Copper Box

Artist Information

Biography

There's a thread connecting the gutsy party sounds of the upper Midwest, the music of the legendary Esteban Jordan (the Jimi Hendrix of the Tejano accordion) and Doug Sahm, the zydeco power of Clifton Chenier, the new Latin waves of Los Lobos, the grooves of New Orleans, and a dash of pop rock. Copper Box, from Oshkosh, WI, finds that thread and puts it together in a genre-bending celebration that channels the rowdy communal feel of a small-town party with a big sound.

Danny Jerabek (front man of Copper Box on accordion/vocals/keys/cornet/etc.) received his first 3-row button accordion, from his grandfather when he was 9 years of age. He was asked to learn a few Czech and German songs for his family and was later inspired by Don Cialkoszewski and the accordion legend, Steve "Esteban" Jordan. Danny is one of the few that can tastefully put the accordion into a diverse range of music from jazz to rock and everything in between. Many people have said, “I don’t care for the accordion, but I like how he plays it.”

Danny, along with his wife, Michelle Jerabek (vocals/saxophone/guitar/washboard) both grew up in musical families that performed traditional German and Czech music professionally at a young age. After their marriage in the late 90s, they began experimenting with other genres that inspired them to take their music and the accordion to another level. Danny Jerabek taught himself how to play the accordion at a virtuoso level not only in polka and Tex Mex, but also in jazz, rock, Zydeco, pop and world music, not to mention his ‘on stage’ ability to conduct electricity into the audience! With his right hand woman on his side to add to vocals, saxophones, guitar, flute and washboard, the result is a stage show that's a barrel of fun to watch and listen to!

Copper Box has received multiple WAMI (Wisconsin Area Music Industry) nominations, and in 2009 won Americana Band of the Year and the People’s Choice awards. In 2007, a video clip of Copper Box was selected for a nationally-aired American Band commercial from the producers of American Idol. The band was also selected to participate in the American Traditions Program at the Southern Arts Conference in Atlanta, GA and Louisville, KY. Sony used Copper Box’s first music video at NAB (National Association for Broadcasting) in 2005. Other awards include Horizon Artist of the Year, Artist of the Year, and Michelle was the first female to receive the award for Side Person of the Year from the WPHF (WI Polka Hall of Fame).

Danny Jerabek, was named Specialty Instrumentalist of the Year 2010 by WAMI and received national recognition on The Early Show, as well as a guest performer with Grammy winners, Brave Combo and Terrance Simien, and was also selected to participate in the National Accordion Convention in Dallas, TX, 2010.


Performing over 140 shows a year for Mardi Gras, Oktoberfests, music festivals, performing art centers, and community concerts throughout the US, Copper Box has been racking up the miles and gaining momentum. They have shared the main stage at festivals across the nation with artists like, The Little River Band (2x), Buckwheat Zydeco, Little Feat, Little Big Town (2x), Peter Frampton, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Lou Gramm, Marcia Ball (2x), C.J. Chenier, Brave Combo (10+), Terrance Simien, and W.C. Clark.

Coverville Podcast commented….“Out of all the cover songs I’ve heard, I’ve never had so much feedback from our listeners of your remake of The Pink Floyd Polka (Comfortably Numb),” which just scratches the surface of Copper Box.

Copper Box --“Like a Texas Tornado that went through New Orleans and is tearing up the Midwest!”

As one music journalist commented, "(Copper Box)...as refreshing as a cool spring breeze blowing new life into a stuffy room...worth checking out!"

Wisconsin Blues Society describes Copper Box as “…one of the favorites of the Fox Valley Blues Festival 2004. This hot Zydeco Swamp/Blues Rock outfit with a great baritone and tenor sax gal and a hot accordion man. This group cooks and swings with some of the best Zydeco-influenced groups I’ve seen anywhere in the country.”

From Summerfest in Milwaukee, WI to Musikfest in Bethlehem, PA to Cotati Accordion Festival in Cotati, CA to the International Accordion Festival in San Antonio, TX and Soulard Oktoberfest in St. Louis, MO, Copper Box keeps the crowd hopping and the tent rocking with their unique blend of “accordion-fueled, roots rock!”


