On September 14th and 15th, Zum Schneider will celebrate 20 years in Alphabet City. Known to have some of the most authentic Bavarian food in New York, alongside an extraordinarily curated beer selection, the restaurant will, sadly, be observing its final Oktoberfest this year (at least, in its current location). For their anniversary, they will feature the house polka band, The Ja Ja Jas. The band is led by drummer and singer Moesl Franzi, the stage name of Sylvester Schneider, who also just happens to be the owner of Zum Schneider.
Schneider is, undisputedly, the heart and soul of the restaurant, whether he’s behind the drums or not. His pervasive energy, enthusiasm and joy have made it a jubilant place since it opened. He’s often seen hopping up onto the benches and bar, leading the entire place in rousing singalongs, or creating spontaneous dance parties. But he was a musician first. Born in Wessling, a small town outside of Munich, he moved to America to become a drummer. He played in rock bands in Boston and NYC in the ‘90s, before he opened Zum Schneider, which instantly stood out for its uniquely authentic German coziness.
The band was there from almost day one (first, Sylvester says, they had caroling!). Schneider plays the bass drum and hi-hat, standing, while singing and leading the restaurant in songs and dances, accompanied by accordion, clarinet, trombone and tuba. But the raucous, rambunctious and extremely Lower East Side take on the traditional polkas and modern rock songs is at times more punk rock than you’d expect from a polka band. “I didn’t want the conservative and stuffy old traditions. I value the lively and fun traditions such as comical polkas, communal singing and dancing, Schuhplattler, Tracht mixed with modern-day lifestyle.” The band will veer from a traditional polka into a soccer anthem, and finish off with “Take Me Home, Country Roads” within a single set, and then end the night with Amy Winehouse’s “Valerie” or “99 Red Balloons.” Everything is fair game, as long as it aids the party.
“Polka and Oompah was part of the reason why I left Germany,” Schneider explains. “Well, go figure, [polka] turned out to be my number-one band in the USA. We started off with songs I took from my father’s local Oompah band he played with back home. Then Oktoberfest hits and modern rock stuff was added to make it more party-like.” It certainly is a party. For Oktoberfest, Schneider expands the small restaurant, and takes over a lot on the East River, at 23rd street, for 2 weeks, where they expand into a proper Oktoberfest tent. There, the band plays for thousand of people every year.
The Ja Ja Jas will be at Zum Schneider (107 Avenue C) on September 14 and 15, and at the Oktoberfest Tent: Munich on the East River (FDR Drive and 23rd Street) from September 27 to October 6.
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