Schürzenjäger

The Schürzenjäger, formerly Zillertaler Schürzenjäger, are one of the most successful bands of Austria. (Literally translated, a Schürzenjäger is a "apron hunter": Schürze = apron, Jäger = hunter, i.e. The Skirt-Chasers) The band was founded in 1973; according to the band history, they were named "Schürzenjäger" by a female bartender in Austria during a concert, when they didn't have a band name.

While they started out playing traditional music with modern instruments, their style developed over the years to incorporate folk music, Pop music, and Rock music. One of their first big hits was the "Zillertaler Hochzeitsmarsch", a modern interpretation of a traditional folk dance melody. From then on they began to introduce more rock elements, inspired by their new (1990) drummer Patrick Cox. After Zillertal Hochzeitsblues (1990) they moved to the wider German audience under Montana (Later BMG Ariola) in 1991.

With their commercial success, "Schürzenjäger" became the epitome for filling the gap between rock and "Volksmusik" in Austria, establishing the genre of "Alpen Rock" (Alpine Rock). The folk music community, however, saw the success of the Zillertaler Hochzeitsmarsch not as a success but as an abuse of traditional music.

Schürzenjäger regularly ended their tours with the biggest open-air concerts in Austria. Since 1988 these concerts, called "Alpen Air" (a pun of "Alpen" and "Open Air"), were played every other year. From March to July 2007, the Schürzenjäger went on tour for the last album "Lust auf mehr". This was the final tour with the lineup around band leader Steinlechner, culminating in the traditional "Alpen Air" in Finkenberg, Zillertal on Saturday 21 July 2007. The Eberharters then founded their own band, the "Hey Mann! Band" (HM!B), which performed Schürzenjäger songs live, an album was also recorded.

On 3 May 2011 the comeback and a new album of the Schürzenjäger was announced for September 2011, before that an open-air concert will stage on 6 August in Finkenberg. The band consists of the Hey Mann! Band members Stevy (Stefan Wilhelm, vocals), Johannes Hintersteiner, Andreas Marberger, Georg Daviotis and the Eberharters, the last being the only members of the old Schürzenjäger lineup. According to the band, former band leader Steinlechner doesn't want to get back on stage, save for a few guest appearances now and then. Cox and von Haniel are already busy with other projects.