Skip to content
  • Subscribe
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • Email
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment
  • Features
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
Suburban Chicagoland

Suburban Chicagoland

Original News, Features & Opinion on local and regional news you won't find anywhere else

  • About
    • About
    • Advertise
    • Our Writers
      • Ray Hanania
      • Bill Lipinski
      • Biography: Aaron Hanania
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Policy
    • Reach Out
  • Sections
    • Events
    • Opinion
    • News
    • Features
    • Seniors
    • Comic Strip
  • Library
    • “MIdnight Flight” Online Book
      • Midnight Flight Book Overview
      • Midnight Flight Introduction
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 1
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 2
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 3
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 4
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 5
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 6
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 7
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 8
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 9
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 10
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 11
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 12
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 13
    • Villages, Cities & Towns
    • Federal Office Holders
    • County Officials
    • Legislators
  • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
  • Comment
  • Podcast
    • Ray Hanania on Politics
    • Two Guys on Politics
    • Hanania on Tiktok
  • News Wire
  • Archive 2004-2013
  • Toggle search form
  • Father and two daughters Jeffery M Leving
    Father’s Fight to Protect his Abused and Badly Beaten Daughters Dads' Rights
  • Illinois Senator Michael Hastings addressing the Orland Township Democratic Organization Wednesday Oct. 12, 2022
    Hastings announces $75,000 grant for Olympia Fields Bicentennial Park renovations Illinois Legislature
  • Alleged Member of Chicago Street Gang Charged With Soliciting the Murder of Senior Law Enforcement Official Involved in “Operation Midway Blitz” Crime
  • IIEC Logo
    The Energy Omnibus Bill will increase rates over the rest of this decade as Illinois families and businesses toil under higher utility costs Business
  • Thaddeus Kosciuszko, Polish hero of the American Revolution. After arriving in America in 1776, Kosciuszko joined the Continental Army. As a skilled engineer, he made significant contributions to the war by designing fortifications for several strategic places such as Philadelphia, West Point, and Saratoga. Kosciuszko later returned to Poland to lead his native military in a 1794 uprising. In Detroit, Courtesy of WIkipedia
    Cook County Treasurer Pappas showcases Polish photographer’s first-ever American exhibit and honors Polish American Heritage Month in Chicago Cook County
  • On Saturday, October 4th, Cook County Commissioner Frank J. Aguilar hosted the Fifth Annual 16th District Dia de los Muertos Resource Fair at his district office. Partnering with Commissioner Aguilar were the Village of Lyons, Lyons School District 103, Teamsters Local 777, and Rincon Family Services.
    Commissioner Frank J. Aguilar Hosts Fifth Annual Dia de los Muertos Family Resource Fair  Cook County
  • Jesse Jackson Jr July 2025
    Jesse Jackson Jr. Launches Candidacy for Congress Civil Rights
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Papas
    Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas to Celebrate Diwali by Recognizing Indian Community Leaders Cook County
  • Andrew Boutros US Attorney Illinois
    Statement of US Attorney Andrew S. Boutros and Federal Law Enforcement Leadership in Chicago on Ongoing Criminal Immigration Enforcement Operations Chicago
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Papas
    The 5 Most Common Mistakes Homeowners Make with Property Taxes Cook County
  • Road construction cement truck. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
    Hastings: $123 million in IDOT projects will improve South Suburban roads through collaboration with local leaders construction
  • Source: Electric Power Monthly - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
    Ratepayers will lose in the rush to approve battery storage electricity legislation in Springfield Business
  • Joyful reunion photo courtesy of Jeffery M. Leving & Assc law firm
    Leving Team Prevented a Father’s Wrongful Separation from His Child Dads' Rights
  • CTF Illinois Orland Park, 18230 Orland Pkwy, Orland Park, IL 60467
    Hastings, Giannoulias announce opening of temporary driver services facility in Orland Park Baby Boomers
  • Emagine Theater Pink popcorn
    Popcorn with a purpose: Emagine Theatres brings back Pink Caramel Corn to support Pink Fund during Breast Cancer Awareness Month Business

The sounds of silence

Posted on June 7, 2020June 8, 2020 By Steve Metsch No Comments on The sounds of silence
SHARE THIS STORY
            
 
  

The sounds of silence

Pandemic sidelines countless musicians this year

By Steve Metsch

One of the biggest casualties of the coronavirus pandemic and sheltering at home has been entertainment.

