Hot Times at Old Town

Appearing below are selections from the hard copy Hot Times. The objective is to highlight activities at the School and in the larger community, especially those featuring or of special interest to teachers and staff. Your suggestions are welcome. Enter a comment (under any item); it will come to me rather than automatically appearing.

Strange-looking device comes to OTS!

It’s all over but the cheering! Armed with jugs, washboards, kazoos, and other musical weaponry, six jug bands of all sizes and descriptions clashed at the SECOND ANNUAL CHICAGO BATTLE OF THE JUG BANDS on Saturday, November 14th. Most important, the battlle trophy, a strange-looking sausage making thing has returned to Chicago. For the past year the trophy has been in Denver or one of those other cities out west of Galena. That’s where the leader of the Blue Ribbon Jug Band, last year’s winner, now resides.

The winning band, Strictly Jug Nuts, was decided by audience vote, using ballots designed to replicate those in Chicago municipal elections. But, ironically, ballots were not made available for sale. Overseeing the election were Battle Election Comissioner Steve Bishop, wearing a handsome top hat, and Comptroller Marsha Gilden, having boned up her math skills and planning to add this credential to her resume.

In second place after Strictly Jug Nuts was the Shticklers, Chicago’s All-Jewish Jug Band, led by Barb Silverman. Skip Landt notes that his band, Strictly Jug Nuts, is Chicago’s Half-Jewish Jug Band, and as such probably split the Jewish vote. In third place was the Barehanded Jug Band led by Jonas Friddle, of uncertain devotional or family origin.

For the second year, the contest was held at the Morseland Cafe in Rogers Park. Again this year, the crowd was so large that by mid-evening the place was packed; newcomers were admitted only when someone else left. Strictly Jug Nuts will have their name engraved on the travelling sausage maker trophy, a handsome, wooden plaque on which is mounted a metal thing with a long handle. The trophy will be displayed in the Cafe at the Old Town School of Folk Music. The names of other bands at the competition have already had their names emblazoned, but only on the air of the Morseland at the time of their performances. Hence the Brass Band Jug Band, the Deep Fried Pickle Project, and the Hump Night Thumpers are left with nothing but hope, looking forward to future years, future battles, and to memories of their participation in this mementous occasion in Chicago Battle of the Jug Bands history.

Filed under: Interesting outside the Old Town School by Skip | November 14, 2009 | Comments (0)


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