The Northern Plight

ROGERS, MINNESOTA– Elias Framberg of North Central University had waited 6 years to try out for One Accord. This desire began when he saw them lead worship during his summer camp at Lake Geneva Christian Center in Alexandria, Minnesota. Though his friends hassled him, he practiced day and night with one goal in mind, to get accepted into the most revered musical group at NCU. But his dream came to an abrupt end when he was rejected from the group after only 3 minutes of auditioning. The organizer of the band cited that “there just isn’t enough room for an accordion player in One Accord.”

Instead of simply accepting the rejection, Framberg decided to be proactive and form his own one man band, naming it One Accordion. “I have a calling on my life to reach people with my God-given talent,” Framberg explains, “and so help me if one rejection is going to keep me from reaching my full potential in the Lord.” When asked about what kind of music he was going to play Framberg explained that he was going to write a few original “polkaship” pieces as well as cover a few One Accord favorites like “Some Avenue” and “I Met You”.

Framberg’s love for the squeezebox started after he listened to Weird Al Yankovic’s album “Bad Hair Day”. “I was torn, I knew Weird Al wasn’t a Christian artist but his music just spoke to me. I can’t really explain it, it was definitely a God thing.” Being completely self taught from the age of 8, Framberg entered a life of hard knocks trying to gain notoriety in local Polka circles. But after one fateful day, while squeezing away outside a record store in his home town of Rogers, the owner of the nearby Polka Club discovered him and offered Framberg a few non-paying gigs a month. “I just don’t understand how he didn’t make that band. He’s one of the best musicians to come out of Rogers in at least 4 years.” The club owner explains. “Regardless, I know his solo project will blow people away. Elias wasn’t meant to share the stage with nobody.”

Framberg plans on working double shifts as a dish washer in the NCU cafeteria to save up recording money. He has also started a website to raise funds for his project, which can be accessed at www.oneaccordionforjesus.com. He has already recorded a few demos on Apple’s Garageband and put them up on the site, the first single entitled “The Blood of the Lamb: First Waltz” has already received 214 plays. The entire album is probable for a Fall 2008 release, pending fund-raising. Framberg has been kicking around a few titles for the album, including: Squeezin’ Just To Be Pleasin’ Jesus, Feel The Polka Of God On Your Heart, and Don’t Mellow My Bellow, It’s For Jesus.

-Schroeder “The Overloader” Bernstein