The Bloody Jug Band at the Florida Music Festival

Posted on by Thor

The Florida Music Festival at (Wall Street Plaza II Stage, 266 Wall Street, Orlando, Florida) boasted over 125 individual showcases and promoted the community of music. Each night, the fesival invited individuals, artists and all music enthusiasts to come together to celebrate an artist or band that defines their genre. Over a dozen stages took over Downtown Orlando from Thursday, April 21 to Sunday, April 23 rocking all genres from Pop, Hip Hop and Alternative Rock to Country and Blue Grass. All participating showcase venues had free admission.

I stopped to sketch the Bloody Jug Band, a local group whose hard edged rockabilly music is always a blast to hear. The band draws inspiration from historic jug bands of the 1920’s and 30’s as well as the darker side of
Blues and Rock n’ Roll.  The band carves out its own niche in a genre of music that has
never seen such a bloody incarnation.

I wedged myself up against a palm tree and started drawing. There was a crowd down Wall Street, but, not much of a crowd right in front of the stage. A young girl shot photos of the band. This sketch was done just using bright primary colors to cover the page as fast as possible. Since blood is in the bands name, I decided that all the band members would be blood red.

When the sketch was done, a local female singer talked to me for a while and gave me her card. We became Facebook friends, but I still haven’t sketched one of her performances. Sometimes it is hard to keep track of so much talent. I got a wrist band when I entered in the fenced off Festival venue area, but I never did get a drink. When the bloody Jug Band set was done, I just kept adding color to my sketch.  The next band had set up and was playing as I walked through the History Center Plaza towards my car to drive back home.

The Bloody Jug band was a rip roaring good time.

Posted on by Thor

The Bloody Jug Band performed at the outdoor stage at this year’s Orlando International Fringe Festival. I’ve wanted to catch a performance by them for quite some time. I usually go to the venue they will be performing at, and end up sketching an earlier act. They usually perform past my bed time. Their music draws inspiration from historic JUG bands of the 1920’s and 30’s as well as the darker side of
Blues and Rock n’ Roll, they carved out its own niche in a genre of music that has
never seen such a bloody incarnation.

Members of the band include,  Cragmire Peace on Vocals and Scratch, Stormy Jean on Vocals and Untimely Percussion, Brian Shredder on Acoustic Guitar and Mandolin, Steevil on Electric Guitar and Banjo, Bloody Rick Lane on Harmonica, Seth Funky on Washtub and Uke Bass, Big Daddy Jerm on JUG and Percussion, and Baby Dingo on Cajon and Spoons. As you can see this is a small bloody army of talent. When I sat down to sketch, Jessie Sander who is a dancer for Drip dance leaned over to say hi. Her boyfriend was center stage banging on a wooden box as percussion. One song loosely based on Johnny Cash’s Boy Named Sue had everyone up and dancing revival style. Of course Jessie and her friends couldn’t resist the urge to dance.

The sheer voracity of the music kept my lines dancing. I didn’t have to think or analyze what I did, I just let the tidal wave carry me along. I kind of wish I could listen to their music every time I sketched, to amp up my nerves to go with the flow.  If you ever see The Bloody Jug Band performing, be sure to go, you will have a great time. Someone took several photos of this sketch in progress and on Facebook, band members debated why a few performers couldn’t be seen. I know that the lead singer blocked my view of a performed in the back corner of the stage, although I put a faint squiggle down to indicate that he wore a bowler hat. The drummer is also just a loose indication behind everyone else center stage.