Copper Box Band Members:
Kevin Junemann: bass
Jason Van Ryzin: drums
Michelle Jerabek: saxophones, guitar, flute, washboard, vocals
Danny Jerabek: button box (accordion), keys, cornet, vocals, etc.

Instrumentation

Danny Jerabek - Vocals, Guitar, keys, penny whistle, button accordion, Cornet
Michelle Jerabek - Vocals, Guitar, Tenor Saxophone, flute, Washboard, Bari Saxophone
Kevin Junemann - Bass, Ukelele
Jason Van Ryzin - Drums, Percussion

Discography

Roots (2003) www.cdbaby.com/copperbox

Sunny Days (2005) www.cdbaby.com/copperbox2

Backyard Party (2007)
www.cdbaby.com/copperbox3

Need a Little Squeezin (2008)
www.cdbaby.com/copperbox4

In the Summertime (2009)

Copper Box: LIVE from Waterfest 2010 DVD (2010)

www.copperboxsite.com
www.myspace.com/copperboxband
www.youtube.com/copperboxband
www.facebook.com/copperboxband

Links

• Facebook
• Last.fm
• Twitter
• MySpace
• YouTube

Audio

• Zydeco Boogaloo
  Listen  
• Hopeless Lover
  Listen  
• I Wanna Go Out Tonight
  Listen  
• Take a Picture
  Listen  
• In the Summertime
  Listen  
• Maybe Next Time
  Listen  
• Jambalya
  Listen  
• I Like Zydeco Music/ Everything I Do
  Listen  

Lyrics

• Last Cigarette
• Won't You Love Me Like That
• Need a Little Squeezin'
• Apple of Your Eye

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Tell it Like it is: Great Blues Festivals of Wisconsin [+ Show ]
  

  "...This hot zydeco/ swamp blues/swamp rock outfit with a great baritone and tenor sax gal and hot a..."...This hot zydeco/ swamp blues/swamp rock outfit with a great baritone and tenor sax gal and hot accordion man cooks and swings with some of the best Zydeco groups I've seen anywhere in the country!"
  

• Copper Box in Journal Sentinel 2009 [+ Show ]
  

  The accordion is perhaps one of the least-appreciated musical instruments. Yet a guy as tough as Ja...The accordion is perhaps one of the least-appreciated musical instruments. Yet a guy as tough as James Ellroy....has an ear for it...
  
  Copper Box makes this easy. Hailing from Oshkosh, this group features Danny Jerabek, a true accordion virtuoso who translates the vivid physicality of the instrument into an idiomatic style that includes elements of rock, Zydeco, blues and (natch) polka.
  
  His wife, Michelle Jerabek, sings with him and also plays flute, guitar and sax. With bassist Kevin Junmann and drummer Jason Van Ryzin, they swing from covers--including a Pink Floyd Polka--with style and humor.
  
  Copper Box's latest album is "Need a Little Squeezin' " --an agreeable sentiment.
  
  JAN. 2009
  

• Copper Box in The Onion 2009 [+ Show ]
  

  Hard-touring Oshkosh group, Copper Box, sets itself apart from the bar-band pack with the instrument...Hard-touring Oshkosh group, Copper Box, sets itself apart from the bar-band pack with the instrument "Wierd" Al made famous, the accordion. It's nearly impossible to not put the word "goofy" next to accordion, though Copper Box does make the squeeze box sound about as classic rock-friendly as possible, laying down wheezy grooves over covers of Pink Floyd and Creedence Clearwater Revival songs, as well as originals that touch on soul, blues, and ska music styles...

• CD Review by Indie Music Stop [+ Show ]
  

  Rating: 5/5 (Love Them!) Description: Energetic, Fun, Lively Comments: Great CD. I j...Rating:
  5/5 (Love Them!)
  
  Description:
  Energetic, Fun, Lively
  
  Comments:
  
  Great CD. I just got done reviewing it for on my site.
  
  I gave it a 9 out of 10. Really fun, refreshing, unique sounding music.
  
