15th Annual Battle of the Jugbands Coming Soon

It's that time of year. The end of May means a lot of things for a lot of people. Memorial Day weekend, Indianapolis 500, Dylan Days (Hibbing) and Dylan Fest (Duluth), and here in the Twin Ports it's the annual Battle of the Jugbands.

Hard to believe we're seeing the fifteenth year of The Battle. Presented by Coho Hand Cream for Men and Icehouse Studios, the Battle of the Jug Bands will be held once more at the Amazing Grace Cafe in Duluth's Canal Park from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. May 29. There will also be a Jug Band Preview Jam the night before from 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., so there will be plenty of music to enjoy.

The Battle was essentially the brain child of Elliot Silberman who seems to have two great passions in life, music and fishing. (He's also an artist.) Even though there is no experience required to be part of the jug band experience, Elliot probably has six decades of experience making music and is a talent musician in his own right. I would not be surprised to learn he formed his first music group before elementary school, talking his friends into playing spoons, bowls and bicycle spokes.

The invitation has gone out into the music community from Blind Willie inviting one and all to form a band to compete in the annual Battle Winner of the event will walk away with the travelling Yid-wegian Krumkake Iron, a greatly coveted prize here in the Northland. Your band will have its name engraved on this trophy, no doubt equivalent in value to having a Super Bowl ring in another well known competition.

Jugband music is essentially poor man's jazz. Instruments range from washtub bass, kazoos and spoons to saw, pots, pans and other kitchen utensils. Traditional instruments all join in accompaniment, including harmonicas, guitars, mandolin, fiddles and even an occasional clarinet or trombone. Oh yes, and of course there are the jugs.

So... spread the word. It's doesn't take much to form a band. Elliot will even furnish your band with wash tub bass, jug and washboard players. Each band will have twenty minutes to wow the crowd which assembles here like the mob that awaits Punxsutawney Phil to do his thing on groundhog day.

PHOTO Captions
Top, L to R: De Elliot Bros. in 2009 Christmas show at Amazing Grace
Left: Elliot in his Studio.
Right bottom: Elliot and Ted making some lovely sounds.

For more information visit Icehouse Studios at www.ElliotBrothers.com

Hot Spit Wins Battle of the Jugbands

I didn't see it on the news, so I guess I'd better report it here. Hot Spit went home with the coveted Yid-Weigan Krumkake Iron in Duluth's 14th Annual Battle of the Jugbands. The competition was stiff, as usual.

De Elliot Bros., featuring hizonor Elliot Silberman and friends (Lee Johnson, Ted Gay and yours truly, Ennyman) opened the show with a few of their standards including "I Like It In Duluth." Elliot is the primary force behind the annual Battle, organizing and orchestrating in an effort to make it better every year for the packed Amazing Grace crowds who assemble here just for this occasion. As Dave Lynas noted about Elliot, "He's the one who keeps the music going."

Many from the slate of bands who performed hailed from Minneapolis-St. Paul, and some have jugband roots which span more than four decades. The order in which they performed yesterday was as follows:

People's Jugband
Juke Savage

Procrastinators

The Geezers

One Man Johnson

The Malignant Rumors

Fat Chance

Egg Harbor

and Hot Spit

Mid-afternoon I slipped away to the Duluth Armory for the Save the Armory/Bob Dylan Way Open House. The modest turnout looked sparse inside the cavernous auditorium, especially when compared to the packed out Amazing Grace. This is the hall where Buddy Holly played shortly before his life was cut short in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa.

After purchasing my Bob Dylan Way pin for $5.00 I explored the back rooms, which looked more devastated than even the worst places I'd painted apartments in Minneapolis. Yet when I circulated amongst the faithful and spoke with many of them, all were optimistic about the restoration of this Duluth heirloom which has seen many great concerts during the days of its former glory.

