The Rose Bowl Tavern hosted its third annual Squeezebox Sunday on Sept. 8. The set list included the Turino Family Band, Los Texano’z, the Occasional Cajun Band and the Papashoy Klezmer Band, with additional music from the Hot Club of Urbana.
Each band included an accordion player, hence the name Squeezebox. The bands explained the tuning and type of accordion they played during their performances.
Rob Sweedler, chair of the Steering Committee for the Champaign-Urbana Folk and Roots Festival, is a local musician and music educator. Throughout the event, he played with the Hot Club of Urbana. Sweedler was one of the minds behind the creation of Squeezebox.
“The previous chair of the festival, Rob Crum, is also an accordionist; I am an accordionist myself, so we had a conversation when we were trying to come up with other events the festival could put on,” Sweedler said. “Once we thought about it, we were like, this could be a thing.”
From the crowd involvement and excitement, it evolved into a beloved event within the local music community.
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“I think part of just being an accordionist in town is I’ve gotten to meet other accordion players, and they often have their own musical background that they’re drawing on and maybe their own groups,” Sweedler said. “That’s how the band lineup came together.”
Each transition felt like seeing something new and exciting. The constantly changing atmosphere of the music seemed to glue eyes to the stage.
Held in the parking lot of the Rose Bowl Tavern, the sunny 70-degree day drew in a crowd. Coupled with the audience’s enthusiasm, the accordion playing became an energizing experience.
“I think Urbana, in general, has a really big and supportive music scene, and in particular, a diverse group of different artistic forms and musical styles,” Sweedler said. “Squeezebox Sunday is just one example of getting downtown Urbana energized about live music and having a showcase of lots of different artistic forms.”
The crowd was vibrant and thriving, reflecting the community around Urbana’s local music scene. Clapping and dancing continued throughout the event as multiple dance circles formed.
Squeezebox Sunday is a fundraiser event for the CU Folk and Roots Festival in October. Between sets, a tipping bucket was passed around for the festival and marketed to the audience.
There will also be a related event on campus at the Krannert Center, which Sweedler suggested may appeal to students.
“If this sort of thing sounds cool, you should check out the 16th annual CU Folk and Roots Festival,” Sweedler said. “I think U of I students might be particularly interested in our events on Oct. 3. We’ll have our kickoff event in the Krannert lobby at 5 p.m.”
Two bands from the Squeezebox event will perform at the 2024 CU Folk and Roots Festival: Los Texano’z and the Occasional Cajun Band.
