 ,    REKKERDS:
check at band
websites, too
(click on pics ffi.) 
featuring:The
Blue Lights
Whiskey
For Breakfast Records is a brand new label for jug band, skiffle, and
good-time music, started by Banjo Kellie of Escape the Floodwater Jug
Band.Carolina Chocolate Drops Fritz Richmond's Barbecue Orchestra Bill Carney's Jug Addicts The Jim Kweskin Band Escape the Floodwater Jug Band Devine's Jug Band Juggernaut Jug Band Wahoo Skiffle Crazies The Watermelon Mountain Jug Band Banjorama! Ramblin Jug Stompers The Federal Cigar Jug Band The Jugadelics Quake City Jug Band Jugtown Pirates of Lake Champlain Dirdy Birdies Jug Band Blue Ribbon Jug Band Andalusia Jug Band The Hump Night Thumpers  featuring: Gamala
Beat
Ammon Hennessy Sloppy Joe Girls on Top Jook Savages The Bok Choy Mountain Boys Nationalz The Amish Power Company The Blue Wafflers Gung Hosers Sorrels Untied Hokum Yoakim & the Eggwhites Ghetto Rangers Walleye Luck Slop Bucket String's Momma's Home Cookin Racorded live at the
2000 Battle for Pulse
of the Twin
Cities newspaper's "Minnesota Homegrown Series"
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The Battle's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Minneapolis-Battle-of-the-Jug-Bands/173219326027737
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REGISTRATIONS RECEIVED for the band lottery below: BOJB
committee
members randomly drawing band entrants for the 2008 Battle  November 28 •Ten Gallon Hat - Minneapolis
November 29•The Wren & The Whistler - Chicago •West Bank Temperance League - Columbia Heights •Roe Family Singers - Minneapolis •Otisco String Band - Minneapolis
November 30•Wahoo Skiffle Crazies - Staten Island, NY
December 1
•The Fat Chance Jugband - Minneapolis
the entry form is in the middle of the right column ––>
E-MAILS November 22, 2011 Hi folks, The Portland jug band event I mentioned a couple months ago is set for January 29. The lineup is settled and tickets are on sale. More details here: http://www.jugapalooza.com Besides short sets by each band, we'll have a jug-off, jug band fashion show, double entendre contest, jelly rolls and vintage drinks, and free kazoos in honor of National Kazoo Day! I've printed some euro-oval JUG stickers to hand out of the event (you can see the design at the web page above). If you'd like one, just send a SASE to this address. Cheers, -Arlo - - - - -
September 29, 2011 Hi folks, I'm organizing a mini jug band festival to take place in Portland, Oregon in January. This will be similar to the jug band battles in the midwest, but somewhat different: a series of short sets interspersed with jug band related contests or activities, but no overall "winner". (Turns out Portlanders are just not a competitive bunch.) Can you recommend any Pacific Northwest bands who should participate in this? Or would any of you out-of-towners like to come? (I'll pay the bands, but not enough to cover significant travel expenses.) Cheers, -Arlo Leach http://arloleach.com - - - - -
2/17/11 Big news for all you Barehand fans out there: Your favorite jugband has added a new line to its resume. We are now the NUMBER ONE JUGBAND IN AMERICA! As most of you already know, we traveled to Minneapolis last weekend to compete in the National Battle of the Jugbands. After 20 bands took the stage, there was only one left standing and it was us! We were awarded the 1939 Traveling Waffle-Iron Trophy for our efforts. In light of it being award show season, here’s our acceptance speech: We’re so excited to receive the prestigious title of Best Jugband in the Galaxy. We have lots of people thank: wives, kids, teachers, the unfortunate person that had to clean up our hotel room. But most of all, we’d like to thank y’all, our fans. Without you guys supporting us, we would not still be out there juggin' it up. So, from the bottom of our hearts...Thanks. The Barehand Jug Band
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1/31/11Hello Al and BOTJBers, This is Bernie King confirming that the Guilty Pleasures are confirming for the BOTJB and as always, looking forward to a great time. Thanks so much!!! Always a friend 1/3/11Bernie King - - - - -
Just writing to confirm for the Jackson Street Polecats to play Feb 13 at 5pm. We're in. Thanks so much. One other note, the Polecats are officially from Oshkosh, WI. I'm sure I neglected to include that when we threw our hat in the ring. all the best, Jeff 1/2/11Jackson Street Polecats I'll change Janesville to Ohkosh next time I update the information.. Al The Webperson - - - - -
