Another Hot Keyboard Player

Confession: I really enjoy Lawrence Welk. He ran a very tight, polished band, and he really enjoyed what he did:



When I was a small child, we had an elderly babysitter (Mrs. Lidle) who always brought Tinker Toys, was very dour, allowed no deviations from good behavior by my brother and me, and watched Lawrence Welk. We hated her and Lawrence.

But I've found that I'm fascinated by the reruns of Welk's shows that have run on public TV. His performers are impeccably professional, his arrangements and bandleading are crisp, and the overall aesthetic of the performances is somehow mesmerizing to me.

I understand that for a lot of people there might be pleasure in Welk as camp (though he would be a definitely downmarket version of that).

For me, watching him gives me a feeling of connection to a generation that is passing, or has passed.