We can’t go to the movies. The White Sox, Cubs, Fire and youth sports are idle.

And we can’t hear live music because large crowds are frowned upon as they could increase transmission of the virus.

With that in mind, we talked with three local musicians who after spending years entertaining us now are silenced.

Eddie Korosa, Jr.

The local king of polka music, Eddie Korosa, Jr., is not accustomed to being idle. He first performed in 1965, playing drums at age 7 for his father’s polka band.

“This is the first three months of my life (since then) that I haven’t performed,” he said.

Korosa has red X’s on a calendar for canceled gigs: 19 in March, 17 in April and 21 in May. His last show with his band, The Boys and Girl from Illinois, was on March 14 at a German restaurant in Glendale Heights.

“Isn’t that crazy?” Korosa, 62, said. “We were supposed to play in Nashville in March.”

“I do miss the crowds,” he said. “I do miss the smiling faces, because that’s what we do.”

Korosa thinks July will mark the return of live music in some form.

 

Eddie Korosa, Jr., is hoping live music returns in July when he has a show booked in Stickney. Supplied photo.

 

Financially, he’s doing okay, but he feels for other musicians.

“I had a real job back in the day, 39 years working for Cook County,” he added with a laugh. Now, it’s all music after his 2016 retirement.

Fans can get their polka fix on his web site or on YouTube.

“Every once in a while, I’ll post a song,” Korosa said. “Have you heard ‘My Pajamas Polka’? … I recorded it in my pajamas playing my accordion.” It was featured on CBS Chicago, he said.

You can watch and hear the song if you visit www.eddiekorosajr.com. He’s in his pajamas, and wears Homer Simpson slippers as he sings “hope you’re doing fine, so pour yourself some wine, stay safe and I’ll talk to you later.”

Fans have told him they “want a pajamas polka party when this is over.” He has a date to perform outdoors on July 15 in Stickney and said, “That may be my pajamas party.”

In April, he was asked by Tom Latourette to recorded backing music for his parody song “The Pandemic Polka.”

You can find it on YouTube, with Korosa wearing a face mask while he plays “The Pennsylvania Polka” on his accordion.

That’s the song often heard in the movie “Groundhog Day” in which Bill Murray lives the same day over and over and over. You know, kind of like are now.

Asked if the lockdown may result in his recording a new album, Korosa said, “you know, that might be a good idea.”

Korosa’s offers this advice to musicians and fans: “No one ever thought this would happen … We just have to ride the storm out.”

 

American English

 James Paul Lynch has spent the past eight years playing the role of George Harrison in American English, the popular Beatles tribute band.

American English plays 120 to 140 shows a year, with most from May through September.

And, now, Lynch, the primary bread winner in his family, has the summer off until further notice.

“We’re making the best of it, trying to do the best we can to stay fresh,” Lynch said. “it’s been nice being with my family … On a professional level, not well … We’re wondering how we’re going to pay our bills.”

Summer festivals, he noted, “are what a lot of people do for enjoyment.” And now they’re being canceled left and right.

“Certainly, The Beatles music is popular,” Lynch said. “What we do is very specific. People are used to seeing us a few times each summer. When they can’t, everybody suffers.”

American English has not performed music at home – as many performers have – to post on social media.

“We’re all quarantined, we’re not rehearsing,” Lynch said. “What do we do? Our own thing?”

“We’re waiting until we can do a really good, professional livestream on a stage with lights and good sound so people see what they’re used to,” Lynch said. “Nobody wants to see me in my socks doing ‘Here Comes the Sun’.”

 

Will we see local favorites, like American English seen here in Countryside in 2018, at free music series this summer? Several local communities are hoping for the best. Photo by Steve Metsch.