Having just been in the overcrowded environs of Amazing Grace where the Battle of the Jugbands was cookin', the scene at the Armory struck me as especially dismal. The musicians, one of which was this years winner of the Dylan Days Songwriting Competition, were worthy of a larger crowd. I did get to meet John Bushey, host of the Dylan Hour which I listen to almost without fail every Saturday eve at 5:00 on KUMD. Bushey, is turns out is a public school teacher and a professinoal magician who has helped improve his students' test scores by use of misdirection and other techniques. In addition to being a Dylan fan he is a Houdini and handcuff collector.

Among many others, I also spoke with a woman from France who flew to Minnesota for Dylan days, and an artist from Europe who was likewise digging the Dylan ambience this weekend. Quite a few here were in the crowd that night when Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Richie "La Bamba" Valens performed so long ago. Dylan, too, was in that crown, a 17 year old kid at the time when he heard the music play.

69 + 4

Big weekend ahead. Got plans? Here are some suggestions, assuming that you're not heading off to hibernate at your cabin on the lake.

14th Annual Battle of the Jugbands
Produced by Icehouse Studio, Coho Handcream for Men and De Elliot Bros., the Battle is this Sunday May 30th from 1:00 - 8:00 p.m. The Battle of the Jugbands is held in Duluth each Memorial Weekend Sunday. In years past, eight to ten regional bands have shown up, celebrating seven hours of old time down-home, string band roots music. It is also a competition as they vie for the Coveted Yid-wegian Krumkake Iron. As you might imagine, some of it is quite over-the-top. Unique homemade instruments are shown and played, audience participation encouraged. Check it out at the Amazing Grace Cafe, downstairs in the DeWitt-Seitz Building, Canal Park. For a foretaste, check out these scenes from last year.

Pre-Show Jugband Escape
Tomorrow night, de Elliot Bros. will be performing at Amazing Grace from 7:00 to 10:00 in a pre-battle performance. If you like good music, and can't make it Sunday for the annual hoopla, then stop in Saturday evening. Maybe you'll even want to participate. I believe the stage is open.

Dylan Days
The only acceptable excuse for not joining us at Amazing Grace is because you went up to Dylan Days, which officially began yesterday in Hibbing, MN, Bob Dylan's hometown. Poetry readings, a writing contest, all kinds of music, bus tours and other distractions make for a great destination, if you're even remotely a Dylan fan or music lover. Get the whole story and weekend schedule here at http://www.dylandays.com/

Indianapolis 500
For me, Memorial Day Weekend used to mean only one thing: I was not going to church that Sunday because I was going to watch all the pre-race interviews and opening ceremonies for the Indianapolis 500. My Indy 500 weekend always begins when I pick up Friday's USA Today in order to obtain the special Indy 500 racing coverage, with starting grid, profiles of the drivers and the latest dope on all the backstage gossip. This year's stories include a first time four women drivers, though the way the Penske team is racing, these ladies will have to get seriously lucky to have even the remotest chance. (Ana, Simona and Danica are my sentimental favorites.) So, if you have an ear for music but like the action in Indy, do what I often do... check out the Battle of the Jugbands at Amazing Grace, then slip across the street to Grandma's Sports Garden for a brew and a bit o' big screen TV. See if you can catch Danica Patrick in her neon green Go Daddy machine. Prediction: Will Power will set the pace.... and will drink the milk in the winner's circle. And for the record, the average lap speed these days for drivers in the front row is over 227 miles per hour.

Open House at The Historic Armory
In the event that you're not a racing fan, but you are a Dylan fan, but you can't make it to Hibbing for Dylan Days, Sunday there will be an open house at the Armory from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. during the 500 and the Battle of the Jugbands. Not sure how I will fit it all in, but I'll give it my best shot.

