Karl and the Country Dutchmen (Library of Congress Homegrown Concert)

Karl and the Country Dutchmen, from Trempealeau, Wisconsin, are one of the country's finest German "Dutchman"polka bands. Led by Karl Hartwich, on accordion and concertina, the band, with its thumping tuba marking the beat, plays to packed dance halls throughout the Midwest. Karl has also played at the National Folk Festival in Lowell, Massachusetts, the Festival of American Folklife in Washington, DC, and on Garrison Keillor's "Prairie Home Companion."

Wisconsin folklorist Richard March will be on hand to talk about Karl.