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The 28th Annual Minneapolis

Sunday After the SuperBowl
February, 2010 1pm-8pm

at the Cabooze - 917 Cedar Avenue on the West Bank - Minneapolis, MN

the oldest jug band gathering in the known universe.

COMO AVENUE JUG BAND TAKES HOME THE COVETED HOLLIWOOD^® WAFFLE IRON!

Top Winners at the 27th Annual Battle of the Jug Bands

The Como Avenue Jug Band from Minneappolis won the 26th annual Battle of the Jug Bands, held Feb. 8, 2009 at Minneapolis' Cabooze Bar.

Twenty bands competed in this year's battle for the coveted trophy, graciously passed from the 2008 winner, Gramma's Saggy Jug.

A gigantic crowd gathered to schmooze, listen to jugband music, and enjoy some fine cooking at the potluck.

Judges Jesse Downs, Sara Root, and John Mac not only toiled admirably to pick the winner, but came up with some dandy honourable mentions:

Best Bribe: Plan B (The bribe remains a mystery).

Singlest Entendre: Slim Harry Mama

Most Classic: The Crotaline Shakers - received judge Jesse's suspenders, but gave them back when his pants kept falling down.

Most Psychedlic Wild Ride: Grand Pappy John 'n' the Jugglings - recieved a psychedlic coloring book.

Most Rockin' Band: The Goat Riders, with Michael Lynch specifically named as Most Rockin' Harmonica - He received a white rock with his name on it and some drawings.

Third Place: Sasquach Wristwatch - received a deck of playing cards.

Second Place: The Barehand Jugband - received kisses from the judges.

Thanks to all of the volunteers and Cabooze staff people who made last year's event possible, and to to all of the wonderful people who attended the battle, brought food to share, and donated at the door.

Band Registration

for the 2009 ended on December 28, 2008. Click on the "How to Enter" waffle link (left) for details about how the registration worked, including an actual genuine doctored photo from the 2008 lottery.
Letters confirming the bands who will be playing this year are on this page as well.

Check out many band websites on the "Links" waffle link.

See past contestants on the "Images" and "History" Waffle link

Mailing List
Options Form
(click to sign up for emailings)

HUNGER STAVED OFF

This year for the first time, we invited the EMERGENCY FOOD SHELF to come and gather items for food shelves in local neighborhoods.
Ted Evans from the food shelf called Monday morning after the Battle to tell us we collected 350 lbs of food. That is enough for 260 individual meals. He also said that other events his organization has participated in have collected far less than came in at the Battle. He was very appreciative.

~ GREAT WORK, FOLKS ~
JUG BAND FANS ARE THE BEST!

<< >>

The 2009 LINEUP:

many bands-past and present- have web pages
find them on our Links page

1    1.00-1.15: Gramma's Saggy Jugs
2    1.20-1.35; Escape the Floodwater Jug Band
3    1.40-1.55: Fat Chance Jug Band
4    2.00-2.15: The Crotaline Shakers
5    2.20-2.35: Grandpappy John 'n' the Jugglings
6    2.40-2.55: The Como Avenue Jug Band
7    3.00-3.15: The Goat Riders
8    3.20-3.35: New Improved Jook Savages
9    3.40-3.55: Slim Harry Mama
10    4.00-4.15: Bigdogmojo
11    4.20-4.35: Malcom Tent and the Heptic Discharge
12    4.40-4.55: Slipped A Mickey
13    5.00-5.15: The Peoples Music Society of Portland Avenue
14    5.20-5.35: 3 Good Samaritans
15    5.40-5.55 The Barehand Jugband
16    6.00-6.15: West Bank Temperance League
17    6.20-6.35: Sasquatch Wristwatch
18    6.40-6.55: Pre-Apocalyptic Junkyard Orchestra
19    7.00-7.15: Plan B
20    7.20-7.35: The Geezers

HEY! - don't forget the history pages
Posters dating back to 1966 - The Waffle Iron Trophy -
- David Morton's History of Minnesota Jugbands -
plus NEWLY UNCOVERED webpages unseen in 9 years!