James Paul Lynch plays George Harrison (right) in American English. He and countless other musicians are concerned that the pandemic may keep them sidelined until 2021. Photo by Steve Metsch 

 

Lynch wonders how concerts will be possible with the CDC recommending we stay six feet apart for social distancing.

“I think it will eventually return to some type of normalcy, but it will take a while,” Lynch said. “I don’t think until next year we’ll see the beginnings of that. Let’s pray for that.”

The band lined up a gig performing at the Belfry Music Theatre in Delevan, Wis., this weekend. At least one will be live streamed. Visit www.belfrymusictheatre.com for more information.

 

Maggie Speaks

If you’ve seen Maggie Speaks, you’ve seen lead singer Dave Calzaretta. But it doesn’t look like we’ll be seeing him, Maggie Speaks or any of the other five bands he represents for possibly a year, he said.

“My family and I are healthy,” he said, “but from a business standpoint it’s completely devastating to the live performance and event industry.”

“We’ve seen our income go down to zero because all of our revenue is based on live performance and we’re simply not allowed to do that,” Calzaretta said.

Calzaretta fears the live music industry “will be one of the last ones to be set up once everything thing opens up.”

“All the festivals are going to be wiped out this summer. You’re looking at 2021 in May. Almost all the weddings are getting rescheduled for the spring of 2021,” Calzaretta said. “On the corporate side, I don’t see it opening up until July of 2021.”

Maggie Speaks has played in 13 countries and 33 states for corporate and private events.

“As a company, we went from playing 400 to 500 shows a year to nothing since March 7. We’ll do nothing of any significance this year is my prediction.”

 

Maggie Speaks

There are six bands in the Maggie Speaks universe. Calzaretta books shows for Maggie Speaks, Spoken Four, Final Say, Shout Out, Enough Said and Talk of the Town.

“I have 30 to 50 musicians who work for me. In the good times, some of these people live check to check, so it’s devastating to them …. Something like this is really hard. A lot of the government relief … Our industry tends to fall through the cracks because it’s a lot of independent contractors.

“We bring joy to people … that’s what our job is, to bring happiness and joy to people. And at a time when they need it most, we’re silenced for the most part,” Calzaretta said.

Maggie Speaks has posted a cover of Bill Withers’ “Lovely Day” during the sheltering at home. Here is a link: https://www.facebook.com/maggie.speaks/videos/537042496983845/

“There are some creative things we’re trying to do in that regard, but it’s hard,” Calzaretta added.

“We will emerge from this,” he added, “but there will be things that happen during this time that will effect life and business moving forward.”

In the meantime, Calzaretta has recorded a special COVID-19 cover of “We Are The World” in which he sings all the lyrics by various artists. You can find it at  
https://www.facebook.com/davecalzaretta/videos/10221359505833227/

“My family thought I was insane,” he wrote on the Facebook post, adding, “Don’t take yourself too seriously during Shelter-In-Place and don’t forget to laugh.”

Desplaines Valley News

newswire info
  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Steve Metsch
Steve Metsch
Steve Metsch is an award winning veteran reporter who previously worked for the Daily Southtown Newspapers, Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times. Metsch is a writer and editor at the Southwest News Newspaper group based in suburban Chicago, and a freelance writer a health magazine, the Suburban Life, the Naperville Sun, and other organizations.
Email Steve Metsch at [email protected]
Steve Metsch
Latest posts by Steve Metsch (see all)
  • Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band are still rockin’ - August 10, 2023
  • Weathering personal storms - July 20, 2023
  • Countryside solution irks some - July 20, 2023
NPV: 27
  • Tweet

SHARE THIS STORY
            
 
  
 
 
 
           
News, Suburban Chicagoland Tags:American English, Coronavirus, Eddie Korosa, Maggie Speaks

