Many banquets and dances took place within the main assembly hall
of the Lithuanian
Youth Center (what we called "JC's").
The Center—located in Gage
Park—was part of a complex built
in 1957; it housed the residence of Lithuanian Jesuit priests, an art gallery,
a chapel, research archives, and facilities for conducting Lithuanian language
school on Saturdays. The Center also is the place at which I (sometimes)
attended weekly choir
practice.
Each gala featured live dance music, from the simplest, single
accordion player to combos covering American big-band dance standards and rock
music.
Mr. Irene played electric guitar for a Lithuanian dance-music trio
throughout his college years. The other musicians were our contemporaries; their families were part of the Chicago Lithuanian network. One, an
accordionist, was lead singer, and the other, a drummer, sang harmony and
managed the bookings. The trio played waltzes, tangos, and polkas. They also substituted Lithuanian lyrics in pop
tunes. Mr. Irene remembers many quaint translations and
arrangements; "King of the Road," "Besame Mucho," and
"Spanish Eyes" were popular numbers. A lively rendition of
"Mack the Knife" or "Proud Mary," sung in English, usually
closed out a night's performance.
For New Year's Eve 1978, the accordionist's parents contracted the group to perform for an annual gathering of Chicago snowbirds near Juno Beach, Florida. Mr. Irene packed up the drummer's van and departed for the 22-hour drive on a snowy December morning, just before Christmas Eve.
Juno Beach, Florida, December 31, 1978. Mr. Irene accompanies his band mates on guitar as the revelers prepare to take the dance floor.
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