Hoffmann & his Herzbuben

For more info, go to the Milwaukee Spielmannszug website. http://www.spielmannszug.org/

Location
Mt. Mary College (Map)
2900 N Menomonee River Parkway, Milwaukee, WI 53222-4597

Breast Cancer Awareness fundraiser at Boxhorn Gun Club

Today was a big fundraiser with a big "shoot" at the Boxhorn Gun Club in Muskego. They kicked off Breast Cancer Awareness month with a competitive shoot at the club. They raised money for this great cause, and had fabulous prizes as well. They raised more that $10,000 and want to thank everyone that particiated today. Just click here to see the details.

The Boxhorn Gun Club is located in Muskego at
S90 W13960 Boxhorn Drive, Muskego, Wisconsin 53150

Although the fundraiser is over, you may want to get more info about trap shooting at Boshrn so just call Rick at 414-425-0337 and tell him you want to sign up.

If you need more info, you can also send him an e-mail at: Rick@Boxhorngunclub.com

My husband, Elmar, shoots trap at this Gun Club, but Breast Cancer Awareness holds a new meaning in our family since Hans & Mary Buchert's daughter, Katie, battled Breast Cancer. At last report, Katie is doing better and we certainly hope that she has conquered this awful disease by making a full recovery. She has been spending time this month as a spokesperson and you may have heard her on the radio.

Uwe Erhardt & Angela Wiedl

The German-American community in Milwaukee was very happy in 2005 when the Schaefers made an appearance at Milwaukee's German Fest's 25th anniversary. Also, the Schaefers were the star performers on Ted Hierl's cruise in 2007, that some of you may have been on.

Last week on September 19 the Musikantenstadl spoke the Uwe Erhardt, the leader of the Schaefers, regarding his new romance. Uwe and Angela Wiedl are now a couple and if you click on the video below you can see the duet they performed together for the first time. Angela's hit, Herzklopfen.

Bavarian Inn Oktoberfest - September 25, 26, & 27

It's the last week of Oktoberfest at Bavarian Inn. It runs Friday, Saturday & Sunday and still serving fabulous food like: Chicken, Spanferkel, Bratwurst, Rollbraten & homemade desserts.

Friday: 5 pm - 12 Midnight
Satuday: 4 pm - 12 Midnight
Sunday: 12 Noon - 7 pm

Here's the entertainment line up this weekend.

Friday, September 25 – 6:30 pm, Austrian Express
Saturday, September 26 – 4:00 pm, Alte Kameraden &, 8:30 pm, Johnny Hoffmann
Sunday, September 27 - 12 noon, Familienmusi Mueller - Hacker & 2:00 pm, Music Venders

Location
Bavarian Inn & Heidelberg Park (Map)
700 W. Lexington Blvd, Glendale, WI 53127