With the snow flying, subzero temperatures and cabin fever setting in, it must mean that the Annual Battle of the Jug Bands is just around the corner. For 27 years, jug bands have convened to determine who takes home the coveted traveling waffle iron trophy.

If you were at the 2009 Battle you know that the competition was stiff. Twenty bands went kazoo to washboard as they battled it out on the stage of the Cabooze.

Thanks to emcee MJ Mueller as she diplomatically kept the bands on time and honest. No one wanted to leave until the last band played and the judges came in with their decsion.

In the end it was The Twin Cities' Como Avenue Jug Band that wooed the judges, took the honors and gained the right to have their name engraved with the past winners on the coveted Holliwood® waffle iron.

Cabooze MAP click HERE

to sign up for mailings
click HERE

click on pictures to see big versions

The Pre-Battle
Jugband Jam & Social

Saturday, 4-6pm at the

Eagles Club Aerie Nº 34

Space for the pre-battle jug band jam and social hour (or hours) was again provided by the good folks at Eagles Club (25th Avenue + 25th St in Minneapolis), on the late afternoon before the battle.

This gathering gives us the opportunity to meet and greet our fellow jugbanders and fans from across the midwest, swap songs, compare home-brewed musical contraptions and eyeball the competition in a relaxed and low pressure atmosphere. Did you miss out in the band lottery? Here's an opportunity to still strut your stuff. (If we'd like to go later, it's ok with the Eagles-but remember-some of us have to get over to the Battlesite on Sunday in time to set up!)

Get together to discuss the important issues to us jug banders: thimbles or bottle openers on washboards? What's the best string for a washtub bass? Was Noah Lewis or Son Brimmer the better harp player-and did Walter Horton really record with the Memphis Jug Band when he was only 9 years old? Where can I find a decent kazoo that doesn't fall apart? "Look what I built." All those sorts of things. Or just to jam with some other jug band players from across the na

tion.

This reinstated a tradition that was interrupted with the closing of the Viking Bar back in 2006.

King-sized thanks to the great folks at the Eagles for their ongoing support of the local music scene.
Eagle's Club:
MAP click HERE
2507 E,25th Street in South Minneapolis

The First Annual CHICAGO
Battle of the Jugbands...

They finally done did it. For the first time, an Annual Battle of the Jugbands has jumped the Minnesota Border, all the way to Illinois. Click on the links above for more information, and here for some photos of the event. Bands from Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois packed the place. The coveted Sausage Stuffer Trophy stayed in The City of Broad Shoulders (this time) with the Winning Blue Ribbon Jug Band.

(We're just telling you about this:
The Chicago and Annual Minneapolis Battles
are not formally connected)

Below are the Lyrics to that song that the White Lightnin' Waffle Stompers did about the Battle last year:

JUG BAND JAMBOREE
Craig Kent

Grab your washboard grab your jug
going down to the West Bank and party tonight
Gonna drink that stuff till our brains get numb
gonna pick and grin till the cows come home

chorus
Jug band jamboree come on down and join the fun
jug band jamboree come on down it's all for free

Here comes Willie free as a bird
and he don't have a care in the world
gonna play that bottom sweet and low
but he ain't drivin' when it's time to go

There's my baby looking so fine
got me rockin' and a reelin' man I ain't lyin'
grab a partner and get up and dance
or grab a kazoo and join the band

Bring something good for your friends to eat
or just bring yourself and stomp your feet
keep an eye on the waffle iron we all know why
with Judy around it'll get up and fly

We got Snaky Dave Ray in our hearts today
his spirit lives on in the music we play
we got Dylan not Bob, Soupy, Fritz and White Rabbit
singing jug band music is here to stay

I sing the chorus after every verse
but I don't know how you want to print it.

the Craigster asks:

"Am I going to have to copywright them first so Cannon's Jug Stompers or The Memphis Jug Band don't record it and make a million and claim they wrote it? Or Mama's Saggy Jugs? Or whatever Fat Chance's name du jour is???"

Sunday, February 8, 2009 1pm-8pm

at the Cabooze - 917 Cedar Avenue on the West Bank - Minneapolis, MN