Post navigation

Previous Post: Restaurant owner says thanks
Next Post: All Hands on Deck

Related Posts

  • Seniors in Nursing homes. Photo by Georg Arthur Pflueger on Unsplash
    Orland Park Police to Host Annual Seniors Luncheon Baby Boomers
  • Judge Anna Demacopoulos
    Four Cook County Judges you should watch out for Blogger
  • Chicago Wolves Food Drive
    Chicago Wolves host food drive Saturday April 24 Chicago
  • Buying a new car is so traumatic Editors Pick
  • Former Congresswoman Marie Newman endorses Nick Uniejewski for the 6th District Illinois State Senate race against alleged Islamophobe and anti-Arab hater Sara Feigenholtz
    Nick Uniejewski challenges anti-Arab Illinois State Senator Sarah Feigenholtz Culture
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas
    Illinois expands property tax breaks for veterans to include World War II vets Blogger

More Related Articles

Birthday girl has the blues News
Examples of e-cigarettes and vapes that parents should be aware of. Photo courtesy of Sandburg High school in Orland Park Sandburg HS cracking down on e-Cigarettes and vapes Blogger
Fathers Rights Attorney Jeffery M. Leving Order of protection keeps mother’s reported abusive boyfriend away from dad’s children Chicago
Music Guild, Quad Cities Theaters Summer Theatre in the Quad Cities Entertainment
Senator Dick Durbin endorses Yasmeen Bankole U.S. Senator Dick Durbin endorses Yasmeen Bankole for Congress elections
Store destroyed by looters and arsonists who participated in the Black Lives Matter protests in Chicago at the end of May 2020. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has abandoned victims of looting along with the members of the Chicago Police Department. Photo courtesy Ray Hanania The hatred and reverse racism of the protests Blogger

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Login with your Social ID
  • OPINION
  • 06-04-25 Two Guys on Politics Background Zoom LOGO with images
    Video Podcast: Trump Kimmel Kirk Great American Divide Illegal Aliens polling and Illegal Aliens and ICE
    September 20, 2025
  • Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch speaking at a West Side affordable housing dedication
    Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, one of the best candidates to become Illinois Governor
    September 7, 2025
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Papas
    What You’re Missing on Your Property Tax Bill
    September 5, 2025
  • 05-23-25 Jeffery M. Leving
    Children of divorce caught in the middle during the holidays
    August 27, 2025
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Papas
    We Can Help You Understand Your Property Taxes—In Nearly Any Language
    August 8, 2025
Subscribe to Ray Hanania's column graphic

Enter Your Email to Subscribe to Ray Hanania’s Columns

  • The-Kings-Pawn-Book-300-x-300.png

Mohammed Faheem The Lightning Strike Radio

  • NEWS
  • Father and two daughters Jeffery M Leving
    Father’s Fight to Protect his Abused and Badly Beaten Daughters
    October 9, 2025
  • Illinois Senator Michael Hastings addressing the Orland Township Democratic Organization Wednesday Oct. 12, 2022
    Hastings announces $75,000 grant for Olympia Fields Bicentennial Park renovations
    October 8, 2025
  • Alleged Member of Chicago Street Gang Charged With Soliciting the Murder of Senior Law Enforcement Official Involved in “Operation Midway Blitz”
    October 8, 2025
  • IIEC Logo
    The Energy Omnibus Bill will increase rates over the rest of this decade as Illinois families and businesses toil under higher utility costs
    October 8, 2025
  • Thaddeus Kosciuszko, Polish hero of the American Revolution. After arriving in America in 1776, Kosciuszko joined the Continental Army. As a skilled engineer, he made significant contributions to the war by designing fortifications for several strategic places such as Philadelphia, West Point, and Saratoga. Kosciuszko later returned to Poland to lead his native military in a 1794 uprising. In Detroit, Courtesy of WIkipedia
    Cook County Treasurer Pappas showcases Polish photographer’s first-ever American exhibit and honors Polish American Heritage Month in Chicago
    October 8, 2025
John Kass Columns

Order the book PoweR PR; Ethnic Activists Guide to Strategic Communications

YOUTUBE VIDEOS

CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE TO RAY HANANIA'S YOUTUBE VIDEOS


Click here to view the video on YouTube or use the widget below.

Follow Ray Hanania at
Twitter
Facebook
TitkTok
BlueSky
RayHanania Columns

Creative Commons License
All works on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Do not edit original work. Give credit to the original source.

Categories

Copyright © 2022 Suburban Chicagoland & Urban Strategies Group

Powered by PressBook Premium theme