Afternoon Traditional Dance
Dance instruction before the Thursday dance 2:30-3:30 PM (FREE)
Thursday: Pasi Cats
Saturday: Kriss Larson & the Gammaldans Band
Kriss Larson and the Gammaldans Band
Kriss Larson and the Gammaldans have been playing Scandinavian dance music in many countries since 1985, and playing for the Katirilli Finnish Folk Dancers of Southern California since 1987. Kriss has been to Finland three times with Katirilli, and one time with the Scandia dancers and has performed with Katirilli at the past four Finnfests.
Band members currently include: Mary Ann Sereth on bass or fiddle, Jim Garner on fiddle or mandolin, Aimee Aul on flute and Kriss on accordion.
PasiCats
“Arguably the 3rd best Finnish dance band in the whole Copper Country,” PasiCats, was formed in early 2006 in the music town called South (or Strange) Range of the Upper Peninsula, Michigan. The formation of the band was a response to the numerous requests by the local Finns or “Finn-minded” people regarding today’s dance hall music in Finland. The original conspirators, Pasi and Raimo, took advantage of the regular blizzard conditions to start the creative chaos that was destined to become one of the most “omituinen” bands of the Copper Country. They were later joined by Kullervo, Paris, and Kerkko for the first PasiCats performance at the legendary South Range Community Hall in late March, 2006. By this time, Musti had also taken over as the creative and artistic leader of the band. After the first performance, the band was joined by the UP Finn-music master Oren (Tikka-Ori) Tikkanen, completing the current lineup.
Since the first performance, PasiCats have been performing in the indoor and outdoor dances, concerts and festivals throughout the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and Mid-West. In addition to dances, some of the most memorable performances to date have been a visit to Soumi Katsuu TV program, rocking the house at the Aura Jamboree in 2007-2009, playing at Finnfests 2008 in Ohio and Duluth, Minnesota, FinnFallBall concert with a legendary Finnish musician, Lannen-Jukka at Runeberg Hall in Dollar Bay and playing for World Folk Music Festival in Calumet Theater. In addition, Musti has found himself a partner, Valki, which makes him one happy cat.
PasiCats play a wide variety of dance music, ranging from waltzes and jenkkas to polkas, tangos, reggaes and even rock’n roll. In addition to the original tunes that come with a mystic combination of Finnish and English lyrics, PasiCats mixes original songs written by Pasi with songs written in early 1900s (such as Tuohinen Sormus) and the current dance hall music from Finland, performed by bands such as Yolintu. While maintaining the original soul of the songs, PasiCats brings their own twist to the music, whether it is new English lyrics, Raimo’s exceptional Finnish vocals, Paris’s guitar solo played behind the head or MC Tikka-Ori’s rap in the South Range Polka. Everyone from toddlers to senior citizens is welcome to the concerts and the more people twist on the dance floor, the better.