Thanks for the update! I've been checking the website w/ baited breath; waiting for the lottery posting... Also really excited about the addition of the Pancake League show. Great move by the committee; makes the event that much larger, gets more bands & fans involved in one Jug spectacular weekend. I think this combination really makes Mpls the Jugband music capitol of the country! Chris Marnell
Fisher Coulee Ramblers - - - - -
1/14/10Sliced Bread Jug Band got together tonight, and we are definitely on for the Pancake League on 2/13. So please move us from maybe to yes. A few emails back I made a totally tongue in cheek suggestion that the winners of the Pancake League and the Waffle League should meet in the ultimate Jug-Off. I am assuming this further level of competition is not being planned, since there has not been anything about it in the email conversation. If so, this is good, since nobody in my band from the Wisconsin boonies wants to do a two day trip to Minneapolis. Saturday or Sunday, but not both. Peace,
Bryce Black Sliced Bread Jug Band - - - - -
1/13/10So, what about "real" battle being bands from the twin cities and other battles being bands from the rest of the world. And not just 'cause our band hasn't made it in for like the last 3 years. Something should be figgered out. But I'm glad everyone is so excited about the night before battle. Hope they have fun. Craig Kent
Andersonville Patriots - - - - -
1/11/10Bummer about Cam Waters. I didn't know him well, but our washboard wizard Gib, and Kari and Lisa, who played with us at the Battle in 2008, were good friends of his. Peace, Bryce Black Sliced Bread Jug Band I booked Cam's first gig in the Cities (at the Riverside) and played with him the year he won the Battle. Al The Webperson - - - - -
1/4/10 Hi All, Chicago now has a monthly Jug Band Jam every third Monday of the month at 9pm. If you are in Chicago (or like to travel) come join the members of the Barehand Jugband at the Grafton Pub (4530 North Lincoln Avenue) next to the Old Town School of Folk Music. Cheers - - - - -Jonas Friddle Kari, Were you part of the Standard size Family Band that won in 2001? If so, we could use a picture of some sort. Al (from BOTJB Committee) Yep, I was one of them. I think there might be a few pictures around here. I'll do some digging today. Kari Larson - - - - - 12/7/09 Once again, I wish that I had the means to attend this wonderful event. However, I just picked up a dinner show gig on the Saturday evening before the this year's scheduled Jug Off event, on February 13th. This upcoming show will be my second at that venue. My first show there, the week before Thanksgiving, had sold out two weeks prior to the show. So, I'm looking forward to this next one. Know that, as always, my spirit is with all who sputter into various crockery jugs, scrub on ancient washing machines, thump on rope strings pierced through washtubs, clack, click and slap assorted silverware, coax handsaws to vibrate and otherwise offer their musical talents and entertainment via all manner of novelty, homemade or unconventional instrumentation. Our fascination with taking commonplace items and discovering the means to use them to create music are all part of the jug band way. It is this approach that binds us all as one and that sets us all apart from every other genre of musical expression. I will carry on this proud tradition as long as I have the means to do so where ever I roam, just as I am certain that you will do likewise where ever you are across the planet. Sputter on, scrub on, thump on, clack on my brothers and sisters until we meet in that big Jug Off in the sky! Sawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwyalater, Reg vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv http://www.myspace.com/reggiemiles - - - - - 12/7/09 thanks,
claudia note: We're let them know. Honest. As soon as we know who's judging we'll publish it. - - - - - 12/6/09 Craig Kent - - - - - 8/27/09 I am interested in playing with a band. I have been out of touch for a long time. I live in Northfield, so I'd be most interested in a group that rehearses on the South side. If you know anyone who needs an old comb player, give them my email address, will you ? Don
Forsberg donforsberg@charter.net
note: Don's story can be found on the "Battle History"
pages. Good read...
