Page 5 - GC-Oktoberfest-24

AN AUSLANDER'S JOURNEY The German Citizen • September-October 2024 • 5

at Clemo Hall in Kaisertown, and and during Covid, Chuck retired
started playing, no practice, no from playing.
rehearsals. We were a perfect fit! I enlisted Mark Kasprzak, a life
Later that year, Bill's friend, long friend for guitar and drummer
Bob Matuczak , joined us on guitar, Rich Kiegler. They have their own
and the Auslanders were on their band ( Slim Pickins) a great cover
way. band, but would play as Auslanders
As the years went by, Bob had when they were available.
to leave due to shoulder surgery. He Logistics got too difficult, so
was replaces by a number of local after 50 years of playing
guitar players from the German (1974-2024), I also retired.
community: Russ Freund, Dave I will miss all the wonderful
Freund, Chuck Stock. people that supported us all these
Then tragedy struck, Bill was years and hope to live in their
stricken with cancer and died ( after memories forever.
48 years of being an Auslander),

by Frank Wailand with "Schneewalzer", couples
his is a comprehensive paired off and were waltzing!
story of how the Huh?! The evening was a smooth
TAuslanders began: transition from rock to traditional
In the early ‘70s , I lived near German! This was my epiphany to
Stuttgart, Germany. On a someday have a band that would
weekend, my friends and it would blend these two genres.
go to a dance club in a nearby I returned to the USA in 1973,
village. As we entered the club, the started working in the Tops
DJ was playing the Rolling Stones' engineering office,where I met Bill
"Brown sugar" to the packed Kuczmanski, my future drummer.
dance floor. This was followed We landed a 25th anniversary gig