The accordion will be featured in a new TV program! Exciting news from Rachel Bass,the Public Relations oordinator of the television network REELZ Channel.

Polka Kings is a REELZ original reality series premiering Saturday, April 11 at 9:30pm ET/ 8:30pm CT and featuring the Chardon Polka Band in their foot-tapping quest to survive each other and bring polka to the masses with a modern twist to the happiest music on earth. The group is always finding themselves in crazy situations ranging from private parties to nursing homes, Ukrainian summer camps to the Duct Tape Festival in Avon, Ohio. Each week Polka Kings follows the dynamic group’s attempts to break through and achieve mainstream status.

“Meet the Polka Kings” on Saturday, April 11 at 9:30pm ET/ 6:30pm PT. In “Meet the Polka Kings” viewers can get to know the band members Jake Kouwe, Pops Magooch, Mike Franklin, Emily Burke and Paul Coates—all who have interesting day jobs and hobbies when not on the road for the band.

This REELZ original series shows the incredible journey the band embarks upon as they try to survive each other and keep their personal and professional lives from derailing their quest for stardom. 



Then, in Polka Kings – “The Collaboration” premiering Saturday, April 18 at 9:30pm ET/ 6:30pm PT lead singer Jake Kouwe decides that he wants to add some spunk to the band’s music, hoping to increase their fan base outside of the traditional polka world. He and Mike team up with a rap group to collaborate and they find the polka/rap fusion experience to be more interesting than they anticipated. Meanwhile, Paul is in denial about his car…it needs to be retired. So Pops and the team try to convince Paul that it’s time to say goodbye.

REELZ\’s new original reality series \”Polka Kings\” shows the incredible journey The Chardon Polka Band embarks upon as they try to survive each other and keep their personal and professional lives from derailing their quest for stardom. The group is always finding themselves in crazy situations ranging from private parties in nursing homes, Ukrainian summer camps to the Duct Tape Festival in Avon, Ohio.

Each week \”Polka Kings\” follows the dynamic group’s attempts to break through and achieve mainstream status and their ultimate goal of headlining their dream event: Oktoberfest in Germany. \”Polka Kings\” is produced by High Noon Entertainment with Jim Berger, Scott Feeley, Patrick Jager and Ross McCall serving as Executive Producers.  

Watch REELZ on Dish Network (channel 299), DirecTV (channel 238), AT&T U-Verse (channel 799) and Verizon Fios (channel 233) and in HD on cable systems nationwide. To find REELZ on your local cable or satellite provider visit reelz.com/watch.

Jake Kouwe, 27, is the charismatic leader, accordion player and vocalist of the band, and also the glue holding the group together over the past decade.

Other members include Paul Coates (tuba), Emily Burke (saxophone), Paul “Pops” Magooch (drums) and Mike Franklin (banjo).

After graduating from Chardon High and trying out the scholastic scene at Lakeland Community College in Kirtland, Kouwe knew his passion was driving him in a different direction and he made the decision to focus on the band full time.

“I thought we could really make a run of it,” he said. “We buckled down and got bigger and better shows. We worked our tails off. If we didn’t have a job, we’d get a job. We’d play for free and at least it got us playing.”

Eventually, polka-inspired folks as well as other music enthusiasts began to notice. They’ve opened for Weird Al Yankovic, are a sought-after entity on the national Oktoberfest circuit and their recording of “Free Beer Polka” was nominated for Best New Original Song in the Cleveland Polka Hall of Fame awards.

For further information: Rbass@reelz.com
Phone: 505-212-8809