Town’s Band Serenades Even the Average Joe

No Joe is a plain old Joe in this east-central Nebraska community during the annual St. Joseph’s Day celebration.

Every Joe gets the traditional Czech polka serenade as part of the annual event in Howells, a town of 677 located 65 miles northwest of Omaha. The band even added a Josephine to the list in recent years.

Joes as young as 1 and as old as 95 were serenaded by the Howells Hot Shots, a town polka band.

The tradition of playing polka tunes to all Joes was brought from the old country. The Hot Shots band has continued the tradition since it formed in 1923.

March 19, the Christian feast day of St. Joseph, is always reserved on the calendar of the Hot Shots band and of people named Joe in Howells.

Joe Molacek, one of two Hot Shots members named Joe, said going house-to-house playing polkas for the town’s Joes has become a highlight for the band and the community.

“They know where we live, and they just come find us,” said Joe Schrage, who moved to Howells 18 years ago.

Joe Ritzdorf said he’s glad the custom was passed down and hopes it will continue. Ritzdorf and his year-old son, Joe Jr., were serenaded on their front porch Thursday night.

The serenaders are rewarded with sandwiches and shots of whiskey at the homes of some of the Joes.