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8/7/09
Hi folks, The brass note for Will Shade and the Memphis Jug Band was installed last week and dedicated over the weekend. Out of approximately 80 brass notes on Beale Street, this is the first to honor a jug band! (Gus Cannon will be getting one later this year.) Thanks to [jug band] list members David Evans and Andy Cohen for meeting me there. Also, thanks to those who contributed to help pay for the brass note ... I held a drawing and will be sending my last benefit concert poster to Jacob Fishman of Chicago. The day after the ceremony, I drove up to the Ripley/Henning area and found some of the Menglewood box factory relics buried among the poison oak. I've mapped the location, along with other blues sites I've visited, here: Cheers,
-Arlo
note: There are also some photos from the dedication here.E-MAILS CONTINUE IN THE NEXT COLUMN
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Some notes from friends on the east and west coast A long exchange between the Peter Stampfel of the Holy Modal Rounders and
fans (via their yahoo group) and Al (from the BOJB Committee) that you
may find interesting. Or not:will there ever be a New York or Portland Battle? THE PORTLAND BATTLE IS ON! Jamuary 29, 2012 - See the letter from Arlo Leach above. Peter Stampfel wrote: Pardon a pushy New Yorker, but if the Battle is getting more popular, why not a longer event? How many more than 20 bands do you expect? When did the event start?* What was the first year there were too many bands? Why not a longer event, or a 2 day event, with play-offs? Is there just 1 song per band? With play-offs (top 5?) the finalists could do 3/5 songs, the better to be judged by. Why don't we have one of these in NYC? Why isn't there one in your town? & yrs & yrs, etc??? Finalists could go the the Regionals, Regional finalists to the Nationals to determine the USA champ Jug Band! How long will it take to get this up & running? How many citys could support this? SF, Berkeley, Portland, Austin, NYC, Cambridge, Seattle...Crisake people, lets DO it!!! - - - - - *Peter Stampfel wrote:Started in 1981, dummy. - - - - - Al wrote:Com'on you're a pushy Wisconsinite at heart... Anyway that idea has been bandied about, but the consensus seems to be that what started as a friendly neighborhood gathering (and only accidentally ended up becoming an annual event in the first place) would come to no good end by going national. Would ruin the spirit. We'd end up with sponsorships and all kinds of other crap. And besides, the waffle iron could end up getting lost thousands of miles away. Better that other places just have their own jug battles... And there actually are 4 other Annual Battles that I know about, one in Yokohama Japan (altho I'm not sure if it is really every year or not) and the rest in Minnesota. Effie in September, with a fish skinner as the trophy; Duluth in May, with a Krümkake iron as a trophy; and Victoria in July with a Battered GI mess kit as a trophy. I tried to talk the West Coast guys into doing a battle out there but they decided it was too competitive or something, so are now doing what they call a "Jug Band Jubilee". It only started getting overcrowded with acts in the past 5 or so years. At one time we just showed up at whatever place the Battle was going to be at and played...never more than 10 bands, sometimes created on the spot. I'd say that an actual weeding-out process only started about 3 years ago. (Although the nescessity for one was the first time Bluegrass Bands entered with no repect to the genre - but that's another story) The two-day idea might work out, but I doubt if we could ever get judges to sit thru another day of it...It's hard enough to find them as it is. To say nothing of cleaning up from the potluck. Best thing is, if your band doesn't get in at Minneapolis there are 3 others in Minnesota to go to. Come on East Coast, get one going...just remember to keep it freaky... - - - - - Peter Stampfel wrote:When I was a Wisconsonite I barely started to push. Yeah, I got carried away. But it would be neat to have one here. That's really one tradition that needs to be spread, like peanut butter, or manure. - - - - - Michael Hoffmann wrote:where and when? Let's set one up in NY. Well you may be poor with a wolf at your door, but money isn't everything we still have the sun and a river full of fun and we'll always ahve a song to sing So take the frown off your face we're gonna replace it with a smile and a dream come true and a pretty girl dancing to jug band music and a mess of mom's barbecue Barbecue, bless my spirit I swear it never fails, and the sauce momma makes just stays there forever if you ever get it under your nails so take the frown off your face we're gonna replace it with a smile and a dream come true and a pretty girl dancing to jug band music and a mess of mom's barbecue - - - - - Peter Stampfel wrote:First coming to mind is the Bowery Poetry Club. I'm talking to Bob there this week & will run it by him. I'm out of the folk loop, but I could get back in quick. Wanna call me & talk about it? - - - - - Dennis O'Neil wrote:To say nothing of the subsequent World Serious, with impeccably rehearsed and period-outfitted Japanese groups performing phonetic renditions of Kweskin's version of "Mobile Line.. I can hardly wait... Dennis - - - - - Christopher Gray wrote: You could make it like college football playoffs: never-ending, purposely insipid, "on" every waking moment. There could be awards for best band with a tuba, best for a band that plays the same song in the most original way, best band that plays the same song the longest without getting booed off stage, best band that can play the top ten Billboard shlock without the associated pain of listening to it, etc. It could have a "round-robin" so that even losing bands have a playoff. It could take on new bands that form from members of those bands that get "defeated" along the way... a sort of self-regeneration process like dead skin forming a baby. Remember that America only loves winners and the hideous battle that mutates them into being. So why not every one a winner?! And, every one never