New Bedford Accordion Player Stuns the Crowd

I was enjoying dinner with my wife in New Bedford last night. We were at Allianca on Cove Street when I saw something I've never seen before.

We were seated next to a large Portuguese family that was celebrating a confirmation for their daughter/granddaughter.

In the back of the restaurant, another Portuguese family was celebrating their mother's birthday.

We had just been served dinner when all of a sudden someone carrying a dozen roses in a vase came marching out of the back room. Directly behind him was another man playing "Happy Birthday" on his accordion. The place erupted, clapping and singing along.

After the birthday song was over, I was pleasantly surprised to hear the accordion player continue his impromptu concert. The crowd was singing along, not a care in the world, swaying back and forth to the Portuguese favorites busting out of that accordion.

I don't mean to sound corny or oversell it, but it really was a magical moment. The spontaneity of it all was incredible. It almost felt like something I'd seen in my travels to Europe. The restaurant was dripping with culture and fun without even trying.

It got me thinking about how underrated an accordion really is for a party. If I were a restaurant owner in New Bedford, I'd honestly consider hiring this guy for pure entertainment. He was that good.

Thank you, Mr. Accordion Man. Thank you for sharing your talents with us. Everyone wants to be the guitarist, the drummer, or the lead singer in a band. But it's the accordion player that can bring down the house at a New Bedford restaurant on Cove Street.