Get your dancin’ shoes on

Get your dancing shoes polished. Back by popular demand, The Larry Olsen Band will be performing at the Minneota American Legion from 1-5 p.m. on Sunday, March 3.
The musical entertainment was originally scheduled for Dec. 2, but was postponed due to inclement weather.
The Larry Olsen Band, which includes Olsen and four other members, last played in Minneota on St. Patrick’s Day in 2018. “We’re excited to be coming back,” Olsen said.
“We play a variety of music, including waltz, polka, foxtrot, jitterbug, and line dance.”
Olsen, who farms 2,000 acres east of Lake Benton, has owned his own band since 1982. He plays concertina. The other members of the band aren’t from the area, but when they get together and blend their musical talents, the dance floor suddenly fills up.
Dale Tolk, a welder in Brookings, SD.
He has been with the band for over 20 years and plays guitar and trumpet. Richard Roepke is a fork-lift operator in Arlington and has been in the band for over 12 years.
He also plays trumpet. Al Drauge is retired and lives in Evan, MN. A member of The Larry Olsen Band for nine years, Drauge plays bass guitar. And John Wendinger of Mankato is the newest member having served as the drummer of the band for the past two years.
Olsen’s band first played in Minneota over 25 years ago when Omer Laleman hired them to play for a Legion dance. “Omer heard us playing somewhere in the area and asked if we would be interested in playing in Minneota,” Olsen remembers.
“Later on, we were booked to play in Minneota by Gary Buysse.” The Larry Olsen Band hadn’t returned to Minneota for many years until last year’s booking by Jim Fink and Harold DeSmet.
“I offer bus tours to Yellowstone and other places, and Jim and Glenda Fink, and Harold and Pat DeSmet went on one of the tours a couple of years ago,” Olsen explained.
“The band was playing in the Black Hills and (the Finks and DeSmets) heard us play. We were visiting with them later and they said they would like us to play in Minneota last year. And now they asked us to come back this year again.”
The Larry Olsen Band plays all over the area and has built a large following. “We like playing at the Legion in Minneota,” said Olsen.
“They have a nice dance floor there.” And it will likely be filled again with dancers of all ages; polished shoes or not.