Barefoot Becky & the Ivanhoe Dutchmen
Mix a cup of German, Czech & Slovenian style polkas and waltzes, a cup of country,
two steps, foxtrots and big band, a dash of latin and line dances, and party favorites
to taste. Once it’s to your liking, you’ve got a recipe for a band that’s really cookin’!
That’s what you get when you see a live performance featuring Barefoot Becky & the
Ivanhoe Dutchmen, a group based out of Mt Vernon, Iowa.
The band, featuring Becky Livermore on accordion and vocals, has been performing
throughout the United States since 1988. People remember the band best by two
things: Becky’s bare feet! She started playing barefoot simply because it was more
comfortable than playing with shoes on. People seemed to think it was pretty funny
and have really come to expect it. Now the ‘barefoot’ motif is on almost everything
they have, like their music stands, posters, and custom made mugs and towels. In
addition to performing in ballrooms throughout the US, Barefoot Becky & the Ivanhoe
Dutchmen perform in a wide range of venues including: house parties, nightclubs, in
tents, for town festivals, RV conventions, and parades. In 1996, they performed for the
Smithsonian Institution’s Festival of American Folklife in Washington, D.C.
They have thirteen recordings available, with the latest on CD entitled ‘Merry Christmas
From Our House to Yours.’ The group always has a supply of their recordings available at
their performances. It’s really easy to take a little piece of the band home with you,
but you’ll have to supply your own bare feet!