Gary and the Serfs
Serf (surf) n, under feudalism; a bondman; vassal, slave 2) Serfs pl. Kick ass accordion fronted surf/instrumental band on the NH/Maine seacoast!
Where I grew up you didn’t play rock on the accordion. It was done in secret. Accordionists were labelled, discriminated against and even expelled from the 1960s Catholic Folk Mass. With Lawrence Welk giving the accordion a tacky stereotype and the Beatles popularity nailing the coffin shut, the accordion nearly became extinct in American culture as if wiped out by some virus from Outer Space. An accordion uprising began at a Polish wedding when a musical marriage was formed when eastern European melodies merged with rockabilly and surf instrumentals of the Portsmouth, NH based Beach Cowboys. Today the Serfs draw upon a large array of Old World musical traditions to boldly go where few believe the accordion belongs!
ETHNIC…… INSTRUMENTAL ROCK….. XTREME POLKA!!!
The Serfs, a popular Portsmouth, NH based band, has been delighting audiences for 20 years with its unique blend of instruments and musical genres. The group was born back in 1989 when accordionist Gary Sredzienski was strolling from table to table playing traditional music at a Polish wedding. Also present at the wedding was the popular Portsmouth, NH surf/rockabilly band once known as the ‘Beach Cowboys’. These 2 musical acts fused and gave birth to a unique group which combined traditional world music with 50s/60s style instrumental rock. One of the earliest objectives of the band was to elevate the much maligned image of the piano accordion. Not dwelling upon one genre of music, the Serfs draw from a wide variety of traditional world music styles and its own compositions to cross boundaries and elevate the accordion’s image to a diverse multicultural vocalist.
The Serfs are on Facebook! Visit, and Like our page!
Listen to the Serfs Cruisin’ the Creek on a youtube playlist!
Stairway to Mozart Polka
2007 Serfs – Ghost Riders
Next pages: CreekMan! or Polka Party!