quite the champ - a sort of "edge-of-the-seat" thing like telling a news program audience that really big news about impending death is coming up "after this story". America also loves contestation. Make it extreme like a football game where four teams play two games across two fields that meet at mid-field. Two bands actually play at once. Why stop at two? It could broadcast the private lives of the musicians, putting their soiled lives to musical notation as an entry requirement. If a band's members cannot preform their lives due to suicide or collapsed personal life, there's sure to be a happy audience and lots of soap sold. Anyway. Fooling aside, your idea is fun, so have some fun with it. Good luck. I for one would visit and support it in Berkeley, if it gets advertised so that I hear about it without having to peer through the postgoth-headslam papers to find it.... ;-) best, - - - - -Chris Stampfel's theories of "Freak Folk" here Michael Hoffmann wrote: Even if there are three jug battles in America and one in Japan, why not one in New York also? This music should be lauded. Just think, in 80 years will young white suburbanite kids be recreating hardcore rap from today? How ridiculous does it sound? Compare Walter Coleman's "smack that thang" 1936 to Akon's "Smack that" (2006) -Two great songs about smackin some ass till it gets sore, but nobody's grabbing their mom's washboard off the wall and tuning up the old banjo and playing these future classics. The hobby of playing music way out of social, cultural, and historical context is not popular enough and there are certainly not enough competitions for this art. - - - - - Peter Stampfel wrote: Dave said he heard a Japanese jug band with 3 jugs that he said was amazing. Could you tell us more about them Dave? I forget the details. - - - - - Dave Reisch wrote: When we played the Portland Blues Festival last summer, Jim Kweskin and Geoff Muldaur had recently been to Japan where they played a Jug Festival--One of the Japanese Jug band had maybe 12 members, all dressed in matching chef's uniforms, doing choreographed steps- A 3 jug section that would twirl, etc in unison- It burned an image in Geoff's brain that will never heal - - - - - DAVE [the other Dave] wrote: Jug Bands dressed in Chefs outfits....hmmmmm. Ever hear of the Ballard Chefs Jug band? Undoubtably an homage to them. I think. I dunno. Jug Music has been VERY big in Japan the last few years, and a lot of this including portions of Jim and Geoffs show is caught in the documentary.Im looking forward to it. Also looking forward to maybe seeing the two of them in Berkeley at the Freight and Salvage next month. Dave - - - - - Al wrote: AlThe winning band last year (2006) wore chef's outfits, as have others in the past. Our poster for the second Battle had a shot of the Ballard Chefs on it. |
How to Enter
Registration
Registration for the 30th Annual Battle of the Jugbands (Saturday and Sunday,
February 11-12) is open from November 27 to December 31, 2011. This means If
your registration is received after that, you will
not be
in the band lottery this year. No exceptions. A confirmation will be returned within 72 hours to verify that the registration was received. Raffle? Why is that?
Due to the overwhelming popularity of this event, there had been more
bands that registered than there were time slots. Eventually
a lottery was developed to select the bands for the battle. If over 19
registered, not all bands
got
in. Bands performed in the order they were drawn. There were 20 slots, including the one reserved for the previous years champions. The jugbands were contacted with the results. The raffle date was eventually moved up by several weeks to allow folks from out-of-town bands to have more time to line up transportation and accomodations. With the advent of the Pancake League, there every band that registered will be able to play this year. The first 19, plus last years Champions, the Barehand Jug Band will play in the order drawn on Sunday at the Cabooze. The remaining spots will play Saturday in the order drawn at the Pancake League location. In the event that any band fails to verify on or before Friday, January 6th or has to drop out, the remaining bands will move up on the list in the order they were drawn. Please understand that there is a limited time frame, and that the
lottery is a completely unbiased and totally random process. How to know if you're
Battle-Worthy
Bands must contain 3 traditional jug band instruments. If you're not
sure what a traditional jug band instrument is, then you're probably
not a jug band. Hint: one of them just might be a jug. See the Jug band entry
on
Wikipedia
for more information (assuming that it hasn't been modified by someone
that doesn't know what they're talking about or has posted an entry to
promote their non-jug band - like a rap group from Italy did a
few
years back). Imagination with instrumentation is highly encouraged. (It may look like a cream separator but one weekend in February it could be a highly sophisticated jug band instrument) And If you have to plug it in to hear it, it's probably not one, either - mics and a sound system are provided to pick up your sounds. Jug bands do not have to be "professional" to enter; however, bands do need to have an appreciation of That Jug Band Sound. If you only play another genre of music and not Jug Band, do not register for the battle. It is not appreciated by the other bands or the audience, and shows a lack of respect to them. There are a lot of rock, bluegrass, singer-songwriter, etc. events held everywhere year around. Despite the genre's growing popularity there are still only a bare handful of jug band events held each year (for a long time this was the only one on the planet, and it's still one of a very few that's open to any jug band). We'll get back to you if we see a problem. Selected bands, if there are any issues, write to us at jugbandbattle@gmail.com.Registration for the 2012 Battle is open thru December 31, 2011 Submissions of this form received after that date will be ignored! When you click the "Submit" button, you should be sent to a Thank you page if everything worked out OK.
