The Sauerkraut German Band History

The Sauerkraut German Band was organized in September 1973 by seven civilian and military members of the U.S. Air Force Foreign Technology Division at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base organized the Sauerkraut German Band. The band has since expanded to 15 musicians, including retired or active duty military and civilian personnel from Wright-Patterson and other professions. Most of the musicians are members of many Dayton area musical organizations such as the Kettering Civic Band, Letter Carrier's Band, Cincinnati & Dayton Shrine Bands, Sentimentalist Band, Ohio Valley British Brass Band, Swing Era band, Sinclair College Wind Symphony, and the Centreville community band.

Although there is no requirement to be of German descent in order to join the band, their authentic Lederhosen and Tyrolean hats, suspenders, knee socks and bright ties make them appear as if they just arrived from the heart of Bavaria. They play polkas, waltzes, schottisches, marches, and specialty numbers in traditional "oompah" style along with many of the big band sounds of the '40s and '50s for listening and dancing. They are a very versatile band, which also features many vocal and instrumental solos.

The band was originally named the "Sourkrauts" - a play on words, which emphasized the sour sounds of "oompah" music but after 20 years of explaining why they misspelled the name, they gave in and converted to the conventional spelling of Sauerkraut. Unlike many organizations, which are intentionally non-profit, the Sauerkraut Band is a non-profit group on purpose! After paying for music, uniforms, travel, and equipment, all the bands remaining funds are annually donated to charities. Since its inception, the band has donated over $85,000 to various Miami Valley and national charities.

The band plays concerts, dances, festivals, reunions, weddings, benefits and other celebrations. They have performed in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Pennsylvania and for many years have performed the Dayton Art Institute annual Octoberfest, entertaining thousands of Dayton visitors. The Octoberfest season is a big part of the band activity. News about the band spreads far and wide and they were invited to play for the 1997 Octoberfest celebration in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The band's fifth Tape/CD went on sale recently with all profits going to charity.

To arrange a booking or obtain a demo tape contact Dick Ray band manager at 937-669-5051 or send an email to dickray1@woh.rr.com