MOSTOV'S MUSINGS

Oktoberfest season is here, which means the bratwurst is sizzling, the beer steins are filling, and accordions everywhere are preparing for their annual moment in the sun. I’m not really a polka fan, yet the music has followed me my entire life—from carousels and Cleveland to beer halls and wedding dance floors, where a rare polka request can awaken guests I had long since written off as wallflowers. So how did a 19th-century dance from Bohemia become part of Northeast Ohio’s

Today, I’m celebrating what I consider the greatest love song ever recorded: Etta James’ “At Last.” In this post, I dig into why this 1960 masterpiece has become the soundtrack of romance, how James’ spellbinding voice transformed it into a wedding staple, and why I play it at every single reception I DJ. Etta James, circa 1960 September 11, 2025 I want to take just a moment to discuss what I believe to be the quintessential love song. It is one I play at every wedding. It i