  Thanks,
  
  C.W. Ross
  Senior Writer
  cw@indiemusicstop.com
  Indie Music Stop
  http://www.indiemusicstop.com
  
  Review by Indie Music Stop
  on Jun 18, 2008
  
  Here's the direct link to it:
  
  http://cwonline.110mb.com/upb/upb2.2.1/viewtopic.php?id=37&t_id=1
  

• Review by Mondo Blu -Jun 2008 [+ Show ]
  

  -Really Like Them Boisterous, Carefree, Cheerful, Confident, Earthy, Elegant, Energetic, Freewheeli...-Really Like Them
  Boisterous, Carefree, Cheerful, Confident, Earthy, Elegant, Energetic, Freewheeling, Fun, Lively, Party, Stylish, Fun
  
  Comments:
  Just finished listening to this CD and really enjoyed it. It covers so may different styles and it's also a lot of fun! Here are the tracks I'll be playing from this weekend 20/06:
  
  NEED A LITTLE SQUEEZIN' - JAMBALAYA -
  GYPSY DANCER -
  HEY BABY, QUÉ PASÓ? -
  TIJUANA -
  SCHTUMPFER'S CUMBIA -
  ZYDECO CHA CHA CHA -
  PLEASE PASS THE SCHNAPS - PURPLE BOA -
  REDHEADS HAVE MORE FUN - ZYDECO BOOGALOO -
  HOWARDS GROVE PARADE.
  
  Keep up the good work and above all, keep having fun!
  
  Rotation
  Added to Library
  http://www.live365.com/stations/terzomondo

• CD Review 2008 by Wildy's World [+ Show ]
  

  -Really Like Them If you want to know how to make a party go mad with delight, you start with the b...-Really Like Them
  If you want to know how to make a party go mad with delight, you start with the band. You can go the traditional straightforward rock route, but if you want to appeal to a broad array of attendees you've got to have some variety in the sound. So you take elements of Rock, Country, Zydeco, Pokla, Klezmer and even some Jethro Tull-inspired flute playing and you mix them up into one musical super group. Or you could just pick up Need A Little Squeezin', the dynamic and wonderful new CD from Oshkosh, Wisconsin’s own Copper Box.
  
  I'm guessing you'll likely never see Copper Box on MTV-2 or VH-1, but this is an incredibly entertaining band nonetheless. Need A Little Squeezin' works because it is firmly ground in the fundamentals and styles of music that has pleased crowds for ages, but has a modern edge and energy to it similar to the life Brian Setzer breathes into his music.
  
  The title track, Need A Little Squeezin starts off the album with a bang, with the wonderful (and sorely under-represented) vocals of Michelle Jerabek. Her voice has a true Nashville sound with just a hint of a rock edge to it, and is much more interesting than a lot of the bland voices that float out of Nashville these days. This is followed up by Apple Of Your Eye, which has some of the best Ian Anderson-inspired flute playing this side of, well, Ian Anderson.
  
  Need A Little Squeezin' avoids the whole Lawrence Welk sound that I always envision when I see an accordion (although Hopeless Lover definitely rides the edge). What you get instead is a vivacious presentation of new songs in the Zydeco vein, or snappy, modern interpretations of the occasional classic (Jambalaya). Copper Box has created a musical framework that should (in theory) do for Zydeco what Setzer did for small-band swing a number of years ago. Need A Little Squeezin' is a rollicking good time, and will cause spontaneous smiling and dancing at any sensible party. It's a must-hear.
  
  Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)
  
  Web Mention
  http://wildysworld.blogspot.com/2008/07/cd-review-copper-box-need-little.html
  Posted
  Will mention in an upcoming blog
  http://wildysworld.blogspot.com/2008/07/cd-review-copper-box-need-little.html
  
  by Wildy's World
  

• CD Review by Indie Music Sampler Podcast [+ Show ]
  

  -Really Like Them I have to admit - it's not very often you'll hear an accordion on my program but ...-Really Like Them
  I have to admit - it's not very often you'll hear an accordion on my program but this group is irresistible. "Need A Little Squeezin'" was featured on episode #102 of Indie Music Sampler. I love the way this group take a little from several genres and turns it into something you can't quite put your finger on.
  