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E-MAILS continued5/5/09
Thanks
for all your work, saw the picture of morton and an old post of mine to
a defunct jugband site all of which is truer and true Hey
Folks,i seem to be the de facto archivist now (ie managed not to lose EVERYTHING) though bet morton has a stash of stuff buried under piles of other stuff somewhere hung out with rick a lot lived a few doors away (he self-servingly taught me how to clean rapidograph pens) so know this drawing well - it's horizontally flipped on the JBB page (though i don't mind being out front for a change) 3 mpls lads there and griffin playing the (soon to be electric) monostring - a sort of trailerpark primitive dobro koto the cartoon was published as stated but i don't think rick's estate will give you crap about using it bass-ically yours Mark Robertson note: The Rick Griffin cartoon and Mark's old post are on the Morton's History of MN Jugbands page - - - - - Thanks to everyone for making the Battle a big success. Be sure to go to the "Links" page to find out about the our little siblings, the other Battles of the Jug Bands held right here in Minnesota: Duluth, MN, Memorial weekend Sunday Effie, MN (aka Edge of the Wilderness), the weekend after Labor Day. Held outdoors under a big top. A N D Chicago, IL, Their 4th Annual was held on November 19th, 2011 Their winner was Strictly Jug Nuts All of them are a real good time. (the Victoria, MN Battle appears to have gone away...) Your
Pal Al
Fat Chance Jug Band - - - - - ...It was you Minnesotans that inspired use to create our own festival which led to other festivals and the formation of the CJBA. So we owe a debt of gratitude to you and your buddies. We do hope to be a help to all Jug Band activities. "Think globally, act locally" you know. - - - - -
1/4/09 ...It would be great to work up some collaboration between the Minneapolis Battle and the California Jug Band Association...any ideas? It would also be great to find some funding so that some of the Minnesota bands could participate in our festivals. Bebo White - - - - -12/6/08
the Roe Family Singers will NOT be able to apply this year. The reason? Kim and I are expecting our first baby, and the baby is due two days after the battle. Given the unpredictable schedule these babies these days keep, who knows when she'll actually be born? Please send us the form again next year, for the 28th Battle. We want to fight again! Sincerely,
2/11/08Quillan Roe - - - - -
Thank you gang for the effort put in for another great battle. Would you please email me the name of the proud winning band, Thank
you, Tom
Haugh
Don't Try This At Home Jug Band
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2/13/08Hey everybody, First off, congratulations to Grandma's Saggy Jugs! Fantastic set! Y'all had my vote! Second, thanks to everyone who we shared the stage with. That was so much fun, and all the bands were great. I hope we can do it again next year! Third, thank you to "the committee" for organizing everything and making it happen. We were so excited to be a part of the Battle this year, and it completely lived up to our expectations. We had a wonderful day and enjoyed ourselves tons!
Sincerely,
Quillan Roe for the Roe Family Singers - - - - -
12/1/08
Any chance of having the Battle of the Jug Bands lottery a bit earlier this year? As you know from the Chicago Battle, we're breeding jug bands by the....well, 2's and 3's, anyway. Given the distance, drive time, airline ticket cost, recession, general angst, etc. for those of us who live here in the southland, it would be helpful to know before the beginning of the first week of 2009. There's an advantage knowing and (for those of us flying) booking flights more than a month in advance. It would be great if we could know by the weekend of January 3rd-4th. Skip
Landt
Strictly Jug Nuts note: With an earlier
deadline this year, drawing results can be sent out in time for that
weekend.
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11/10/08
Photos from Chicago's First Annual Battle of the Jug Bands
I've posted some photos and some videos at: http://jrjenks.blogspot.com/2008/11/chicagos-first-annual- J.R. Jenks
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