Polka wizards The Karate Hamsters recently announced that NIU’s Convocation Center will be a stop on its spring tour.

The show will take place at 7 p.m. on April 31. It’s the fourth show of its 294-date tour, which is expected to end sometime in 2005.

The Karate Hamsters are a four-member band, consisting of Chester Chestington on accordion, Roger Pickleson on accordion, Harvey Vecterman on accordion and Leonard Turmonian on accordion. The members have been playing together for 15 years and have five platinum records.

Their most famous album, “The Wrath of Grapes,” was bought by every household in America in 1989.

“Yeah, after the success of ‘The Wrath of Grapes,’ we knew we were gonna be huge, I mean ‘American Idol’-winner huge,” said Pickleson, singer of the all-instrumental group.

Since 1989, The Karate Hamsters have recorded 26 albums. That’s two records a year, and they’re showing no signs of slowing down. Vecterman, 78, believes that, despite his old age, he can continue playing for another 50 years, which would make him 128 years old and still rockin’ to the sweet sounds of polka.

“Just wait, in another 50 years we’ll be even bigger than we are now. We’ll be like … really big,” he said.

Of course, The Karate Hamsters are only popular among the older crowd, which is why a college university is the perfect place for the band to play.

“We really seem to connect with the college students; our music speaks to them, and they answer,” said Chestington, lead accordionist.

NIU sophomore and finance major Derek Ryan has seen the band a record 2,367 times. He has traveled as far as Ohio to see them perform, and he has every band member’s autograph.

“I tell ya, it doesn’t get old for me. Each time I see them, it’s a new experience, and being that I play the accordion myself, I learn a lot,” Ryan said.

Tickets for the show go on sale this Saturday for $89 a piece. Why so steep, you may ask. Well, apparently the band has some unpaid taxes they need to take care of. So, help support The Karate Hamsters and come on down to the show.

Editor’s Note: The information in this story is fictitious.