  Podcast Rating:
  Definitely - Will add this track to a future podcast
  Web Mention
  http://indiemusicsampler.com/2008/06/27/ims-102/
  http://indiemusicsampler.com/2008/06/27/ims-102/
  
  by Indie Music Sampler Podcast
  

• Ed's Mixed Bag CD Review 2008 [+ Show ]
  

  Rating:5 --Love Them! It's out,!! episode #142 of the Ed's Mixed Bag podcast with your track, "Need...Rating:5 --Love Them!
  It's out,!! episode #142 of the Ed's Mixed Bag podcast with your track, "Need A Little Squeezin' "
  
  Podcast Rating:
  Definitely - Will add this track to a future podcast
  Web Mention
  
  http://www.edsmixedbag.com
  http://www.edsmixedbag.com
  
  by Ed's Mixed Bag
  

• Diverse Mix of Influences leads to wider audience for Copper Box [+ Show ]
  

  Diversity is key... "We all come from pretty different backgrounds and everyone brings those infl...Diversity is key...
  
  "We all come from pretty different backgrounds and everyone brings those influences with them," said Michelle Jerabek, who co-leads the band with her husband, Danny. Both Danny and Michelle got their start in polka music, and their first band, K!CK, was known for playing high-energy polka.
  
  But a couple years ago the band decided to break on through to a wider audience by changing its name to Copper Box and diversifying its sound, incorporating the various styles the band members love- from '70s rock to Cajun swamp rock to alt-country- without changing the instrumentation, which includes Danny on squeeze box and trumpet; Michelle on sax and percussion; Danny's brother, Dave, on bass and tuba; Nate Grier on guitar and newest member Jeff Roblee on drums.
  
  The chage has worked.
  
  "It's opened a lot of doors for us, to have a more mainstream sound so we're not pigeonholed in the polka category," Michelle said. "A lot of the songs we were writing just couldn't fit tthat specific genre. So we opened it up, which allows us to play a lot of different clubs and festivals and appeal to a wider range of people.
  
  But the former polka connection has paid off for what may lead to national exposure through an ad for Weber grills.
  
  The opportunity came about when a producer contacted polka radio station WTKM in Hartford, WI.
  
  He was looking for some upbeat music and asked if they knew of anything a little more hip and young they could use. The receptoinist said, "Yes, call Danny." So he did.
  
  "We'll be filming a trial commercial for Weber grills and we'll see where it goes from there," said Michelle Jerabek....
  

• Band Proves Accordion Music Can Rock Out [+ Show ]
  

  ...Band leader/vocalist, Danny Jerabek's got a squeeze box, and he plays it to fuel Copper Box's uni......Band leader/vocalist, Danny Jerabek's got a squeeze box, and he plays it to fuel Copper Box's unique, fun fusion of Zydeco, Creedence Clearwater Revival-ish swamp rock, polka, Tex-Mex and Americana roos, with some 70's prog rock and Beatles-esque influences thrown in where appropriate... But Copper Box's ever-increasing club and festival gigs and recording schedule doesn't mean the road to the is point has been easy. "It was a pretty difficult time (starting out), a huge step to take," said Michelle Jerabek, Danny's wife and the band's saxophonist/vocalist, of the group's baby steps after forming in 2002. "When you go to bar owners, the first question is 'What do you play?' 'Well, we've got an accordion-' 'Oh, really? (click)' So we were kinda off the wall, and people didn't want to take the chance."....But we managed to get into one club and it started snowballing from there...
  
  Things have advanced nicely for Copper Box since, as the group continues its blend of original material and intriguing remakes. It's 2003 debut CD, "Roots," received a 3-star rating from AMG and 3 singles made the TOP 10 in fan voting for a contest at independent music site, www.garageband.com.
  
  Its newest release, "Sunny Days" from last June, features two remakes it has become especially known for- a frantic polka-ized version of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" and a suitably swampy take on CCR's "Born on the Bayou"---and a number of poplike originals. The new album-in-progress likely will have more of a blues-rock feel, Jerabek said....

Setlist

*Performing art centers, music festivals, art festivals, music clubs, Oktoberfest and Mardi Gras, etc.

*Copper Box music is a feel-good blend of music that is fun to dance to and listen to! "Like a Texas Tornado that ripped through New Orleans and is tearing up the Midwest!"

*Set list is a mix of americana, roots rock music. Mostly 'accordion-fueled' with a huge dose of energy!

*Performs originals and cover songs.

Basic Requirements

Calendar