Meet Die Sauerkrauts

Die Sauerkrauts – a spirited group of Lederhosen und Dirndl-wearing, professional polka-playing musicians – have been performing polka, waltzes, and contemporary pop together since 2016. With Brian on Accordion, Robert on Tuba, and Till on Drums, the party is just getting started! Recently they teamed up with Elliot, Matt and Lindsay to make an awesome band even more awesome-er.  Along with traditional German music, the group mixes up the fun with pop, rock, funk and a variety of styles and covers.

No matter what time of year, Die Sauerkrauts transports its audience to Oktoberfest with every show.

Available for Private Parties, Festivals, Restaurant Nights, and Corporate Events.

Prost!

---

Brian Manchen - "Man-Chops"

Accordion

Brian (Man-Chops) Manchen has the best Chops in southern California.  Besides his amazing facial hair, Brian is an accordionist and percussionist.  Brian plays and teaches in the Los Angeles area and beyond.  He has played many different genres from symphony orchestras to musical theatre and of course, polka!  

​Brian holds a bachelor of music from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University.   He is also the drummer for the prog rock band ‘Chickenbox’. 

On Special Occasions you can hear Brian singing with Die Sauerkrauts.  Brian also has his own YouTube page where you can hear him play lots of accordion, as well as his arsenal of percussion instruments.  

​brianmanchen.net

Robert Todd, Jr - "El Tubacabra"

Tuba

Robert (El Tubacabra) Todd, Jr is a professional musician and low brass instructor with expertise on Bass Trombone and Tuba. He has traveled internationally with performances in Canada, Portugal, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand.

Robert studied with Bob Sanders at California State University, Fullerton. Robert also works as a freelance musician in the LA and OC areas, and has recorded numerous times for various artists. Robert is also currently a member of a number of orchestras and jazz groups around Southern California, including Dana Point Symphony, the Pandemonium Big Band, and theBABAorchestra. 

Robert can be also found playing on his own YouTube channel where he plays his own arrangements as well as some others.  

​www.RobertToddTrombone.com

Till Richter - "Zeitmeister "

Drums

Till (Zeitmeister) Richter (our resident German) is truly the master of Die Sauerkrauts time, never missing the exact tempo we want! Till  works with a diverse roster of artists and genres in Los Angeles. Some notable artists include; The Voice Germany winner Julian Martel, pop artists Alxxa, Emily Vaughn, french jazz singer Jessica Fichot, Allen Stone, James Valentine (Maroon 5), Ralph Humphrey (Frank Zappa, Dancing with the Stars), Steve Porcaro (Toto, Michael Jackson), Art Alexakis (Everclear), David Garfield (Boz Scaggs), Denny Dias (Steely Dan), Clinton Kane and more.


Till was born Braunschweig, Germany where he started playing drums at the age of three. Till attended the Los Angeles College of Music in Pasadena, receiving his Associates of Arts Degree in Drum Performance.  Before arriving in Los Angeles, Till performed and recorded with several singer-songwriter and pop/rock artists in Germany including Ricky Lawson (Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder) and Alex Knolle (Cassandra Steen). 

​www.till-richter.com

Elliot Deutsch - "Hot-Lips"

Trumpet

A Los Angeles Native, Elliot (Hot-Lips) Deutsch has been a part of the local music scene for nearly 20 years. Aside from his clearly Bavarian Roots, Deutsch's Big Band, The Pandemonium Big Band, has been a staple of the LA jazz scene performing to sold-out crowds at the top jazz spots in town.  

Elliot's bright trumpet sound can be heard on numerous records. Perhaps Elliot is best known for his arrangements, writing for artists such as Martina McBride, Take 6, and Arturo Sandoval.  

Elliot also has his very on YouTube channel where you can not only hear his band perform (Both Virtually and Live), but also find great tutorials in music writing. 

www.pandemoniumbigband.com/

Lindsay McMurray - "Mac Attack"

Trombone & Euphonium

Trombonist, Lindsay (Mac Attack) McMurray, has been working in LA for almost 20 years.  Her musical range is very diverse, performing from pop, rap, hip hop, salsa, persian, and now POLKA!

Her talents have brought her to perform at the Hollywood Bowl, Lincoln Center, the Nokia theater and the Java Jazz Festival in Jakarta, Indonesia.  She currently performs daily in the Disneyland Resort with the Disneyland Band and the Pearly Bands.  Lindsay also runs several of her own groups, including the all-female swing band, The Lady Lucks, the all-female salsa group, Las Chikas, and the gender diverse LA Marching Band.  

Lindsay also has a YouTube channel where she plays many of her own arrangements.  

www.lindsaytrombone.com/

Matt Ballard - "Fancy Fingers"

Matt (Fancy Fingers) Ballard is a professional woodwind artist and educator in the Los Angeles and Orange Country areas.  He has toured the United States, Canada, Indonesia, Ireland and Japan and ha performed with many different artists and bands including The Temptations, The Four Tops, Wayne Newton and The Glenn Miller Orchestra

Raised in LA, Matt attended California State University, Fullerton and now currently resides in orange County.  He is also an active teacher and clinician for several music programs throughout the Orange Country Area.  Besides Playing with Die Sauerkrauts, Matt can also be seen performing at the Disneyland Resort with the 5 & Dime band as well as the Disneyland Band.