"Meantime life goes on all around you." ~ Dylan

Calling All Jug Bands

It's that time of year again. Saturday, Derby Day, we mentioned how May is a month with many highlights, beginning this year with the Run for the Roses. Cinco de Mayo will fall on Wednesday this week, a good time to break out your jalapenos y salsa. Other events traditionally associated with May include Mother's Day (next Sunday, guys), Dylan Days in Hibbing, college graduations and any number of summer art exhibitions.

The month culminates with two distinctive traditions of which I am fond, both falling on the same Memorial Day weekend: the Indianapolis 500 (at Indy) and the Battle of the Jug Bands here in Duluth. Since info about the Indy 500 is accessible nearly anywhere, I will just point out a few notes about the Battle.

14th Annual Battle of the Jug Bands
Sunday-May 30th 1:00-8:00p.m.
Amazing Grace Cafe-Duluth, MN

The annual event and celebration is produced by Icehouse Studio, Coho Handcream for Men and De Elliot Bros. The Annual Battle of the Jug-bands features Jug Band Music from a variety of regional bands and is an all day affair that really satisfies. Historically six to ten bands show up, celebrating seven hours of JUG BAND MUSIC, vying for the Coveted Yid-wegian Krumkake Iron. The music always over flows out on the sidewalk for all to enjoy. Some show up doing a complete One Man Band. Others come alone and invite a few local musicians to join in and put a band together on the spot. Unique homemade instruments are shown and played. Fresh frozen Steelhead Trout caught by Elliot himself, who goes by the moniker Blind Willie, is a runner up prize for 2nd place in the Jugband competition. (He doesn't call his business Icehouse Studios for nothing.)

The night before, De Elliot Bros. and friends will be performing from 7:00-10:00p.m. at the same location.

Now if you're an Indy 500 fan, and you have a hard time deciding whether to stay home and watch the race or come down to hear home spun music, I recommend you do like me. Come on down to the Amazing Grace, then sneak across the street to Grandma's Sports Garden every now and then for a brew and a view on one of their big screen TVs. If Danica has the lead, and you can't break away till the Indy is over, well, the music goes late so you can get the best of both worlds.

According to Blind Willie's promotion, if you submit your mailing address and email to be on the Battle of the Jugbands mailing list, you'll receive a Poster. Contact elliotbrothers@msn.com

Put a song in your heart and check it out.

People's Jug Band Takes The Prize

"...regardless of what you play, the big thing is keeping the feeling going." ~ Wes Montgomery

Last Thursday I gave a preview of the weekend, which included The 13th Annual Battle of the Jug Bands, produced by Icehouse Studios, Coho Handcream for Men and De Elliot Bros. The competition drew in a half dozen competitors, a packed-to-overflowing crowd and a members of the local media.

It has been my privilege to do a few gigs with de Elliot Bros. which this past weekend included a Saturday night show as a warm up for Sunday. And Sunday, we helped warm up the crowd for the rest of the bands, who really didn't need any assistance from us. Each and every one was awesome.

The six bands competing for the Coveted Yid-wegian Krumkake Iron played in this order:

Fat Chance
The Spit Band (below left)
The Geezers
People's Jug Band
Procrastinators
Jook Savage Jug Band

There was an impressive array of talent on display with musicians like National Soap Box Derby champ Bo Conrad of Minneapolis and Duluth's Colorblind Johnson. I am somewhat amazed the even let the likes of me onto the stage at all.

The People's Jug Band, a young group from the Twin Cities, took the prize. They played with passion. (last photo below) Wish I could tell you more about them. They're up-and-comers with fire in their bosoms, and quite a bit of talent to boot.

The pictures on this page are from Sunday's Battle, some taken of bands on the stage and a few outside shots. There were many familiar faces, but some new blood, too. All in all, you really need to mark you calendars for next year's Memorial Day gathering, the 14th Annual Battle of the Jugbands. A big tip o' the hat to Elliot "Blind Willie" Silberman for putting it all together.

Someone once said, "Most of us go to our graves with our music still in us." Don't be that way. Don't do that. Sing your songs and change the world.